Classic Crime & Mystery Fiction

London, 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk. During a stroll through Regent's Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspiciously around a footbridge. In a matter of moments, one of them has been murdered; Mallaig's view of the assailant is but a brief glimpse of a ghastly...

When Nurse Keate arrives at the Thatcher estate to care for a man with a bullet in his shoulder, she’s told that he shot himself accidentally. However, when the convalescing man is murdered soon thereafter, it becomes clear that the only “accident” was his not being fully killed the first time around. A murderer stalks the manor, and yet the...

A war's on and a murder has been committed—and we sit here talking nonsense about almond whirls and mince pies! Good old Uncle Willie—rich, truculent and seemingly propped up by his fierce willpower alone—has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. It is just their luck for him to be found dead in the snow on Boxing Day...

On a sultry afternoon in July, a man stumbles through thick foliage and rough ground, making for the coast. He wears prisoner's garb and the guards are hot on his heels. Happening upon a bather's clothes—the bather nowhere in sight—the escapee takes the risk, changes, and leaves the scene looking the part of the average beachcomber. But it can be...

Locked-room mysteries and other impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to the cerebral type of detective story that became so popular during the 'golden age of murder' between the two world wars. But the tradition goes back to the days of Wilkie Collins, and...

The streets of London have been home to many great detectives since the days of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and the exploits of these city sleuths have flourished in the short story form. Featuring a roster of Scotland Yard's meticulous best, a cohort of daring doctors, and a handful of characterful private investigators, this new collection of short stories selected...

Discover Dorothy L. Sayers' inimitable Golden Age detective in this newly published collection of the complete Lord Peter Wimsey stories. Presented in chronological order, these short stories see Lord Peter Wimsey bringing his trademark wit and unique detection skills to all manner of mysteries. From poisoned port to murder in fancy dress, Wimsey draws on his many skills—including his expertise...

"You have to reach for the greatest of the Great Names (Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen) to find Christianna Brand's rivals in the subtleties of the trade." Anthony Boucher in the New York Times Night falls in the capital, and a "London particular" pea-souper fog envelops the city. In Maida Vale, Rose and her family doctor Tedwards struggle...

The Master? Dr. Greeby? You don't say so! Murdered? Dear me! Poor Greeby! This will upset my whole day's work. An Oxford Master is slain on campus during Pentecost. A headmaster faces off in a deadly battle of wits with a disgruntled parent. A sixth-form public school prank courts a murderous consequence. In this new anthology, theft, blackmail, murder, and...

When a Hollywood film crew descends on her small town, part-time librarian Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden gets a behind-the-scenes look at movie making - and reprises her role as an amateur sleuth . . . It's been more than a year since her husband Martin's death, and Roe is still in mourning. All she wants is to be left alone to...

'One of the great masterpieces of Japanese crime fiction' David Peace, author of Tokyo Year Zero One of Japan's great modern writers, this second half of Lady Joker brings Kaoru Takamura's breathtaking masterpiece to a gripping conclusion. Five men who meet at a Tokyo racetrack every week carry out a heist. They have kidnapped the CEO of Japan's largest beer...

THE JAPANESE CRIME CLASSIC - ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD 'One of the great masterpieces of Japanese crime fiction and one of the must-read books of this or any year' - David Peace Tokyo, 1995. Five men meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together...

Mr. Anthony Berkeley deserves all gratitude for his energetic efforts to escape from the thraldom of formula... If you are hard-boiled and disillusioned about detectives, you will find this tale very refreshing. Dorothy L. Sayers At a costume party with the dubious theme of 'famous murderers and their victims', the know-it-all amateur criminologist Roger Sheringham is settled in for an...

We are thrilled to welcome John Dickson Carr into the Crime Classics series with his first novel, a brooding locked room mystery in the gathering dusk of the French capital. In the smoke-wreathed gloom of a Parisian salon, Inspector Bencolin has summoned his allies to discuss a peculiar case. A would-be murderer, imprisoned for his attempt to kill his wife,...

Her best yet. A classic story with well concealed and ingenious clues, sufficiently difficult to leave us properly surprised by both murderer and method. — The Spectator Near St. Brynneys in the Welsh border country, isolated by heavy snow and flooding from the thaw, a calamity has occurred. Old Dr. Robinson, a known 'menace on the roads', has met his...

A mysterious murder near Esher, a gruesome delivery of two human ears packed in coarse salt, the disappearance of secret submarine plans, the sudden descent into madness of two brothers – these are only some of the apparently unsolvable cases contained in this volume. The great sleuth, assisted by his trusted friend Doctor Watson, is challenged to clear these cases...

It almost seemed that the murder, if it was a murder, must have been committed by someone who could rise up unsupported in the air... When Miles Hammond is invited to a meeting of the Murder Club in London, he is met instead with just two other guests and is treated to a strange tale of an impossible crime in...

Robert Westland's date with the executioner is just around the corner when he finally decides to fight the murder rap sending him to the electric chair. Framed for his wife's grisly demise, Westland is in a bind, and his last hope is Bill Crane, a booze-soaked detective who's as ruthless with a quip as he is when trawling the streets...

"Curiously enough," said Dr. Manners, "I know a story in which the detection of a murder turned on the behaviour of a bird: in this instance a jackdaw." Since the dawn of the crime fiction genre, animals of all kinds have played a memorable part in countless mysteries, and in a variety of roles: the perpetrator, the key witness, the...

A dark theatrical comedy about the vexed and violent relationship between Britain and Ireland, from twice Booker-shortlisted author Patrick McCabe. It's the summer of Brexit, and in a seedy hotel room on the South Coast of England, Chenevix Meredith finds his old comrade Henry Plumm murdered in the bathtub. Piecing together their shared history, Meredith looks back at the years...

Depending on who you ask, the term "whodunit" was first coined sometime around 1930, but the literary form predates that name by several decades. Still, it was in the years between the two World Wars—the so-called "Golden Age" of mystery fiction—that the style flourished. Short mysteries were published far and wide by a variety of authors, not just those primarily...

Depending on whom you ask, the term "whodunit" was first coined sometime around 1930, but the literary form predates that name by several decades. Still, it was in the years between the two World Wars—the so-called "Golden Age" of mystery fiction—that the style flourished. Short mysteries were published far and wide by a variety of authors, not just those primarily...

Sometimes, the police aren't the best suited to solve a crime. Depending on the case, you may find that a retired magician, a schoolteacher, a Broadway producer, or a nun have the necessary skills to suss out a killer. Or, in other cases, a blind veteran, a publisher, a hard-drinking attorney, a mostly-sober attorney… or, indeed, any sort of detective...

Sometimes, the police aren't the best suited to solve a crime. Depending on the case, you may find that a retired magician, a schoolteacher, a Broadway producer, or a nun have the necessary skills to suss out a killer. Or, in other cases, a blind veteran, or a publisher, or a hard-drinking attorney, or a mostly-sober attorney… or, indeed, any...

Of crime fiction's many sub-genres, none is so reflexive and intriguing as the "bibliomystery": stories that involve crimes set, somehow, in the world of books. In Vincent Starrett's A Volume of Poe, a bookseller is murdered; in Ellery Queen's The Adventure of the Three R's, the detective tracks the disappearance of a local Missouri author; and a killer stalks the...

Of crime fiction's many sub-genres, none is so reflexive and intriguing as the "bibliomystery": stories that involve crimes set, somehow, in the world of books. In Vincent Starrett's A Volume of Poe, a bookseller is murdered; in Ellery Queen's The Adventure of the Three R's, the detective tracks the disappearance of a local Missouri author; and a killer stalks the...

Today, translated crime fiction is in vogue, but this was not always the case. A century before Scandi noir, writers across Europe and beyond were publishing detective stories of high quality. Often, these did not appear in English and have been known only by a small number of experts. Foreign Bodies is the first ever collection of classic crime in...

The Second World War is drawing to a close. Nicholas Vaughan, released from the army after an accident, takes refuge in Devon, renting a thatched cottage in the beautiful countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn. Vaughan sets to work farming the land, rearing geese and renovating the cottage. Hard work and rural peace seem to make this a happy bachelor life. On...

... and what a motive! Murder to save one's artistic soul... who'd believe that? Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side of theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead...

First published in 1944, Fell Murder sees E.C.R. Lorac at the height of her considerable powers as a purveyor of well-made, traditional, and emphatic detective fiction. The book presents a fascinating 'return of the prodigal’ mystery set in the later stages of the Second World War amidst the close-knit farmerfolk community of Lancashire’s lovely Lune valley. The Garths had farmed...

Fear Stalks the Village has a sense of reality about it which few thrillers possess, and the characterisation is excellent. You will enjoy thrill upon thrill. — Tatler To the connoisseur of crime, the name of Ethel Lina White is one to be spoken of with awe. — News Chronicle Ambling along the lanes of a sleepy village in the...

The characters are quite extraordinarily living... A most original and grimly farcical situation. - Dorothy L. Sayers Robert Arthur Kewdingham is an eccentric failure of a man. In middle age, he retreats into a private world, hunting for Roman artefacts and devoting himself to bizarre mystical beliefs. Robert's wife, Bertha, feels that there are few things more dreadful than a...

Age range 12+ Faculty of Murder introduces Mother Paul, June Wright's beloved nun-detective, who returns to her sleuthing ways after taking up a new position as warden of a student hall of residence at the University of Melbourne. Upon her arrival on campus, Judith Mornane startles her fellow residents by announcing her intention to uncover the truth behind her sister's...

From the point of view of the nation, it's a good thing that he died. Great Barwick's least popular man is murdered on a train. Twelve jurors sit in court. Four suspects are identified—but which of them is on trial? This novel has all the makings of a classic murder mystery, but with a twist: as Attorney-General Anstruther Blayton leads...

"Her writing is moment by moment intense, and successful as such... What propels the reader through the pages is not the tug of 'who done it' nor the excitement of men with guns coming through doors, but the sheer excellence of the writing." — H.R.F. Keating A car speeds down a road between miles of marshes and estuary flats, its...

From picturesque canals to the swirling currents of the ocean, a world of secrets lies buried beneath the surface of the water. Dubious vessels crawl along riverbeds, while the murky depths conceal more than one gruesome murder. The stories in this collection will dredge up delight in crime fiction fans, as watery graves claim unintended dwellers and disembodied whispers penetrate...

The stunningly written, atmospheric new debut crime thriller you won’t want to miss! Winner of the 2024 CrimeFest Debut Crime Novel of the Year! A detective ready for a new life For years, Jake Jackson has been a high-flying detective in the city. One day he receives a letter from his reclusive uncle – he has left Jake his property...

When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards—out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon—an amiable policeman from Nice—Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger. Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of...

The headline from The Maningpool Telegraph read: TRAGIC DEATH OF SIR NOEL GRAMPIAN shot during performance Symphony Concert Calamity. As a rousing Strauss piece is reaching its crescendo in Maningpool Civic Hall, the talented yet obnoxious conductor Sir Noel Grampian is shot dead in full view of the Municipal Orchestra and the audience. It was no secret that he had...

A bookshop is a first-rate place for unobtrusive observation, he continued. One can remain in it an indefinite time, dipping into one book after another, all over the place. Mr Richard Dodsley, owner of a fine second-hand bookshop on Charing Cross Road, has been found murdered in the cold hours of the morning. Shot in his own office, few clues...

At Elysian Hall, a great exhibition space in post-War London, a cast has been assembled for a Medieval pageant show. There are knights in coloured armour, real horses, and a fair damsel in the tower on high. Tragedy is in the air when several members of the troupe are sent death threats before the show, and the worst comes to...

There's more crime going on in Carey's Circus than in the whole underworld of London. Theft, immorality, blackmail - you'll find all the pretties here. Seven Bengal tigers are the star attraction of Carey's Circus. Their trainer is the fearless Anton, whose work demands absolute fitness and the steadiest of nerves. When Anton is found lying dead in the tigers'...

I hate murders and I hate murderers, but I must admit that the discovery of a bearded corpse would give a fillip to my jaded mind. Vivian Lestrange, celebrated author of the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case and total recluse, has apparently dropped off the face of the Earth. Reported missing by his secretary Eleanor, whom Inspector Bond suspects...

An honest policeman, Sergeant Wigan, escorts a drunk man home one night to keep him out of trouble and, seeing his fine book collection, slowly falls into the gentle art of book collecting. Just as the friendship is blossoming, the policeman's book-collecting friend is murdered. To solve the mystery of why the victim was killed, and which of his rare...

Death in White Pyjamas: A theatre-owner, a 'slightly sinister' producer, a burgeoning playwright, and a cast of ego-driven actors have gathered at a country home to read through the promising script for Pigs in Porcelain. Before the production ever reaches the stage, one of their number is found murdered in the grounds wearing what mysteriously seems to be somebody else's...

At the Central Criminal Court, an eager crowd awaits the trial of Victoria Lamartine, an active participant in the Resistance during the war. She is now employed at the Family Hotel in Soho, where Major Eric Thoseby has been found murdered. The cause of death? A stabbing reminiscent of techniques developed by the Maquisards. While the crime is committed in...

A detective steeped in the art of magic solves the mystifying murder of two occultists. Now retired from the tour circuit on which he made his name, master magician The Great Merlini spends his days running a magic shop in New York’s Times Square and his nights moonlighting as a consultant for the NYPD. The cops call him when faced...

Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris introduces readers to part-time librarian Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden, who finds herself entangled in a perplexing murder case. This is the fifth thrilling mystery in the series by the No. 1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. Roe never liked Detective Sergeant Jack Burns, but she certainly didn't wish for his...

When Quinn first meets Bricky, she's working as a partner-for-hire at a dancehall, and he's struggling to shake the anxiety of his guilty conscience. Earlier that day, the young man took advantage of a found key and used it to rob a stranger's home. Now, with the purloined money in his pocket, Quinn is unable to escape the memory of...

In London's Bloomsbury, Inspector Julian Rivers of Scotland Yard looks down at a dismal scene. Here is the victim, burnt to a crisp. Here are the clues — clues which point to a good climber and expert skier, and which lead Rivers to the piercing sunshine and sparkling snow of the Austrian Alps. Yet there is something sinister beneath the...

It all began with sheep-stealing. A hateful act among the shepherds of the fells, and yet not a matter of life and death. Then came arson, and with the leaping of the flames, death and disorder reached the peaceful moors. Holidaying with his friends the Hoggetts in High Gimmerdale while on a trip to find some farmland for his retirement,...

Crimson Snow brings together a dozen vintage crime stories set in winter. Welcome to a world of Father Christmases behaving oddly, a famous fictional detective in a Yuletide drama, mysterious tracks in the snow, and some very unpleasant carol singers. The mysterious events chronicled by a distinguished array of contributors in this volume frequently take place at Christmas. There's no...

"Ahoy, my lad!" he bellowed back. "I didn't expect you so early. Come for a dip! The water's fine. Everything is-" Then it happened. Mystery and murder runs amok amidst ominous peaks and icy lakes. In hushed valleys, venom flows through villages harbouring grievances which span generations. The landscapes and locales of Wales ("Cymru", in the Welsh language) have fired...

Martin Greenough's walled-off mansion is the last remaining holdout in the Boston parkland known as the Fenway—an achievement that testifies to the elderly bachelor's great wealth. Childless and nearing the end of his life, he surrounds himself only with his cat, his servants, and a friend, Mrs. Warden—not to mention the circle of extended family members whose lives he both...

Never had I been given a tougher problem to solve, and never had I been so utterly at my wits' end for a solution. A signalman is found dead by a railway tunnel. A man identifies his wife as a victim of murder on the underground. Two passengers mysteriously disappear between stations, leaving behind a dead body. Trains have been...

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex-intelligence officer Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and, with the help of his two German Shepherds, became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City, picking up on the unseen clues that often slip beneath the visual surface. The Miners Title and Trust is...

The Miners Title and Trust is typically dead quiet, having gone bankrupt. Then, late one evening, the bank's blind president, Blake Hadfield, plummets eight stories to his death in the building's lobby. The only witnesses are the security guard and Blake's estranged wife, who were both on the first floor. Blake's son, Seth, is found drunk and dazed on the...

In the countryside of Victorian England, a recluse and a beekeeper team up to catch a cunning villain. In a quiet village far from the noise of Victorian London, Sydney Silchester lives the life of a recluse led by two passions: privacy and honey. He gives up the former only when his stores of the latter run low. But when...

In the countryside of Victorian England, a recluse and a beekeeper team up to catch a cunning villain. In a quiet village far from the noise of Victorian London, Sydney Silchester lives the life of a recluse led by two passions: privacy and honey. He gives up the former only when his stores of the latter run low. But when...

The red robe concealed the blood until it made my hand sticky. Father Christmas had been stabbed in the back, and he was certainly dead. The murder of Father Christmas at one of London's great toy shops is just one of many yuletide disasters in this new collection of stories from the Golden Age of crime writing and beyond. Masters...

Rose has news for Celia: she is due to have a baby by Celia's husband, Humphrey. Soon after, the seeds of scandal bear a criminal fruit when a body is discovered in Little Venice along with Rose's handbag. Celia drafts in an old flame, Will, to root out the truth from suspicions of murder and blackmail, as the evidence starts...

One of the greatest locked-room murder mysteries of all time, hailing from 1938, returns to baffle a new bevy of armchair detectives. James Answell, visiting his father-in-law Avery Hume in his locked study, has the misfortune to wake up from a drugged-Whisky swoon to find his host dead, skewered with an arrow. He is, of course, the prime suspect. After...

It's deep winter and time to light the fire, pull up a blanket and curl up with your cat. But has it occurred to you that your feline companion might be licking blood from its paws? Slink through shadows and brush with death in these classic cat-themed mystery tales from beloved crime authors Catherine Aird, Edmund Crispin, Patricia Highsmith, and...

She wrote for a living. But who wanted her dead? When bestselling author Annie Morrissey is found dead, her daughter Niamh knows in her gut it’s no accident – even if the case needs a good edit. The village is strangely uneventful. The suspects are suspiciously normal. The leads quickly turn into dead ends… But when Annie’s final manuscript lands...

Murder, political intrigue, theft, secret identities, and deception—this Agatha Christie mystery has it all! In this fast-paced mystery from Agatha Christie—one of the masters of detective fiction—Prince Michael, heir to the throne of Herzoslovakia, is found murdered at the English countryside manor known as Chimneys. A plot full of political scheming, the theft of the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, and layers...

A special edition collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the...

Marking exactly 50 years since the publication of Agatha Christie’s final Hercule Poirot novel, this limited edition boxed set brings together the first Poirot novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles with her last, Curtain, in which Poirot and Hastings return to the scene of their first case together. First published in September 1975, nearly 60 years after Agatha Christie began...

One of Sherlock Holmes's greatest triumphs is probably also one of the finest crime novels of all time, presented here as a gorgeous gift edition in the Flame Tree Collectable Classics series. Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury...

"Cara!" Mr. Wilkinson stood on the jetty looking out at the long, low shadow of the island, dark against the setting sun. "A beautiful place, and a beautiful name." "It's the Gaelic word for a corpse." From the dramatic Highlands to bustling cities and remote islands in wild seas, the unique landscapes and locales of Scotland have enthralled and shaped...

John Waterhouse has died of some gastric complication. Exhumed at his brother's request, it transpires that he has been killed by arsenical poisoning, though nobody in the sleepy village of Anneypenny seems to have had a reason to do him ill. Rumours abound of Nazi intrigue and military skullduggery, but whatever the motive, the truth remains; this was murder. Originally...

There will be ten teacups at number 4, Berwick Terrace, W. 8, on Wednesday, July 31, at 5 p.m. precisely. The presence of the Metropolitan Police is respectfully requested. Writing as Carter Dickson, the master of the locked room mystery, John Dickson Carr, returns to the Crime Classics series. He pitches his series amateur detective, Henry Merrivale, against a seemingly...

The newly formed Ministry of Fine Arts has a staffing problem—one minister dead within six months of its inception, his successor snuffed out shortly before the General Election. When a third victim, Permanent Secretary Edwin Pompfret, is fatally crushed by the fall of a giant bust, Inspector Julian Rivers is drawn into a case of murder of artistic devilment. "Her...

_______________ WINNER OF THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK _______________ 'A remarkable achievement' - Sunday Times 'A classic, to my mind, of the finest documentary writing' - John le Carré 'Absolutely riveting' - Sarah Waters, Guardian _______________ On a summer’s morning in 1860, the Kent family awakes in their...

A man is forbidden to uncover the secret of the tower in a fairy-tale castle by the Rhine. A headless corpse is found in a secret garden in Paris — belonging to the city's chief of police. And a drowned man is fished from the sea off the Italian Riviera, leaving the carabinieri to wonder why his socialite friends at...

A cosy romp of cream teas, double-barrelled names and murder. THE SUN The new book in the Val and Arbie mysteries from the multi-million-copy selling author Faith Martin. One of these guests has a date with death… Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift arrives at Dashwood House, a glamorously modern hotel in the up-and-coming resort of Galton-next-the-Sea, but all plans for a relaxing...

Following the death of her beloved sister, Cyra Griffin decides to infiltrate the notorious Serial Killer Support Group in New York City and take the investigation of her sister's murder into her own hands... even if it means becoming allies with serial killers themselves. AMAZON EDITOR'S PICK FOR MARCH THRILLERS BARNES AND NOBLE BEST PAPERBACKS PICK When Cyra Griffin's younger...

Murder and mystery lurk in the hills and on the shores of Devon and Cornwall in this new Special Edition Hardback of Agatha Christie’s finest countryside stories. Growing up in Torquay, Agatha Christie’s love of the West Country never left her, and many of her finest stories are set on the moors and shores of Devon and Cornwall. This collection...

London, 1968. A suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road. "Ask anyone on Atbara Avenue how well they know their neighbours, and they'll answer 'well'. After all, they see each other across the vast distance afforded by close proximity, and that is probably for the best..." In number 17 live a bitter daughter and her mother, trapped with...

On a dismally foggy night in Hampstead, London, a curious party has gathered in an artist's studio to weather the wartime blackout. A civil servant and a government scientist are matching wits in a game of chess, while an artist paints the portrait of his characterful sitter, bedecked in Cardinal's robes at the other end of the room. In the...

That is the case. Alison has been murdered. His blazing body was seen running about the battlements of Castle Skull. And so a dark shadow looms over the Rhineland where Inspector Henri Bencolin and his accomplice Jeff Marle have arrived from Paris. Entreated by the Belgian financier D'Aunay to investigate the gruesome and grimly theatrical death of actor Myron Alison,...