Classic Crime & Mystery Fiction

Agatha Christie’s seaside mystery thriller, based on the Devon location of Burgh Island, now reissued as a hardback ‘Special Edition’ with a gorgeous new artwork cover. It is peaceful. The sun shines. The sea is blue. But you forget, there is evil everywhere under the sun. It was not unusual to find the beautiful bronzed body of the sun-loving Arlena...

A man is shot at in a juvenile reform home – but someone else dies… Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in a Victorian mansion which doubles as a rehabilitation centre for delinquents. Her fears are confirmed when a youth fires a revolver at the administrator, Lewis Serrocold. Neither is injured. But a mysterious visitor, Mr...

The daughter of an American millionaire dies on a train en route for Nice… When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are...

A movie star A deadly cocktail A murder When glamorous Marina Gregg came to live in St Mary Mead, tongues were sure to wag. But, with a local gossip’s sudden death, has one tongue wagged a bit too much? As the police chase false leads, and two more victims meet untimely ends, Miss Marple starts to ask her own questions....

The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side is Agatha Christie’s audacious murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. One minute, silly Heather Badcock had been gabbling on at her movie idol, the glamorous Marina Gregg. The next, Heather suffered a massive seizure. But for whom...

A young woman investigates an accidental death at a London tube station, and finds herself on a ship bound for South Africa… Pretty, young Anne came to London looking for adventure. In fact, adventure comes looking for her – and finds her immediately at Hyde Park Corner tube station. Anne is present on the platform when a thin man, reeking...

An elderly stroke victim dies without having arranged a will… Beautiful young Elinor Carlisle stood serenely in the dock, accused of the murder of Mary Gerrard, her rival in love. The evidence was damning: only Elinor had the motive, the opportunity and the means to administer the fatal poison. Yet, inside the hostile courtroom, only one man still presumed Elinor...

Captain Hastings recounts 18 of Poirot’s early cases from the days before he was famous… Hercule Poirot delighted in telling people that he was probably the best detective in the world. So turning back the clock to trace eighteen of the cases which helped establish his professional reputation was always going to be a fascinating experience. With his career still...

Car brakes failA boulder missesAccidents? Or not? On holiday in Cornwall, Poirot meets a pretty young woman with an unusual name, ‘Nick’ Buckley. Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick’s sun hat, the great detective decides the girl needs his protection. He also begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn’t been committed. Yet. Peril at End House is...

A middle-aged diplomat is accosted in an airport lounge, and his identity is stolen... Sir Stafford Nye’s journey home from Malaya to London takes an unexpected twist in the passenger lounge at Frankfurt. A young woman confides in him that someone is trying to kill her. Yet their paths are to cross again and again – and each time, the...

A message from a dead acquaintance prompts a bus tour to an unknown crime… In utter disbelief, Miss Marple read the letter addressed to her from the recently deceased Mr Rafiel—an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. Recognising in Miss Marple a natural flair for justice, Mr Rafiel had left instructions for her to investigate a crime after...

Murder Is Easy is Agatha Christie’s ingenious murder mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. Luke Fitzwilliam could not believe Miss Pinkerton’s wild allegation that a multiple murderer was at work in the quiet English village of Wychwood – or her speculation that the local...

What secrets lie in the past? Fifteen years ago, during the Great War, Louise Leidner’s first husband was tried as a spy, sentenced to death, and then escaped, only to die in a train crash. So how is he sending her death threats from beyond the grave? Death threats upon which someone has followed through. Only the world’s greatest detective...

An old widow is brutally killed in the parlour of her cottage… Mrs McGinty’s dead!‘How did she die?’‘Down on one knee, just like I!’ The old children’s game now seemed rather tasteless. The real Mrs McGinty was killed by a crushing blow to the back of the head and her pitifully small savings were stolen. Suspicion falls immediately on her...

An all-new collection of winter-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the festive period. There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter… It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and...

An all-new collection of summer-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the holiday season. Summertime – as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie’s most famous characters solve even the most devilish of conundrums...

A brand new 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...

The inspiration for A Haunting in Venice – now a major motion picture. When a Hallowe’en party turns deadly, it falls to Hercule Poirot to unmask a murderer… At a Hallowe’en party, Joyce – a hostile thirteen-year-old – boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no-one believes her, she storms off home. But within hours her body is found,...

The inspiration for A Haunting in Venice – now a major motion picture. When a Hallowe’en party turns deadly, it falls to Hercule Poirot to unmask a murderer… During a night of party games, Joyce Reynolds boasts that she once witnessed a murder. No one believes her, but then she is found drowned, face down in an apple-bobbing tub. Set...

The perfect holiday… For a passionate crime… It was not unusual to find the sun-loving Arlena Stuart stretched out on a beach, face down. Only, on this occasion, there was no sun… she had been strangled. Ever since her arrival, the air had been thick with sexual tension. Each of the seaside guests had a motive to kill her, including...

Elephants Can Remember follows the legendary Hercule Poirot as he is determined to solve an old husband and wife double murder that is still an open verdict. Hercule Poirot stood on the cliff-top where, many years earlier, there had been a tragic accident. This was followed by the grisly discovery of two more bodies—a husband and wife—shot dead. But who...

A simple accident? Or attempted murder? Everyone blamed the dog. When a wealthy spinster trips on the stairs, it seems only natural to assume it was an accident – a rubber ball left there by her lively terrier. And yet the more Emily Arundell thought about it, the more convinced she became that one of her relatives was trying to...

Agatha Christie’s most exotic murder mystery in a sumptuous hardback Special Edition. The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life. Hercule Poirot recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow...

A woman is killed by a poisoned dart in the enclosed confines of a commercial passenger plane… From seat No.9, Hercule Poirot was ideally placed to observe his fellow air passengers. Over to his right sat a pretty young woman, clearly infatuated with the man opposite; ahead, in seat No.13, sat a Countess with a poorly-concealed cocaine habit; across the...

Schooldays can be tough. Who will learn the fatal lesson? Late one night, two teachers investigate a mysterious flashing light while the rest of the school sleeps. In the sports pavilion, among the lacrosse sticks, they stumble upon the body of the unpopular games mistress—shot through the heart from point-blank range. The school is thrown into chaos when the ‘cat’...

A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players… Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to...

A grand old London hotel. A series of alarming coincidences. Danger lurking down every corridor. Impeccable service. Luxurious rooms. Eccentric guests. There are worse places for Canon Pennyfather to find himself stranded than At Bertram’s Hotel. But when he gets his dates in a muddle and attempts to travel to Lucerne a day too late, he unwittingly sets off a...

A handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman… Rex Fortescue, king of a financial empire, was sipping tea in his ‘counting house’ when he suffered an agonising and sudden death. On later inspection, the pockets of the deceased were found to contain traces of cereals. Yet, it was the incident in the parlour which confirmed...

Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, and the best-selling murder mystery book of all time, celebrates its 80th birthday with this gorgeous hardback Special Edition. ‘We’re not going to leave the island. None of us will ever leave. It’s the end, you see – the end of everything…’ 1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island,...

An exotic holiday for Miss Marple is ruined when a retired major is killed… As Jane Marple sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine, she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier’s yarn about a strange coincidence. Infuriatingly, just as he...

Agatha Christie’s audacious mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. For an instant the two trains ran together, side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth witnessed a murder. Helplessly, she stared out of her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around...

You think you know what happened that night. But the truth is far more dangerous. From the No.1 international bestselling author of ANNA O comes a story of secret pasts and buried memories. A Murder in Paris is a thriller you’ll never forget … Imagine the past returning to you in fragments. A hotel room, a pillow, a lifeless body....

Could a murder at an English school be Hercule Poirot’s toughest assignment? Can he find the cat before this most feline of killers strikes again? This brand new Special Edition hardback is a book no cat-loving Agatha Christie fan will want to miss. Schooldays can be tough. Who will learn the fatal lesson? Late one night, two teachers investigate a...

THE SMASH HIT NO.1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ~ A GUARDIAN and SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH ~ TV IN DEVELOPMENT WITH NETFLIX IT’S THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY Everyone knows the Anna O case. Everyone knows it was Anna's fingerprints on the knife. But no-one knows the secrets of her sleepwalking. No-one knows whether she really meant to kill that...

The Murder at the Vicarage A quiet English village. A shocking murder. An unlikely detective. Nobody liked Colonel Protheroe. So when he’s found dead in the vicarage study, there’s no absence of suspects in the seemingly peaceful village of St Mary Mead. In fact, Jane Marple can think of at least seven. As gossip abounds in the parlours and kitchens...

Stabbed in the backA piece of lead piping nearbyIt should be a simple case... Poirot is summoned to France, but arrives too late to save his client, whose body now lies face down in a shallow grave on a golf course. Why is the dead man wearing his son’s overcoat? And who was the intended recipient of the love-letter in...

The New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that everyone is talking about, now available in this special collector’s gift edition. From TikTok Author of the Year, Holly Jackson. Soon to be a major BBC series! Pip Fitz-Amobi is not a detective anymore. With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they...

Agatha Christie's world-famous serial killer mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. There's a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. As a macabre calling card, he leaves beside each victim’s corpse the ABC Railway Guide open at the name...

Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover with special finishes. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times,...

A country houseA murderA Belgian detective After the Great War, life can never be the same again. Captain Arthur Hastings is invited to Styles to recuperate from injuries sustained at the Front. It is the last place he expects to encounter murder. Fortunately, he knows a former detective, a Belgian refugee, who happens to be staying nearby... Here, for the...

Agatha Christie's most daring crime mystery – an early and particularly brilliant outing of Hercule Poirot, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, with its legendary twist, changed the detective fiction genre forever. Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Now, tragically,...

THE BRAND NEW SUN-SOAKED THRILLER FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER 'Escapist, thrilling, unforgettable’ - Gillian McAllister 'The queen of the destination thriller is back with her best book yet' - Claire Douglas ‘Wickedly twisty, menacing, sexy, and headily atmospheric, The Surf House has got it all' - Louise Candlish ____________________________________ Welcome to The Surf House Where everyone’s escaping something… High on...

PRE-ORDER HOTEL UKRAINE, THE BRAND NEW ARKADY RENKO NOVEL FROM MARTIN CRUZ SMITH, COMING SUMMER 2025! ‘Martin Cruz Smith does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable’ MICK HERRON, author of Slow Horses ARKADY RENKO IS BACK . . . Confined to a desk job by his superiors to keep him out of...

Jane and Colin are soulmates. He just doesn't know it yet. For twenty-four-year-old Jane, finding love in New York City is even harder than making it as a playwright. So, when Jane meets Colin, a sweet software engineer, she can't believe her luck: they're perfect for each other. Even when Colin breaks off their blooming relationship after six dates, Jane...

In his latest adventure, Bruno, France's favourite country cop, investigates a long-buried war crime and faces a devastating flood that threatens the town he polices and the people he loves. 'French tourism should raise a glass to Walker's Dordogne mysteries' – Daily Mail Bruno's archaeologist friend, Clothilde, asks him to help Abby, an American woman who wants to settle in...

A gripping tale of small town suspicion and revenge, part of the new Maigret series. 'There was an exaggerated humility about her. And yet he sensed, beneath that image, glints of pride held firmly in check. She was anaemic. Her flat chest was not formed to rouse desire. Nevertheless, she was strangely appealing, perhaps because she seemed troubled, despondent, sickly.'...

Raymond Chandler created the fast-talking, trouble-seeking Californian private eye Philip Marlowe for his first great novel, The Big Sleep, in 1939. Marlowe's entanglement with the Sternwood family—and an attendant cast of colourful underworld figures—is the background to a story reflecting all the tarnished glitter of the great American Dream. The detective's iconic image burns just as brightly in Farewell My...

VINTAGE JAPANESE CLASSICS - following on from the success of Vintage Russian Classics and European Classics, these are covetable new editions of the best Japanese writers on the Vintage list. In the Tokyo suburbs, four women work the graveyard shift at a factory. Burdened with heavy debts and alienated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way...

This series is irresistible — LEE CHILD An immersive, intelligent delight — LUCY FOLEY The Jake Jackson books get better and better — ELLY GRIFFITHS Highly recommend — KARIN SLAUGHTER A pleasure — BERNARD CORNWELL A beautiful landscape… It began as the project of a lifetime – a group of archaeologists, uncovering the remains of a Roman settlement on a...

A new translation of a twisting detective novel from the celebrated author of the Maigret series. The Strangers in the House follows Hector Loursat, a lawyer in the small town of Moulins, who has lived as a drunken recluse since his wife left him eighteen years ago. Unmoored from society and estranged from his daughter, he shuts himself away, numbed...

A new translation of this haunting tale about the lengths to which people will go to escape from guilt, part of the Maigret series. A first ink drawing showed a hanged man swinging from a gallows on which perched an enormous crow. And hanging was the leitmotif of at least twenty other etchings and pen or pencil sketches. On the...

A brilliantly atmospheric and gripping portrayal of the dark heart of a killer, new to Penguin Modern Classics. At the Universal Advertising Agency on the Strand, London, a murder is being planned. Three men have been discovered taking bribes and face the grim prospect of the dole queue, unless they can get rid of the person who caught them. Their...

Maigret Travels delves into the intriguing circumstances surrounding the attempted suicide of a countess and the mysterious death of a multi-millionaire. Both incidents involve seemingly unrelated individuals, yet they occur in the same hotel. When multi-millionaire David Ward is found dead just hours after the countess's suicide attempt, Maigret suspects a connection between the two cases. The investigation intensifies when...

Maigret Takes a Room sees Maigret take on a complex undercover investigation in the heart of Paris. What he thought he had discovered, in place of the joyful candour that she usually displayed, was an irony which was neither less cheerful nor less childish, but which troubled him... He wondered now if his exultation wasn't down to the fact that...

Maigret's Secret explores Maigret's internal struggle with an old case whose conclusion continues to haunt him. At a dinner party, Maigret recounts the case of Adrien Josset, who was found guilty and executed for the murder of his wife, Christine. Despite all clues pointing to Josset's guilt under the controlling influence of the magistrate, Maigret remains unconvinced following his one...

Maigret's Revolver follows Maigret as he travels to London on the trail of a young man on the run. The most exasperating of all was the head clerk at reception, dressed in an elegant morning coat and stiff collar, which did not wilt with a drop of perspiration. He treated Maigret in a cordial manner, possibly feeling sorry for him....

Maigret's Patience follows Inspector Maigret as he delves into the murder of a criminal he had known for twenty years. Maigret finds himself back on the Rue des Acacias just ten days after cracking another case there. This time, it is the murder of a criminal Maigret has known for over twenty years, someone he always suspected was behind a...

A well-to-do Paris surgeon and his down-at-heel neighbour become the focus of Maigret's investigation. Maigret had questioned thousands, tens of thousands of people in the course of his career, some occupying important positions, others who were more famous for their wealth, and others still who were considered the most intelligent of international criminals. Yet he attached an importance to this...

An old woman's cries for help are left unanswered in this gripping story. A kind but seemingly paranoid old lady turns to Inspector Maigret for help. Against the judgement of his subordinates, he decides to pay a visit to her Parisian apartment to investigate, but is he already too late? Maigret's Madwoman is a tale of mystery and suspense that...

With Paris under siege following a series of murders, Maigret must hatch a cunning plan to lure the murderer out. High up in Montmartre, there was a festive atmosphere, people were crowding round the little tables where rosé wine was being served... Yet a hundred metres further on, the little alleyways were deserted, and the killer might find it easy...

When a toy salesman confides in Maigret, he quickly becomes caught up in a poisonous feud between husband and wife. An unusually quiet day for Maigret at the Quai des Orfèvres is disturbed by a visit from a mild-mannered toy salesman, Xavier Manton. Maigret is puzzled by Manton's admission that he suspects his wife of plotting to poison him, and...

Maigret's Dead Man plunges into the murky Parisian underworld in the latest addition to the Penguin Maigret series. Without the injuries, the man's face would have been unremarkable, fairly young and probably quite cheerful. Even in death, there were traces of something open and honest in his expression. That shoeless foot looked incongruous lying on the pavement next to another...

A visit from an old school-friend leads Maigret to a murderous affair. When a long lost friend pays a visit to Maigret's office, he is shocked to learn that the man's roommate has been murdered. With the help of his old friend, Maigret delves into the life of the victim and finds a complex web of relationships that leads him...

Maigret's Anger is a gripping tale where Maigret loses his composure when a suspect plots to tarnish his reputation. During a quiet spell in June, Maigret is called to investigate the disappearance of a reputable businessman. When a body is discovered near the famous Père Lachaise cemetery, Maigret struggles to find any clues to the perpetrator. He loses his temper...

Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters sees Maigret getting tangled up with some notorious American gangsters in this new translation. Maigret was less angry, in fact, than he seemed. Pozzo was a tough customer, but he didn't mind that. Nor did he mind dealing with characters who had sent the American police packing—genuine hard men who played for keeps. Maigret hadn't...

An impromptu visit to an old school friend in the Vendee draws Maigret into a disturbing local investigation. The mood of the town was still jittery. It was all very well for people to go about their day-to-day activities as usual, but there was a certain anxiety in people's eyes, and they seemed to be walking faster, as if they...

While on holiday Maigret gets involved in a local murder case. Maigret and his wife take a much-needed holiday to Vichy, where they quickly become accustomed to the slower pace of life. When a woman, whom they regularly pass by on their daily strolls, is murdered, Maigret can't help but offer his assistance to the local Inspector, a former colleague...

Maigret in Court sees Maigret called to testify in court, where he reveals his doubts about the guilt of the accused. Maigret receives an anonymous phone call concerning the brutal murder of a woman and a young child. The tip-off points to the woman's nephew, a mild-mannered man by the name of Gaston Meurant. Maigret, however, remains unconvinced of the...

A series of letters set Maigret up for a peculiar case. Maigret Hesitates features Inspector Maigret as he receives a series of letters warning of a murder that is going to take place. The letters do not reveal who will die, when it will happen, or who will do it. Maigret must trace the letters back to their source before...

Maigret Goes to School follows the renowned detective as he heads to a small seaside town where the residents are closing ranks to hide the truth. When a school teacher from near La Rochelle seeks Maigret's help to defend his innocence, Maigret accompanies him back to a small coastal town. There, he confronts the insular community in order to uncover...

During a much-needed holiday, Maigret pulls a prank on colleague Janvier. When Maigret's holiday plans go awry, he and his wife spend their vacation in Paris, on the condition that he has nothing to do with work. However, a case involving the death of a doctor's wife intrigues Maigret and he assiduously follows its development in the papers. He cannot...

When Maigret becomes the accused, he must rely on his investigative skills to prove his innocence. For the first time in his career, Inspector Maigret receives a written summons to the Prefect's office, where he learns that he has been accused of assaulting a young woman. With his career and reputation on the line, Maigret must fight to prove his...

Maigret at the Coroner's sees Maigret grappling with the American justice system on a trip to Arizona. The FBI man was convinced, in short, that Maigret was a big shot in his own country but that here, in the United States, he was incapable of figuring out anything. The more Cole watched him thinking things over, the more it amused...

Maigret at Picratt's delves into the sordid world of Montmartre nightclubs in this new translation. Through the half-open door, Dr. Pasquier could be seen putting his overcoat back on and replacing his instruments in his bag. On the white goatskin rug at the foot of the untouched bed, a body was stretched out—black satin dress, chalk white arm, auburn hair....

Maigret and the Tramp by Georges Simenon follows Inspector Maigret as he investigates an attack on a Parisian tramp. When a tramp is recovered from the Seine after being badly beaten, Maigret must delve into the man's personal circumstances to figure out just who wanted to kill him.

An old acquaintance of Maigret's reappears on the streets of Paris, and the inspector finds himself caught up in her fate once more. Maigret's attitude came as a surprise to those who were working alongside him in Rue de la Ferme. Ever since the morning, there had been something unusual in the way that the inspector had been directing operations....

Maigret and the Saturday Caller introduces us to a tense encounter where Inspector Maigret finds himself face-to-face with a visitor who openly admits his intentions to commit murder. However, when this visitor goes missing, Maigret is left to worry that he himself may have become the victim. The story unfolds one evening when Maigret is followed home by a man...

Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses follows Maigret as he struggles to break through a victim's uncooperative family to uncover the truth behind a murder in book fifty-three of the series. Maigret is called to the home of the Lachaume family, where the eldest brother has been found shot dead. Upon his arrival, the family close ranks and claim to have...

Maigret and the Old People explores the intriguing investigation of a murder involving an esteemed official. Maigret is called to the home of Armand de Saint-Hilaire, a highly respected official who has been found shot dead in his study by his housekeeper. After interviewing everyone concerned, Maigret is at a loss regarding the identity of the perpetrator until he comes...

A new translation in the Penguin Maigret series – the inspector uncovers some poisonous family politics. The moon must have risen above the mist, which was now faintly incandescent, and, when Arlette stopped, he saw the pale shape of her face, with the wide line of her mouth... Then, still standing there in front of him, she said in a...