Leading the trend in speculative crime thrillers, Jem Tugwell's thrilling and thought-provoking debut sits alongside Black Mirror and The City and the City in a compelling exploration of our near future. Proximity draws on Jem's 20 years of professional experience as a software developer in the city to give an unnerving insight into how our world might be transformed by the rapid advance in embedded technology and fitness trackers. What if the cash-strapped NHS can be given a second life by using tech to regulate our health and behaviour? What if we can eradicate knife and other proximity crimes by tracking everyone's activity? What if civil liberty is seen as an acceptable sacrifice for the greater good? What if the convenience of technology is used for control? "Proximity is inspired by the fascinating possibilities of technology, AI and the law of unintended consequences. From my own experience, technologists are often amazed or horrified about the other uses that people imagine for their products. Clive and Zoe's world might be closer than we think, but is it heaven or hell? How do we decide the perfect balance of free will and greater good?" - Jem Tugwell DI Clive Lussac has forgotten how to do his job. Ten years of embedded technology - `iMe' - has led to complete control and the eradication of crime. Then the impossible happens. A body is found, and the killer is untraceable. With new partner Zoe Jordan, Clive must re-sharpen his detective skills and find the killer without technology, before time runs out for the next victim... Proximity is Book 1 in the iMe Series.

The Quaker is watching you... In the chilling new crime novel from award-winning author Liam McIlvanney, a serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow and DI McCormack follows a trail of secrets to uncover the truth... Winner of the 2018 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year A city torn apart. It is 1969 and Glasgow has been brought to its knees by a serial killer spreading fear throughout the city. The Quaker has taken three women from the same nightclub and brutally murdered them in the backstreets. A detective with everything to prove. Now, six months later, the police are left chasing a ghost, with no new leads and no hope of catching their prey. They call in DI McCormack, a talented young detective from the Highlands. But his arrival is met with anger from a group of officers on the brink of despair. A killer who hunts in the shadows. Soon another woman is found murdered in a run-down tenement flat. And McCormack follows a trail of secrets that will change the city - and his life - forever...

A compulsive, note-perfect debut for fans of The Virgin Suicides and Picnic at Hanging Rock 'We lost all three girls that summer. Let them slip away like the words of some half-remembered song and when one came back, she wasn't the one we were trying to recall to begin with.' Tikka Molloy was eleven and one-sixth years old during the long hot summer of 1992, growing up in an isolated suburb in Australia surrounded by encroaching bushland. That summer, the hottest on record, was when the Van Apfel sisters - Hannah, the beautiful Cordelia and Ruth - mysteriously disappeared during the school's Showstopper concert, held at the outdoor amphitheatre by the river. Did they run away? Were they taken? While the search for the sisters unites the small community, the mystery of their disappearance has never been solved. Now, years later, Tikka has returned home and is beginning to make sense of that strange moment in time. The summer that shaped her. The girls that she never forgot. Brilliantly observed, spiky, sharp, funny and unexpectedly endearing, The Van Apfel Girls are Gone is part mystery, part coming-of-age story - with a dark shimmering unexplained absence at its heart.

Mrs Gentle has fooled everyone into thinking she is as sweet as she sounds - Gentle by name and gentle by nature. But local constable Hamish Macbeth isn't fooled. He believes this little old lady is actually quite sly and vicious, but he's in a minority of one. Or is he? When Mrs Gentle dies under unusual circumstances the villagers of Lochdubh are shocked and outraged. Chief Detective Inspector Blair suspects that members of her family may be involved but Hamish thinks there's much more to the story - and is willing to get rough to solve the riddle of Mrs Gentle's mysterious demise.

Returning from holiday Hamish becomes unaccountably worried - it's as if he senses a dark cloud of evil hanging over Lochdubh. He soon learns that there is a newcomer to the village, a woman called Catriona Beldame, and that the villagers have decided she is a witch. At first Hamish is charmed by her, but is dismayed when he finds out she's been supplying dangerous potions to certain local people. No one seems willing to listen to his warnings and when she is found murdered, poor Hamish is the prime suspect. Obviously, he must solve the murder to clear his own name and bring contentment back to his beloved Lochdubh. Praise for the Hamish Macbeth series: 'First rate... deft social comedy and wonderfully realized atmosphere.' Booklist 'It's always a special treat to return to Lochdubh.' New York Times Book Review 'The detective novels of M. C. Beaton, a master of outrageous black comedy, have reached cult status.' Anne Robinson, The Times

Amazing news is spreading like wildfire across the Scottish countryside: the most famous of all Highland bachelors, police sergeant Hamish Macbeth, is planning to marry at last! Everyone in the village of Lochdubh adores Josie McSween, Hamish's newest constable and blushing bride-to-be. While locals think she is quite a catch, Hamish has a severe case of pre-nuptial jitters... after all, if it wasn't for the recent murder of a beautiful woman in a neighbouring village there wouldn't be a wedding in the first place. For it was a mysterious Valentine's Day card - delivered to the victim before her death - which initially drew Hamish and Josie together in the investigation. And now, as they work side by side, they soon discover that the woman's list of admirers was endless - confirming Hamish's suspicion that love can be deaf, blind... and deadly!

Billy Nelson is back home in battle-scarred Belfast. But the Troubles have cut this ex-Army Loyalist hard man deep - and now that his city's allegiances have shifted, nothing is quite the same. An outbreak of gang violence forces Billy to move on. This time to Edinburgh, where he muscles in on the capital's drug trade and the family who run it. As the balance of power tips, underworld rivalries between Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast spill out onto the streets. With a spate of horrific incidents and a trail of victims, the pressure is mounting for Grace Macallan, new superintendent of the Crime & Counter Terrorism Directorate. Troubled by her own demons and with everyone baying for the blood of Billy Nelson and his old paramilitary contacts, can Grace hold her nerve?

A detective on the edge. A case that might take him over it. Get ready for the gripping new Inspector Rykel thriller. Jaap Rykel is on the brink, his dark past driving him to breaking point - and ending his police career. Visiting the station one last time, he stumbles across an investigation into a particularly violent murder. A murder where the details exactly match a case he solved years earlier. But that killer was caught - and is still in prison. Is there a copycat killer on the loose, playing games with Rykel's fragile mind? Or did he get it wrong, and send an innocent man to prison? This might be his last chance to make things right - or it could be the blow that finally takes him over the edge . . .

`A leading light in the field of Mancunian noir' The Guardian `Gritty and gripping' Kimberley Chambers, no.1 bestseller Watch your back. Everyone else will be. How far would you go to protect your empire? Manchester's criminal underworld is reeling from the loss of its leader, Paddy O'Brien. In the wake of her husband's death, Sheila O'Brien takes charge of the city, and for once, she's doing things her way. But she hasn't reckoned with the fearsome Nigel Bancroft, a threat from Birmingham who is determined to conquer Manchester next. As a power tussle begins, Sheila is determined to keep control of the empire she has won - even if it means she has to die trying... A heart-stopping read with a gritty edge, perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers. **Can be read as a stand-alone book!**

'Some writers have it, and C. J. Tudor has it big time. The Taking of Annie Thorne is terrific in every way' Lee Child The new spine-tingling, sinister thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man . . . _______________ Then . . . One night, Annie went missing. Disappeared from her own bed. There were searches, appeals. Everyone thought the worst. And then, miraculously, after forty-eight hours, she came back. But she couldn't, or wouldn't, say what had happened to her. Something happened to my sister. I can't explain what. I just know that when she came back, she wasn't the same. She wasn't my Annie. I didn't want to admit, even to myself, that sometimes I was scared to death of my own little sister. Now. . . The email arrived in my inbox two months ago. I almost deleted it straight away, but then I clicked OPEN: I know what happened to your sister. It's happening again . . . _______________ 'Confirms Tudor as Britain's female Stephen King. There is a creeping dread on every page' Daily Mail 'Shows that her excellent The Chalk Man was no one-off in matching Stephen King for creepiness' Sunday Express's Bestseller Predictions 2019 'Written with such skill it's hard to believe this is only her second book. It gives King a run for his money' James Oswald, author of the Inspector McLean series 'Dark, gothic and utterly compelling' J. P. Delaney, author of Believe Me and The Girl Before 'Deliciously creepy . . . An absolute corker of a book' Riley Sager, bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied 'I loved everything about this book' Alice Feeney, author of Sometimes I Lie 'Tudor's 2018 The Chalk Man was a standout mystery novel with a fresh voice and a spooky plot. This is even better' Washington Post _______________ Praise for C. J. Tudor . . . 'If you like my stuff, you'll like this' Stephen King 'Wonderfully creepy - like a cold blade on the back of your neck' Lee Child 'A tense gripper with a leave-the-lights-on shock ending' Sunday Times 'A must-read for all horror fans' Daily Express

Following a mysterious explosion, the offices of Excelsior Joinery Company are no more; the 3 directors are killed and the peace of a quiet town in Surrey lies in ruins. When the supposed cause of ignited gas leak is dismissed and the presence of dynamite revealed, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is summoned to the scene. But beneath the sleepy veneer of Evingden lies a hotbed of deep-seated grievances. Confounding Littlejohn's investigation is an impressive cast of suspicious persons, each concealing their own axe to grind. Bellairs' novel of small-town grudges with calamitous consequences revels in the abundant possible solutions to the central crime as a masterpiece of misdirection.

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues, and it's more than a year before the man is identified. And that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger still...? No one but Stephen King could tell this story about the darkness at the heart of the unknown and our compulsion to investigate the unexplained. With echoes of Dashiell Hammett's THE MALTESE FALCON and the work of Graham Greene, one of the world's great storytellers presents a moving and surprising tale whose subject is nothing less than the nature of mystery itself...

*** There were 54 victims before this. Who is number 55? *** A thriller with a killer hook, and an ending that will make you gasp! Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town's small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints. All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler's station. He's covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers. He was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim. Heath is a serial killer. As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55. Gabriel is the serial killer. Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth? James Delargy has written one of the most exciting debuts of 2019. He masterfully paints the picture of a remote Western Australian town and its people, swallowed whole by the hunt for a serial killer. This novel has been sold in 19 countries so far and has just been optioned for film.

One soul. One pact with the Devil. One chance at love. Elizabeth Murray has been condemned to burn at the stake. As she awaits her fate, a strange, handsome man visits her cell. He offers her a deal: her soul in return for immortality, but what he offers is not a normal life. To survive Elizabeth must become Death itself. Elizabeth must ease the passing of all those who die, appearing at the point of death and using her compassion to guide them over the threshold. She accepts and, for 500 years, whirls from one death to the next, never stopping to think of the life she never lived. Until one day, everything changes. She - Death - falls in love. Desperate to escape the terms of her deal, she summons the man who saved her. He agrees to release her on one condition: that she gives him five lives. These five lives she must take herself, each one more difficult and painful than the last.

HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY KNOW THE ONE YOU LOVE THE MOST? 'The twist at the end of the first chapter made me read through the night' Jane Corry, bestselling author of The Dead Ex This is a story about a married couple. They met, fell in love, had two beautiful children. So far, so ordinary. But they have a very dark secret. It's a story with a twist. And then another. And another. You might think you've read stories like this before. You'd be wrong. By the end of the first chapter you'll be hooked. At page fifty you might not sleep until you finish. And when you turn the last page, you'll ask yourself one question: How well do you really know the person you love most? __________ 'Wow! My Lovely Wife is a stunner - full of twists, well-drawn characters, and riveting suspense' Harlan Coben, bestselling author of Don't Let Go 'Dexter meets Gone Girl - I loved this this brilliantly dark and twisted novel. One of the best books I've read this year' C.J. Tudor 'An assured and deliciously engrossing debut. It will linger long after you've reached the last page' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes 'Absolutely unputdownable' Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish 'OH MY GOODNESS! I read this in one go because I just could NOT STOP. Not just another domestic thriller - this will get into your head' 5***** reader review

A dark conspiracy. An innocent victim. And one man hellbent on making it right. The explosive new Orphan X thriller from bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz. _______________ 'Do you need my help?' They called him Orphan X. Evan Smoak used to be a government secret weapon. Then he ran and became the man you call on when you've nowhere else to turn. This time it's a teenage runaway called Joey. Like Evan she's no innocent: she was brought up inside the same programme that raised him. Now Evan must find Joey before those hunting her do. Which is where the trouble begins. Because this might not be about Joey at all. And if it's not, then it must be about Evan. But finding out why could kill them both ... _______________ 'A masterpiece of suspense and thrills' Daily Mail 'The page-turner of the season' The Times 'A rival to Reacher' Independent

Kansas City Cop by Julie Miller She cheated death once... But can she a second time After Gina Galvan is shot in the line of duty, all she wants to do is return to the front line and stop a shooter. Physical therapist Mike Cutler is attracted to Gina, and is ready to face anyone - even a killer - to prove he's a hero. Appalachian Abduction by Debbie Herbert Can a small-town cop protect a rogue detective? Officer James Tedder can't help but admire undercover detective Charlotte Helms. But when the pair are forced to become partners, can James trust her to have his back? And what about his heart?

The lady in black was really responsible for the whole affair, according to Joe Trayne's story... When someone asks for assistance with a dead man, the sensible option is to walk away. But when club owner Joe Trayne meets Wendy Bond on a warm summer's night in London, his curiosity gets the better of him. Joe accompanies Wendy into her flat off Conduit Street, only to find himself alone after she mysteriously disappears. But it's what she leaves him with that's most disturbing: a large box . . . and a body inside it. After he flees the scene, Joe finds he can't stop thinking about Wendy and her unfortunate guest. As he sets about tracking her down, he finds himself at the centre of not just one but several cases of murder. Can Joe solve the crime before he becomes the next victim?

From the author of Legacy, now a major BBC Film, comes a brilliant new historical crime novella for fans of Antonia Hodgson and CJ Sansom. `To Mr Thomas Combe my sword.' These six words in Shakespeare's will tell us that Shakespeare had a sword. Did he wear it? Did he use it? What sort was it? When and why did he get it? What happened to it? Might it - does it - still exist? These questions plague Simon Gold, an antiques dealer. He believes he has identified the sword as belonging to a customer, an unworthy owner indifferent to cultural icons and uninterested in history. Simon is desperate to acquire the sword, but how? How far is he prepared to go to get it? In alliance with Charlotte, his customer's attractive and disaffected wife, Simon finds himself going farther than he had intended - and finds, too, that Charlotte is rather more than she appears. Praise for Alan Judd: 'Judd has an infallible grasp of intelligence' Spectator 'Wonderful. One of the best spy novels ever' Peter Hennessey on Legacy 'Plotting in the best le Carre tradition' Mail on Sunday 'Belongs to the classic tradition of spy writing' Guardian

SOON TO BE A NETFLIX SERIES We Need to Talk About Kevin meets The Secret History. The air is hazy and grey with gunpowder smoke. Everyone has been shot but me. I haven't got so much as a bruise.... Is Maja a normal eighteen-year-old, the poster girl-next-door, popular and excelling at her schoolwork, caught in the middle of a terrible tragedy? Or is she guilty of the tragedy itself? Either way, everyone knows her name. She has spent nine excruciating months in jail, awaiting trial for a mass murder that killed her boyfriend and her best friend, and now the time has come for her to enter the courtroom... WHAT WILL YOU BELIEVE? This is the 'compelling and brutally candid' (Daily Mail) story of a girl whose guilt was decided long before her trial - as searing as it is timely and moving. ***What people are saying about QUICKSAND*** Sensitive, moving and absorbing' Marcel Berlins, The Times `This is the evolution of Scandinavian crime, in more ways than one' Fredrik Backman 'Compelling and brutally candid, especially about modern adolescence, this is not a comfortable book, but the story is so superbly told that it lingers in the mind long after the jury's verdict' Daily Mail 'A suspenseful and addictive experience... [Giolito] expertly delves into the fickle psyche of the media and how they can change a story's narrative with one headline and she shames the press's tendency to report wild conjecture over facts... Though Giolito's perspective is Swedish, it absolutely translates to a greater global crisis' Real Crime 'Giolito gives us the unsettling monologue of a teenage girl as she works her way through her role in murder. It is a splendid work of fiction' Kirkus Reviews 'Gioloto's novel is haunting and immersive' Publishers Weekly 'Mystery and intrigue in its purest form. Great book, recommended to all' Marg J., bookseller 'A fascinating, often uncomfortable, but thoroughly engrossing read' Sarah B. `Sweden's latest blockbuster thriller lives up to the hype' Washington Post 'Maja [is] a heroine you will not forget, victim of a toxic love story with a background so familiar to us nowadays... a super thriller - a real page-turner' Mariagrazia M. 'I have never read a book by a Swedish author so when Quicksand became available I decided that it was the perfect opportunity to try. I certainly wasn't disappointed' Diane Hogg, NetGalley Reviewer 5*

Driven off the desert road and left for dead, Claire DeWitt has to think fast to avoid the cops who arrive first on the scene. Making a break for it, she sets off in search of the person who tried to kill her, and the reasons why. But perhaps the biggest mystery of all lies deeper than that, somewhere out there on the ever rolling highway of life. Set between modern day Las Vegas and LA, The Infinite Blacktop sees 'the best detective in the world' wounded and disorientated, but just about standing.