Agatha Christie's seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection in a new hardback special edition. First came a sinister warning to Poirot not to eat any plum pudding... then the discovery of a corpse in a chest... next, an overheard quarrel that led to murder... the strange case of the dead man who altered his eating habits... and the puzzle of the victim who dreamt his own suicide. What links these five baffling cases? The little grey cells of Monsieur Hercule Poirot! Contains the stories: * The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding * The Mystery of the Spanish Chest * Four-And-Twenty Blackbirds * The Under Dog * The Dream

'A tour de force of engaged storytelling. With heart-wrenching pathos, The Gosling Girl delineates the bleak aftermath for all concerned when one child kills another' Peter Kalu Monster? Murderer? Child? Victim? Michelle Cameron's name is associated with the most abhorrent of crimes. A child who lured a younger child away from her parents and to her death, she is known as the black girl who murdered a little white girl; evil incarnate according to the media. As the book opens, she has done her time, and has been released as a young woman with a new identity to start her life again. When another shocking death occurs, Michelle is the first in the frame. Brought into the police station to answer questions around a suspicious death, it is only a matter of time until the press find out who she is now and where she lives and set about destroying her all over again. Natalie Tyler is the officer brought in to investigate the murder. A black detective constable, she has been ostracised from her family and often feels she is in the wrong job. But when she meets Michelle, she feels a complicated need to protect her, whatever she might have done. The Gosling Girl is a moving, powerful account of systemic, institutional and internalised racism, and of how the marginalised fight back. It delves into the psychological after-effects of a crime committed in childhood, exploring intersections between race and class as Michelle's story is co-opted and controlled by those around her. Jacqueline writes with a cool restraint and The Gosling Girl is a raw and powerful novel that will stay with the reader long after they have turned the last page. Praise For Jacqueline Roy and The Fat Lady Sings: 'This is a novel of daring - enjoyable, surprising and original' Bernardine Evaristo 'A strong and humane work of fiction' Jackie Kay 'A striking commentary' Scotsman 'A strong, humorous and moving piece of fiction . . . such is the life injected into the characters that by the end of the novel there remains that reluctance to part with people you have come to love' calabash 'Unflinchingly told . . . harrowing but also shockingly funny' Big Issue 'A joy' Pride

Famed composer Reuben Walrus is going deaf, even as he finishes up his greatest symphony. To stave off the encroaching silence, he embarks on an odyssey that will, hopefully, lead him to Maximilian, a fabled creature rumored to have miraculous healing powers. But exactly who--or what--is Maximilian? According to Wolf Diaz, Maximilian, unlike the other stuffed animals of Mollisan Town, did not arrive by green delivery truck. He cannot be identified as any particular species and is made from a material unlike any other with almost invisible seams. And, as he's matured, he's begun preaching odd parables, attracting a legion of followers hoping to learn from his teachings. But his acolytes aren't the only plush figures paying attention. The dark forces currently ruling Mollisan Town are listening as well--which has sent Maximilian into hiding. Now time is running out if Reuben hopes to find him before the sounds of his world fade out forever.

Through the complex lives of the stuffed animals living in the world he brilliantly introduced in "Amberville," Tim Davys explores the hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses defining humanity.

Horniman, Birley and Craine is a highly respected legal firm with clients reaching to the highest in the land. When a deed box in the office is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of scandal promises to wreak havoc on the firm's reputation - especially as the murder looks like an inside job. The partners and staff of the firm keep a watchful and suspicious eye on their colleagues, as Inspector Hazlerigg sets out to solve the mystery of who Mr Smallbone was - and why he had to die. Written with style, pace and wit, this is a masterpiece by one of the finest writers of traditional British crime novels since the Second World War.

There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere.

Suburban wife and mother Eliza Benedict's peaceful world falls off its axis when a letter arrives from Walter Bowman. In the summer of 1985, when Eliza was fifteen, she was kidnapped by this man and held hostage for almost six weeks. Now he's on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of his final victim, and Eliza wants nothing to do with him. Walter, however, is unpredictable when ignored--as Eliza knows only too well--and to shelter her children from the nightmare of her past, she'll see him one last time.

But Walter is after something more than forgiveness: He wants Eliza to save his life . . . and he wants her to remember the truth about that long-ago summer and release the terrible secret she's keeping buried inside.

A Times Crime Club Pick of the Week When there's a pack on the hunt, nobody's safe A closed community Rose Farm is home to a group of survivalists, completely cut off from the outside world. Until now. A missing person A young woman goes missing within the perimeter of the farm compound. Can Tuva talk her way inside the tight-knit group to find her story? A frantic search As Tuva attempts to unmask the culprit, she gains unique access to the residents. But soon she finds herself in danger of the pack turning against her - will she make her way back to safety so she can expose the truth? Will Dean's most heart-pounding Tuva Moodyson thriller yet takes Tuva to her absolute limits in exposing a heinous crime, and in her own personal life. Can she, and will she, do the right thing?

Hard-ass Palm Beach County judge Bob Isom Gibbs enjoys sending even petty offenders away to do hard time--which has made the list of miscreants who want him dead longer than a fully grown Florida gator's tail. And a good number of his ill-wishers are probation officer Kathy Baker's clients, including young Dale Crowe and his psycho uncle Elvin. Suddenly Kathy's got an even more daunting task than keeping BIG's horny hands off her: keeping "Maximum Bob" alive. Because Gibbs's many enemies seem to be willing to go to any lengths--be it death by amphibian or some more tried-and-true method--to permanently end the career of an oversexed, racist jurist who's more interested in scoring than saving his own red neck.

Don't miss the captivating new page-turner from Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Lewis You think you know your neighbours. When Jeannie Symonds vanishes without a trace, her small town is thrown into disarray. You think you know who to trust. Cara Jakes, a trainee investigator, begins to interview Jeannie's friends and neighbours, sure that someone has something to hide. Behind every door is a different story. But how can you separate the truth from the lies?

**PRE-ORDER THE NEW MISSING PERSONS THRILLER FROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR TIM WEAVER** 'Unsettling, brilliantly plotted, and satisfyingly complex, these books are unputdownable. If you haven't yet met Raker, you're in for a treat' MICK HERRON 'Grips like a vice and twists like a rollercoaster. Impossibly clever. Impossible to put down' CHRIS WHITAKER 'The master of the clever, unpredictable plots is back with his best book yet! The Last Goodbye floored me with its perfectly executed twists and tense, original premise. With one of the most sinister fictional villains I've come across this had me on the edge of my seat. Superb!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS 'Tim Weaver is a master of the crime genre. His David Raker novels, including the latest instalment, The Last Goodbye, stand out from the rest. You'll be addicted from the hook at the outset, gripped by the intricate plotting and whiplash-inducing twists but what will keep you riveted to the final page is their intelligent, unflinching examination of the darker side of humanity and the damage it can cause us all. I couldn't look away' GILLY MACMILLAN ONE DAY AGO... On the night Tom Brenner and his nine-year-old son Leo visit the Seven Peaks theme park, they head straight for the ghost house. They go in. But they don't come out. Somewhere inside the ride, impossible as it seems, the two of them simply vanish. FORTY YEARS AGO... When Rebekah Murphy was three, her mother walked out of their childhood home and never returned. Nearly four decades on, Fiona Murphy is still missing. But then, out of the blue, a letter arrives in the post. It says it's from Fiona. NOW... Missing persons investigator David Raker is hired by Rebekah to find out if the letter is actually from her mother - and soon makes a connection to the Brenners. But these are mysteries whose secrets were never meant to be found. And with his closest ally under arrest and about to reveal some truths of his own, the danger to Raker is coming from all sides... Praise For Tim Weaver: 'Terrific' Sunday Times 'A writer at the top of his game' Claire Douglas 'Packed with twists' Daily Express 'Genuinely original' Gillian McAllister 'What a talent' Daily Mail 'Impressive' Guardian

A woman falls to her death from a London bank's twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace. Tate Kinsella, a single out-of-work actor who's been temping at the bank, is arrested for her murder.

Tate confesses to having been alone with the victim minutes before she died, but insists she had nothing to do with the tragedy. She's been framed, she tells her lawyer, who agrees to help prove her innocence. But it soon becomes clear that Tate's story is not wholly consistent, and that she may indeed be lying.

Whose secrets is she keeping? And why? As the mystery unfolds it becomes apparent that the key to the truth lies in the past, and nothing about the woman on the ledge is as straightforward as it first appears.

Obsession. Intrigue. Revenge. The Woman on the Ledge is a psychological thriller and a powerful story of female friendship that won't let you go until the final gripping page.

*** THE NEW MYSTERY PHENOMENON FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE APPEAL AND THE TWYFORD CODE *** 'The queen of tricksy crime' - SUNDAY TIMES 'Her best so far' - MARIAN KEYES 'An astonishing piece of work' - IAN MOORE Open the safe deposit box. Inside you will find research material for a true crime book. You must read the documents, then make a decision. Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police? Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system. Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby's trail. As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over. From the bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code comes a stunning new mystery for fans of Richard Osman and S.J. Bennett. The devil is in the detail...

Coming hot on the heels of his bestsellers Choke and Imperfect Strangers, Stuart Woods brings back one of his best-loved characters, Stone Barrington, in a fast-paced roller coaster ride through the murderous world of high-profile celebrity gossip. Feared and disliked for both her poison pen and ice-queen persona, gossip columnist Amanda Dart suddenly finds the tables have turned: she is the unwitting victim of an anonymous gossipmonger who is faxing national opinion makers an outrageous scandal sheet revealing the details of her ongoing indiscretions with a well-known business tycoon. So Amanda enlists the help of New York lawyer and investigator Stone Barrington to learn the identity of the faxer. The problem is, everybody is a suspect in the world of tabloid journalism. As the faxes grow more scathing and begin to expose the peccadilloes of not only Amanda but other members of the gossip community, Barrington winds up with more leads than he can handle and an employer who is about to take matters dangerously into her own hands. The world of gossip has been turned on its head, and it becomes clear to Stone that even the most respected members of the social scene will stop at nothing - even murder - to clear their names. Irresistible as only good gossip can be, Dirt is a mesmerizing tale of betrayal and murder set against a backdrop of the rapid-fire Manhattan tabloid business and is filled with the twists and turns that have made Stuart Woods' novels international hits.

THE UNMISSABLE BRAND NEW THRILLER FROM RICHARD & JUDY BESTSELLER SHARON BOLTON - POLICE OFFICER LACEY FLINT FACES HER MOST DANGEROUS CASE YET. When a baby is snatched from its pram and cast into the river Thames, off-duty police officer Lacey Flint is there to prevent disaster. But who would want to hurt a child? DCI Mark Joesbury has been expecting this. Monitoring a complex network of dark web sites, Joesbury and his team have spotted a new terrorist threat from the extremist, women-hating, group known as 'incels' or 'involuntary celibates.' Joesbury's team are trying to infiltrate the ring of power at its core, but the dark web is built for anonymity, and the incel army is vast. Pressure builds when the team learn the snatched child was just the first in a series of violent attacks designed to terrorise women. Worse, the leaders of the movement seem to have singled out Lacey as the embodiment of everything they hate, placing her in terrible danger...

Polish off your magnifying glass and step into the shoes of your favourite detectives as you unlock tantalising clues and solve intricate puzzles. There are over 100 criminally teasing challenges to be scrutinised, including word searches, anagrams, snapshot covers, and crosswords - a favourite puzzle of crime fiction's golden age. Suitable for all ages and levels, this is the ultimate test for fans of the British Library Crime Classics series. For six years, the British Library have brought neglected crime fiction writers into the spotlight in a series of republished novels and anthologies. There are now more than 50 British Library Crime Classics titles to collect.

Lady Wainwright presides over the gothic gloom at Belting, in mourning for her two sons lost in the Second World War. Long afterwards a stranger arrives at Belting, claiming to be the missing David Wainwright - who was not killed after all, but held captive for years in a Russian prison camp. With Lady Wainwright's health fading, her inheritance is at stake, and the family is torn apart by doubts over its mysterious long-lost son. Belting is shadowed by suspicion and intrigue - and then the first body is found. This atmospheric novel of family secrets, first published in 1964, is by a winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger.

The Riddle of the Third Mile is the sixth novel in Colin Dexter's Oxford-set detective series. The thought suddenly occurred to Morse that this would be a marvellous time to murder a few of the doddery old bachelor dons. No wives to worry about their whereabouts; no landladies to whine about the unpaid rents. In fact nobody would miss most of them at all . . . By the 16th of July the Master of Lonsdale was concerned, but not yet worried. Dr Browne-Smith had passed through the porter's lodge at approximately 8.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday, 11th July. And nobody had heard from him since. Plenty of time to disappear, thought Morse. And plenty of time, too, for someone to commit murder . . . The Riddle of the Third Mile is followed by the seventh Inspector Morse book, The Secret of Annexe 3.

***THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** 'Three sparkling Grisham stories for the price of one . . . Appealing entertainment' IRISH INDEPENDENT 'These three novellas in a single volume show Grisham at his masterful best, exquisite evocations of the law though far from complimentary about lawyers . . . A minor masterpiece' DAILY MAIL Three thrilling stories of the law from the master of the legal thriller. Homecoming takes us back to Ford County, the fictional setting of many of John Grisham's unforgettable stories. Jake Brigance is back, but he's not in the courtroom. He's called upon to help an old friend, Mack Stafford, a former lawyer in Clanton who three years earlier became a local legend when he stole some money from his clients, divorced his wife, filed for bankruptcy, and left his family in the middle of the night, never to be heard from again. Until now. Now Mack is back and he's leaning on his old pals, Jake and Harry Rex, to help him return. His homecoming does not go as planned. In Strawberry Moon, we meet Cody Wallace, a young death row inmate only three hours away from execution. His lawyers can't save him, the courts slam the door, and the Governor says no to a last minute request for clemency. As the clock ticks down, Cody has only one final request. The Sparring Partners are the Malloy brothers, Kirk and Rusty, two successful young lawyers who inherited a once prosperous firm when its founder, their father, was sent to prison. Kirk and Rusty loathe one another, and speak to each other only when necessary. As the firm disintegrates, the fiasco falls into the lap of Diantha Bradshaw, the only person the partners trust. Can she save the Malloys, or does she take a stand for the first time and try to save herself? 350+ million copies, 45 languages, 10 blockbuster films: NO ONE WRITES DRAMA LIKE JOHN GRISHAM

'DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK' - STEPHEN KING 'Creepy, individual and gripping' - IAN RANKIN 'A thrilling hall of mirrors filled with twists' - ALEX MICHAELIDES 'Brilliant and moving' - SARAH PINBOROUGH Rob is afraid of her daughter. Callie collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends, and Rob is afraid of what she might to do Annie, her younger sister. She sees a darkness in Callie that reminds her of the family she left behind, and a life she has tried to forget. Seeing no other way to keep Annie safe, she decides to take Callie back to Sundial, her childhood home deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice. Callie is afraid of her mother. Rob has begun to look at her strangely. To tell her secrets about her past that both disturb and excite her. And they are both afraid that only one of them will make it back from Sundial alive... A gripping gothic masterpiece from the bestselling and award-winning author of THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET, SUNDIAL is a must-read for fans of GIRL A and SHARP OBJECTS.

From critically acclaimed, award-winning author Deborah Crombie comes a riveting story of a past evil that endures.

A lifetime ago, Erika Rosenthal and her husband, David, fled to England to escape the Nazis--which is all Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Gemma James truly knows about her secretive friend's past. But Erika needs Gemma's help now. A family heirloom, stolen during their flight, is being sold at a prestigious London auction house. Who has had it all these years? And was Erika's husband's death more sinister than it appeared?

Hidden somewhere in the shadowy, exclusive world of London's monied society are answers to these questions, and to a shocking new murder--one that kicks the enquiries into high gear and brings Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, Gemma's partner and colleague, into the case. Their investigation could exact justice for Erika, and lead them both to shocking revelations and repercussions that echo across the years.

WINNER OF THE ANTHONY, BARRY, THRILLER, LEFTY AND MACAVITY AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL 'Harrowing and heartfelt, assured and highly accomplished. One of the standout thrillers of the year' CHRIS WHITAKER If you have a problem, if no one else can help, there's one person you can turn to. Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Native American Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that's hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way onto the reservation and finds Virgil's nephew, his vigilantism becomes personal. Enlisting the help of his ex-girlfriend, he sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop. Following a lead to Denver, they find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity - but being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost. Winter Counts is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that's as deeply rendered as it is thrilling. 'An incredible novel . . . where hope and heartbreak are found in equal measure' S. A. COSBY 'A terrific debut - tight and tense, hard-eyed and big-hearted' LOU BERNEY 'Eye-opening, enlightening and entertaining, it's one hell of a good read!' AMER ANWAR 'Enthralling from the first page to the last, this is a heartfelt and harrowing tour de force' JON COATES, S MAGAZINE 'Virtuoso fare' FINANCIAL TIMES, BEST CRIME BOOKS OF THE YEAR 'A fascinating insight into an often overlooked world, and draws the reader into a satisfying mystery' GUARDIAN, CRIME AND THRILLER PICKS OF THE YEAR

Matt Porter is a freelancer… but not the usual kind. He dedicates his time and effort to helping victims of the rich and powerful. When he receives a plea for help from Christine Walker, he doesn’t hesitate to step in.

After overhearing a conversation in the boardroom late on night, Christine’s life is in jeopardy and only Porter can help her. Porter has his own rules, rules that have kept him alive, rules that have kept him sane. Helping Christine reminds Porter of rule nr. 2. All women are trouble, no exceptions. Will he remember this rule when an old flame returns?

As Porter delves deeper into the company threatening Christine’s life, he opens a tin of worms he never anticipated. A conspiracy bigger than anything he’s ever experienced before. Porter finds himself in a maze of danger and pitfalls and needs to navigate through it to save both his life and Christine’s.

Will Porter save Christine or will he go against his own rules? Join Porter in this action packed, nail biting detective thriller as he reveals a conspiracy big enough to change the world forever. Will he manage to save the world in time?

A faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming he's being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal... 'A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh' Val McDermid 'Tense, funny and deeply moving' Mark Billingham 'A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs ... Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant!' Gytha Lodge _________________________________________ Death is just the beginning... The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events. A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman's obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he's being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave ... pushing her to breaking point. As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly... _________________________________________ 'The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in' Ambrose Parry 'Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion ... How wonderful to be immersed once more in the world of the Skelfs, three generations of indomitable women who light up Edinburgh's literary pantheon' Mary Paulson-Ellis 'If you loved Iain Banks, you'll devour the Skelfs series' Erin Kelly 'Dynamic and poignant ... Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery' Marni Graff 'It's difficult to come away from Black Hearts without feeling inspired, uplifted and in a way spiritually laundered' Cafe Thinking 'Just when you thought you couldn't love the Skelfs more, Doug Johnstone finds a way to turn up the heat' Live & Deadly Praise for The Skelfs series ***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year*** 'An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones' Herald Scotland 'Gripping and blackly humorous' Observer 'A tense ride strong, believable characters' Kerry Hudson, Big Issue 'The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve' Scotsman 'Remarkable' Sunday Times 'Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can't ask anything more' The Sun 'A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!' Kate Rhodes 'An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it' Helen Fields 'This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please' Guardian 'Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave' Sunday Times 'Exceptional ... a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists' Publishers Weekly