CONSPIRACY. BETRAYAL. REBELLION. PEACE IS JUST ANOTHER KIND OF BATTLEFIELD . . . 'Nimble, brutal and hilarious' Daily Mail 'Will leave fans begging for more' Starburst * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Unrest worms into every layer of society. The Breakers lurk in the shadows, plotting to free the common man from his shackles, while yesterday's heroes nurse grievances and noblemen bicker for their own advantage. The King of the Union struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only to see his enemies, and his debts, multiply. The old ways are being swept aside, but those who would seize the reins of power will find no alliance, no friendship, and no peace, lasts forever. Second in the AGE OF MADNESS trilogy, THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE is the next instalment of a series which is revolutionising fantasy . . . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 'A breakneck- speed fantasy book that brings in all the elements of a political thriller, action romp and reflective memoir. Job well done' The Sun 'Joe Abercrombie is a master of the genre' Lev Grossman 'It's smart. It's witty. This is an absolutely top-notch work of fantasy' Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews 'The Trouble with Peace mauls expectations to serve up a sublime sequel that's even better than it's showstopper of a predecessor' Novel Notions 'Effortlessly brilliant' The Bookbeard's Blog 'I had insanely high expectations for the sequel. But The Trouble with Peace met pretty much all of them' The Fantasy Inn

'a tour de force work of art' - The Wall Street Journal, Best Books of the Year Longlisted for the 2022 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award It's Saturday evening, 9 March 1566, and Mary, Queen of Scots, is six months pregnant. She's hosting a supper party, secure in her private chambers. She doesn't know that her Palace is surrounded - that, right now, an army of men is creeping upstairs to her chamber. They're coming to murder David Rizzio, her friend and secretary, the handsome Italian man who is smiling across the table at her. Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, wants it done in front of her and he wants her to watch it done ... Denise Mina brilliantly portrays the sexual dynamics and politics of power - between men and women, monarch and subjects, master and servants. The period is masterfully researched yet lightly drawn, the characterisation quick, subtle and utterly convincing. This breathtakingly tense work is a tale of sex, secrets and lies, one that explores the lengths that men - and women - will go to in the search for love and power.