The Christmas season is one of comfort and joy, sparkling lights and steam rising from cups of mulled wine at frosty carol services. A season of goodwill to all men, as families and friends come together to forget their differences and celebrate the year together.

Unless, of course, you happen to be harbouring a grudge. Or hiding a guilty secret. Or you want something so much you just have to have it - whatever the cost. In A Very Murderous Christmas, ten of the best classic crime writers come together to unleash festive havoc, with murder, mayhem and twists aplenty.

Following Murder on Christmas Eve and Murder under the Christmas Tree, this is the perfect accompaniment to a mince pie and a roaring fire. Just make sure you're really, truly alone ...

New and uncollected tales of murder, mischief, magic and madness.

Ruth Rendell was an acknowledged master of psychological suspense: these are ten (and a quarter) of her most chillingly compelling short stories, collected here together for the first time.

In these tales, a businessman boasts about cheating on his wife, only to find the tables turned. A beautiful country rectory reverberates to the echo of a historical murder. A compulsive liar acts on impulse, only to be lead inexorably to disaster. And a wealthy man finds there is more to his wife's kidnapping than meets the eye.

Atmospheric, gripping and never predictable, this is Ruth Rendell at her inimitable best.

The stories are: Never Sleep in a Bed Facing a Mirror; A Spot of Folly; The Price of Joy; The Irony of Hate; Digby's Wives; The Haunting of Shawley Rectory; A Drop Too Much; The Thief; The Long Corridor of Time; In the Time of his Prosperity; and Trebuchet.

Introduction from Sophie Hannah.

From "one of the most remarkable novelists of her generation" ("People") a "refined, probing, and intelligent" ("USA TODAY") mystery in the masterful Inspector Wexford series...more enthralling than ever after fifty years.
A female vicar named Sarah Hussein is discovered strangled in her Kingsmarkham vicarage. A single mother to a teenage girl, Hussein was working in a male-dominated profession. Moreover, she was of mixed race and wanted to modernize the church. Could racism or sexism have played a factor in her murder?
Maxine, the gossipy cleaning woman who discovered the body, happens to also be in the employ of retired Chief Inspector Wexford and his wife. Wexford is intrigued by the unusual circumstances of the murder, and when he is invited by his old deputy to tag along with the investigators, he leaps at the chance.
As Wexford searches the Vicar's house, he sees a book on her bedside table. Inside the book is a letter serving as a bookmark. Without thinking much, Wexford puts it into his pocket. Wexford soon realizes he has made a grave error in removing a piece of valuable evidence from the scene without telling anybody. Yet what he finds inside begins to illuminate the murky past of Sarah Hussein. Is there more to her than meets the eye?
"No Man's Nightingale" is Ruth Rendell's masterful twenty-fourth installment in one of the great crime series of all time, an "absorbing and rewarding" ("Seattle Times") mystery that explores issues of sexism, class, and racism. As Stephen King said: "No one surpasses Ruth Rendell."

It's the middle of summer. On Cornish sea-fronts, happy children grip melting ice-creams. In the south of France, sunlight filters through leaves as families picnic in the shade. And in the fashionable resorts of the Mediterranean, the beautiful people sun themselves on picture-postcard beaches.

And in those long, hot summer nights ... murder walks abroad. Away from familiar surroundings, and as the temperature rises, old grudges come to the surface, new hatreds reach boiling point - and clever minds start to make dangerous plans. These ten classic mysteries, from some of the finest crime writers, prove that no matter where you travel to - there's no rest for the wicked.

There are only two things that interest Stanley: the crosswords and getting his hands on his mother's money, which he has dreamed about for 20 years. He finally realises that he must construct a puzzle of his own in order to give death a helping hand.

A bank job goes wrong and a Kingsmarkham detective sergeant is killed. Months later, the Flory family are slaughtered at home by an unknown assassin. The cases seem unrelated. But Chief Inspector Wexford is not so sure. Especially when he meets and gets to know the one survivor from the Flory massacre, the disturbing and beautiful Daisy Flory.

No Man's Nightingale: the eagerly anticipated twenty-fourth title in Ruth Rendell's bestselling Detective Chief Inspector Wexford series. The woman vicar of St Peter's Church may not be popular among the community of Kingsmarkham. But it still comes as a profound shock when she is found strangled in her vicarage. Inspector Wexford is retired, but he retains a relish for solving mysteries especially when they are as close to home as this one is. So when he's asked whether he will assist on the case, he readily agrees. But why did the vicar die? And is anyone else in Kingsmarkham in danger? What Wexford doesn't know is that the killer is far closer than he, or anyone else, thinks.

A terrifyingly vivid portrayal of the murderous impulses hiding in the squalor of North London from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell. Readers of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon will be hooked... 'Rendell weaves the interlocking desires into a frightening tapestry of warped minds . . . A tale as chilling as any Rendell has written' -- The Times 'Masterfully spooky. Don't read this alone' -- Red 'A top-notch thriller that will, I promise, have you nibbling your nails' -- Daily Mail 'Goodness me! This was good. Masterful plotting. Never a dull page. Fabulous characterisations...' -- ***** Reader review 'This book is a masterpiece of intrigue' -- ***** Reader review 'I couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review 'One of the most amazing books I have ever read' -- ***** Reader review **************************************************************** In traditional fairy tales the handsome prince rescues the beautiful princess from her wicked stepmother, and the couple live happily ever after. Teddy Brex emerges from a loveless, isolated childhood as a handsome but autistic young man. Francine Hill, emotionally and mentally scarred by the murder of her mother, grows into a beautiful young woman, who must endure the over-protectiveness of an increasingly obsessive stepmother. Teddy Brex does ride to her rescue, but he is a man who has already committed two murders. In Rendell's dark criminal London, can anyone be trusted? It's a world in which innocent dreams can turn into the most terrible living nightmares...

The twenty-second book to feature the classic crime-solving detective, Chief Inspector Wexford. Wexford had almost made up his mind that he would never again set eyes on Eric Targo's short, muscular figure. And yet there he was, back in Kingsmarkham, still with that cocky, strutting walk. Years earlier, when Wexford was a young police officer, a woman called Elsie Carroll had been found strangled in her bedroom. Although many still had their suspicions that her husband was guilty of her violent murder, no one was convicted. Another woman was strangled shortly afterwards, and every personal and professional instinct told Wexford that the killer was still at large. And that it was Eric Targo. A psychopathic murderer who would kill again... As the Chief Inspector investigates a new case, Ruth Rendell looks back to the beginning of Wexford's career as a detective, even to his courtship of the woman who would become his wife. The villainous Targo is not the only ghost from Wexford's past who has re-emerged to haunt him in the here and now...

'A novel should give a picture of common life enlivened by humour and sweetened by pathos.' In Dr Thorne Trollope admirably fulfils his own criteria as he recounts the story of Frank Gresham and Mary Thorne, intent on marriage despite Mary's ostensible poverty. Only the doctor knows that Mary is to inherit a large legacy that will suddenly make her acceptable to the otherwise disapproving middle-class society to which Frank belongs. There is no mystery or suspense in the telling of this story. Rather, Trollope takes the reader into his confidence and captures the imagination by means of unforgettable scenes, a lively portrayal of character and a realistic representation of society. In Frank and Mary, Trollope has given us two of his most attractive characters and, in a story that satisfies both their personal desires and the materialistic aspirations of society, has created one of his happiest novels.

Readers of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon will love this gripping crime thriller full of twists and turns from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell. 'The most brilliant mystery writer' -- Patricia Cornwell 'Probably the greatest crime writer in the world' -- Ian Rankin 'Totally gripping with superb twist at the end!' -- ***** Reader review 'Fascinating' -- ***** Reader review 'Superb on all counts' -- ***** Reader review 'Keeps the reader rooted to the spot and in the dark till the very end' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************************************************ Wherever Reggie Wexford goes, death and intrigue are close on his heels. Having just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime holiday in China, Wexford finds himself haunted by memories of the old woman with bound feet who mysteriously followed him from one city to the next and the man who tragically drowned. Now, back in England, he finds himself investigating the murder of a fellow tourist. Knowing that the clue to these three mysteries lies in the East, Wexford turns his investigative skills to that place of unfathomable and sinister depths...

Murder, perversion, corruption, blackmail, secret terrors that lead to unspeakable acts, hidden fears that erupt in irrational violence... All these, of course, are part of someone else's world. They happen out there, far from the ordinary streets and ordinary people who live in your neighbourhood, your town. They have nothing to do with the everyday lives of people like you. Or do they? The New Girlfriend and Other Stories - an extraordinary collection of sleek and sinister stories from the writer described by Scott Turow as 'one of the greatest novelists presently at work in our language'. 'Flesh creeping skill' - OBSERVER 'Her range is extraordinary... a shocking fusillade of finales' - SUNDAY TIMES

Martin Urban is a quiet bachelor with a comfortable life, free of worry and distractions. When he unexpectedly comes into a small fortune, he decides to use his newfound wealth to help out those in need. Finn also leads a quiet life, and comes into a little money of his own. Normally, their paths would never have crossed. But Martin's ideas about who should benefit from his charitable impulses yield some unexpected results, and soon the good intentions of the one become fatally entangled with the mercenary nature of the other. In the Lake of Darkness, Ruth Rendell takes the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished to a startling, haunting conclusion.

The Vangmoor was a dark, forbidding place. One victim had been found there with her face disfigured and her hair shorn close to the scalp. Then a second woman disappeared on the moor, and a sense of dread gripped the 50 local men who searched for her. Someone was watching; was it the killer?

'In GOING WRONG she has quite simply transformed the genre of crime writing. She deploys her peerless skills in blending the mundane, commonplace aspects of life with the potent, murky impulses of desire and greed, obsession and fear.. this is a book that cannot be taken for granted, and no reader should pass it by.' ANTHONY CLARE. SUNDAY TIMES

Readers of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon will love this gripping crime thriller full of twists and turns from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell. This edition has an introduction from Ian Rankin and an afterword by the author. 'If crime fiction is currently in rude good health, its practitioners striving to better the craft and keep it fresh, vibrant and relevant, this is in no small part thanks to Ruth Rendell.' -- IAN RANKIN 'A classic mystery, as true to life now as it was half a century ago' - MAIL ONLINE 'Ruth Rendell's mesmerising capacity to shock, chill and disturb is unmatched' - THE TIMES 'This is not just a crime novel, it is a wonderfully written novel with crime in it.' -- ***** Reader review 'A real page turner.' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************ AN ORDINARY LIFE. AN EXTRAORDINARY DEATH. The trampled grass led to the body of Margaret Parsons. With no useful clues and a victim known only for her mundane life, Chief Inspector Wexford is baffled until he discovers Margaret's dark secret - a collection of rare books, each inscribed from a secret lover and signed only as 'Doon'. Who is Doon? And could the answer hold the key to Wexford solving his first case?

In all her novels, multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell digs deep beneath the surface to investigate the secrets of the human psyche and The Girl Next Door is no exception. This compelling and captivating mystery, with its taut plotting and spine-tingling twists and turns is perfect for fans of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon. 'This novel reminded me of the singularity of Ruth Rendell's talent, her effortless mastery of language and her uncanny genius for mapping a criminal mind.' -- The Times 'Rendell is as masterful as ever; her writing tense, brittle, and brilliant.' -- Sunday Mirror 'Couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review 'Fantastic book' -- ***** Reader review 'Fabulous read' -- ***** Reader review 'Love the way Ruth Rendell weaves the plot - she never disappoints me' -- ***** Reader review 'Brilliant storyline, couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************************************ Beneath the green meadows of Loughton, Essex, a dark network of tunnels has been dug. A group of children discover them. They play there. It becomes their place. Seventy years on, the world has changed. Developers have altered the rural landscape. Friends from a half-remembered world have married, died, grown sick, moved - or disappeared. Work on a new house called Warlock uncovers a long buried grisly secret: the bones of two severed hands are discovered in a box, and an investigation into a long-buried crime of passion begins. The friends, who played together as children, begin to question their past. And a weary detective, more concerned with current crimes, must investigate a case of murder.