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Ishamel Jones heads INTO THE THINNEST OF AIR…

Posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2017

Today, Severn House publishes the fifth of Simon R. Green‘s Ishmael Jones mysteries in the UK! Here’s the synopsis for INTO THE THINNEST AIR…

Ishmael Jones is attending the re-opening of Tyrone’s Castle, an ancient Cornish inn originally built by smugglers. Over dinner, the guests entertain one another with ghost stories inspired by local legends. But it would appear the curse of Tyrone’s Castle has struck for real when one of their number disappears into thin air. And then another.

INTO THE THINNEST AIR is also due to be published in the US by Severn House, on March 1st, 2018. The first four novels in the series are also published by Severn House in the UK and US: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, DEAD MAN WALKING, VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES and DEATH SHALL COME.

Here are just a few reviews the series has received so far…

‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect…I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘It’s the kind of novel that reads easily, and that just as easily holds your attention from the first page to the last, making you regret the story is over and making you long for the next adventure of the characters you’ve come to love over the course of this tale… Fun, quirky and most importantly: slightly different from what you would traditionally expect in the genre.’ — The Gatehouse on DEAD MAN WALKING

‘Ishmael is a wonderful character, an extraterrestrial living among humans, and the series (this is the third installment) is a clever mixture of thriller and SF-horror genres. Green is best known for the Deathstalker space operas, but give this one a few more installments to develop, and it could well become Green’s masterwork.’ — Booklist (Starred Review) on VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES

‘In Green’s entertaining fourth Ishmael Jones Mystery… Ishmael, an extraterrestrial in human form and ace British secret agent, and his earthly companion, Penny Belcourt, travel from London to Cardavan House (“a really long way from anywhere”) at the behest of the Colonel, Ishmael’s contact at his principal employer, the super-secret Organization… The story soon settles into a comfortable country house mystery: when one of the bickering family members is found bludgeoned to death in front of the empty sarcophagus, Ishmael uses his intelligence, phenomenal strength, and exquisite sense of smell to track down who—or what—is responsible. Green once again smoothly blends science fiction with classic detection.’ — Publishers Weekly on DEATH SHALL COME

Zeno represents Simon R. Green on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency.

Cover Reveal: Latest Ishmael Jones novel, INTO THE THINNEST OF AIR!

Posted on Monday, October 9th, 2017

The fifth Ishmael Jones novel is on the way! Simon R. Green‘s INTO THE THINNEST OF AIR is due to be published in November (UK) and March (US), by Severn House. Here’s the synopsis…

Ishmael Jones is attending the re-opening of Tyrone’s Castle, an ancient Cornish inn originally built by smugglers. Over dinner, the guests entertain one another with ghost stories inspired by local legends. But it would appear the curse of Tyrone’s Castle has struck for real when one of their number disappears into thin air. And then another.

Severn House has published the other four novel in the series, as well: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, DEAD MAN WALKING, VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES, and DEATH SHALL COME.

Here’s just a handful of reviews the series has received so far…

‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect… I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘This sequel to the wonderful The Dark Side of the Road takes the basic structure of a traditional English country house mystery and mixes it with a bit of supernatural horror and suspense. Richard Kadrey and E.E. Knight fans will particularly relish Green’s genre-blending novel.’ — Library Journal on DEAD MAN WALKING

‘Ishmael is a wonderful character, an extraterrestrial living among humans, and the series (this is the third installment) is a clever mixture of thriller and SF-horror genres. Green is best known for the Deathstalker space operas, but give this one a few more installments to develop, and it could well become Green’s masterwork.’ — Booklist on VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES

Zeno represents Simon R. Green in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency.

Peter Grant reaches the THE FURTHEST STATION in the UK tomorrow!

Posted on Wednesday, September 27th, 2017

Ben Aaronovitch‘s highly-anticipated first Peter Grant novella, THE FURTHEST STATION is out tomorrow in the UK! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

Commuting ghosts, a kidnapping, and a superb new London mystery!

There’s something going bump on the Metropolitan line and Sergeant Jaget Kumar knows exactly who to call.

It’s PC Peter Grant’s speciality…

Only it’s more than going ‘bump’. Traumatised travellers have been reporting strange encounters on their morning commute, with strangely dressed people trying to deliver an urgent message. Stranger still, despite calling the police themselves, within a few minutes the commuters have already forgotten the encounter — making the follow up interviews rather difficult.

So with a little help from Abigail and Toby the ghost hunting dog, Peter and Jaget are heading out on a ghost hunting expedition.

Because finding the ghost and deciphering their urgent message might just be a matter of life and death.

THE FURTHEST STATION is published in the US by Subterranean Press, in limited hardcover and eBook.

Gollancz has also published the first six novels in the series: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, and THE HANGING TREE. The series is published in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), in Germany by DTV, and has been translated widely across the globe.

‘An excellent entry point to the Peter Grant series for newcomers who like their urban fantasies rendered with a light touch… The story is intriguing enough to pull readers along, and Peter’s dry humor will linger in the memory.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘So entertaining that I’d readily recommend it to newcomers and old fans alike… perfect for someone who just wants to dip their toes into the world before deciding to take the plunge into the novels… a wonderful book.’ — Bibliosanctum

‘Thoroughly enjoyable, and thoroughly recommended.’ — SF&F Reviews

SLEEP LIKE A BABY tomorrow in the UK…

Posted on Monday, September 25th, 2017

Tomorrow, Piatkus will release the print and eBook editions of Charlaine Harris‘s SLEEP LIKE A BABY! The latest novel in Harris’s beloved Aurora Teagarden series, here’s the synopsis…

In Sleep Like a Baby, the latest installment of Charlaine Harris’s Aurora Teagarden mystery series, Robin and Aurora’s newborn Sophie is proving to be quite a handful. They hire a partially trained nurse, Virginia Mitchell, to come and help the new parents for a few weeks when Robin has to leave town for work and Roe is struck with a bad case of the flu.

One particularly stormy night, Roe wakes to hear her daughter crying and Virginia nowhere to be found. Searching for her reveals a body outside… but it isn’t Virginia’s. Now, not only does Roe have a baby to care for but a new puzzle to contend with — who is this mystery woman dead in their backyard, and what happened to Virginia?

Earlier this year, Piatkus also published the previous novel in the series, ALL THE LITTLE LIARS. The first eight novels in the series are published in the UK by Orion.

‘Harris’s engrossing 10th Aurora Teagarden novel… Harris smoothly weaves together several seemingly unrelated threads to create a richly layered tale of how the bad choices people make in life can come back to haunt them.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘This is Charlaine Harris, who is the equal of the legendary Shirley Jackson in conveying the sinister lurking beneath the everyday. Slyly, quietly, she keeps the suspense building.’ — Booklist

‘A heroine as capable and complex as P. D. James’s Cordelia Gray.’ — Publishers Weekly on the series

Zeno represents Charlaine Harris in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Simon R. Green’s DEATH SHALL COME out in the US!

Posted on Friday, September 1st, 2017

Simon R. Green‘s fourth Ishmael Jones mystery, DEATH SHALL COME is out today in the US! Published by Severn House, here’s the synopsis…

Ishmael Jones is faced with a dead body and a missing mummy in this highly entertaining, genre-blending mystery.

Ishmael and Penny go to Cardavan House for the unveiling of an Egyptian mummy. When a body is found, Ishmael doesn’t believe the mummy’s curse is to blame. He sets out to find the human killer, but how can he explain the odd footsteps creeping along the corridors? Who is playing games with them and why?

Severn House has also published the first three novels in the series, in the US and UK: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, DEAD MAN WALKING and VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES.

Zeno represents Simon R. Green on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Discover THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE in paperback today!

Posted on Tuesday, June 13th, 2017

The US paperback edition of Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE is out today in the US! Published by Anchor, here’s the synopsis…

Thomas Fool is a detective from Hell – literally. Having survived the wrath of both angel and demon, and still without memory of his life on earth, Fool is currently spending his damnation as a bureaucrat heading up the Information Office of Hell. But when mysterious fires begin spooking higher-ups in the Bureaucracy – homicidal arson, it’s believed–and a series of unexplained murders plagues Heaven, Fool is dispatched north to investigate.

But Heaven is not what Fool imagines. In fact, it’s not so different from Hell. And friction between the two afterworlds is only beginning to mount as Fool conducts his investigation. The Devil’s Evidence is a thrilling ride through the spiritual realm, and a welcome return for the dead’s most endearing private eye.

Anchor also published the first in the series, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Both novels are published in the UK by Del Rey. Here are some of the great reviews the series has received so far…

‘Unsworth’s conception of a spiritual universe where deeper understanding may itself be the greatest curse is as nuanced and ingenious as his depiction of “poor little Fool,” perhaps the most oddly endearing sleuth to come along in years. The scales are tipped a tad more toward gaudy savagery and gratuitous cruelty than toward more intellectual digressions and plot twists. Still, one suspects Thomas Fool will return, with more respect from readers than from his spiritual jailers. It’s less a whodunit than a ripsnorter, with an emphasis on the ripping. Or maybe the snorting.’ — Kirkus on THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE

‘Unsworth’s imagination soars! THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE is a twisted journey into the afterlife, a dark labyrinth of mystery, and a brilliant contemplation on identity, transgression, and our struggle to recognize that we each make our own heaven and our own hell. A fresh new voice in dark fiction. Don’t miss this series!’ — Christopher Golden

‘The ultimate solution is a fairly clued surprise, and Unsworth’s creative worldbuilding leaves plenty of room for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE

‘Do you love Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series? How about the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch? Like a bit of John Le Carre intrigue? If so, you will love THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE. A hybrid between horror fantasy and crime procedural, Simon Kurt Unsworth’s novel had this writer hooked from its first opening, fiery lines… Unsworth has built a very horrible, yet believable universe with characters who you can hate as well as root for. While you don’t need to read the first novel to enjoy the second in the series, we really do recommend you start at the beginning. There’s a lot to take in and a great deal of character development to enjoy. A real page turner.‘ 10/10 — Starburst

‘Dark and luminous, compelling and insidious, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is a novel that transcends genre.’ — Michael Marshall Smith

‘Inventive and intriguing – Unsworth turns a journey through Hell into a heavenly read.’ — Alison Littlewood

‘I think this might be the most whimsical murder story ever told. THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is relentlessly creative, fearlessly witty, and completely twisted. Naturally, I loved it.’ — Chelsea Cain

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper

‘The debut novel from prolific short story writer Simon Kurt Unsworth depicts a very modern hell. There’s still suffering but it’s mostly to be found in the drudgery of the daily grind. Gruesome medieval tortures have given way to endless toil, confounding bureaucracy and arbitrary cruelty. Once you accept the logic of this underworld, what follows is an entertaining Dantean spin on the police procedural… Appropriately awash with gore and bodily fluids, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is damned good.’ — Financial Times

‘THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE grips. Unsworth’s storytelling is taut and lean, avoiding any lapses into potboiler… When he writes about Hell, he makes it downright hellish… The book eventually spins all this admittedly sumptuous horror into thought-provoking notions about salvation, hope and free will.’ — NPR

Charlaine Harris’s SLEEP LIKE A BABY out next month in the UK!

Posted on Tuesday, March 14th, 2017

Next month, Piatkus will published Charlaine Harris‘s latest, tenth Aurora Teagarden novel, SLEEP LIKE A BABY. Here’s the synopsis…

Robin and Aurora have finally begun their adventure in parenting. With newborn Sophie proving to be quite a handful, Roe’s mother pays for a partially trained nurse, Virginia Mitchell, to come help the new parents for a few weeks. Virginia proves to be especially helpful when Robin has to leave town for work and Roe is struck with a bad case of the flu.

One particularly stormy night, Roe wakes to hear her daughter crying and Virginia nowhere to be found. Roe’s brother Philip helps her search the house and they happen upon a body outside… but it isn’t Virginia’s. Now, not only does she have a newborn to care for and a vulnerable new marriage to nurture, Roe also has to contend with a new puzzle — who is this mystery woman dead in their backyard, and what happened to Virginia? This heart-pounding and exciting next installment of the Aurora Teagarden series will leave fans happy and hungry for more.

Last week, Piatkus published the ninth novel in the series, ALL THE LITTLE LIARS. The first eight novels in the series are published in the UK by Gollancz.

Zeno represents Charlaine Harris in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES now available in the US…

Posted on Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Simon R. Green‘s third Ishmael Jones novel, VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES is out now in the US! Published by Severn House, here’s the synopsis…

The Organisation has despatched Ishmael and his partner Penny to the shores of Loch Ness where the secretive Baphamet Group are holding their annual meeting. It’s believed an imposter has infiltrated the Group and Ishmael must find out who it is, and also discover who killed his fellow agent and why.

Severn House has also published all of the novels in the series, in the UK and US: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD and DEAD MAN WALKING.

Here are just a few of the great reviews the series has received so far…

‘Ishmael is a wonderful character, an extraterrestrial living among humans, and the series (this is the third installment) is a clever mixture of thriller and SF-horror genres. Green is best known for the Deathstalker space operas, but give this one a few more installments to develop, and it could well become Green’s masterwork.’ — Booklist (Starred Review) on VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES

‘I recommend VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES if you are looking for a fun, scary, and entertaining read before bedtime.’ — Fantasy Book Review

‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect…I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘Not to be taken too seriously, this meld of SF and traditional hard-boiled spy fiction hints at plenty of further adventures.’ — Publishers Weekly on DEAD MAN WALKING

‘This sequel to the wonderful THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD takes the basic structure of a traditional English country house mystery and mixes it with a bit of supernatural horror and suspense. Richard Kadrey and E.E. Knight fans will particularly relish Green’s genre-blending novel.’ — Library Journal on DEAD MAN WALKING

Zeno represents Simon R. Green in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Charlaine Harris’s ALL THE LITTLE LIARS out today in UK eBook!

Posted on Thursday, October 13th, 2016

The long-awaited ninth novel in Charlaine Harris‘s Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series is out today in eBook in the UK! Published by Piatkus, here’s the synopsis…

Aurora Teagarden is basking in the news of her pregnancy when disaster strikes her small Georgia town: four kids vanish from the school soccer field in an afternoon. Aurora’s 15-year-old brother Phillip is one of them. Also gone are two of his friends, and an 11-year-old girl who was just hoping to get a ride home from soccer practice. And then there’s an even worse discovery at the kids’ last known destination, a dead body.

While the local police and sheriff’s department comb the county for the missing kids and interview everyone even remotely involved, Aurora and her new husband, true crime writer Robin Crusoe, begin their own investigation. Could the death and kidnappings have anything to do with a group of bullies at the middle school? Is Phillip’s disappearance related to Aurora’s father’s gambling debts? Or is Phillip himself, new to town and an unknown quantity, responsible for taking the other children? But regardless of the reason, as the days go by, the most important questions remain. Are the kids still alive? Who could be concealing them? Where could they be?

With Christmas approaching, Aurora is determined to find her brother… if he’s still alive.

The print edition of the novel is due to hit shelves on December 1st, 2016. (Just in time for Christmas! In case you needed inspiration…)

The first eight books in the series are published in the UK by Gollancz:

Zeno represents Charlaine Harris in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Simon Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE eBook is on sale!

Posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2016

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed latest novel, is currently on sale as an eBook in the US. The book is priced at only $1.99, from multiple e-retailers until the end of the weekend. Here’s the synopsis…

A sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner — extravagant even by Hell’s standards — everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

The Devil’s Detective is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is published in the US by Doubleday/Anchor, and in the UK by Del Rey. The sequel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, is due to be published in July in the US, and October in the UK.

Here is just a small sample of the aforementioned critical acclaim the novel has received…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams. The whodunit aspects of this novel may, in the end, be less interesting than the phantasmagorical details surrounding it. But that’s far less a complaint than a compliment of the author’s visionary gifts. A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper

‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst

Cover & Details: DEAD MAN WALKING by Simon R. Green

Posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2016

Later this month, Severn House is due to published the next novel in Simon R. Green‘s new supernatural mystery series, DEAD MAN WALKING. The follow-up to THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, the first novel featuring Ishmael Jones

“Call me Ishmael. Ishmael Jones. I am the man in the shadows, that even the shadows are afraid of. The secret agent whose life is the greatest secret of all. And some of the cases I work are trickier than others.”

A rogue agent has come in from the cold and wants to spill his secrets. The Organisation wants Ishmael Jones to find out if Frank Parker is who he says he is, and why he has emerged from the shadows after all this time. But when Ishmael reaches Ringstone Lodge where Parker is being held, he is menaced by a series of alarming incidents.

Severn House are also due to publish DEAD MAN WALKING in the US on September 1st, 2016.

The first in the series was well-received. Here’s just a small sample taken from the reviews…

‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect… I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘Genre-blending author Green introduces another wisecracking protagonist, Ishmael Jones…Fans of the British TV series Torchwood will enjoy the irreverent, otherworldly protagonist.’ — Booklist

Simon R. Green is also the best-selling author of the Nightside, Secret Histories and Ghost Finders series, all published as eBooks in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books.

Zeno represents Simon R. Green in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE Out Now in Paperback

Posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2016

Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed horror novel debut, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, is out today in paperback in the UK! Published by Del Rey, here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to Hell

Solving crimes was the purpose of the Information Men, yet they almost never achieved it, and even when they did, the facts they scraped free were lost, buried again in the labyrinthine mess of the Bureaucracy.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Thomas Fool. But how do you investigate a murder where death is commonplace and everyone is guilty of something?

Del Rey will also publish the sequel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, on October 6th, 2016. Here’s the cover…

Here’s a selection from the great reviews Simon’s novel has enjoyed…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams… A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘The debut novel from prolific short story writer Simon Kurt Unsworth depicts a very modern hell. There’s still suffering but it’s mostly to be found in the drudgery of the daily grind. Gruesome medieval tortures have given way to endless toil, confounding bureaucracy and arbitrary cruelty. Once you accept the logic of this underworld, what follows is an entertaining Dantean spin on the police procedural… Appropriately awash with gore and bodily fluids, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is damned good.’ — Financial Times

‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst

Both THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE and THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE are published in the US by Doubleday: the former is out now in paperback, the latter is due to be published in hardcover on July 5th, 2016.

UK Cover: THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE by Simon Kurt Unsworth

Posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2016

Above you can see the striking UK cover for Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s upcoming THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE. The sequel to Simon’s critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, it’s due to be published in the UK by Del Rey in October 2016. Here’s the synopsis…

Thomas Fool, now the head of Hell’s Information Men, must solve a new mystery that crosses the divide between Heaven and Hell.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE and THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE are both published in the US by Doubleday — the latter on July 5th, 2016. Here’s the US synopsis for THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, which is more substantial…

A new case of unsolvable murders brings Hell to Heaven in the explosive sequel to The Devil’s Detective.

Hell is burning out of control. Thomas Fool, Hell’s first Information Man tasked with investigating the endless stream of violence in Hell, has been promoted to the head of the newly expanded Information Office. Now in command of a legion of Information Men, his new position finds him hated by demons and almost revered by humans. He alone has survived the wrath of demon and angel alike, but he stands alone and at the center of a brewing crisis. New on the scene is the Evidence, a shadowy department whose officers do not investigate; they punish and spread fear. And its leader, Mr. Tap, is gunning for Fool.

Fool is ordered to accompany a political delegation to Heaven, and his arrival coincides with an impossible—and sinister—discovery. A dead body. Murder in Heaven. Violence, corruption, and fear are the currency of Hell, and how does one investigate a crime where these concepts are paradoxes? As the bodies pile up, Fool sees disturbing connections between Heaven and Hell. He must follow clues in a strange land where nothing is as it seems and danger can present itself in any form.

What follows is a phantasmagoric, mind-bending thriller as exciting and unsettling as anything in recent fiction. The Devil’s Evidence is an electrifying, provocative novel filled with stunning set pieces and characters who will live on in your deepest nightmares.

New US Covers for Unsworth’s DEVIL’S EVIDENCE and DEVIL’S DETECTIVE

Posted on Monday, December 28th, 2015

Above you can see the striking cover for Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s second novel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE. Published in the US by Doubleday, on July 5th, it is the sequel to last year’s critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Here’s the synopsis…

A new case of unsolvable murders brings Hell to Heaven in the explosive sequel to The Devil’s Detective.

Hell is burning out of control. Thomas Fool, Hell’s first Information Man tasked with investigating the endless stream of violence in Hell, has been promoted to the head of the newly expanded Information Office. Now in command of a legion of Information Men, his new position finds him hated by demons and almost revered by humans. He alone has survived the wrath of demon and angel alike, but he stands alone and at the center of a brewing crisis. New on the scene is the Evidence, a shadowy department whose officers do not investigate; they punish and spread fear. And its leader, Mr. Tap, is gunning for Fool.

Fool is ordered to accompany a political delegation to Heaven, and his arrival coincides with an impossible—and sinister—discovery. A dead body. Murder in Heaven. Violence, corruption, and fear are the currency of Hell, and how does one investigate a crime where these concepts are paradoxes? As the bodies pile up, Fool sees disturbing connections between Heaven and Hell. He must follow clues in a strange land where nothing is as it seems and danger can present itself in any form.

What follows is a phantasmagoric, mind-bending thriller as exciting and unsettling as anything in recent fiction. The Devil’s Evidence is an electrifying, provocative novel filled with stunning set pieces and characters who will live on in your deepest nightmares.

In addition, the paperback edition of THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE — published February 9th — has a slightly different, updated cover…

Both THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE and THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE are published in the UK by Del Rey. The latter is due out in March 2016 — there has not been an official cover reveal, yet, but we’ll be sure to share the new artwork as soon as we are able. In the meantime, here are just a few of the great reviews the first novel in Simon’s series has received…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams… A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper, author of Demonologist

‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst

‘THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE grips. Unsworth’s storytelling is taut and lean, avoiding any lapses into potboiler… When he writes about Hell, he makes it downright hellish… The book eventually spins all this admittedly sumptuous horror into thought-provoking notions about salvation, hope and free will’ — NPR

UK Paperback Cover: THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE by Simon Kurt Unsworth

Posted on Friday, September 11th, 2015

Above you can see the rather striking UK paperback cover for THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The first in a planned duology by Simon Kurt Unsworth, it is published in the UK by Del Rey on February 25th, 2016. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to Hell.

Solving crimes was the purpose of the Information Men, yet they almost never achieved it, and even when they did, the facts they scraped free were lost, buried again in the labyrinthine mess of the Bureaucracy.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Thomas Fool. But how do you investigate a murder where death is commonplace and everyone is guilty of something?

The novel is published in the US by Doubleday, and is out now in hardcover — it will be published in paperback in the US on ??, 2016. Below are the UK and US hardback covers…

Here is just a selection of the great reviews the novel has received so far…

‘A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted no matter how much you’d prefer to look away.’ — Kirkus

‘An entertaining Dantean spin on the police procedural… Appropriately awash with gore and bodily fluids, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is damned good.’ — Financial Times

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper

‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst