Tag: Mystery

Lavie Tidhar’s MAROR is a Best of 2024 in Germany!

Posted on Monday, December 16th, 2024

We’re very happy to report that the German edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s internationally-acclaimed MAROR has been selected as “Der beste Krimi des Jahres” by Deutschlandfunk Kultur! The stand-alone novel is published in Germany by Suhrkamp, and was translated by Conny Lösch. Here’s the synopsis…

Eine Autobombe in den Seitenstraßen von Tel Aviv. Ein Diamantenraub in Haifa. Bürgerkrieg im Libanon. Rebellenkämpfer im kolumbianischen Dschungel. Ein Doppelmord in Los Angeles.

Wie hängt all dies zusammen? Das weiß nur Cohen, ein Mann, der sein Land liebt. Ein vernünftiger Mann für unvernünftige Zeiten.

Maror ist die Geschichte eines Krieges um die Seele eines Landes ‒ es ist eine wahre Geschichte. All diese Dinge sind passiert.

The novel is published in the UK and North America by Apollo/Head of Zeus. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

How do you build a nation?

It takes statesmen and soldiers, farmers and factory workers, of course. But it also takes thieves, prostitutes and policemen.

Nation-building demands sacrifice. And one man knows exactly where those bodies are buried: Cohen, a man who loves his country. A reasonable man for unreasonable times.

A car bomb in the back streets of Tel Aviv. A diamond robbery in Haifa. Civil war in Lebanon. Rebel fighters in the Colombian jungle. A double murder in Los Angeles.

How do they all connect? Only Cohen knows.

Maror is the story of a war for a country’s soul – a dazzling spread of narrative gunshots across four decades and three continents.

It is a true story. All of these things happened.

Rivers of London STRAY CAT BLUES Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024

The collected paperback (and eBook) edition of the latest Rivers of London comic series, STRAY CAT BLUES, is out now! Written by Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, it’s the 12th story arc in the series, and is published by Titan Comics. Here’s the synopsis…

Old frenemies become allies in the latest Rivers of London adventure when a mysterious cat-woman comes to The Folly looking for help to free her sisters from a notorious chimera brothel run by London gangster Monty and his sinister magically endowed mother, Mrs. Napier. 

Now, Romeo, together with Abigail, Kitty Butchart aka Hoodette, Reynard Fossman, and Gina Penlaw must rescue the three imprisoned women before the Faceless Man can get his hands on them…

Collecting together the critically acclaimed original four-issue mini-series.

With exclusive bonus material, included a script to art comparison, covers gallery and a collection of the backup articles from the four comics.

The continuing comic-book adaptation of Ben Aaronovitch’s hugely successful and award-winning 10-book novel series first published in 2011.

An all-new original adventure starring the Peter Grant the wizard-in-training hero of the first Rivers of London Novel, ‘Rivers of London’, also known as Midnight Riot in the US.

Artwork for the series is once again by the always-excellent José María Beroy. The collection’s cover is by Vv Glass.

The Rivers of London comics are, of course, set in the same world as Ben’s Rivers of London/Peter  Grant series of novels and novellas. The most recent book is the instant-bestseller THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, a novella, which is out now — published by Gollancz in the UK and Subterranean Press in North America.

Andrew Cartmel is also the author of the acclaimed Vinyl Detective and Paperback Sleuth mystery series — published by Titan Books in the UK and North America.

Simon R. Green’s STONE CERTAINTY Out in February 2025!

Posted on Friday, November 29th, 2024

On February 4th, 2025, Severn House are due to published the next Holy Terrors novel by Simon R. Green! STONE CERTAINTY is the second novel in this ‘funny, scary and thoroughly entertaining’ new series; perfect for fans of ‘American Horror Story, The Haunting of Hill House, horror novels, and murder mysteries with a supernatural twist.’ Here’s the synopsis…

Dare you enter the stone circle…? The world’s most unlikely ghost-busting duo – actress Diana and handsome young bishop Alistair – are back in this spine-tingling paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author

There are stories about the dilapidated stone circle at Chipping Amesbury, going back centuries. Of people going missing, never to be seen again. Of people found dead inside the circle. Of monsters, and of demons. The villagers may tell the tales with relish to visiting tourists, but a careful observer will notice that there is no transport to the stones, no tours on offer, and the locals stay well away.

Alistair Kincaid, the youngest ever bishop of All Souls Hollow, is an expert in Britain’s ancient stone circles. That’s why, when landowner Sir Neville Chumley announces his plans to restore the circle to its ancient glory, he agrees to take part in a documentary about the project.

Well – that, plus talented actress Diana Hunt is on board. Ever since their last encounter, when the pair of them hunted ghosts and solved a murder, the tabloids have dubbed them the Holy Terrors, and Alistair can’t wait to see her again.

But soon after filming begins, Alistair and Diana are plunged into a terrifying mystery. For the repositioning of the final stone unleashes a series of blood-chilling events that threaten to make them both believe in demons – if, that is, they make it out of the stone circle alive.

HOLY TERRORS, the first book in the series, is out now. Severn House also publishes Green’s Ishmael Jones and Gideon Sable series.

‘A sleek and appealing […] homage to vintage whodunits.’ — Kirkus Reviews

‘Perceptive and witty… Great fun’ — Booklist

‘THE HOLY TERRORS is a great haunted house type story…I was immersed in the scenes so much, it hooked me in… It’s enjoyable. It’s fun. Great characters and very fast paced.’ — The Honest Book Reviewer

‘Although the Bishop and the Actress certainly are [charming], and their increasing charm with each other does help carry readers along.’ — Reading Reality

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

ICYMI: Ben Aaronovitch’s next novel is STONE AND SKY!

Posted on Monday, November 25th, 2024

Last week, Orion/Gollancz announced the next (tenth) novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s internationally-bestselling and acclaimed Rivers of London series: STONE AND SKY! Due to be published un July 2025, it sees Peter Grant travelling to Scotland, where ‘a relaxing holiday … proves to be just the beginning of another rollercoaster of a case’…

‘This isn’t London. The rules are different up here…’

All Detective Constable Peter Grant wanted was a nice holiday up in Scotland.
He’ll need one once this is over…

Sea: check.
Sand: some.
Sun: sort of – but that’s not the only thing in the sky…

The novel will be available in the UK in hardcover, eBook, audiobook, and Waterstones special, signed editions.

We’ll share more details as they become available (including cover, international editions, and more.).

STRAY CAT BLUES Collected Edition out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Monday, November 18th, 2024

The collected paperback (and eBook) edition of the latest Rivers of London comic series, STRAY CAT BLUES, is out in two weeks! Written by Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, it’s the 12th story arc in the series, and it’s due to be published by Titan Comics on December 3rd. Here’s the synopsis…

Old frenemies become allies in the latest Rivers of London adventure when a mysterious cat-woman comes to The Folly looking for help to free her sisters from a notorious chimera brothel run by London gangster Monty and his sinister magically endowed mother, Mrs. Napier. 

Now, Romeo, together with Abigail, Kitty Butchart aka Hoodette, Reynard Fossman, and Gina Penlaw must rescue the three imprisoned women before the Faceless Man can get his hands on them…

Collecting together the critically acclaimed original four-issue mini-series.

With exclusive bonus material, included a script to art comparison, covers gallery and a collection of the backup articles from the four comics.

The continuing comic-book adaptation of Ben Aaronovitch’s hugely successful and award-winning 10-book novel series first published in 2011.

An all-new original adventure starring the Peter Grant the wizard-in-training hero of the first Rivers of London Novel, ‘Rivers of London’, also known as Midnight Riot in the US.

Artwork for the series is once again by the always-excellent José María Beroy. The collection’s cover is by Vv Glass (who also did some of the individual issue covers).

The Rivers of London comics are, of course, set in the same world as Ben’s Rivers of London/Peter  Grant series of novels and novellas. The most recent book is the instant-bestseller THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, a novella, which is out now — published by Gollancz in the UK and Subterranean Press in North America.

Andrew Cartmel is also the author of the acclaimed Vinyl Detective and Paperback Sleuth mystery series — published by Titan Books in the UK and North America.

Ben Aaronovitch’s MASQUERADES OF SPRING Out Now in North America!

Posted on Monday, November 4th, 2024

Today is the official release date of THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, the latest Rivers of London novella from Ben Aaronovitch! Published by Subterranean Press, it’s available in two limited editions and also eBook. Here’s the synopsis…

With this long new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series. 

The Subterranean Press edition of The Masquerades of Spring includes a wraparound dust jacket, illustrated endsheets, and six original black-and-white interior illustrations.

Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young—fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad—as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.

That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone—which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows…

There are 26 lettered editions available, housed in a custom tray-case; and 1,500 signed and numbered hardcovers.

THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING was published in the UK on September 5th by Gollancz/Orion (with the same cover), and was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller. The book is also available in Germany, published by DTV as EINE NACHTIGALL IN NEW YORK.

Coming Soon: UK Paperback Edition DISPLEASURE ISLAND by Alice Bell

Posted on Wednesday, October 30th, 2024

In case you missed it, Corvus has unveiled the new cover for the paperback edition of DISPLEASURE ISLAND by Alice Bell! Due to be published in the UK on January 2nd, 2025, here’s the synopsis…

Group holidays are always murder…

An unfinished wellness retreat was not Claire’s first choice of holiday destination, but it turns out that amateur murder investigation pays even less well than professional mediumship.

So Claire, her oldest friend Sophie (a 17-year-old ghost) and their new friends, Basher and Alex, head for Spike Island (off the coast of Ireland) for some R&R.

But when one of the other guests turns up dead, Claire finds herself the chief suspect.

Can she solve the murder, clear her name and escape the group holiday from hell before it becomes permanent incarceration?

DISPLEASURE ISLAND is the sequel to Bell’s acclaimed debut novel, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS, which is also published by Corvus Books. Both novels are available in North America, published by Vintage Books.

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

‘Read this fabulous book — you will not regret it!’ — Ben Aaronovitch on GRAVE EXPECTATIONS

‘Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core’ — Janice Hallett  on GRAVE EXPECTATIONS

‘A delicious mashup of grisly murder, country house and semi-helpful ghosts – imagine a really cockeyed game of Cluedo heavily seasoned with whimsy … it’s a lot of fun’ — Stuart MacBride  on GRAVE EXPECTATIONS

‘Knives Out vibes with added ghosts. Fresh, funny and hugely enjoyable.’ — Catherine Ryan Howard  on GRAVE EXPECTATIONS

‘A great read, with great characters, lots of humour, some misty-eyed moments and lots of swearing. Utterly delightful – like the BBC show Ghosts mixed with Cluedo’ — Simon Toyne on GRAVE EXPECTATIONS

‘In Bell’s winning second supernatural whodunit featuring Claire Hendricks (after Grave Expectations), the British medium and her ghost companion investigate shady happenings off the coast of Ireland… With the stakes suitably raised, and Sophie distracted by her pursuit of a handsome and potentially sinister pirate ghost, Bell puts a clever spin on a time-tested conceit. It’s a fast and funny romp.’ — Publishers Weekly on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘End summer with a treat: this cozy paranormal mystery has all the Saturday-afternoon comforts of a Scooby-Doo rerun, but Bell’s writing shakes you awake with its bracing humor.’ — Conner Reed, Publishers Weekly (mystery and memoir reviews editor) on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘What a cracking romp of a read! A bunch of self entitled millennials, a troop of pirate ghosts, a treasure hoard, a whole slew of secrets and at its heart an engaging and satisfying murder mystery – Agatha Christie meets Ghosts came to mind! I loved the way Alice Bell effortlessly dealt with the problems that beset mystery writers today. i.e. blanket technology- the results was a sort of ‘locked island’ mystery. As before I love the main protagonist chaotic Claire, and her sardonic sidekick (who just happens to have been dead for some fifteen years) It was great to see them both back in action again.’ — J. M. Hall on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘Contrary to its title, Alice Bell’s second novel is a complete pleasure to read, full of witty writing, loveable characters and page-turning twists.’ — Culturefly (“Spring Reads: 14 of the best new books to read this month”) on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

Czech Edition of AMONGST OUR WEAPONS Out Now!

Posted on Monday, October 21st, 2024

We’re very happy to report that AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, the ninth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed and internationally-bestselling Rivers of London/Peter Grant series, is now available in Czechia! Published by Argo as RODINNÉ STŘÍBRO, it was translated by Milan Žáček. Here’s the synopsis…

Pod londýnskou Chancery Lane se už přes století nachází zvláštní svět specializovaných obchodů se stříbrem. Vítejte v Silver Vaults, kde mají víc zámků než v centrální bance, na místě, kde je prakticky nemyslitelné někoho zabít a poté beze stopy zmizet. Jenže právě k tomu nyní došlo! Záhadný zločin si vyžádá plné nasazení Petera Granta a jeho oddaných spolupracovníků, známých z předchozích vyšetřování. Jednotka vyšetřovatelů musí přijít na kloub tajemství, v němž hrají velkou roli spletité dějiny Londýna, cizí země a také… Manchester. A do toho všeho se má Peter každým dnem stát otcem; s Beverley čekají dvojčata a realita života tak úporně tlačí ze všech stran. A to Peter zatím netuší, že se setká s něčím, co nikdo nikdy nečeká…

Další případ Petera Granta a jeho útvaru pro rozkrývání nadpřirozených nekalostí

Argo has published all of the novels in the series to date, as well as the first three novellas and short story collection. Here are all the covers together…

AMONGST OUR WEAPONS is published in the UK by Orion/Gollancz, and in North America by DAW Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

There is a world hidden underneath this great city…

The London Silver Vaults – for well over a century, the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It has more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than a celebrity punch-up. Not somewhere you can murder someone and vanish without a trace – only that’s what happened.

The disappearing act, the reports of a blinding flash of light and memory loss amongst the witnesses all make this a case for Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit.

Alongside their boss DCI Thomas Nightingale, the SAU find themselves embroiled in a mystery that encompasses London’s tangled history, foreign lands and, most terrifying of all, the North!

And Peter must solve this case soon because back home his partner Beverley is expecting twins any day now. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s about to encounter something – and somebody – that nobody ever expects…

Effortlessly original, endlessly inventive and hugely entertaining – step into the world of the much-loved, Number One bestselling Rivers of London series.

Out Now: THE WILDING by Ian McDonald!

Posted on Thursday, September 26th, 2024

THE WILDING, Ian McDonald‘s highly-anticipated new novel (a stand-alone) is out today in the UK! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

Five kids are on a sleepover in a restored wilderness project in Ireland. With them, three teachers and one Ranger: Lisa. She is 26, longing to leave her job, out of her depth and soon to find herself mired in a nightmare.

Strange things have been happening at Lough Carrow, a vast rewilding project on the site of a former commercial peat-bog. Livestock mutilations. Rumours, myths from the neighbouring villages. Strange, unidentifiable tracks. On the trek in to the sleepover site they sight animals that have not yet been introduced to the park – wolves, wolverines, things older. Things thought long extinct.

As they near the centre of the wilding a boy realises he’s forgotten his meds. A teacher volunteers to take him back to the visitor centre. Sure, what could go wrong?

That night the camp is attacked. A teacher is dragged away. Lisa’s group is marooned in the wild. It is night, the four remaining kids are terrified, they need to get back to the ARK, but the wilderness seems to be playing with time and distance and something is out there. Something hungry and hunting…

THE WILDING was recently reviewed by the Irish Times, called ‘a sharp thriller with a healthy dose of folk horror… With strong characterisation, a deep sense of place and real wit… entertaining and often surprising.’

Ian McDonald is the author of a great many acclaimed and award-winning novels and series. His most recent works are the stand-alone novel HOPELAND, and the Luna series — both published by Gollancz in the UK, and Tor Books in North America.

Ben Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO Out Now in Croatia!

Posted on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024

MOON OVER SOHO, the second novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London/Peter Grant series is available in a new Croatian edition! Published by Fokus as MJESEC NAD SOHOM, it was translated by Igor Rendić. Here’s the synopsis…

Pjesma.

To je prvo što londonski policajac i čarobnjački šegrt Peter Grant začuje kad pregleda truplo Cyrusa Wilkinsona, saksofonista koji se srušio mrtav poslije gaže u Sohu. Iz tijela se uzdiže melodija starog jazz-klasika – sigurni znak da okolnosti smrti nisu bile baš prirodne.

Dok glazbenici ginu jedan za drugim, Peter će uz pomoć svog šefa, Thomasa Nightingalea, posljednjeg registriranog čarobnjaka u Engleskoj te prekrasne ljubiteljice jazza Simone Fitzwilliam, otkriti kobnu magičnu prijetnju ― onu koja će ga odvesti na vlastiti prag do potraćene nade jazza ― talentiranoga glazbenika Richarda Granta, odnosno Peterova dragog oca.

Taman kad je pomislio da je nekako pohvatao konce, Peter shvati da u Londonu ama baš nikad ništa nije kako se čini.

MOON OVER SOHO is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by JABberwocky. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Body and Soul. The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body – a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul – they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace – one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant – otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

The internationally-bestselling, critically acclaimed Rivers of London series of novels, novellas, and comics is published all over the world, in a multitude of languages (with more editions on the way). The latest novel is AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, and the latest novella is THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING.

Ian McDonald’s THE WILDING Out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Monday, September 9th, 2024

Ian McDonald‘s highly-anticipated new novel, THE WILDING is due out in two weeks! Gollancz is set to publish the hardcover and eBook editions of the new novel on September 26th in the UK. (Audiobook edition is in the works, so watch this space.) Here’s the synopsis…

Five kids are on a sleepover in a restored wilderness project in Ireland. With them, three teachers and one Ranger: Lisa. She is 26, longing to leave her job, out of her depth and soon to find herself mired in a nightmare.

Strange things have been happening at Lough Carrow, a vast rewilding project on the site of a former commercial peat-bog. Livestock mutilations. Rumours, myths from the neighbouring villages. Strange, unidentifiable tracks. On the trek in to the sleepover site they sight animals that have not yet been introduced to the park – wolves, wolverines, things older. Things thought long extinct.

As they near the centre of the wilding a boy realises he’s forgotten his meds. A teacher volunteers to take him back to the visitor centre. Sure, what could go wrong?

That night the camp is attacked. A teacher is dragged away. Lisa’s group is marooned in the wild. It is night, the four remaining kids are terrified, they need to get back to the ARK, but the wilderness seems to be playing with time and distance and something is out there. Something hungry and hunting…

Ian McDonald is the author of a great many acclaimed and award-winning novels and series. His most recent works are the stand-alone novel HOPELAND, and the Luna series — both published by Gollancz in the UK, and Tor Books in North America.

Ben Aaronovitch’s THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING is out now!

Posted on Thursday, September 5th, 2024

THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, Ben Aaronovitch‘s highly-anticipated, latest novella set in the world of Rivers of London is out now! Published by Gollancz/Orion, the action returns to North America! Here’s the synopsis…

New York City, New York.

Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young – fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad – as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.

That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone – which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows…

The novella is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the ever-excellent Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

To celebrate the release of the book, Ben has been on a UK book tour! Check out the graphic, below, for the remaining dates/stops…

The novella is due to be published in North America by Subterranean Press, towards the end of September.

Alice Bell’s DISPLEASURE ISLAND out now in North America!

Posted on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024

The highly-anticipated North American edition of Alice Bell‘s DISPLEASURE ISLAND is out today! Published by Vintage Books, here’s the synopsis…

In the hilarious follow-up to Grave Expectations, Claire and the gang are back, getting their timbers shivered by a mystery involving feuding ghost pirates, buried treasure, and murder…

Claire Hendricks can see ghosts, but she can’t see herself having a fun vacation. Yet when her new friends/found family, Basher and Alex, insist, Claire and her dead BFF, Sophie, pack themselves off to a remote Irish island. This tempest-tossed isle is indeed full of noises: not only is the hotel where the gang is staying double booked with a posh private party, the island’s crumbling old fort is being fought over by rival ghost pirates. In death, as in life, they’re vying over a legendary stash of loot, supposedly hidden somewhere on the island or in the surrounding rough seas…

… which, inevitably, are whipped up into a terrific storm, stranding everyone — living and dead — on the island. Claire is already fighting off anxious And Then There Were None vibes before one of the other guests turns up murdered. With Basher distracted by a handsome Irish seaman and Sophie stretching the limits of her tether to flirt with a dead pirate with dubious intentions, it’s up to Claire to solve the mystery of three-hundred-year-old buried treasure and figure out who’s picking off party guests — before the whole gang meets a grim, Agatha Christie-like fate.

As mentioned in the synopsis, this is the follow-up to Bell’s widely-acclaimed debut novel, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS — which is also published in North America by Vintage Books. Both novels are also available in the UK, published by Corvus.

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

‘What a cracking romp of a read! A bunch of self entitled millennials, a troop of pirate ghosts, a treasure hoard, a whole slew of secrets and at its heart an engaging and satisfying murder mystery – Agatha Christie meets Ghosts came to mind! I loved the way Alice Bell effortlessly dealt with the problems that beset mystery writers today. i.e. blanket technology- the results was a sort of ‘locked island’ mystery. As before I love the main protagonist chaotic Claire, and her sardonic sidekick (who just happens to have been dead for some fifteen years) It was great to see them both back in action again.’ — J. M. Hall on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘Contrary to its title, Alice Bell’s second novel is a complete pleasure to read, full of witty writing, loveable characters and page-turning twists.’ — Culturefly (“Spring Reads: 14 of the best new books to read this month”) on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘Read this fabulous book — you will not regret it!’ — Ben Aaronovitch

‘Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core’ — Janice Hallett

‘Bell shines in her sharp, funny debut, a supernatural whodunit centered on medium-for-hire Claire Hendricks… The adroit plotting, which cannily plays with mystery tropes, is amply leavened with humor.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A delicious mashup of grisly murder, country house and semi-helpful ghosts – imagine a really cockeyed game of Cluedo heavily seasoned with whimsy … it’s a lot of fun’ — Stuart MacBride

‘Knives Out vibes with added ghosts. Fresh, funny and hugely enjoyable.’ — Catherine Ryan Howard

‘[T]he lightly acerbic style is a delight and the interaction between inept-but-dogged millennial Claire and eternal teenager Sophie – whose death remains a mystery – offers plenty of spooky fun. More, please.’ — Guardian

‘A great read, with great characters, lots of humour, some misty-eyed moments and lots of swearing. Utterly delightful – like the BBC show Ghosts mixed with Cluedo’ — Simon Toyne

Lavie Tidhar’s SIX LIVES is out now!

Posted on Thursday, August 29th, 2024

Lavie Tidhar‘s latest masterful thriller/mystery, SIX LIVES is out now! Published by Apollo/Head of Zeus on August 29th, here’s the synopsis…

SIX LIVES
Six lives, connected through blood and history, each rooted in the dirt of their inheritance, look to the future, and what it might hold.

THE GUANO MERCHANT
In 1855, Edward Feebes travels to the guano islands of South America to investigate an irregularity in the accounts of the House of Feebes & Co.

MOMENTO MORI
In 1912, post-mortem photographer and reluctant blackmailer Annie Connolly plots her escape from Ireland to America on board the Titanic.

THE COUNTRY HOUSE MURDER
In 1933, idealistic Edgar Waverley faces a choice of the heart when he becomes embroiled in a country house murder.

THE SPY
In 1964, hapless KGB agent Vasily Sokolov makes his career conjuring valuable information from worthless detritus.

ZABBALEEN
In 1987, actor Mariam Khouri looks back at Black Dirt, the movie that lifted her from the streets of Cairo.

NEW YORK
In 2012, Isabelle Feebes attempts to break with her poisonous heritage once and for al. Can she forge a new life for herself in the New World? Can you ever truly escape your past?

Here are just a couple of early reviews the novel has received so far…

‘I was blown away… Despite covering subjects as diverse as the Victorian guano trade, the KGB’s Cairo operations, post-mortem photography and an Agatha Christie-esque English country house murder, Tidhar manages to brilliantly realise each one.’ — Jewish Chronicle

‘Lavie Tidhar’s SIX LIVES is a magnificent matryoshka of a novel. Presenting six stories about fascinating individuals who are bound by blood and a shared desire to be free from the ties of birth, Tidhar’s writing is alchemical, smouldering with his characters’ passions, ambitions and frustrations as it shifts genres, from murder mystery to spy thriller, and more… Spellbinding and smart, measured and fierily evocative, SIX LIVES is an immensely satisfying achievement.’ — LoveReading

Apollo/Head of Zeus also publishes the author’s MAROR and ADAMA novels, both out now in paperback; as well as the BEST OF WORLD SF anthology series, edited by Lavie.

STRAY CAT BLUES #4 Out Now!

Posted on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024

The fourth issue in the latest Rivers of London comic series, STRAY CAT BLUES, is out now! Published by Titan Comics, it is written by Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, here’s the synopsis…

The hit comic based on Ben Aaronovitch’s bestselling novels is back!

Old frenemies become allies in the latest Rivers of London saga, when a mysterious cat-woman comes to Abigail looking for help to free her sisters from a notorious chimera brothel run by London gangster Monty and his sinister magically endowed mother, Mrs Napier.

Series artwork is by the always-excellent José María Beroy, and the cover is by Patricio Clarey. The first three issues are, of course, still available to purchase (in print and digital editions).

STRAY CAT BLUES is the twelfth Rivers of London comic series, and the previous eleven are now available in collected editions (again, available in print and digital). The comics are set in the same world as Aaronovitch’s internationally-best-selling and widely acclaimed Peter Grant/Rivers of London series of novels and novellas.