Mystery - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Coming Soon: WHICH WITCH? by Simon R. Green

Posted on Monday, March 31st, 2025

Later this year, Severn House are due to publish the third novel in Simon R. Green‘s Holy Terrors series! WHICH WITCH? is due out on August 5th, in North America and in the UK. Here’s the synopsis…

Talented actress Diana and young bishop Alistair, her partner in crime-solving and supernatural sleuthing, face the terrifying curse of the Scottish Play in this witty, creeptastic paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green

Miles away from town or city, and centuries away from civilization, three witches dance around a great brass cauldron, singing songs of horror and hatred. The Crone raises her voice to ask: ‘When shall we three meet again?’ … only for the cauldron to emit a thick, poisonous smoke, sending her, and her fellow actresses, fleeing for their lives.

For the director, it’s the last straw. Macbeth is famously a cursed play, but the incident, not the first in a long line of creepy events, makes him wonder if someone – or something – is trying to sabotage the play. The show must go on! But not if the forces of darkness are determined for it not to.

Talented actress Diana Hunt, hired to give her Lady Macbeth, knows just the man to turn to for help: her partner in crime-solving, handsome young bishop Alistair Kincaid, whose help investigating a series of seemingly supernatural murders has earned them the nickname the Holy Terrors. But with evil and black magic wrapping the theatre in darkness, this investigation might cost Alistair and Diana far more than they’re expecting.

Severn House has also published the first two novels in Green’s series: THE HOLY TERRORS and STONE CERTAINTY.

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

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

‘Perceptive and witty … Great fun’ — Booklist on THE HOLY TERRORS

‘Charming sleuths and bubbly dialogue add up to an appealing whodunit. A spirited cozy with a supernatural twist.’ — Kirkus on STONE CERTAINTY

‘The resolution to the mystery is satisfying, no matter the reader’s philosophical bent (skeptics and true believers will be equally happy). Another winner from this highly talented storyteller.’ — Booklist on STONE CERTAINTY

‘[F]ans of Green’s Ishmael Jones mysteries will appreciate the supernatural elements’ — Library Journal on STONE CERTAINTY

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

Andrew Cartmel’s KATZENMUSIK is Out Now!

Posted on Friday, March 28th, 2025

KATZENMUSIK, the German-language edition of Andrew Cartmel‘s STRAY CAT BLUES is out today! The 12th graphic novel in the Rivers of London comic series, here’s the synopsis…

Eine Katzenfrau, ein berüchtigter Londoner Gangster und ein auf Chimären spezialisiertes Bordell sind die Zutaten des neuen Falls von Peter Grant und seinem Team paranormaler Ermittler: Eine Werkatze bittet das Folly um Hilfe, um ihre Schwestern aus einem berüchtigten Chimären-Bordell zu befreien, in dem Wesen halb Mensch halb Tier gezwungen werden, sich ihren Freiern hinzugeben. Der berüchtigte Londoner Gangster Monty und seine in finsterer Magier bewanderte Mutter betreiben den illegalen Lustladen und ein Erzfeind von Peter Grant spielt auch eine Rolle…

Ein spannendes Abenteuer aus Ben Aaronovitchs Mystery-Crime-Universum, wieder angereichert mit umfangreichem Bonusmaterial.

The superb artwork is by long-time series artist José María Beroy.

Set in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London universe, STRAY CAT BLUES is published in the UK and North America by Titan Comics. Here’s the English-language 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.

Titan Comics has published all of the Rivers of London comic series in English, to date. Here’s how Ben and Andrew’s comics fit in with the chronology of Ben’s novels and novellas…

Andrew Cartmel’s UNDERSCORE out in Four Weeks!

Posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

In four weeks (April 15th), Titan Books are due to publish UNDERSCORE, the highly-anticipated eighth Vinyl Detective novel by Andrew Cartmel! Here’s the synopsis…

Some of the greatest (and grooviest) music ever committed to vinyl has come out of Italy.

And some of the greatest music to come out of Italy can be found on the soundtracks composed for its lurid, gruesome and some might say nonsensical thrillers known as gialli. The maestros who composed for these include Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Armand Trovajoli…

… And Loretto Loconsole.

No one disputes that Loconsole was a genius, but was he also a murderer?

The composer’s mistress was killed in 1969 while the pair were on location in Cool Britannia for the shoot of lurid giallo Murder in London – also known as Bikini of Blood and sometimes even The Black Dog Murders (don’t ask). There wasn’t enough evidence to lead to a prosecution, but the stink of scandal never went away. Loconsole’s career never recovered, the mastertapes of his work were destroyed and he died with a dark stain on his legacy.

Now, his granddaughter Chloe has come to England to hire the Vinyl Detective. Not only does she want him to find immaculate vinyl copies of all her grandpa’s soundtracks for a series of reissues she’s putting together to resurrect his musical reputation, but she wants him to clear his name too.

Can the Vinyl Detective and the usual gang – Nevada, Tinkler and Agatha – find out the truth of what happened in Swinging London more than half a century ago? Or might there be someone out there who’d prefer the events of the past to be left well alone, and is prepared to kill to keep their secrets safely in the Sixties?

Titan Books also publishes the first seven novels in the series, in the UK and North America: WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX, THE RUN-OUT GROOVE, VICTORY DISC, FLIP BACK, LOW ACTION, ATTACK AND DECAY, and NOISE FLOOR.

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

‘This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend.’ — Kirkus on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘… fast-paced, lighthearted adventure… marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating…’ — Publishers Weekly on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘Author Cartmel has combined the tropes of the several genres into a surprising, refreshing story centered around old-fashioned records… the story delivers multiple chuckles per chapter… Based on this volume, the series will be a hit.’ — New York Journal of Books on WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX

‘… entertaining second record-spinning mystery… Cartmel treats music and records seriously, plays his strange characters for laughs, and provides a bit of danger and some unexpected twists in this affectionate nod to the vagaries of rock stardom.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE RUN-OUT GROOVE

‘THE RUN-OUT GROOVE does a fantastic job of making its fictional history of music so fascinating and authentic that you’ll forget it isn’t all true… This a follow-up every bit the equal of its highly memorable predecessor, presenting a mystery you’ll be eager to solve and characters whose company you won’t want to leave. Written with infectious charm, the Vinyl Detective has more than proven he’s no one-hit-wonder.’ (9/10) — Alternative Magazine Online on THE RUN-OUT GROOVE

‘Cartmel at his best… an exciting and atmospheric mystery and a good addition to the Vinyl Detective’s casebook.’ — Blue Book Balloon on VICTORY DISC

‘This book was such a blast! It was a great addition to this hilarious series and I’m so impressed at how entertaining these books are.’ — Divine World of Books on VICTORY DISC

‘… an interesting and intriguing history for the series’ latest MacGuffin… the writing is sharp, funny and engaging throughout, and the main characters have never been more likeable… it’s wonderful; it’s a book filled with warmth and good humour – despite a touch of murder – that often feels like reacquainting yourself with old friends… The latest Vinyl Detective novel continues the series’ fine tradition of telling fictional stories that seem entirely plausible. There hasn’t been a dud note in the Vinyl Detective’s oeuvre to date and FLIP BACK is no exception; in fact, it might just be his greatest whodunnit yet.’ 9/10 — Alternative Magazine Online on FLIP BACK

eBook Edition of James P. Blaylock’s THE INVISIBLE WOMAN is Out Now!

Posted on Friday, February 28th, 2025

The eBook edition of James P. Blaylock‘s latest novel, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN is now available in North America and in the UK! Published by JABberwocky, here’s the synopsis…

From the World Fantasy Award-winning author comes the suspenseful sequel to Pennies from Heaven

The bright spring weather in Old Orange is deceptive, with dark undercurrents shifting beneath the surface of the busy lives of Jane and Jerry Larkin. Jerry is restoring an old boarding house, exposing its dark history, and Jane’s busy Co-op is victimized by malicious mischief that grows more mailicious by the day. Their troubles roil together, sinister forces rising from the cheerful, root-cracked sidewalks of Old Orange, engulfing them in mystery and murder and the threatened collapse of long-held dreams.

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN is available in the UK as a special edition hardcover, published by PS Publishing. The eBook edition is available via…

Kobo UK | Kindle

The eBook is now available in North America via…

Kobo US | Kobo Canada | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kindle.

As noted in the synopsis, this is the sequel to PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, which is also available via JABberwocky as an eBook in the UK and North America (hardcover also published by PS Publishing).

Ian McDonald’s HOPELAND available in Poland!

Posted on Monday, February 24th, 2025

Ian McDonald‘s acclaimed stand-alone novel HOPELAND is available in Poland! Published by Wydawnicto MAG, as HOPELANDIA, it was translated by Wojciech Próchniewicz. Here’s the synopsis…

Futurystyczna, wielopokoleniowa saga rodziny, która chce przetrwać i przeobrazić wszechświat, mając moc, jakiej dotąd nie widzieliśmy.

Raisa Hopeland, zdeterminowana, aby wygrać wyścig i zostać następną elektromancerką Londynu, zderza się z Amonem Brightbourne’em, chłopakiem w tweedowym garniturku, nie z tego świata, prowadzonym w życiu przez Łaskę, pośrodku londyńskich zamieszek. To powoduje ciąg następstw rozciągających się na dziesięciolecia, na wiele kontynentów oraz wywołuje serię zdarzeń, które zmieniają świat.

Od płonącego Londynu przez geotermiczną Islandię po atakowane zmianami klimatycznymi wyspy Polinezji, od narodzin, przez życie po śmierć, od spokoju przez przerażenie po radość, podróż Raisy skryje w sobie cały świat. Ale jedno zawsze będzie prawdą.

Hopelandia to rodzina – a rodzina jest niebezpieczna.

The novel is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Tor Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Hopeland is not a nation. It is not a cult. It is not a religion.

Hopeland is a community. It is a culture. It is a family.

When Raisa Hopeland, determined to win her race to become the next electromancer of London, bumps into Amon Brightbourne – tweed-suited, otherworldly, guided by the Grace – in the middle of a London riot, she sets in motion a series of events which will span decades, continents and a series of events which will change the world.

Amon falls in love in that moment of chaos, but being loved by him can have a cost. And while Raisa has Hopeland, Amon has a family of his own, and they have their own secrets.

From rioting London to geothermal Iceland to the climate-struck islands of Polynesia, from birth to life to death, from tranquillity to terror to joy, Raisa’s journey will encompass the world. But one thing will always be true.

Hopeland is family.

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

‘A story of the near future, it starts out as an urban fantasy love story before twisting to become a magical realism-tinged tale and a show-don’t-tell philosophical novel that’s also a rollicking sea-based adventure… HOPELAND is a profoundly optimistic novel, even one tinged with utopianism. Indeed, it often has a vibe similar to the work of another great optimist, lain Banks… By some distance Ian McDonald’s best novel — which is saying something, considering how good so many of his other books have been — this is the work of a writer at the peak of his powers.’ — SFX (5* Review!)

‘… a unique take on time-travel and electromancy… An eccentric and adventurous love story mixed with a rich and picturesque family saga. The popping action sequences reinforce McDonald’s swift and distinctive writing style.’ — Library Journal

‘[M]arries magic realism to solid, near-future speculative fiction… An essential work of climate fiction.’ — Guardian

‘HOPELAND is extraordinary — a deep-dive into pyschogeographic wonders that’s galvanised by jolts of romance and conspiracy…. HOPELAND works a sort of magic on the reader. Resist and you get lost. Submit to its mad energy and you’ll be swept from Spitalfields to Ireland, Iceland to Polynesia by the sheer variety of Ian McDonald’s imagination and the power of his vision.’ — Daily Mail

‘A novel so eerily good it almost made me angry… amazing, uncategorizable, unsummarizable, weird, sprawling, hairball of a novel…’ — Cory Doctorow, Medium

‘… intense lyricism of the prose… Replete with deft, unforgettable character portraits… With its powerful, never overplayed themes of country versus city, arctic versus tropical, male energies versus female energies, tradition versus innovation, kids versus adults, life versus death, this wise and expansive tale beautifully embodies the famous saying of David Ben-Gurion: “Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist.”’ — Locus

Ian’s latest novel is critically-acclaimed THE WILDING — out now, also published by Gollancz.

Out Now: THE INVISIBLE WOMAN by James P. Blaylock

Posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2025

In case you missed it, PS Publishing has published a new novel by James P. Blaylock! THE INVISIBLE WOMAN is out now, and here’s the synopsis…

The bright spring weather in Old Orange is deceptive, with dark undercurrents shifting beneath the surface of the busy lives of Jane and Jerry Larkin. Jerry is restoring an old boarding house, exposing its dark history, and Jane’s busy Co-op is victimized by malicious mischief that grows more mailicious by the day. Their troubles roil together, sinister forces rising from the cheerful, root-cracked sidewalks of Old Orange, engulfing them in mystery and murder and the threatened collapse of long-held dreams.

Here’s the full artwork, by Pedro Marques…

Out this month: NO ONE HEARS THE LAST SHOT by Lavie Tidhar

Posted on Friday, February 14th, 2025

This month, PS Publishing releases a new collection from Lavie Tidhar: NO ONE HEARS THE LAST SHOT! Bringing a number of the author’s acclaimed noir and crime stories into a single volume, here’s the synopsis…

A middle-aged hitwoman goes on the run from the Israeli mob; a boy on a South Pacific island searches for a missing cat and uncovers dark secrets; an ageing bagman has to recover a package across one violent night, no matter the cost; an informer must uncover the heist of a lifetime on the fringes of the Roman Empire, and Sherlock Holmes is faced with a confounding botanical mystery; while a pair of hapless actors are forced into a seedy mystery in Golden Age Hollywood.

Moving from the genteel English countryside to the mean streets of L.A. and from the islands of Vanuatu to the dark alleyways of Tel Aviv, this wide-ranging collection gathers together the best crime and noir stories of master storyteller Lavie Tidhar, including the CWA Dagger Award nominated “Bag Man” and much more besides.

Welcome to a world of gangsters and hired killers, of lost romantics and deadly women, of good times and low lifes. Where it’s always the wrong part of town, and where whatever you do, there are no good choices.

Because when it comes, no one hears the last shot…

The book is available in two editions: a signed hardcover (limited to 200), and a trade paperback.

ICYMI: Ben Aaronovitch’s STONE & SKY, out in July!

Posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

STONE & SKY, Ben Aaronovitch‘s tenth Rivers of London novel now has a cover! Unveiled yesterday by Gollancz/Orion, here’s the synopsis…

‘This isn’t London. The rules are different up here, and so are the allegiances.’

Detective Sergeant Peter Grant takes a much-needed holiday up in Scotland. And he’ll need one when this is over…

If more’s the merrier, then it’s ecstatic as his partner Beverley, their young twins, his mum, dad, his dad’s band and their dodgy manager all tag along. Even his boss, DCI Thomas Nightingale, takes in the coastal airs as he trains Peter’s cousin Abigail in the arcane arts.

And they’ll need them too, because Scotland’s Granite City has more than its fair share of history and mystery, myth… and murder.

When a body is found in a bus stop, fresh from the sea, the case smells fishy from the off.

Something may be stirring beyond the bay – but there’s something far stranger in the sky…

To be published on July 3rd, in the UK, the novel will be available in hardcover, eBook, and as an audiobook — read once again by the ever-excellent Kobna Holdbrook-Smith! The novel is also due to be published in North America, by DAW Books, on July 8th.

ICYMI: Two New RIVERS OF LONDON RPG Modules Out Now!

Posted on Monday, February 10th, 2025

In case you missed it, Chaosium has published two more modules for their Rivers of London roleplaying game! Based on the series by Ben Aaronovitch, THE FONT OF ALL EVIL and JIMMY’S LAST DANCE are out now!

Here’s the synopsis for THE FONT OF ALL EVIL, written by Paul Baldowski and Lynne Hardy…

Thursday 19th May, 2016: you have been called in to investigate a gruesome murder scene in Ealing, West London.

The local police were so concerned by the odd nature of the victim’s injuries that they called in the Folly to investigate. But how did the victim die? Why does their home look like a hoarder’s nest? Most importantly: why would somebody want them dead?

… and for JIMMY’S LAST DANCE, written by Adam Gauntlett, Paul Fricker, Lynne Hardy…

Summer, 2016: you have been called in to investigate a violent assault at an address in Putney, Southwest London.

The person of interest was described by an eyewitness as “something straight out of one of those pirate films.”

Can the investigators track him down before he strikes again?

The Rivers of London novels and novellas are published in the UK by Gollancz. The novels are published in North America by JABberwocky (1-3), and DAW Books (4-), and the novellas are published by Subterranean Press.

The next book in the series is the eleventh novel, STONE AND SKY, due to be published by Orion and DAW Books, in July 2025 (cover reveal soon!).

ICYMI: Ben Aaronovitch Interviewed on the FollyCast

Posted on Friday, January 24th, 2025

Today, we wanted to share an interview with Ben Aaronovitch from a little while ago — it was published shortly before the release of THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING. In the interview, Ben and the hosts ‘discuss the origins of the series, cover the novels, novellas and graphic novels and look to the future’.

THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING is out now, published by Gollancz/Orion in the UK, Subterranean Press in North America, and DTV in Germany. 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 next book in the series is STONE AND SKY, due out in July 2025.

Alice Bell’s DISPLEASURE ISLAND is On Sale in the UK!

Posted on Monday, January 20th, 2025

Just a quick note to draw your attention to the fact that DISPLEASURE ISLAND by Alice Bell is on sale at the moment in the UK: for the rest of the year, the Kindle edition is dicounted to £2.19! A must for fans of mysteries with a supernatural edge, it’s published by Corvus Books. 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?

The first book in the series, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS, is also available via Corvus Books in the UK.

Both books are published in North America by Vintage Books, and out now.

Simon R. Green’s STONE CERTAINTY is out in Three Weeks!

Posted on Monday, January 13th, 2025

The second novel in the ‘funny, scary and thoroughly entertaining’ Holy Terrors series by Simon R. Green is out in three weeks! Due to be published by Severn House, on February 4th, here’s the synopsis for STONE CERTAINTY…

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.

The Vinyl Detective returns in April, in UNDERSCORE!

Posted on Friday, January 10th, 2025

This April, Titan Books are due to publish UNDERSCORE, the highly-anticipated eighth Vinyl Detective novel by Andrew Cartmel! Here’s the synopsis…