Tag: Mystery

Ben Aaronovitch’s DIE MEERJUNGFRAUEN VON ABERDEEN is out in Three Weeks!

Posted on Monday, June 16th, 2025

STONE & SKY, the highly-anticipated tenth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London series, is due out next month! In addition to the UK and North American edition, DTV will be publishing the novel in Germany! DIE MEERJUNGFRAUEN VON ABERDEEN, translated by Christine Blum, will be available from July 10th. Here’s the synopsis…

Eigentlich wollte Peter nur Urlaub in Schottland machen – besser gesagt: Beverley wollte das. Aber dank eines Schafs mit ungeklärter Todesursache landet wenig später ein Großteil der Londoner Magiepolizei sowie Peters Familie mit erweitertem Anhang (nicht zuletzt Cousine Abigail) im schönen Aberdeenshire. Und spätestens als die Obduktion einer männlichen Leiche sehr ungewöhnliche Ergebnisse liefert, ist es mit dem beschaulichen Badeurlaub an der schottischen Küste vorbei.

»Sei bloß vorsichtig«, sagte ich. »Hier in Schottland kann ich nichts für dich tun. Wenn du Probleme kriegst, bist du auf dich allein gestellt.« Und weil das Universum Ironie über alles liebt, kam in genau diesem Augenblick der Anruf von Abdul.

Es stellt sich heraus: Nicht nur in den Tiefen der See leben unbekannte Wesen, auch am Himmel ist magisch einiges los. Trotzdem hält keineswegs nur der spektakuläre Fall Peter auf Trab – die zweijährigen Zwillinge sind schwerer zu hüten als eine außer Kontrolle geratene Herde Schafe…

STONE & SKY is due to be published by Gollancz/Orion in the UK (July 3rd) and DAW Books in North America (July 8th). Here’s the English-language 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…

Andrew Cartmel’s LIKE A BULLET Out in Four Weeks!

Posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025

LIKE A BULLET, the third novel in the acclaimed Paperback Sleuth series by Andrew Cartmel, is out in four weeks! Due to be published by Titan Books on July 8th, here’s the synopsis…

When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict — the “Commando” novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider — it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.

The books’ creator — real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk — proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn’t come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.

Too authentic, it turns out…

Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.

At the time the mission was top secret.

And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so.

The first two books in the series — DEATH IN FINE CONDITION and ASHRAM ASSASSIN — are also published by Titan Books, and available in paperback and eBook; the novels are also available as audiobooks, published by W. F. Howes and read by Olivia Dowd. Titan also publishes Andrew’s Vinyl Detective series.

Papberback Edition of Lavie Tidhar’s SIX LIVES is Out Tomorrow!

Posted on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

The new UK paperback edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s acclaimed SIX LIVES is out tomorrow! To be published by Apollo/Head of Zeus, 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 few of the great reviews the novel has received so far…

‘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

‘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

‘The work is a tour de force, showcasing the author’s versatility in entering the heads of such disparate characters in such disparate settings in time and place. Each story is beautifully crafted, sometimes light-heated, often tragic. If there is a theme, it is the precariousness of human life and the vanity of human wishes; poverty is bad but wealth seldom brings happiness.’ — Historical Novel Society

ESPERANCE by Adam Oyebanji Out Now in the UK!

Posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025

ESPERANCE, the highly-anticipated new speculative thriller from Adam Oyebanji, is out today! Published in the UK by Arcadia, here’s the synopsis…

The history-bending speculative fiction from Adam Oyebanji, award-winning author of BRAKING DAY.

An impossible death: Detective Ethan Krol has been called to the scene of a baffling murder: a man and his son, who appear to have been drowned in sea-water. But the nearest ocean is a thousand miles away.

An improbable story: Hollie Rogers doesn’t want to ask too many questions of her new friend, Abi Eniola. Abi claims to be an ordinary woman from Nigeria, but her high-tech gadgets and extraordinary physical abilities suggest she’s not telling the whole truth.

An incredible quest: As Ethan’s investigation begins to point towards Abi, Hollie’s fears mount. For Abi is very much not who she seems. And it won’t be long before Ethan and Hollie find themselves playing a part in a story that spans cultures, continents… and centuries.

An extraordinary speculative thriller about the scars left by the Atlantic slave-trade, by a master of the genre.

The novel is available from today in print, eBook, and audiobook (read by Délé Ogundiran).

Here are some of the great reviews the novel prior to publication…

‘This mixture of mystery, SF, and historical fiction is highly recommended for readers who love intricately blended genre stories that ask big questions. Those who fell hard for Rivers Solomon’s The Deep or Leslye Penelope’s Daughter of the Merciful Deep will find a kindred story here.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘Oyebanji dextrously blends genres in this suspenseful sci-fi mystery … yielding a satisfying, if grim, solution. Rob Hart and Blake Crouch fans should check this out.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘In this brilliant story, Oyebanji makes the reader question perceptions of guilt and innocence, of vengeance and justice, of time itself–all the while asking what makes us truly human. A tour de force and most highly recommended.’ — Julie E. Czerneda, author of To Each This World

‘A tightly wound plot told from two divergent points of view that will keep you guessing in the best ways. If you’re a fan of SF mystery, ESPERANCE merges the best from both genres.’ — Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series

‘A police procedural genetically modified to include the best of science fiction, mystery, action, and suspense. With plot lines rooted in Africa, Britain, and North America—all three legs of the brutal Triangular Trade—this page-burner earns its moral heft by engaging with one of the ugliest mass human abuses in the history of our planet and considering what enslavement might have looked like through another planet’s eyes.’ — Donna Glee Williams, author of The Night Field

‘A gripping mystery about an impossible murder combines with a marvellous story of a strange, possibly alien, odyssey around our present-day world, with all its problems and heritage. Guess the murder solution and you’re a better reader than I, though the solution is both satisfying and resonant. Thrilling and sparky writing, extremely readable: a gem of a thriller.’ — Adam Roberts, author of Lake of Darkness

‘A gripping, intricately plotted mystery which unravels its themes of justice, choices and consequence with huge assurance and flair.’ — E. J. Swift, author of The Coral Bones

Arcadia also publishes Oyebanji’s acclaimed debut, BRAKING DAY in the UK — out now in paperback and eBook.

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

New Paperback Edition of Lavie Tidhar’s MAROR Out Now in Germany

Posted on Monday, May 19th, 2025

The new, German paperback edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s acclaimed, best-of-2024 novel, MAROR, is out today! Published by Suhrkamp, it 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.

MAROR is published in the UK by Head of Zeus/Apollo.

Here’s MAROR‘s 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.

The novel, which was a Guardian and Economist Best Book of 2022, has been praised far and wide since it was first published. Here are just a small number of the great responses/reviews…

‘Some write in ink, others in song, Tidhar writes in fire… MAROR is a kaleidoscopic masterpiece, immense in its sympathies, alarming in its irreverences and altogether exhilarating.’ — Junot Díaz

‘One of the boldest, most visionary writers I’ve ever read creates both a vivid political exploration and a riveting crime epic. It’s like the Jewish Godfather!’ — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘A masterpiece of the sacred and the profane … a literary triumph.’ — Guardian

‘Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness… Fade[s] into oblivion compared with Lavie Tidhar’s magnificent novel MAROR, a panoramic look at four decades of the dark, despicable side of Israel, of death, corruption, violence and drugs… It’s a brilliant undertaking.’ — Jewish Chronicle

‘One of the sensational novels of 2022, a violent rollercoaster and drug-fuelled ride into Israel’s history’ — Jewish Chronicle (as part of ADAMA review)

‘MAROR blends the page-turning wit of a hard-boiled detective noir with the stirring intrigue of a multi-national political epic. An ambitious achievement that weaves a tapestry of both story and statement.’ — Kevin Jared Hosein

‘A bloody beast of a book… MAROR is to Israeli history what Tarantino is to American movie culture’ — Daily Mail

‘Comparisons to James Ellroy and Marlon James are valid… On every page we feel we’re among real, breathing people… [a] compelling, unflinching roman-fleuve.’ — Times Literary Supplement (joint review of ADAMA and MAROR)

‘Radiant with all the brutally elegant atmosphere of crime noir, and the richly nuanced complexity and style of Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings, it’s a genre-busting novel that will catch your breath … At once illuminating, thrilling and thought-provoking, this tale of corruption, killings, sacrifice and the souls that make up a nation is a symphonic feat of fiction.’ — LoveReading

Upcoming UK Book Tour for Ben Aaronovitch’s STONE & SKY! [Updated]

Posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2025

In July, Ben Aaronovitch will embark on a UK book tour to mark the release of STONE & SKY, the tenth novel in his internationally-bestselling and widely-acclaimed Rivers of London series! Dates are in the above graphic, and you can buy tickets and find more details by visiting the tour’s website.

[Update: Due to popular demand, the July 3rd event’s venue has been moved to the French Protestant Church of London.]

The novel is due to be published by Gollancz/Orion in the UK (July 3rd) and DAW Books in North America (July 8th). 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…

German Paperback Edition of Lavie Tidhar’s MAROR out in Three Weeks!

Posted on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025

A new, German paperback edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s acclaimed, best-of-2024 novel MAROR is out in three weeks! Due to be published by Suhrkamp, on May 19th, it 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.

MAROR is published in the UK by Head of Zeus/Apollo.

Here’s MAROR‘s 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.

The novel, which was a Guardian and Economist Best Book of 2022, has received an incredible amount of praise since it was published. Here’s just a small selection…

‘Some write in ink, others in song, Tidhar writes in fire… MAROR is a kaleidoscopic masterpiece, immense in its sympathies, alarming in its irreverences and altogether exhilarating.’ — Junot Díaz

‘One of the boldest, most visionary writers I’ve ever read creates both a vivid political exploration and a riveting crime epic. It’s like the Jewish Godfather!’ — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘A masterpiece of the sacred and the profane … a literary triumph.’ — Guardian

‘Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness… Fade[s] into oblivion compared with Lavie Tidhar’s magnificent novel MAROR, a panoramic look at four decades of the dark, despicable side of Israel, of death, corruption, violence and drugs… It’s a brilliant undertaking.’ — Jewish Chronicle

‘One of the sensational novels of 2022, a violent rollercoaster and drug-fuelled ride into Israel’s history’ — Jewish Chronicle (as part of ADAMA review)

‘MAROR blends the page-turning wit of a hard-boiled detective noir with the stirring intrigue of a multi-national political epic. An ambitious achievement that weaves a tapestry of both story and statement.’ — Kevin Jared Hosein

‘A bloody beast of a book… MAROR is to Israeli history what Tarantino is to American movie culture’ — Daily Mail

‘Comparisons to James Ellroy and Marlon James are valid… On every page we feel we’re among real, breathing people… [a] compelling, unflinching roman-fleuve.’ — Times Literary Supplement (joint review of ADAMA and MAROR)

‘Radiant with all the brutally elegant atmosphere of crime noir, and the richly nuanced complexity and style of Marlon James’ A Brief History of Seven Killings, it’s a genre-busting novel that will catch your breath … At once illuminating, thrilling and thought-provoking, this tale of corruption, killings, sacrifice and the souls that make up a nation is a symphonic feat of fiction.’ — LoveReading

Andrew Cartmel’s UNDERSCORE is Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025

UNDERSCORE, the highly-anticipated eighth Vinyl Detective novel by Andrew Cartmel is out today! Published by Titan Books in the UK and North America, 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

Coming Soon: New Paperback Edition of SIX LIVES by Lavie Tidhar!

Posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025

Happy to share the news that Lavie Tidhar‘s acclaimed SIX LIVES will be out in paperback on June 5th! To be published by Apollo/Head of Zeus, 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 few of the great reviews the novel has received so far…

‘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

‘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

‘The work is a tour de force, showcasing the author’s versatility in entering the heads of such disparate characters in such disparate settings in time and place. Each story is beautifully crafted, sometimes light-heated, often tragic. If there is a theme, it is the precariousness of human life and the vanity of human wishes; poverty is bad but wealth seldom brings happiness.’ — Historical Novel Society

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…
The eBook is now available in North America via…

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…