Tag: Mystery

ICYMI: New eBook Edition of James P. Blaylock’s PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

In case you missed it, a new eBook edition of PENNIES FROM HEAVEN by James P. Blaylock is out now! Published by JABberwocky in the UK and North America, here’s the synopsis…

Jerry Larkin discovers an age-old secret buried beneath the foundation of the house that he and his wife Jane, an avid reader of ghost stories, bought six months ago in the idyllic town of Old Orange in southern California.

Jane Larkin, whose MacArthur grant led to the creation of public gardens and a farmers market in the town’s central park, works against time to save what she has built as a 100-year storm moves in off the coast.

Lettie Phibbs, a strange librarian whose Antiquity Center holds the secrets to the hidden history of Old Orange, inserts herself into the Larkins’ lives, growing increasingly eccentric and menacing, as unpredictable as the storm itself.

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, a six-day mystery, tells the tale of a small town haunted by the reanimated ghosts of a buried past, a story that reaches a terrifying crescendo of murder and intrigue in a high-paced rush toward fate and redemption.

The novel is also available in a signed, limited edition from PS Publishing, as well as in a UK trade paperback edition.

Blaylock is one of the fathers of Steampunk, and the acclaimed author of (among others) the Langdon St. Ives Adventures, published by Titan Books and JABberwocky (novellas, short story collections).

New Paperback Cover for Vincent Tirado’s BURN DOWN, RISE UP!

Posted on Friday, February 24th, 2023

The paperback edition of Vincent Tirado‘s BURN DOWN, RISE UP is getting a creepy new cover! Due to be published by Sourcebooks Fire on May 4th, here’s the synopsis…

Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost. Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in this utterly original debut from an incredible new voice.

For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention-especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.

Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart-or die trying.

Tirado’s next novel is WE DON’T SWIM HERE, due out in May, also via Sourcebooks Fire.

Here are just a few of the reviews BURN DOWN, RISE UP has received…

‘A speculative horror that blends elements of horror with a history of gentrification and systemic racism.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Tirado’s unsettling debut is a love letter to the Bronx and the community that makes it. The perfect pick for horror lovers still looking for a light at the end of the tunnel.’ – Booklist

‘BURN DOWN, RISE UP is a brilliant contemporary horror that masterfully emphasizes the dark history of the Bronx into the thing of urban legends. The writing and the wonderful world-building is sure to stick with you for days after you read.’ — Bookish Brews

‘A queer, heart-pounding thrill ride. Fans of Attack the Block and Vampires vs. the Bronx: prepare for your newest obsession.’ — Ryan Douglass, New York Times bestselling author

‘It is like if Nightmare on Elm Street, Get Out, and The Get Down had a baby.’ – Isis Asare, Sistah Scifi bookstore

A MATTER OF DEATH AND LIFE Paperback Edition Out Now in the UK!

Posted on Thursday, February 23rd, 2023

The UK paperback edition of Simon R. Green‘s A MATTER OF DEATH AND LIFE is out today! Published by Severn House, it’s the third novel in the author’s Gideon Sable series. Here’s the synopsis…

Master thief, rogue and chancer Gideon Sable is back for another fast-paced supernatural heist – and this time he has the vault of a Las Vegas casino in his sights.

Judi Rifkin is one of the world’s most successful collectors of the weird and unnatural. In a London underworld filled with criminals with very special talents, Judi is a force to be reckoned with.

And Gideon Sable – thief, rogue and chancer – owes her a very large favour.

Judi makes him an offer he can’t refuse: steal her the legendary Masque of Ra, kept safe in a Las Vegas casino, and she’ll wipe the slate clean.

This isn’t Gideon’s first heist by a long shot. But with old grudges threatening to cloud his judgment, an unpredictable crew who don’t entirely trust each other and a formidable supernatural security team guarding his target, this job might be a gamble too far…

The North American edition of the paperback is due to be published on April 25th, 2023.

‘It’s a wonderfully imagined setting, which will be no surprise for those familiar with Green’s oeuvre. The Sable novels make perfect fare for fans of urban fantasy, thrillers, or caper novels (or, especially, blends of all three).’ — Booklist

Severn House also publishes the two other novels in the series — THE BEST THING YOU CAN STEAL (#1) and WHAT SONG THE SIRENS SANG (#3) — and are due to publish the fourth book, NOT OF THIS WORLD, in April 2023.

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

DEATH IN FINE CONDITION: this Summer, Meet the Paperback Sleuth!

Posted on Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

This summer, we’re very happy to report, Titan Books are due to publish the first in a new series from Andrew Cartmel: DEATH IN FINE CONDITION, the first Paperback Sleuth novel! The novel is expected to arrive on shelves on June 6th. To whet your appetite, here’s the synopsis…

Cordelia knows books. An addict-turned-dealer of classic paperbacks, when she’s not spending her days combing the charity shops and jumble sales of suburban London for valuable collector’s items, she’s pining for the woman of her dreams and nimbly avoiding her landlord’s demands for rent.

The most elusive prize of all, her white whale, has surfaced — a set of magnificent, vintage Sleuth Hound crime novels. Gorgeous, and as rare as they come. Just one problem. They’re not for sale. Still, that won’t stop a resourceful woman like Cordelia… One burglary later, the books are hers. Unfortunately, the man she’s just robbed turns out be one of London’s most dangerous gangsters, and now he’s on her trail and out for blood.

Cordelia’s best laid plans to pay the rent and woo the object of her affections start to fall apart, and she realises she may have placed herself in the crosshairs of a villain torn straight from the pages of her precious novels.

Andrew is also the author of the acclaimed Vinyl Detective series, also published by Titan Books in the UK and North America.

Andrew is also the co-author, with Ben Aaronovitch, of the Rivers of London comic series, published by Titan Comics.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE is Out Tomorrow in the UK!

Posted on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

The new UK edition of Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s acclaimed mystery-noir UNTAMED SHORE is out tomorrow! To be published by Jo Fletcher Books, here’s the synopsis…

Baja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.

When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she’s soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners’ lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies – but soon enough, someone’s asking questions. It’s not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances.

Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.

UNTAMED SHORE has received many great reviews. Here are just a few of them…

‘This thriller sets a quiet tone before building slowly and evenly, showing how a meek teenager trapped by circumstance grows into a strong woman who takes control of her future.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘This insightful look at criminal lifefrom the viewpoint of a sardonic yet lonely soul seems destined for more plaudits.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)

‘The Great Gatsby meets Night of the Iguana in this elegantly spare and darkly twisted story of undercurrents, deception, and colliding cultures.’ — Hank Phillipi Ryan

‘Atmospheric, compelling, and very suspenseful.’ — Alison Gaylin

‘UNTAMED SHORE is a masterpiece. I loved this book and can’t get Viridiana out of my head.’ — Amina Akhtar

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE is an engrossing book […] astounding in both its maturity and its cynicism.’ — Mystery Scene

‘[This] compelling crime debut […] is a small masterpiece and presages well for Moreno-Garcia if she continues on a criminal path.’ — Crime Time

‘This is a really good slow-burn suspense novel […] if you like character driven suspense, and are looking for an interesting setting you’ve probably never read before, definitely pick this one up!’ — Book Riot

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues her streak of amazing novels with UNTAMED SHORE. Her writing […] sets the stage brilliantly and the reader truly can picture the village in Baja. Once you’re in this book, you’re in it. It’s nearly impossible to put down, even when the reader is mentally screaming at Viridinana to not be naive and just walk away.’ — Fangirl Nation

Moreno-Garcia is also the author of the widely-acclaimed THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU, also published in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books.

‘The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling’ — New York Times

‘This is historical science fiction at its best: a dreamy reimagining of a classic story with vivid descriptions of lush jungles and feminist themes. Some light romance threads through the heavy ethical questions concerning humanity. Readers of Isabel Canas’ The Hacienda will be drawn in by the setting and themes; fans of other classic remixes, such as Megan Shepherd’s The Madman’s Daughter, will also enjoy.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling — the sleek and the bizarre, wild passions and deep hatreds — with cool equanimity.’ — New York Times

‘Carlota’s love and empathy for the hybrids is the heart that keeps the story of THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU beating’ — USA Today

‘In THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU, Moreno-Garcia shapeshifts again, unspooling a slow-burn saga with a macabre shiver of science fiction.’ — L.A. Times

‘Despite its dark story of oppression and cruelty, Moreno-Garcia […] instills the novel with action sequences showcasing violent conflicts between humans and hybrids. And she injects the novel’s gory battles with cinematic energy equal to that seen in the Universal Studios’ monster movies and other genre classics.’ — Washington Post

Zeno represents Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

HERE BE DRAGONS – New Rivers Of London Comic Series Announced!

Posted on Friday, February 10th, 2023

Last week, Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel announced the next Rivers of London comic series: HERE BE DRAGONS! Co-authored with New York Times best-selling author and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter James Swallow, you can watch a Forbidden Planet-hosted clip above.

The new series is set after the events of AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, the ninth and latest novel in the series. Here’s what Swallow said about the series…

‘Some say that a dangerous monster is at large over London. Some say that “Electric Ladyland” wasn’t the only thing Hendrix released into the wild, back in in 1968. Some say the Fey are hunting prey in the shadows. And some say only fools and bold, young coppers venture where the map warns “Here Be Dragons”!’

Want to read all of the Rivers of London books in chronological order? Titan Comics has created a new graphic with all of the books to date…

Titan Comics has published all of the Rivers of London comics in English, to date; Panini has published the first nine in German.

We’ll share covers, release dates, and more as this information becomes available.

AMONGST OUR WEAPONS Wins Listening Books Members’ Choice Award!

Posted on Thursday, February 9th, 2023

We’re very happy to share the news that the audiobook of Ben Aaronovitch‘s latest novel, AMONGST OUR WEAPONS has won the 2022 Listening Books Members’ Choice Award! You can watch the announcement, by Stephen Fry, above.

The ninth novel in the acclaimed, best-selling Rivers of London/Peter Grant series, it is narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who has narrated all novels’ audiobooks in the UK! Published by Orion, here’s the 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.

Many congratulations to Ben and Kobna!

Ben Aaronovitch London Event Next Week!

Posted on Friday, February 3rd, 2023

Just a quick heads-up today: Ben Aaronovitch will be hosted by Waterstones Trafalgar Square next Tuesday (February 7th) for an event with C. K. McDonnell! This is a ticketed event, so head over to Waterstones’ website to reserve your seat!

Ben’s latest novel is the instantly-bestselling and critically-acclaimed AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, the ninth novel in the Rivers of London/Peter Grant series. Published in the UK by Orion Books, here’s the 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.

UK Edition of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

We’re very happy to report that the UK edition of Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s UNTAMED SHORE is out in two weeks! Due to be published by Jo Fletcher Books on February 16th, here’s the synopsis for the author’s ‘dark cocktail mixing a nuanced coming-of-age story with a classical noir’…

Baja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.

When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she’s soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners’ lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies – but soon enough, someone’s asking questions. It’s not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances.

Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.

The novel was first published North America in 2020, and here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received…

‘This thriller sets a quiet tone before building slowly and evenly, showing how a meek teenager trapped by circumstance grows into a strong woman who takes control of her future…’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘The descriptions of Baja are uncommonly evocative of gritty reality, with poverty and desperation made plain on the page, as well as the lengths people are willing to go to in order to escape… (an) insightful look at criminal life from the viewpoint of a sardonic yet lonely soul seems destined for more plaudits.’ — Booklist, Starred Review

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE is an engrossing book […] astounding in both its maturity and its cynicism.’ — Mystery Scene

‘[This] compelling crime debut […] is a small masterpiece and presages well for Moreno-Garcia if she continues on a criminal path.’ — Crime Time

‘This is a really good slow-burn suspense novel […] if you like character driven suspense, and are looking for an interesting setting you’ve probably never read before, definitely pick this one up!’ — Book Riot

‘A sense of inevitable dread builds from seemingly innocuous events in this masterful crime debut from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The period detail is fantastic, the Mexican setting vibrant and fresh, and the noir is as murky as seawater after a shark-feeding frenzy. I loved it!’ — Lavie Tidhar

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE is a treat: the first thriller from a seasoned writer. This is a superb hybrid that’s part classic whodunit, part sad love story, and part smart, pulpy noir packed with smiling snakes, a touch of mythology, and a strong female lead who’s caught between her immediate reality and her dreams of escape, all inside the hermetic, oppressive hell of small-town gossip and old-fangled morality. This is a novel about greed, murder, and snowballing peccadilloes that moves forward with the power and grace of a shark. Don’t miss it.’ — Gabino Iglesias, author of Coyote Songs and Zero Saints

Jo Fletcher Books also publishes Moreno-Garcia’s latest, highly-acclaimed novel THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU, and others.

Zeno represents Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Next Month: UK Edition of UNTAMED SHORE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia!

Posted on Tuesday, January 10th, 2023

Next month — February 16th, to be specific — Jo Fletcher Books are due to publish Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s acclaimed mystery/noir novel UNTAMED SHORE! Here’s the synopsis…

Baja California, 1979: Viridiana spends her days under the harsh sun, watching the fishermen pulling in their nets and the dead sharks piled beside the seashore. Her head is filled with dreams of romance, travel and of a future beyond this drab town where her only option is to marry and have children.

When a wealthy American writer arrives with his wife and brother-in-law, Viridiana jumps at the offer of a job as his assistant, and she’s soon entangled in the glamorous foreigners’ lives. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape from her humdrum life. When one of them dies, eager to protect her new friends, Viridiana lies – but soon enough, someone’s asking questions. It’s not long before Viridiana has some of her own questions about the identities of her new acquaintances.

Sharks may be dangerous, but there are worse predators nearby, ready to devour a naïve young woman unwittingly entangled in a web of deceit.

UNTAMED SHORE, first published in 2000, has received a number of great reviews. Here are just a few of them…

‘This thriller sets a quiet tone before building slowly and evenly, showing how a meek teenager trapped by circumstance grows into a strong woman who takes control of her future.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘This insightful look at criminal lifefrom the viewpoint of a sardonic yet lonely soul seems destined for more plaudits.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s UNTAMED SHORE is an engrossing book […] astounding in both its maturity and its cynicism.’ — Mystery Scene

‘[This] compelling crime debut […] is a small masterpiece and presages well for Moreno-Garcia if she continues on a criminal path.’ — Crime Time

‘This is a really good slow-burn suspense novel […] if you like character driven suspense, and are looking for an interesting setting you’ve probably never read before, definitely pick this one up!’ — Book Riot

‘Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues her streak of amazing novels with UNTAMED SHORE. Her writing […] sets the stage brilliantly and the reader truly can picture the village in Baja. Once you’re in this book, you’re in it. It’s nearly impossible to put down, even when the reader is mentally screaming at Viridinana to not be naive and just walk away.’ — Fangirl Nation

‘The Great Gatsby meets Night of the Iguana in this elegantly spare and darkly twisted story of undercurrents, deception, and colliding cultures.’ — Hank Phillipi Ryan

‘Atmospheric, compelling, and very suspenseful.’ — Alison Gaylin

‘UNTAMED SHORE is a masterpiece. I loved this book and can’t get Viridiana out of my head.’ — Amina Akhtar

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is also the author of the widely-acclaimed THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU, also published in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books.

‘The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling’ — New York Times

Zeno represents Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Ben Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO Available Now in Slovakia!

Posted on Friday, January 6th, 2023

There’s a new Slovakian edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s second Rivers of London novel, MOON OVER SOHO! Published by Slovart as MESIAC NAD SOHO, and translated by Oľga Kralovičová, here’s the synopsis…

V pokračovaní čarodejníckej detektívky strážmajster Peter Grant, učeň posledného registrovaného policajného čarodejníka inšpektora Thomasa Nightingala, vyšetruje brutálnu vraždu novinára v klube Groucho. Zároveň ho však zavolajú k mŕtvole amatérskeho džezového hudobníka Cyrusa Wilkinsa, ktorý údajne zomrel na infarkt. Lenže pri jeho tele Peter cíti vestigium – počuje klasickú džezovú skladbu… žeby jeho smrť spôsobilo čosi nadprirodzené? Uf… Peter sa opäť vnára do sveta nekalej mágie a rozširuje svoje čarodejnícke vzdelanie a schopnosti.

The novel is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by JABberwocky, and widely in translation. 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.

Slovart also publishes the first novel in the series, as RIEKY LONDYNA.

The latest novel in the series, the internationally best-selling and acclaimed AMONGST OUR WEAPONS, is out now, published by Orion in the UK and DAW Books in North America.

Coming Soon: DIE SCHLAFENDEN GEISTER DES LAKE SUPERIOR by Ben Aaronovitch!

Posted on Friday, December 30th, 2022

We’re very happy to share the details for Ben Aaronovitch‘s next novella, today — specifically, the German edition of WINTER’S GIFTS!

DIE SCHLAFENDEN GEISTER DES LAKE SUPERIOR is due to be published on April 20th by DTV, here’s the synopsis…

Agentin Kimberley Reynolds arbeitet in einer Spezialabteilung des FBI, zuständig für seltsame, übernatürliche und schlichtweg okkulte Dinge. Nach dem rätselhaften Hilferuf ihres Exkollegen Henderson muss Reynolds abrupt nach Eloise, Wisconsin, reisen. Die Situation dort ist dramatisch: Ein Eistornado hat Stadtverwaltung und Polizeirevier in einen Trümmerhaufen verwandelt. Henderson ist spurlos verschwunden. Alles deutet darauf hin, dass er gewaltsam entführt wurde – von etwas, das kein Mensch war. Und unversehens hat Reynolds einen Fall am Hals, gegen den jede ›Akte X‹ wie ein Kinderspiel aussieht.

The German edition of the book will actually be out before the UK edition, in celebration of Ben’s attendance at a German book fair. (More details to come.)

The UK edition of the novella will be published by Orion, on June 8th, 2023! (More details, including cover, still to come.)

Coming Soon: GRAVE EXPECTATIONS by Alice Bell

Posted on Monday, December 19th, 2022

In May 2023, Corvus are due to publish the debut novel from Alice Bell, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS! Today, in addition to the cover (above), we can also share with you the synopsis…

Claire and Sophie aren’t your typical murder investigators…

Claire Hendricks is a hapless 30-something true crime fan working as a freelance medium. When she is Invited to an old university friend’s country pile to provide entertainment for a family party, her best friend Sophie tags along. In fact, Sophie rarely leaves Claire’s side, because she’s been haunting her ever since she was murdered at the age of 17.

When the pair arrive at The Cloisters it’s clear this family is hiding more than just the good china, as Claire realizes someone has recently met an untimely end at the house. Teaming up with the least unbearable members of the Wellington-Forge family – depressive ex-cop Basher and teenage reactionary Alex – Claire and Sophie determine to figure out not just whodunnit, but who they killed, why and when.

Together they must race against incompetence to find the murderer before the murderer finds them, in this funny, modern, media-literate mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation.

Fans of mystery and the supernatural will definitely want to check this out!

Lavie Tidhar’s MAROR is a Best of 2022!

Posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022

Just a quick post today to congratulate Lavie Tidhar: one of his latest novels, MAROR, has been selected by both The Guardian and The Economist as one of the best books of the year! Published in the UK by Head of Zeus, here’s the 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.

Here, too, are just a few of the reviews the novel has received so far…

‘MAROR is a masterpiece of the sacred and the profane … a literary triumph.’ — The Guardian

‘[A] wildly ambitious saga… A caustic alternative history of the dream and development of Israel.’ — The Economist

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

‘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.’ — The Jewish Chronicle

‘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

‘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

‘I’ve rarely read such a sustained feat of narrative invention and momentum. The novel’s a masterpiece.’ — Tim Pears

‘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

New HARPER CONNELLY Editions Out Now in the UK!

Posted on Thursday, December 8th, 2022

Today, Gollancz publishes new UK editions of Charlaine Harris‘s Harper Connelly Mysteries! These new editions mark the 10th anniversary of the first UK editions, which were published in 2012. The series includes…

  1. GRAVE SIGHT
  2. GRAVE SURPRISE
  3. AN ICE COLD GRAVE
  4. GRAVE SECRET

Here’s the synopsis for book one…

Join Harper Connelly as she uncovers the secrets – and bodies – buried deep in this paranormal mystery series from bestselling author Charlaine Harris.

Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who’s passed, and share their very last moment. Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver have become experts at getting paid and getting out of town fast – because people have a funny habit of not really wanting to know the truth.

At first, the small Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception. The pair have been hired by local police to find a missing girl. But the secrets of her death – and the secrets of the town – are buried deep enough that even Harper’s special ability can’t uncover them. With hostility welling up, she and Tolliver want nothing more than to be on their way. But then another woman is murdered.

And the killer’s not finished yet…

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

‘Prolific author Harris debuts a series that just might surpass all her others in popularity […] A strong debut that will have readers dying for more.’ — Booklist on GRAVE SIGHT

‘Harris delivers a knuckle-gnawing tale populated with well-developed, albeit edgy characters.’ — Publishers Weekly on GRAVE SIGHT

‘Leave it to the incredibly talented Harris to come up with another unique, troubled and utterly compelling heroine. The suspense is dark, and the paranormal elements creepy in this highly original tale that launches a new series. Paranormal mystery at its best!’ — RT Book Reviews on GRAVE SIGHT

‘This new series seems more mainstream and considerably darker in tone than Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse vampire mysteries, but still has a folksy edge, a spooky but sweet amateur detective mystery full of interesting characters.’ — Locus on GRAVE SIGHT

‘GRAVE SIGHT is an interesting blend of fantasy and crime […] Harris has a gift for deft description, entertaining characters and interactions, and convincing plotting. I’m looking forward to more.’ — Analog

‘[A] winning second supernatural caper […] Peppered with the author’s trademark deadpan wit, this book should help make Harper and Tolliver as popular as Sookie Stackhouse.’ — Publishers Weekly on GRAVE SURPRISE

‘Begins with a bang […] Harris does an amazing job laying out this intriguing mystery while exploring Harper’s varying beliefs and skepticisms. When it comes to serving up the supernatural, Harris is unmatched.’ — RT Book Reviews on GRAVE SURPRISE

‘Harris’s greatest strength is creating realistic, fully-rounded characters with just a sentence or two […] Fans of paranormal mysteries will snap this book up.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review) on AN ICE COLD GRAVE

‘In the third installment of Harris’ eerie and mesmerizing series, big changes are afoot for plucky psychic heroine Harper Connelly […] What more could you ask for than a creepy mystery and a chilling drama?’ — RT Book Reviews on AN ICE COLD GRAVE

‘This is the third in the series, and it just keeps getting better and better.’ — SFRevu on AN ICE COLD GRAVE

‘The evolving relationship between Harper and stepbrother Tolliver continues to be the heart of a series that often is about the darkness of souls. It’s riveting from beginning to end.’ — RT Book Reviews on GRAVE SECRET

Harris’s latest novel is THE SERPENT IN HEAVEN, the fourth novel in the author’s Gunnie Rose series — it is published in the UK by Piatkus.

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