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Crime Fiction

Prize-Winning Crime Fiction

Would Something Different Kill You? The shelves of every bookshop and newsagent are crammed with crime books.  There is nothing like a bit of murder and mystery to take you away from the drudgery of everyday life.  But those shelves have the same … Read More about Prize-Winning Crime Fiction

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  • Best Crime Fiction

Reviews

The Truth Behind the Lie Sara Lövestam

The Truth Behind the Lie

Human Trafficking, Lost Identities and Belonging
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Jorn Lier Horst The Hunting Dogs

The Hunting Dogs

Disquietingly Credible Norwegian Police Procedural
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Dead Souls Ian Rankin

Dead Souls

The Sins of The Parents Curse the Children
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The Darkest Room Johan Theorin

The Darkest Room

A Hauntingly Gothic Scandinavian Crime Drama
Read More
A Dance At The Slaughterhouse Lawrence Block

A Dance at the Slaughterhouse

Banal Brutality, as Black as Noir Can Be
Read More
Rain Gods James Lee Burke

Rain Gods

Elegant Scenery and Graphic Violence
Read More
Briarpatch Ross Thomas

Briarpatch

Crime, Corruption and Politics, Served Extra Dry
Read More
The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre

The Godmother

Ça, C'Est du Bon Shit...
Read More
We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal

We Know You Remember

Tragic Injustice in Small-Town Sweden
Read More
Troubled Blood Robert Galbraith

Troubled Blood

Plenty of Plot, People and Paper
Read More
One Step Behind by Henning Mankell

One Step Behind

A Dour Detective Hunts a Serial Killer
Read More
A Time to Kill by John Grisham

A Time to Kill

Racism and Revenge in Rural Mississippi.
Read More
Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström

Three Seconds

An action thriller that challenges perceptions of right and wrong.
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We begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

We Begin at the End

A fiery teenager faces down tragedy after tragedy.
Read More
A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine

A Fatal Inversion

Teenage Immaturity, Selfishness, Greed, and Murder
Read More
The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey

The False Inspector Dew

The cleverest ending of any detective novel? Possibly...
Read More
Dead Man's Time by Peter James

Dead Man’s Time

Premium pulp fiction, the perfect airport read.
Read More
Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith

Gorky Park

Vodka, propaganda, murder and a glimpse behind the Iron Curtain.
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Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price

Other Paths to Glory

The past lays bare present-day treachery.
Read More
Dirty War Dominique Sylvain

Dirty War

Frivolous, fanciful, far-fetched and phoney, but fun.
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The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre

The Great Swindle

The winner of France's highest literary honour. A macabre tale of deception.
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Dead Lions by Mick Herron

Dead Lions

Untraceable poison and a sleeper cell of spooks.
Read More
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas

Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand

Logic, intuition and a murderous octogenarian.  
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The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Talented Mr Ripley

Limitless obsession, self-delusion and greed.
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The Second Life of Inspector Canessa by Roberto Perrone

The Second Life of Inspector Canessa

Italy’s answer to James Bond, though a little older.
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Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti

Lorraine Connection

A disturbingly authentic tale of corporate corruption.
Read More
Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama

Six Four

Realpolitik in the Japanese police force.
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Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea

Killed in the Ratings

Witty, smart-talking, 70s mischief, with an ingenious finale.
Read More
The Seeker by S.G. Maclean

The Seeker

Spies, exiles and assassins in Cromwell's London
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Farewell, my Lovely by Raymond Chandler

Farewell, My Lovely

Intoxicating prose and barb-encrusted wisecracks.
Read More
the chalk pit by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit

Character-driven intrigue and subterfuge.
Read More
The Fatherland Files by Volker Kutscher

The Fatherland Files

Historical thriller set at the birth of the Third Reich
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A Time of Predators by Joe Gores

A Time of Predators

A cautionary tale of escalation and revenge.
Read More
The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr

The Hollow Man

Is this the best locked room mystery of all time?
Read More
Metropolis by Philip Kerr

Metropolis

History, politics, sex, violence and spectacular cynicism.
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The Lewis Man by Peter May

The Lewis Man

A Steady Drip of Discordant Information. It Will Taunt Your Thoughts.
Read More
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

Thirteen

A read-in-one-sitting thriller, just don’t think about it too hard.
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Trick Baby by Iceberg Slim

Trick Baby

The slickest hustler Chicago has ever seen.
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Uniform Justice by Donna Leon

Uniform Justice

An impeccably bleak depiction of corruption.
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A Morbid Taste For Bones by Ellis Peters

A Morbid Taste for Bones

Medieval grave robbing, all in the name of religion.
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Cops and Robbers Donald E. Westlake

Cops and Robbers

This will keep both you and your nerves guessing.
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Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James

Shroud for a Nightingale

I didn't see that coming... Classic British detective fiction
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The Incredulity of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

The Incredulity of Father Brown

Miss Marple meets Scooby-Doo.
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The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

The Distant Echo

Suspects, witnesses or victims? Sometimes it is hard to tell one from another.
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The Face on the cutting-room floor by Cameron McCabe

The Face on the Cutting-Room Floor

A “detective story with a difference” or too clever for its own good?
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Maigret and the Headless Corpse by Georges Simenon

Maigret and the Headless Corpse

Some corpses, headless or not, deserve everything that they get.
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Dark Winter by Andy McNab

Dark Winter

Three letter acronyms make an unbelievable plot disturbingly real.
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Out by Natsuo Kirino

Out

Brutality and poverty in Japan, no cherry blossom in sight.
Read More
You by Zoran Drvenkar

You

Savage, bleak, but elegantly phrased, brutality
Read More
One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

One Two Buckle My Shoe

Are Your Little Grey Cells a Match for Poirot’s?
Read More
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair

More hairpin turns than an alpine pass
Read More
Broken by Martina Cole

Broken

More volatile than an episode of EastEnders after a bad acid trip
Read More
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason

The Shadow District

Rape, murder and seventy years of Icelandic history
Read More
Sideswipe Charles Willeford

Sideswipe

The darkly funny story of a detective enjoying a midlife crisis
Read More
Soft Target Stephen Leather

Soft Target

A high paced thriller that asks surprisingly deep questions
Read More

Authors

Dominique Sylvain

Dominique Sylvain

Pierre Lemaitre

Pierre Lemaitre

Joe Gores

Joe Gores

Natsuo Kirino

Natsuo Kirino

Arnaldur Indriðason

Arnaldur Indriðason

Volker Kutscher

Volker Kutscher

P.D. James

P.D. James

Sara Lövestam

Sara Lövestam

Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith

Ross Thomas

Ross Thomas

Anthony Price

Anthony Price

Ellis Peters

Ellis Peters

Georges Simenon

Georges Simenon

Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell

J.K. Rowling / Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith

Cameron McCabe

Cameron McCabe

Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block

John Grisham

John Grisham

G.K. Chesterton

G.K. Chesterton

Hideo Yokoyama

Hideo Yokoyama

Steve Cavanagh

Steve Cavanagh

Ruth Rendell

Rith Rendell

Martin Cruz Smith

Martin Cruz Smith

Andy McNab

Andy McNab

Joël Dicker

Joël Dicker

Jørn Lier Horst

Jørn Lier Horst

Tove Alsterdal

Tove Alsterdal

Fred Vargas

Fred Vargas

James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke

Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths

Roberto Perrone

Roberto Perrone

Hannelore Cayre

Hannelore Cayre

Dominique Manotti

Dominique Manotti

Zoran Drvenkar

Zoran Drvenkar

William L DeAndrea

William L. DeAndrea

Peter Lovesey

Peter Lovesey

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Roslund and Hellström

Roslund and Hellström

Charles Willeford

Charles Willeford

Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin

Martina Cole

Martina Cole

Peter James

Peter James

S.G. MacLean

S G MacLean

John Dickson Carr

John Dickson Carr

Peter May

Peter May

Stephen Leather

Stephen Leather

Donald E Westlake

Donald E Westlake

Philip Kerr

Philip Kerr

Donna Leon

Donna Leon

Iceberg Slim

Iceberg Slim

Johan Theorin

Johan Theorin

Mick Herron

Mick Herron

Chris Whitaker

Chris Whitaker

Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler

Val McDermid

Val McDermid

Bookshelf

The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
Dirty War Dominique Sylvain
Destroying Angel by S.G. MacLean
One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price
Last Night Stephen Leather
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
Dark Winter by Andy McNab
The March Fallen by Volker Kutscher
The Hog Murders by William L. DeAndrea
Commis D'Office by Hannelore Cayre
A Morbid Taste For Bones by Ellis Peters
Now you see them Elly Griffiths
Cimarron Rose James Lee Burke
Enough Rope Lawrence Block
Troubled Blood Robert Galbraith
jewels of paradise donna leon
The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre
Knock Knock by Anders Roslund
Inspector Zhang Stephen Leather
Real World by Natsuo Kirino
Goodnight Lady by Martina Cole
The Incredulity of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
Sorry Zoran Drvenkar
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Tokyo Station by Martin Cruz Smith
Prefecture D by Hideo Yokoyama
Encyclopedia Mysteriosa by William L. DeAndrea
The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Trick Baby by Iceberg Slim
The Truth Behind the Lie Sara Lövestam
Jorn Lier Horst The Hunting Dogs
The Stain on the Snow by Georges Simenon
Smoke and Whispers by Mick Herron
Harry Potter And The deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Stranger Diaries Elly Griffiths
Rain Gods James Lee Burke
Snakehead Peter May
Dead Man's Time by Peter James
The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith
The Fatherland Files by Volker Kutscher
Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime by Val McDermid
The Beast by Roslund and Hellström
The Maul and the Pear Tree by P.D. James
The Seeker by S.G. Maclean
Death Comes Knocking by Graham Bartlett and Peter James
Still by Zoran Drvenkar
Swing, Swing Together by Peter Lovesey
Pick-Up by Charles Willeford
Black Cherry Blues James Lee Burke
Maigret and the Headless Corpse by Georges Simenon
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Tomorrow's Ghost by Anthony Price
Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker
The Lewis Man by Peter May
Witch Hunt Jack Harvey
Soft Target Stephen Leather
32 Cadillacs by Joe Gores
Broken by Martina Cole
Le Roi Lézard Dominique Sylvain
Dark Entries Ian Rankin
The Forgotten Dead by Tove Alsterdal
It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr
Sideswipe Charles Willeford
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
After the Fire by Henning Mankell
The Fools in Town Are on Our Side Ross Thomas
My Friend Maigret by Georges Simenon
The Darkest Room Johan Theorin
The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer by Joël Dicker
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr
March Violets by Philip Kerr
You by Zoran Drvenkar
The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
The Shark Infested Custard by Charles Willeford
The Firm by John Grisham
Rough Trade by Dominique Manotti
The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre
Never Pick Up Hitch Hikers Ellis Peters
Pimp by Iceberg Slim
An Uncertain Place by Fred Vargas
One Step Behind by Henning Mankell
Death and the Joyful Woman Ellis Peters
The Asylum Johan Theorin
Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
The Distant Echo by Val McDermid
Good Behavior Donald E. Westlake
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
End in Tears by Ruth Rendell
Blood Wedding by Pierre Lemaitre
Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James
Get Even by Martina Cole
The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona MacLean
Mama Black Widow by Iceberg Slim
Echoes From The Dead Johan Theorin
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
The Face on the cutting-room floor by Cameron McCabe
Nightwing by Martin Cruz Smith
The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas
Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indriðason
A Philosophical Investigation by Philip Kerr
Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutscher
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama
The Second Life of Inspector Canessa by Roberto Perrone
Spade and Archer by Joe Gores
Host by Peter James
Farewell, my Lovely by Raymond Chandler
Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama
Briarpatch Ross Thomas
A Dance At The Slaughterhouse Lawrence Block
Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey
The Inheritors by Hannelore Cayre
Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
Boy Soldier by Andy McNab
The Baltimore Boys by Joël Dicker
Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
Cops and Robbers Donald E. Westlake
The Fallen Curtain Stories by Ruth Rendell
Thirteen Detectives by G.K. Chesterton
A Time of Predators by Joe Gores
The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey
And then there were none by Agatha Christie
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas
A Murder is Announced By Agatha Christie
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea
Bravo Two Zero by Andy Mcnab
Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström
Jorn Lier Horst Katherina Code
Cast a Yellow Shadow Ross Thomas
We begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Innocent Blood by P.D. James
You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti
Lockdown Peter May
Out by Natsuo Kirino
Camille by Pierre Lemaitre
Metropolis by Philip Kerr
The Labyrinth Makers By Anthony Price
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason
Affairs of State by Dominique Manotti
Jorn Lier Horst Thomas Enger Death Deserved
A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine
Backflash Richard Stark
Twisted by Steve Cavanagh
All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker
the chalk pit by Elly Griffiths
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
The Burglar Who Liked To Quote Kipling Lawrence Block
The Torment of Others by Val McDermid
Uniform Justice by Donna Leon
Dead Souls Ian Rankin

 

We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal
Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason
Le Roi Lézard Dominique Sylvain
Thirteen Detectives by G.K. Chesterton
A Time to Kill by John Grisham
Metropolis by Philip Kerr
Out by Natsuo Kirino
Backflash Richard Stark
Sorry Zoran Drvenkar
Last Night Stephen Leather
A Philosophical Investigation by Philip Kerr
The Second Life of Inspector Canessa by Roberto Perrone
It Walks by Night by John Dickson Carr
The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona MacLean
Rain Gods James Lee Burke
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
Death and the Joyful Woman Ellis Peters
Prefecture D by Hideo Yokoyama
After the Fire by Henning Mankell
The Forgotten Dead by Tove Alsterdal
Knock Knock by Anders Roslund
Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime by Val McDermid
Goodnight Lady by Martina Cole
Killed in the Ratings by William L. DeAndrea
The Beast by Roslund and Hellström
One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price
Black Cherry Blues James Lee Burke
We begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Blood Wedding by Pierre Lemaitre
The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre
Now you see them Elly Griffiths
Get Even by Martina Cole
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
A Murder is Announced By Agatha Christie
Trick Baby by Iceberg Slim
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr
End in Tears by Ruth Rendell
Sideswipe Charles Willeford
Nightwing by Martin Cruz Smith
Encyclopedia Mysteriosa by William L. DeAndrea
Harry Potter And The deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Cast a Yellow Shadow Ross Thomas
The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
Affairs of State by Dominique Manotti
The Torment of Others by Val McDermid
Echoes From The Dead Johan Theorin
The Burglar Who Liked To Quote Kipling Lawrence Block
The Face on the cutting-room floor by Cameron McCabe
Lockdown Peter May
Uniform Justice by Donna Leon
Tomorrow's Ghost by Anthony Price
The Fallen Curtain Stories by Ruth Rendell
The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey
Good Behavior Donald E. Westlake
Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indriðason
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
Destroying Angel by S.G. MacLean
The Stain on the Snow by Georges Simenon
Dark Winter by Andy McNab
The Hog Murders by William L. DeAndrea
The Fatherland Files by Volker Kutscher
The Distant Echo by Val McDermid
Three Seconds by Roslund & Hellström
Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutscher
You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal
The Inheritors by Hannelore Cayre
Jorn Lier Horst Katherina Code
Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
The Darkest Room Johan Theorin
Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti
Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama
Commis D'Office by Hannelore Cayre
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason
jewels of paradise donna leon
My Friend Maigret by Georges Simenon
Broken by Martina Cole
The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer by Joël Dicker
The Fools in Town Are on Our Side Ross Thomas
An Uncertain Place by Fred Vargas
Jorn Lier Horst The Hunting Dogs
A Morbid Taste For Bones by Ellis Peters
32 Cadillacs by Joe Gores
Death Comes Knocking by Graham Bartlett and Peter James
The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker
Pimp by Iceberg Slim
Cimarron Rose James Lee Burke
Cops and Robbers Donald E. Westlake
The Seeker by S.G. Maclean
Mama Black Widow by Iceberg Slim
Farewell, my Lovely by Raymond Chandler
Witch Hunt Jack Harvey
Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker
The Asylum Johan Theorin
The Firm by John Grisham
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
Briarpatch Ross Thomas
The Truth Behind the Lie Sara Lövestam
The Stranger Diaries Elly Griffiths
Innocent Blood by P.D. James
And then there were none by Agatha Christie
A Dance At The Slaughterhouse Lawrence Block
Dead Man's Time by Peter James
The Great Swindle by Pierre Lemaitre
Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama
Swing, Swing Together by Peter Lovesey
Never Pick Up Hitch Hikers Ellis Peters
Real World by Natsuo Kirino
Twisted by Steve Cavanagh
The Maul and the Pear Tree by P.D. James
The March Fallen by Volker Kutscher
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
March Violets by Philip Kerr
Soft Target Stephen Leather
Troubled Blood Robert Galbraith
the chalk pit by Elly Griffiths
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
Spade and Archer by Joe Gores
Bravo Two Zero by Andy Mcnab
Pick-Up by Charles Willeford
Maigret and the Headless Corpse by Georges Simenon
The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
Jorn Lier Horst Thomas Enger Death Deserved
You by Zoran Drvenkar
Boy Soldier by Andy McNab
Inspector Zhang Stephen Leather
Host by Peter James
One Step Behind by Henning Mankell
The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas
The Labyrinth Makers By Anthony Price
Still by Zoran Drvenkar
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
A Time of Predators by Joe Gores
Rough Trade by Dominique Manotti
The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith
Camille by Pierre Lemaitre
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
Smoke and Whispers by Mick Herron
The Baltimore Boys by Joël Dicker
Dark Entries Ian Rankin
The Lewis Man by Peter May
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine
Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James
Snakehead Peter May
The Shark Infested Custard by Charles Willeford
Enough Rope Lawrence Block
Tokyo Station by Martin Cruz Smith
Dirty War Dominique Sylvain
The Incredulity of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
James Lawther

A Man Needs a Hobby

James Lawther is a middle aged, middle manager staring at retirement. On one hand it sounds great, on the other, what will he do? His friends tell him he needs a hobby, something to keep him busy. So he started this site. He plans to sit in an easy chair for the next 30 years, drinking tea and reading crime stories.

Cunningly, if you click on one of the links and buy a book, he will earn some money. Why is this cunning? Because he will be able to tell his wife he is busy working. He may not get away with that. Some of the violence might not be fictional…

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Reviews

  • The Shadow District
  • The Chalk Pit
  • A Morbid Taste for Bones
  • One Two Buckle My Shoe
  • Troubled Blood
  • We Know You Remember

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