A horde of dreadful, vulgar, cretinous guests of dubious morals and lapsed honour, in cahoots with a pack of impertinent, bestial, lumpenproletarian staff, frustrate the noble efforts of a brilliant detective to hunt down a murderer. Come join the pursuit, through the luxurious suites, luminous dining halls and stately ballroom of a lush hotel, into a more civilised epoch of the elegant past, in a tome bearing all the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie whodunnit—with the possible exceptions of cleverness, sense, purpose and decency. It is told in a style utterly shorn of extraneous verbiage, compact, exceedingly earnest and reflecting the loftiest aesthetic ideals. It falls exactingly within generic parameters, with no hint of parodic subversion. As far as the zeitgeist is concerned, few would be bold enough, or moronic enough—unmitigated imbeciles, deserving of little more than being hacked to pieces and left in the garden as meat fit for dogs—to deny that this magisterial opus is unstintingly in sync with up-to-the-second trends in political correctness. What more could the thoughtful, intelligent, discerning reader (you) require?

The perfect cozy Christmas murder mystery! Imagine being stuck indoors with your family, waiting for something to happen... and then disaster strikes. Christmas 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered together for another legendary Christmas at their Sussex mansion. As family tensions simmer on Christmas Eve, the champagne flows, the silver sparkles and upstairs the bedrooms are made up ready for their occupants. But one bed will lie empty that night... Come Christmas morning, guest David Campbell-Scott is found lying dead in the snow, with only a hunting rifle lying beside him and one set of footprints leading to the body. But something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from the East with untold wealth—why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate... and what he finds is more shocking than he ever could have expected.

Eat a crumpet. Check. Say “bloody hell” in an English pub. Check. Solve three murders and fall in love? Definitely not on the list. But when England dishes up murder, even an American girl knows it’s time to channel her inner Agatha Christie. American Eliza Darcy travels to Merry Old England to partake in a Darcy/Bennet family reunion for one reason: to solve the estrangement between her father and uncle. Not long after Eliza’s arrival and exploration of the vast estate of her ancestors, a dead body surfaces. Murder and mayhem replace afternoon teas and flirting with her British heartthrob. Eliza has every intention of keeping her snoot out of official Scotland Yard business, but when clues to the murder begin to merge with her investigation into her family’s rift, her inner wannabe sleuth self-activates. With the help of her batty great-aunt and the sexy Heath Tilney, Eliza hurries to untangle the web of lies and secrets. As corpses start to pile up faster than the clues, Eliza fears the estate’s family graveyard will swallow another body: hers.

One powerful king. Two tragic queens. In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle. Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her. Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII. Look for the Reading Group Guide at the back of this book. Also available as an ebook.

From Best-Selling Howard of Warwick stumbles yet more medieval mystery that doesn't know when to stop. Warning: If you like your medieval detectives sombre and serious, this is not the place for you. It is Murder Most Murderous. “Aha” on page 1? This can’t be right. When Brother Hermitage starts the latest investigation by working out who did it, you know that things are bound to be going wrong by page 2; nothing in Hermitage’s life is that easy. And surely, William the Conqueror hasn’t dragged Hermitage, Wat the Weaver and Cwen across the country just to idle away the passing moments? There’s a dead Norman noble to be considered, and quickly because William hasn’t got all day. But what Hugues d’Auffay, owner of the body in question, was up to is a mystery in its own right. His father behaved strangely enough; he fought in the battle near Hastings, conquered the country and then went home again. Why would any self-respecting Norman conqueror do that? Hugues himself had plans but no one is talking. Perhaps the servants can be persuaded to spill the turnips? But they’ve got their own world to organise; entirely to their advantage, and so will need some persuasion. The Saxon servants are keeping a dark secret in a locked trunk, one that the Normans are very keen to get their hands on. Is there a bargain to be made? Is the curse on the d’Auffay family to be believed? Can Brother Hermitage really use questionable methods to get information? And why do people keep dying? All of life is here: tapestries that dare not show their faces; a curse from an old wise-ish woman; a physick who is surprised at the number of dead bodies one investigation can produce. Read the 23rd Chronicle of Brother Hermitage and you’ll wonder why the King’s Investigator still hasn’t got the hang of it. Chronicle No. 22 garnered comment aplenty: 5* Outright Laughter 5* Laughed till my sides ached. (The Funny Book Company cannot accept responsibility for injured sides.) 5* If you're into history, crime thrillers or humour this is the series for you. 5* What fun.

When Georgie Anderson arrives at work at Halmeth Corporation she discovers her boss brutally murdered at his desk. Because of the friction that had built up between them during the prior year, Georgie realizes she could become a major suspect. When this is confirmed by the police lieutenant, the Halmenth Chief of Security, Michelangelo Deegan, comes to her rescue. They work together to learn the actual location and nature of the killing as well as the reasons behind it. Their collaboration begins with a frightening hunt through the darkened tunnels below the corporate compound in an unsuccessful effort to prevent a second murder. Georgie and Michelangelo are brought closer together as they dig for a solution to the puzzle before they too become victims of the ruthless killer.

Giles Jones, an out of work newspaperman sat on a bench watching the Thames flow by. There was a lot of traffic up and down the river at this time of night. Boats full of revellers were going past lights blazing, and music blaring. He had his camera on the seat beside him, just one good picture was all he needed. Something splashed in the water up stream from him, as it got nearer he thought it was a small boat, it had two lanterns and a bell on a rod which tinkled. It was a child's coffin and in the soft glow of the lanterns he could see that there was an occupant. This was the first victim of the Messenger of Death.