Guardian Crime Book of the Month WINNER OF THE CRIMEFEST LAST LAUGH AWARD _______________ 'A giddy spell of sheer delight' Daily Mail 'Ingenious ' Sunday Times Crime Club Brighton, 1957. Inspector Steine rather enjoys his life as a policeman by the sea. No criminals, no crime, no stress. So it's really rather annoying when an ambitious new constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it's even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play. It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all... A sparkling historical mystery set in sunny Sussex by the sea, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Elly Griffiths. _______________ 'Entertaining' Observer 'Will make you laugh out loud' Sunday Times 'Truss can work miracles' Telegraph

A young police woman was found shot to death on exclusive Bald Head Island off North Carolina. The local DA ruled it a suicide but the evidence said otherwise. Who killed her and why did they go so far to cover it up? Read for yourself and decide what you think took place and who did it.

'Full of convincing characters both historical and imagined ... a worthy successor to A State of Treason.' Peter Tonkin 1579. William Constable - physician and unwilling spy - is in Plymouth waiting to sail to the New World. The expedition, led by renowned explorers and traders, John Hawkins and Sir Humphrey Gilbert, has already suffered birth pangs. William's friend, Captain Charles Wicken, is accused of killing the son of a wealthy merchant, but the testimonies appear suspect. When William learns that Wicken is one of Walsingham's agents he uncovers evidence to suggest the murder and Wicken's naming are designed to conceal a plot of invasion - backed by Rome and Spain. The sailing of the expedition's fleet is delayed while this threat is examined. William is despatched to St Malo, the lawless haunt of corsairs, to investigate. His betrothed, Helen Morton, together with the fleet, wait for his return. Malign forces conspire to prevent William from carrying vital intelligence back to Plymouth. William must evade enemy agents and unravel a tangle of duplicity if he is to survive - and prevent the invasion. The second book in the bestselling William Constable spy thriller series, A Necessary Killing is perfect for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and SJ Parris. Praise for Paul Walker: 'A gripping and evocative page-turner that vibrantly brings Elizabeth's London to life.' Steven Veerapen, author of A Dangerous Trade Author Paul Walker lives London.

A darkly comic Dickensian ghost story from Blue Peter Award winner Gareth P. Jones: it's not the dead you'll need to worry about! Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour, blessed (or cursed) with an unusual gift. While his father buries the dead, Sam is haunted by their constant demands for attention. Trouble is afoot on the 'other side' - there is a horrible disease that is mysteriously imprisoning ghosts into empty houses in the world of the living. And Sam is caught in the middle - will he be able to bring himself to help? Blue Peter Award winner Gareth P. Jones has woven a darkly comic story, a wonderfully funny adventure that roams the grimy streets of Victorian London.