Mystery

For countless readers, Christmastime means a delicious new holiday mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. A Christmas Escape, her thirteenth noel to the season, transports us to the Mediterranean island of Stromboli for an unconventional Yuletide adventure--and an unforgettable volcanic encounter.

Lonely Charles Latterly arrives at his small hotel hoping that the island's blue skies and gentle breezes will brighten his spirits. Unfortunately, there's no holiday cheer to be found among his fellow guests, who include a pompous novelist, a stuffy colonel, a dangerously ill-matched married couple, and an ailing old man. The one charming exception is orphaned teenager Candace Finbar, who takes Charles under her wing and introduces him to the island's beauty. But the tranquility of the holiday is swiftly disrupted by a violent quarrel, an unpleasant gentleman's shocking claims of being stalked, and the ominous stirrings of the local volcano. Then events take an even darker turn: A body is found, and Charles quickly realizes that the killer must be among the group of guests.

Captivating in its depiction of untamed nature in all its awesome power, and of the human heart in the throes of transformation, A Christmas Escape gifts readers with Anne Perry's talent for making the season brighter--and more thrilling.

Praise for the Christmas novels of Anne Perry

"Perry's Victorian-era holiday mysteries [are] an annual treat."--The Wall Street Journal

A New York Christmas

"A thoroughly enjoyable mystery set against the wonderful historical backdrop of 1904 New York City at Christmastime."--Library Journal (starred review)

A Christmas Hope

"Very much recommended . . . a wonderful story."--Historical Novel Review

A Christmas Garland

"In Anne Perry's gifted hands, the puzzle plays out brilliantly."--Greensboro News & Record

A Christmas Homecoming

"Could have been devised by Agatha Christie . . . [Perry is] a modern master."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Christmas Odyssey

"[Perry] writes with detail that invades the senses."--Lincoln Journal Star

When a journalist investigating former Prime Minister Richard Lavender is murdered, past and present collide with dark intent. Crimes both old and new insinuate themselves into this case, which in the end proves what Coffin already knows: that the past never leaves us--it is buried, only to resurface in shocking, surprising and sometimes menacing ways. Martin's Press.

Blacklin County, Texas, Sheriff Dan Rhodes investigates the feud between two historical societies when the president of one is found shot dead in a freshly dug grave. When the outspoken head of the rival historical society becomes the next victim, Rhodes is on the trail of a double homicide, a small-time drug ring, a riot of loose emus, and one irascible ghost. Martin's Press.

Edwina Goodman teaches physics at an elite college in a picturesque New England town. Driven by an imagination that pushes her thinking well outside the box of conventional logic--and an ability to see patterns of cause and effect where others can't--Edwina helps uncover the sinister underbelly in her Police Detective boyfriend's investigation into a suspicious death at the nearby headquarters of GHN ("Gotta Have It Now" home shopping network). Her snug and comfortable world of afternoon tea in the Physics Department library explodes like a supernova when the disturbing truth of the case is revealed.

"Charles Todd hasn't made a misstep yet in his elegant series featuring Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge, and A Matter of Justice keeps the streak going."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer The Washington Post calls the Ian Rutledge novels by Charles Todd, "one of the best historical series being written today." A Matter of Justice--the eleventh in the New York Times Notable, Edgar(R) Award-nominated, and Barry Award-winning series--brings back the haunted British police inspector and still shell-shocked World War One veteran in a tale of unspeakable murder in a small English village filled to bursting with dark secrets and worthy suspects. A New York Times bestseller as spellbinding and evocative as the best of Ruth Rendell, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, and P.D. James, A Matter of Justice represents a new high for this exceptional storyteller.

An alarming rise in violent crime puts Morrissey on the path to a conspiracy as obscene as it is lethal, linked by the most passionate of motives, the desperate desire for a baby. Martin's Press.

When a bright young heiress with a flair for romance and one too many enemies is found brutally murdered, Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie, find themselves embroiled in a case that is not as black and white as it first appears.

Susan Brooke has everything going for her. Men would have killed themselves to marry her, and, in fact, one did.

Susan came to New York to find love and fulfillment, and ended up dead on a tenement floor. The police say her black fiance did it, but Wolfe has other ideas. Before he's done, he'll prove that good intentions and bad deeds often go hand in hand and that the highest ideals can sometimes have the deadliest consequences.

Professor, poet, and housesitter Lee Squires spent her childhood summers in Montana, and although she now lives in Washington, D.C., she takes off for the rough splendor of the West every chance she gets. Her most recent trips have been punctuated by murder, but that doesn't keep the amateur sleuth from filling in as a trail cook out west once more. Lee's friend Pete Bonsecours is an outfitter running llama pack treks in the Mission Mountains of Montana, and when his usual cook can't make the trip, Lee happily signs on to feed the tourists who are on the eco-friendly excursion up to Lost Pipe Lake. In addition to Lee and Pete, the group includes two young filmmakers working on a documentary; a travel agent interested in ecotourism; Charlie Herron, a wealthy Los Angeles developer, and his eight-year-old son; Pete's old friend and neighbor Eddie McNab; and Roland Redhawk, an environmental activist keeping an eye on Herron, who has plans to build a ski resort in the area. Even though the tour package didn't include murder, Lee turns to sleuthing when members of the group start dying at an alarming rate.

Recently married to James Lacey, the witty and fractious Agatha Raisin quickly finds that marriage, and love, are not all they are cracked up to be. Rather than basking in marital bliss, the newlyweds are living in separate cottages and accusing each other of infidelity. After a particularly raucous fight in the local pub, James suddenly vanishes-a bloodstain the only clue to his fate-and Agatha is the prime suspect.
Determined to clear her name and find her husband, Agatha begins her investigation. But her sleuthing is thwarted when James's suspected mistress, Melissa, is found murdered. Joined by her old friend Sir Charles, Agatha digs into Melissa's past and uncovers two ex-husbands, an angry sister, and dubious relations with bikers. Are Melissa's death and James's disappearance connected? Will Agatha reunite with her husband or will she find herself alone once again?

"This series is just pure fun." --Somebody Dies

It happened at Serenity's swap meet, right after Brandy Borne and her ever-more-eccentric mother Vivian finished shooting the pilot for their very own TV show, Antiques Sleuths. Brandy just, well, lost her balance and fell . . . into the helpful arms of an old flame, local tycoon Wesley Sinclair III. But did Brandy's innocent slip lead to the murder of Wesley's wife, Vanessa?

Sure, Vanessa was furious that she caught Brandy in Wesley's embrace. And she did storm off threatening dire consequences for her humbled husband. So when Vanessa turns up very dead, the local tongue-wag is that Wesley may have permanently dethroned the queen of his castle. But Brandy--along with her notoriously nosy mother and their sleuthing shih tzu Sushi--is determined to dig for the whole truth.

Each new clue points in a different direction. What about this suspicious Club of Eight, a super-secret high-society bridge group that supposedly has very liberal rules about "partners"? When a key witness joins the dead list, Brandy and Vivian know they've got to crack this case before the remorseless killer puts an end to their antiquing days--forever!

Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on swap meets!

ER nurse Darcy Cavanaugh is sailing the high seas again–adrift as a bridesmaid on a wedding cruise complete with raucous firefighters who have a taste for practical jokes and raunchy ties. Cruising up the West Coast, Darcy tries not to panic about one curious ring-sized box hidden in her boyfriend's pocket. But a poet-stalker obsessed with her feet, a stressed-out wedding planner, and her hunky ex-boyfriend are keeping Darcy on alert for more than the free mimosas!
When the prankster firefighters start dropping like flies, "I do" becomes "I didn't" as the entire wedding party is held onboard and questioned one by one. Between bouts of killer staples, interrogations by the FBI, and one mortifying polka-dot bridesmaid dress, Darcy wonders if she'll ever be ready for the tumultuous tides of marriage.
Click here to download Book Club Questions for "Aye Do or Die," prepared by author Candy Calvert!

When the body of man is found in a canal, damaged by the tides, carrying no wallet, and wearing only one shoe, Brunetti has little to work with. No local has filed a missing-person report, and no hotel guests have disappeared. Where was the crime scene? And how can Brunetti identify the man when he can't show pictures of his face? The autopsy shows a way forward: it turns out the man was suffering from a rare, disfiguring disease. With Inspector Vianello, Brunetti canvasses shoe stores, and winds up on the mainland in Mestre, outside of his usual sphere. From a shopkeeper, they learn that the man had a kindly way with animals.

At the same time, animal rights and meat consumption are quickly becoming preoccupying issues at the Venice Questura, and in Brunetti's home, where conversation at family meals offer a window into the joys and conflicts of Italian life. Perhaps with the help of Signorina Elettra, Brunetti and Vianello can identify the man and understand why someone wanted him dead. As subtle and engrossing as ever, Leon's Beastly Things is immensely enjoyable, intriguing, and ultimately moving.

When an obscure moneylender named William Weems is murdered in the humble Clerkenwell district, there are no mourners--and there is more than a little discreet rejoicing among those whose meager earnings he so mercilessly devoured. Yet when Inspector Pitt finds in the murdered man's office a list containing the names of some of London's most distinguished gentlemen, he begins to realize the magnitude of his duty. William Weems, it transpires, was no common usurer but a vicious blackmailer. Fortunately, Pitt's clever, well-born wife, Charlotte, has entrée to London's best society. Her insights prove to be invaluable to Pitt's investigation as she observes, at glittering balls and over gossipy tea tables, a world of passion, power, and greed that the police are seldom permitted to see.

After writing sixteen Inspector Lynley novels, "New York Times" bestselling author Elizabeth George has millions of fans waiting for the next one. As "USA Today" put it, "It's tough to resist George's storytelling, once hooked." With "Believing the Lie," she's poised to hook countless more.

Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fairclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and motives.

Deborah's investigation of the prime suspect-Bernard's prodigal son Nicholas, a recovering drug addict-leads her to Nicholas's wife, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a woman as fiercely protective as she is beautiful. Lynley and Simon delve for information from the rest of the family, including the victim's bitter ex-wife and the man he left her for, and Bernard himself. As the investigation escalates, the Fairclough family's veneer cracks, with deception and self-delusion threatening to destroy everyone from the Fairclough patriarch to Tim, the troubled son Ian left behind.

Physicist-sleuth Gloria Lamerino heads to Berkeley, California, to look into the death of her former colleague, Gary Larkin, dead from beryllium poisoning. Though ruled an accident, his death is suspicious to Gloria and she's determined to investigate. When she discovers that Larkin's death is connected to a teenager's disappearance, the pieces of the puzzle come together in unexpected ways.

Jonathan Kellerman, America's foremost author of psychological suspense, weaves a tale of innocence, urban depravity and the resilience of the human spirit, bringing to life one street kid's efforts to survive in the face of unspeakable evil.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
For a generation, Anne Perry s "New York Times" bestselling novels have invited readers to explore the brilliantly seductive heart of Victorian London, where great wealth and great evil live side by side, and great men sometimes make unfortunate choices.
In Perry s stunning new novel, Hester Monk, the wife of William Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, questions the finances of a London church whose members hard-earned charitable gifts appear to have ended up in the pocket of charismatic preacher Abel Taft, paying for his fine home and the stylish outfits of his wife and daughters.
Taft is accused of extortion, and brilliant barrister Oliver Rathbone, newly appointed a judge, is chosen to preside over his trial. It seems clear that Taft is indeed guilty. However, at the last second, the defense produces a witness who completely undermines the charges. Then Rathbone makes a well-meaning but reckless move that could ruin his career, his reputation, and his life.
"Blind Justice" presents a rich and lively panorama of London life, from the teeming Thames docks to the wealthy West End, while unfolding a magnificent courtroom drama. And while justice, law, and morality hang in the balance, Hester and Monk race to save their distinguished friend Rathbone from disgrace. The incomparable art of Anne Perry grips us fast until the final, unforgettable scene.
Praise for "Blind Justice"
A staggering achievement . . . Perry s command of plot and prose shines. "Bookreporter"
""
Ranks among the best [Anne] Perry has written. Her courtroom scenes have the realism of Scott Turow. "Huntington News"
""
Gripping . . . Those who love Victorian England will relish Ms. Perry s presentation of period details. Her mastery of this time and place gives credence to the characters moral and legal struggles. "New York Journal of Books"
Praise for Anne Perry and her Wiliam Monk novels
"A Sunless Sea"
Anne Perry s Victorian mysteries are marvels. "The New York Times Book Review"
"Acceptable Loss"
Masterful storytelling and moving dialogue. "The Star-Ledger"
""
"Execution Dock"
[An] engrossing page-turner . . . There s no one better at using words to paint a scene and then fill it with sounds and smells than Anne Perry. "The Boston Globe"
"Dark Assassin"
Brilliant . . . a page-turning thriller . . . blending compelling plotting with superbly realized human emotion and exquisite period detail. Jeffery Deaver, author of "Edge"
"The Shifting Tide"
The mysterious and dangerous waterfront world of London s longest street, the Thames, comes to life. South Florida" Sun-Sentinel""

He's the kind of killer we instinctively fear the most. A killer without boundaries, without conscience, without any fear of being caught. And his latest victim is terrifying proof that no one is safe: the daughter of a powerful US senator.

All clues to the recent rash of murders point to the enigmatic Church of the Everlasting Sin and its charismatic leader, the Reverend Adam Deacon Samuel. But getting to the man known as 'Father' will be no easy task, for he is insulated within his flock of loyal minions.

Summer, 1968. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy are dead. The assassination conspiracies have begun to unravel. A dirty-tricks squad is getting ready to deploy at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Black militants are warring in southside L.A. The Feds are concocting draconian countermeasures. And fate has placed three men at the vortex of History.
Dwight Holly is J. Edgar Hoover's pet strong-arm goon, implementing Hoover's racist designs and obsessed with a leftist shadow figure named Joan Rosen Klein. Wayne Tedrow--ex-cop and heroin runner--is building a mob gambling mecca in the Dominican Republic and quickly becoming radicalized. Don Crutchfield is a window-peeping kid private-eye within tantalizing reach of right-wing assassins, left-wing revolutionaries and the powermongers of an incendiary era. Their lives collide in pursuit of the Red Goddess Joan--and each of them will pay a dear and savage price to live History.
Political noir as only James Ellroy can write it--our recent past razed and fully reconstructed--Blood's A Rover is a novel of astonishing depth and scope, a massive tale of corruption and retribution, of ideals at war and the extremity of love. It is the largest and greatest work of fiction from an American master.

Faith Fairchild is momentarily shocked to find her husband, the Reverend Thomas Fairchild, embracing Lora Deane -- and relieved to discover the distraught nursery school teacher is merely seeking solace and advice. Lora has been receiving threatening phone calls. And she's not the only resident of tiny Aleford, Massachusetts, who is being terrorized. Ever since local environmentalists have begun protesting the proposed housing development that will destroy Beecher's Bog, the more vocal opponents have become targets of a vicious campaign of intimidation-which is more than enough reason for Faith to launch into some clandestine sleuthing. But when a body turns up in the charred ruins of a very suspicious house fire, Faith is suddenly investigating a murder -- and in serious danger of getting bogged down in a very lethal mess indeed!