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Folkways turn fatal in a very old-fashioned English village, in this witty mystery filled with "ingenious" detective work (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).The village of South Mardian likes the old ways. The very old ways. This may be 1957, but South Mardian still features a blacksmith, a village idiot, and an elaborate fertility ritual performed at the winter solstice. There''s squabbling, of course, and worse—like when one of the ritual''s main players is found beheaded, everything north of his neck having been neatly lopped off by a ritual sword. Inspector Alleyn does have to contain a certain incredulous amusement at the village''s fetishistic embrace of the eighteenth century—he does not, for example, have a real passion for morris dancing—but he''ll try to keep a straight face long enough to find the killer and let South Mardian return to the warm embrace of pre-Industrial Britain."A peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery." —Kirkus Reviews"The doyenne of traditional mystery writers." —The New York Times

"Spellbinding . . . Wright tells her fiendish tale in angelic prose" in the Edgar Award–winning crime series—the basis for Fox TV and Hulu''s Murder in a Small Town (Toronto Star)."[Wright] can keep up with the best crime writers—even the Ruth Rendells and the P.D. Jameses." —Toronto SunGordon Murphy has a Midas touch for business, but he''s all thumbs when it comes to love. So Sergeant Karl Alberg isn''t too concerned when Murphy sets his sights on Karl''s girlfriend Cassandra. These days the happy couple share both a bed and a bed and breakfast. Besides, Alberg has some actual policing problems to contend with: a stolen coin collection, a hapless would‑be burglar, local worthies hollering about the state of a fellow citizen''s front yard.It all sounds charming and cozy. But Alberg''s Sechelt, British Colombia, is no Cabot Cove. L. R. Wright, the "master of the psychological thriller," once again demonstrates her talent for getting at the dark roots under the roses (Booklist, on Mother Love)."An undeniable pleasure with great narrative tension." —Publishers Weekly"A treat . . . the author is unrivaled in her talent for casting an ever-so-light layer of menace over ordinary scenes and situations." —The Star-Phoenix

First in the acclaimed series that launched Fox TV and Hulu''s Murder in a Small Town: "Every bit as good as the novels of P. D. James and Ruth Rendell." —PeopleThis Edgar Award winner is "one of the best books of the year . . . a novel with a special sense of grace" (The Boston Globe).To Karl Alberg, the coastal town of Sechelt, just north of Vancouver, looks like the perfect place to soothe a psyche that''s been battered by big‑city police work. Bees buzz among the roses, and the local librarian is attractive, intriguing, and unattached. Perhaps he has at last come in from the cold. But sunny towns can conceal a lot of secrets—some of them bleak enough to make a man yearn for some nice straightforward urban crime.In 1986 L. R. Wright''s The Suspect became the first Canadian novel to win an Edgar Award, beating out titles by Ruth Rendell and Jonathan Kellerman. It went on to become a cult favorite among mystery fans, who prized its delicately etched sense of melancholy and intriguing character studies of the cop, his quarry, and the enigmatic librarian who proves an unlikely bridge between the two."Do yourself a favor and don''t miss this one." —The San Diego Union"A writer of exceptional talent." —The Toronto Globe and Mail"Highly original . . . crime fiction at its most convincing." —Ottawa Citizen"A tight, beautifully written account." —Publishers Weekly"Splendid, with a plot that never palls and characters that quickly take up residence in your heart." —The Star-Phoenix

A quaint English village is home to a murderer in the Macavity Award-wining mystery series debut that launched the British crime drama Midsomer Murders.Badger''s Drift is the ideal English village, complete with vicar, bumbling local doctor, and kindly spinster. But when the spinster dies suddenly, her best friend kicks up a fuss loud enough to attract the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. And when Barnaby and his eager-beaver deputy start poking around, they uncover a swamp of ugly scandals and long-suppressed resentments seething below the picture-postcard prettiness.In the grand English tradition of the quietly intelligent copper, Barnaby has both an irresistibly dry sense of humor and a keen insight into what makes people tick. The Killings at Badger''s Drift marks Inspector Barnaby''s debut, and offers ample proof that Caroline Graham may indeed be "simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie" (Sunday Times of London)."Murder most pleasing . . . a corking good mystery." —Los Angeles Times

An onstage murder in a small English village draws the beloved detective into "a theatrical whodunit worthy of a deep bow" (The New York Times).Actors do love their dramas, and the members of the Causton Amateur Dramatic Society are no exception. However, even the most theatrically minded have to admit that murdering the leading man in full view of the audience is a bit over the top. Luckily, Inspector Barnaby is in that audience, and while he may lack certain skills as a theater critic, he''s just the man to catch a killer.In this second Barnaby mystery, the inspector is in his element, and so is author Caroline Graham, a former actress, who tweaks her collection of community-theater artistes and small-town drama queens with merciless delight. Death of a Hollow Man was the basis for the second episode in season one of the acclaimed ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.

The English inspector confronts a cultist enclave where mysticism meets murder in the series that inspired the ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders.The Lodge of the Golden Windhorse has provided the citizens of Compton Dando with splendid fodder for gossip, prompting speculation of arcane rituals and bizarre sexual practices. But with the murder of the commune''s leaders, the rumor-mill goes into overdrive. Now Chief Inspector Barnaby must separate rumor from reality in a case where the facts are often stranger than fiction.The residents of the Windhorse commune may have been seeking the simple life, but they''re all concealing complicated pasts—or past lives. Macavity Award-winning author Caroline Graham once again demonstrates why she is "simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie" (The Sunday Times, UK).

When a visiting author is suspected of murder, the case is hardly open and shut in this English village mystery novel by the author of Death in Disguise. The Midsomer Worthy''s Writers'' Circle has never had much luck in attracting guest speakers. Consequently, there is much surprise when best-selling novelist Max Jennings accepts their invitation. But the members are even more surprised by their secretary, Gerald Hadleigh, who furiously objects to hosting Jennings—and offers no explanation. Surprise turns into a variety of responses when Hadleigh is found dead the morning after Jennings'' visitation. Chief Inspector Barnaby soon determines that the key to solving the murder will lie with the illustrious Jennings. There''s only one problem: the famous author has disappeared.

The acclaimed author of the Inspector Barnaby series offers a madcap manor house mystery: "well-written, witty, and elegantly plotted" (The Guardian, UK).Simon Hannaford is in need of some fast money, and murder seems the obvious solution. Specifically, a 1930s Murder Mystery Weekend, to be held at Madingley Grange, his aunt''s superbly hideous gothic mansion. Simon and his sister are meant to be house-sitting, but surely Aunt Maude would not begrudge them the chance to earn a few nearly honest shekels.As the guests arrive—each one dottier than the last—Simon''s grand plans quickly go awry. Meanwhile, the staff Simon hired on the cheap are busy hatching larcenous plans of their own. But when an actual body turns up, deprived of actual life, Simon''s charade of detection is suddenly forced to begin in earnest.

It''s foul play on a freighter: "Enthralling . . .keeps the reader on tenterhooks until the dramatic finale." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)The good ship Cape Farewell is steaming out to sea, with a passenger-list and crew fairly littered with the shifty, the twitchy, the peculiar, and the up-to-no-good. Arguably the up-to-no-goodest is a strangler with a romantic streak: He likes to leave his ladies with a flower and a charming little song. The latest of the ladies is currently lying on a fogbound London dock, mute witness to the fact that Inspector Alleyn—long on the strangler''s trail—has so far failed to catch his man. A wintertime sailing on a low-rent cargo ship is not Alleyn''s idea of a terrific time, but he nevertheless boards the Cape at Portsmouth, determined that no one else is going to get strangled on his watch . . .."This is the Classic Puzzle at its purest . . .embellished by literate dialogue and attractive characterization." —The New York Times

This tale of an actress''s dramatic demise, and a police detective trying to sniff out a killer, is "one of Ngaio Marsh''s best yarns" (Kirkus Reviews).Mary Bellamy is the sweetheart of the London stage—everyone simply adores darling Mary. So her fans and friends are heartbroken when somehow Mary manages to spritz herself not with her favorite perfume but with a deadly insecticide meant to be sprayed on the azaleas. What Inspector Alleyn smells is something fishy, especially since everything he learns about lovely, fragile Mary suggests that in fact she was a rather vicious battleax. And with a bit more investigation, he quickly starts smelling something different: a rat . . ."It''s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." —New York Magazine"[Her] writing style and vivid characters and settings made her a mystery novelist of world renown." —The New York Times

From Agatha Christie''s favorite American author—a 1940s amateur sleuth must save a friend accused of murder in a small New York town.Frazer''s Mills, in Westchester County, New York, is a small, isolated village, where everyone knows everyone else and things haven''t changed much (and the mills have been closed for quite some time). When murder suddenly intrudes upon this sedate rural backwater, antiquarian book dealer Henry Gamadge arrives to solve the mystery and restore order."One of Daly''s best . . . an engrossing tale, both for its problem and for its setting." —Curt Evans, The Passing Tramp blog

A deadly dull man is now just plain dead in this novel by "a peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery." —Kirkus ReviewsOne has to admit that the timing was peculiar. No one could doubt that Mr. Percival Pyke Period was genuinely distraught to hear that his neighbor, Harry Cartell, had turned up dead in a ditch. But how is it that Mr. Percival Pyke came to write the letter of condolence before the body was found? And how is it that Mr. Cartell came to inspire such violence? Yes he was boring, yes he was stuffy, but who would kill a man for the crime of being a bad conversationalist? If tediousness has become grounds for murder, Inspector Alleyn shudders to think of the body count to come . . ."The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." —Times Literary Supplement"Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A." —The New York Times

A spring may have healing properties—but the controversy over it may have harmful results—in a witty mystery by a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master.The elderly Emily Pride is perfectly pleased to have inherited an island, even if her starchy pragmatism is ever-so-faintly appalled by the island''s "Pixie Falls" spring and its reported miraculous healing properties. Really, the locals'' attempts to capitalize on the "miracles" are entirely too tacky—Ye Olde Gift Shoppe, the neon signs . . .not on Miss Emily''s watch, thank you. Of course, the locals are not exactly thrilled to give up their trade. Pixie Falls may be merely be known for healing warts, it''s true, but you take your shillings where you can find them. Could their frustration have bubbled up into murderous rage? Inspector Alleyn will have to sort it out. And this time, it''s personal."It''s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." —New York Magazine"A peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery." —Kirkus Reviews"The nonpareil among criminal investigators." —The New York Times

A 1940s antiquarian book dealer gets caught up in a Manhattan writer''s murder in this mystery from Agatha Christie''s favorite American author.It should be a fairly routine job for Henry Gamadge: Examining the papers of a dead poet and playwright with some early promise but not much in the way of commercial success. But it''s not so much the life and letters as the death of the author (murdered in Central Park) that interests Gamadge. Add in a dead witness and the odd behavior of the family, and Gamadge decides something criminal is afoot."Gamadge richly deserves his popularity with readers. Every move he makes and every sentence he speaks prove him to be a likable, intelligent gentleman." —New York Times

Four MI5 retirees prove they''ve still got it in this spy thriller for fans of Rob Thomas and Hopscotch.The four old spies are long past their glory days, and now meet up mostly at the funerals of former colleagues, after which they typically enjoy an hour or two of complaining about the relaxation of standards at Britain''s security services. The latest indignity: The Director has recently sent round a most discourteous directive that the four are under no circumstances to consider writing their memoirs. Well, they are not to be ordered about like some band of errand-boys! They served their country with honor, and the country has the right to know it. In fact, if you think about it, publishing their memoirs is a patriotic duty. Unfortunately, the Director doesn''t see it quite that way . . .Praise for Paper Chase"An amusing, civilized, rather wonderful caper"—The New York Times"Delightful." —Kirkus Reviews

A humorous debut spy novel for fans of Ross Thomas, featuring a Cold War MI6 intelligence analyst who uses rumors of a leak to defer his imminent layoff."There''s a recession on, you know." With an unemployed son and a baby on the way, these are not words that Michael Wyman wants to hear, particularly not from his employers, the university where he''s a professor of philosophy, or the British secret service for which he''s worked for 30 years. And he most particularly doesn''t want to hear them from both employers at once, accompanied by the information that he''s being laid off without a pension.Happily, a miracle is at hand, in the form of a Communist spy burrowed deep in the highest reaches of British intelligence. An East German defector can identify the spy, thus safeguarding national security and protecting the government from crippling embarrassment. He is willing to give up the information, but only to one man. At fifty-six years old, Wyman has one last chance to get back in the game . . . and get out on his own terms.Praise for Disorderly Elements"A delightful and clever first novel with a fast-moving plot, extremely witty dialogue, and a style that combines the best of espionage fiction with a "sting" of classic proportions." —Library Journal"The writing is unusually alert, and it is hard to believe that Disorderly Elements is a first novel. Mr. Cook''s 56-year-old Michael Wyman is one of the more unusual heroes in espionage fiction." —The New York Times"Witty, irreverent, and tremendously amusing." —Liverpool Echo (UK)"Spy fiction has a splendid new recruit." —The Observer (UK)

"Miss Marsh works her characteristic storyteller''s magic with the elements of theater and suspense." —Kirkus ReviewsThe impresario Peregrine Jay has fulfilled a long-cherished dream: Thanks to a very generous gift, he now owns the Dolphin Theatre, and has restored it to its former glory. To celebrate the reopening, a no-expenses-spared production of The Glove, a new play about the discovery of a true Shakespearean accessory, is performed. London''s chattering classes are abuzz with gossip about the theatre, rumors about Peregrine, critiques of the play. But when murder takes center stage, everyone gets very quiet, and only Inspector Alleyn can persuade them to start chattering again—this time, with a purpose."Rich backstage atmosphere." —The New York TimesAlso published under the title Death at the Dolphin

A river cruise may be sunk by a ruthless criminal in this novel by "the doyenne of traditional mystery writers" (The New York Times).Inspector Alleyn''s wife, the artist Agatha Troy, has a special fondness for Constables—the paintings, that is, not the policemen. So she jumps at the chance to take a river cruise through "Constable Country" in the east of England, in honor of the nineteenth-century master of landscapes. Her enthusiasm dims a little, though, when it becomes clear that the ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin . . ."It''s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." —New York Magazine

A British tour group in Italy finds murder is an obstacle to their sightseeing: "Fastidious writing [and] a fine appreciation of place." —Sunday TimesA group of well-to-do tourists is visiting Italy''s magnificent churches, but they''ve found themselves stumbling into an unholy web of blackmail and drug-smuggling—and, in the depths of a Roman basilica, murder. Fortunately Inspector Roderick Alleyn is among the group as part of an undercover assignment, and prepared to extract a confession . . ."A lively thriller whodunnit." —The Observer"The nonpareil among criminal investigators." —The New York Times

The acclaimed author brings us crime at a country-house Christmas party in "one of her best and most baffling mysteries" (Daily Express).It''s the Christmas season in 1972, and Agatha Troy is at a house party, enjoying the local holiday pageant and also painting the host''s portrait. The painting''s coming along fine, but the pageant goes a little pear-shaped when one of the players disappears. Could one of the eccentric guests have been involved? Or could the finger of blame come to rest on one of the manor-house servants, each of whom happens to be a recent prison parolee? Inspector Alleyn is on hand to wrap up the case . . ."So dashed entertaining." —Kirkus Reviews"Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A." —The New York Times

A visiting dignitary in London asks for security—and gets extra help from a clever feline—in a novel starring "the nonpareil among criminal investigators" (The New York Times).Superintendent Alleyn''s old school chum, nicknamed the "Boomer," has become the president of the newly emerged African nation of Ng''ombwana, newly emerged in the wake of colonialism. Old school ties being what they are, his friend—making an official visit to London—insists that Alleyn handle his security, rather than Her Majesty''s Special Branch. The Special Branch is not best pleased about this, as the Boomer is known to have some very deadly enemies, and the threats only increase when the Ng''ombwanan ambassador is killed. Happily for the Boomer, not only is Alleyn up to the task, but he is assisted by a rescued cat who proves extremely adept at finding clues . . ."The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." —Times Literary Supplement

The brutal history of an abandoned English prison comes to life in this gothic novel of superstition, criminality, and capital punishment. In the northwest of England, Calvary Gaol was a fearsome house of correction where many prisoners were put to death before it was shut down. With its grim façade and terrifying past, it remains as foreboding as ever. Especially on a chilly night, when its ghosts can all but be heard chattering: from the doomed political radical to the dapper ladies'' man with a knife in his sleeve, the blackmailed doctor, or the spiritualist who fed, like a vampire, on the misery of World War I. Though long abandoned, the ghosts of Calvary are still calling, and TV producer Chad Ingram can''t stop listening. With a crew and a journalist in tow, he resolves to capture the prison''s notorious execution chamber on film. With the bustle and technology of the twenty-first century, surely they''ve got nothing to fear . . . "Equal parts Daphne du Maurier, Joseph Tey, and Ruth Rendell." —Mystery Guild

Detection becomes a father-and-son activity in the Channel Islands: "A mystery novelist of world renown." —The New York TimesRicky Alleyn, son of the renowned police detective Roderick Alleyn, has taken himself to a secluded island to write a novel. Or think about writing a novel. Or look for distractions so he can avoid writing a novel. The distractions abound, mostly in the form of colorful local characters, so all is beer and skittles until Ricky stumbles across a murder and then gets himself kidnapped. Naturally his father rushes to the island to save the day . . ."It''s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." —New York Magazine

A fancy hotel plays host to homicide in a "jubilant" novel by "a peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).Sybil Foster lives the sort of little English village that is home mostly to the very rich and the servants who make their lives delightful. But Sybil Foster''s life is not delightful, even if she does have an extremely talented gardener. Exhausted from her various family stresses—a daughter, for instance, who wants to marry a man without a title!—Sybil takes herself off to a local hotel that specializes in soothing shattered nerves. When she''s killed, Inspector Alleyn has a real puzzler on his hands: Yes, she was silly, snobbish, and irritating. But if that were enough motive for murder, half of England would be six feet under . . ."In her ironic and witty hands the mystery novel can be civilized literature." —The New York Times"The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." —Times Literary Supplement

In this mystery novella by Agatha Christie''s favorite American author, a 1940s antiquarian book dealer searches for a missing Manhattanite.Alice Dunbar was a very proper Upper East Side woman with a very boring life. There is, in fact, absolutely no reason why she should go missing, and yet that''s exactly what she does. One hot summer day, shortly after an elderly aunt''s funeral, Alice Dunbar changes into a new outfit, puts on some make-up, and slips into a subway car, not to be seen again. Where was she going? Amateur detective Henry Gamadge, on the case after the police have failed to locate Alice, tracks down her last trip and uncovers a secret life that''s stranger than fiction . . .

From the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, this tale of death at the Dolphin Theatre has "wit, charm, and oodles of atmosphere" (Kirkus Reviews).Among theater folk, "the Scottish play" is considered unlucky, so much so that tradition requires anyone who utters its proper name backstage to leave the building, spin around, spit, curse, and then request permission to re-enter. As director Peregrine Jay directs a production of Shakespeare''s great work at the Dolphin Theater, misfortune does indeed abound, including some ugly practical jokes—and a grisly death for the leading man. It''s up to Roderick Alleyn to find out who has blood on their hands . . ."No playwright could devise a better curtain." —Los Angeles Times"As always she writes most elegantly." —Daily Telegraph"The doyenne of traditional mystery writers." —The New York Times

A diva is dead in New Zealand . . . "A neat little puzzle, sparkling writing . . .a book that should make all readers happy." —The New York TimesThe soprano Isabella Sommita was widely loathed, so much so that the problem with solving her murder is less a lack of plausible suspects than an embarrassment of options. On a lavish island estate, cut off from the mainland by a sudden storm, Roderick Alleyn is among the guests, and fortunately can take charge in the coppers'' absence, in this delightful detective novel by the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master."Her socialite detective, Roderick Alleyn, has a deft touch, and combines savoir faire with keen analytical abilities, quite in the Scotland Yard tradition." —Kirkus Reviews

"A slow-burning but accomplished murder mystery . . . a disquisition on the seductive attractions of unquestioning faith" from the author of The Wrong Man (Independent).It''s 1956 as the 4th Inspector Stratton mystery opens. The world is in turmoil—the Bikini Atoll, the Suez Crisis, the Hungarian Uprising—these are just some of the events Inspector Ted Stratton can''t help but think about as he makes his way through a murder investigation. The murder victim is a young man in London whose bookshelves are filled with literature on spirituality and esoteric religions, and who had just recently left the Foundation for Spiritual Understanding, a New Age cult based in Suffolk. Traveling to Suffolk to investigate, Inspector Stratton encounters a community of fervent believers led by an enigmatic, charismatic leader, and a femme fatale with a shady past. As well as a twisty murder mystery, A Willing Victim is a portrait of England in the mid-fifties and a meditation on the dangerous power of faith.Praise for the Inspector Stratton series"Laura Wilson is an exceptional talent . . . A terrific police procedural, a mesmerizing historical novel—few writers working today can deliver this kind one-two punch." —Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author"Outstanding . . . Wilson convincingly evokes what it was like to sleep in a bomb shelter or stumble through shattered London streets in the dark. The characters are convincing, too." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Wilson is as adroit at the straightforward mechanics of the crime mystery as she is at evocative prose shot through with a keen sense of the past." —Independent

A crossword puzzle leads a 1950s antiquarian book dealer to a puzzling family in this mystery by Agatha Christie''s favorite author.Amateur detective Henry Gamadge is summoned to a secluded estate by way of a crossword puzzle, the only means of communication for a widow being held captive by her relatives. They claim she''s lost her mind; she thinks they have shut her away to keep her from spilling on her late husband''s suspicious suicide. Gamadge knows that a woman who can convey her situation in the space of a crossword is most definitely in possession of her mental faculties. But can he sort out the secrets of a clan so hell-bent on avoiding a scandal?"Henry Gamadge is one of the more captivating sleuths in detective fiction." —New York Herald Tribune