Editorial Content for Marble Hall Murders
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
MARBLE HALL MURDERS marks the return of London books editor Susan Ryeland, who is working on a new Atticus Pünd novel, Pünd’s Last Case. Even though it could be read as a stand-alone, Anthony Horowitz makes it clear that there is a correlation to the prior books featuring Susan --- MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS --- and the solution to the Magpie Murders is revealed here. Read More
Teaser
Freelancing for a London publisher, editor Susan Ryeland has been given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace, who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was poisoned. To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring. The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
Promo
Freelancing for a London publisher, editor Susan Ryeland has been given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace, who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was poisoned. To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring. The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
About the Book
Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz featuring detective Atticus Pünd and editor Susan Ryeland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS.
Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel and her Greek boyfriend, Andreas, in search of a new life back in England.
Freelancing for a London publisher, she's given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was murdered --- by poison.
To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring.
The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
Desperately, Susan tries to prevent Eliot from putting himself in harm’s way --- but his behavior is becoming increasingly erratic. Another murder follows...and suddenly Susan finds herself to be the number one suspect.
Once again, the real and the fictional worlds have become dangerously entangled. And if Susan doesn't solve the mystery of Pünd’s Last Case, she could well be its next victim.
Audiobook available, read by Lesley Manville and Tim McMullen
Editorial Content for The Man Made of Smoke
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE is a gripping serial killer thriller from an author whose trademark combination of horrifying shock and eerie suspense proves yet again that no one writes --- or puts readers in the minds of --- killers like Alex North. Read More
Teaser
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
Promo
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
About the Book
The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE. By turns emotional, introspective and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.
Audiobook available, read by Shane Zaza
Editorial Content for The Dark Maestro
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Musician, educator and author Brendan Slocumb dazzled readers when his debut, THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY, was published in 2022. The following year, the release of SYMPHONY OF SECRETS proved that his trademark combination of music education and mystery was no fluke. Now, somehow, Slocumb has taken his previous successes and amplified them, producing his edgiest, most cutthroat novel yet: THE DARK MAESTRO. Read More
Teaser
Growing up in the Southeast D.C. projects with a drug dealer for a father, Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy who rises to unimagined heights in the classical music world. But then his life suddenly disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state’s evidence, implicating his old bosses. Now the family must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means that Curtis must give up the very thing he loves the most. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement, Curtis, Zippy, and Zippy’s girlfriend, Larissa, realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the criminals themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’ musical ability, to go after the people who want them dead.
Promo
Growing up in the Southeast D.C. projects with a drug dealer for a father, Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy who rises to unimagined heights in the classical music world. But then his life suddenly disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state’s evidence, implicating his old bosses. Now the family must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means that Curtis must give up the very thing he loves the most. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement, Curtis, Zippy, and Zippy’s girlfriend, Larissa, realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the criminals themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’ musical ability, to go after the people who want them dead.
About the Book
His cello made him famous. His father made him a target.
Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy growing up in the Southeast D.C. projects with a drug dealer for a father. But through determination and talent, and the loving support of his father’s girlfriend, Larissa, Curtis claws his way out of his challenging circumstances and rises to unimagined heights in the classical music world --- even soloing with the New York Philharmonic.
And then suddenly his life disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state’s evidence implicating his old bosses. Now the family --- Curtis included --- must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means Curtis must give up the very thing he loves the most: sharing his extraordinary music with the world. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement Curtis, Zippy and Larissa realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the criminals themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’ musical ability to go after the people who want them dead. But will it be enough to save Curtis and his family?
A propulsive and moving story about sacrifice, loyalty and the indomitable human spirit, THE DARK MAESTRO is Brendan Slocumb at the height of his powers.
Audiobook available, read by Ronald Peet
Editorial Content for The Devils
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Philosophers and theologians have long known that defining evil is a devilish task. Once a definition is asserted, the line between good and evil can be a bit circumstantially fuzzy. Bestselling author Joe Abercrombie plays with this idea in his latest novel, THE DEVILS, where those decried as monsters turn out to be heroes. In his alternate Europe, the church is run by women, magic is real, and a secret group is poised to place a new empress on the throne --- if only they can get her there alive. Read More
Teaser
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain that a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends. Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing that Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
Promo
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain that a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends. Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing that Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
About the Book
A brand-new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie, featuring a notorious band of antiheroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey
Holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain that a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.
Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing that Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
Audiobook available, read by Steven Pacey
Editorial Content for Something I Keep Upstairs
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS opens with an ominous quote from an unknown source: “For a haunted house to be born, somebody has to die.” This should set expectations for what we are about to encounter. J.D. Barker takes us on a journey through a house that is said to be haunted, presenting a challenging scenario that has persisted for an extended period of time. Read More
Teaser
In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, 17-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities. As they dig into the island's dark past, they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations. What begins as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.
Promo
In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, 17-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities. As they dig into the island's dark past, they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations. What begins as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.
About the Book
In the sleepy coastal town of New Castle, New Hampshire, 17-year-old Billy Hasler's life is about to take a terrifying turn. When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits a mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems like the perfect place to spend their final summer before heading off to college. No parents. No police. No responsibilities.
As they dig into the island's dark past, they awaken an ancient evil that has influenced generations. What begins as an innocent summer adventure quickly descends into a nightmare.
SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS is a haunting exploration of friendship, sacrifice and the darkness lurking just beyond our understanding.
Audiobook available, read by Michael Crouch
Editorial Content for Rory Land: The Up-and-Down World of Golf's Global Icon
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In all aspects of life, timing can be very important. Last month, Rory McIlroy became the sixth golfer and the first European in history to win the career grand slam: The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. The other five were Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Gary Player. Read More
Teaser
Timothy M. Gay writes that Rory McIlroy is “golf’s ageless Opie Taylor,” a freckled superstar whose boyish charm transcends national boundaries and enlivens the game. His seemingly effortless swing is so powerful that Tiger Woods is teaching his own son to mimic Rory’s action. But a charismatic persona and a pretty swing don’t necessarily translate into winning major championships. Over the past decade, Rory has had his heart ripped out as he’s failed to win another major and fallen short of achieving the career Grand Slam. (That all changed when, following the writing of this book, Rory won the Masters for his fifth major and the career Grand Slam.) RORY LAND tells the up-and-down saga of a compassionate and kindhearted superstar living in a world where “money has no conscience.”
Promo
Timothy M. Gay writes that Rory McIlroy is “golf’s ageless Opie Taylor,” a freckled superstar whose boyish charm transcends national boundaries and enlivens the game. His seemingly effortless swing is so powerful that Tiger Woods is teaching his own son to mimic Rory’s action. But a charismatic persona and a pretty swing don’t necessarily translate into winning major championships. Over the past decade, Rory has had his heart ripped out as he’s failed to win another major and fallen short of achieving the career Grand Slam. (That all changed when, following the writing of this book, Rory won the Masters for his fifth major and the career Grand Slam.) RORY LAND tells the up-and-down saga of a compassionate and kindhearted superstar living in a world where “money has no conscience.”
About the Book
RORY LAND is the unabashed story of Rory McIlroy, golf’s most compelling icon, the caring but conflicted soul from a troubled Irish homeland with a swing that borders on the immaculate.
Timothy M. Gay writes that Rory McIlroy is “golf’s ageless Opie Taylor,” a freckled superstar whose boyish charm transcends national boundaries and enlivens the game. His seemingly effortless swing is so powerful that Tiger Woods is teaching his own son to mimic Rory’s action.
But a charismatic persona and a pretty swing don’t necessarily translate into winning major championships. Over the past decade, Rory has had his heart ripped out as he’s failed to win another major and fallen short of achieving the career Grand Slam. (That all changed when, following the writing of this book, Rory won the Masters for his fifth major and the career Grand Slam.)
He’s also become a lightning rod, getting into a profanity-laced smackdown at the ’23 Ryder Cup and, after his betrayal by PGA Tour brass, causing head-scratching confusion by going from an impassioned opponent of a deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf to an outspoken proponent. His backtrack on LIV fits a disquieting pattern, Gay reveals, of Rory’s propensity to flip-flop on key principles and people.
McIlroy is from Northern Ireland, a geopolitical anomaly where religion and patriotism have been used as bloody cudgels for much of the past century. Both sides of his family were battered by the North’s sectarian Troubles --- ugly realities that McIlroy has been loath to acknowledge.
Rory is, Gay believes, a man essentially without a country, which might explain why he’s become so obsessed with the Ryder Cup. Gay argues that McIlroy has, in effect, invented his own fiefdom, which the author has dubbed “RORY LAND.”
RORY LAND tells the up-and-down saga of a compassionate and kindhearted superstar living in a world where “money has no conscience.”
Audiobook available, read by Brandon Pollock
Editorial Content for Make Me Famous
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading Maud Ventura's MAKE ME FAMOUS. I wasn't previously familiar with the French author, and the novel's title --- along with the first few chapters --- led me to believe that it might be kind of a glamorous portrait of fame and show business. It’s that, in a way, but it's also much darker and more sinister in its deliciously detailed and chilling portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to achieve the fame she thought she always wanted. Read More
Teaser
Ever since she was a child, Cléo, the French-American daughter of two academics, has had only one obsession: becoming a famous singer. Over the years, she overcomes every obstacle and becomes a global superstar. But as any celebrity will tell you, getting to the top is one thing; staying there is another. Now 33 years old, Cléo is taking her first real vacation in years, on a remote island with no one else in sight. With the never-ending spin cycle of her life finally on pause and no paparazzi peeking out from behind the coconut palms, she can work on her fourth album in peace. Except that with so much time to think, she can’t help but ruminate on her past --- including how, just six months earlier, things started to go very, very wrong.
Promo
Ever since she was a child, Cléo, the French-American daughter of two academics, has had only one obsession: becoming a famous singer. Over the years, she overcomes every obstacle and becomes a global superstar. But as any celebrity will tell you, getting to the top is one thing; staying there is another. Now 33 years old, Cléo is taking her first real vacation in years, on a remote island with no one else in sight. With the never-ending spin cycle of her life finally on pause and no paparazzi peeking out from behind the coconut palms, she can work on her fourth album in peace. Except that with so much time to think, she can’t help but ruminate on her past --- including how, just six months earlier, things started to go very, very wrong.
About the Book
DAISY JONES & THE SIX meets Patricia Highsmith in this addictive, intense novel about the brutal and ferocious road to glory, from the award-winning author of MY HUSBAND.
Ever since she was a child, Cléo, the French-American daughter of two academics, has had only one obsession: becoming a famous singer. Over the years, to everyone’s surprise but her own, she overcomes every obstacle and becomes a global superstar with millions of dollars, countless awards and several Los Angeles villas to her name. But as any celebrity will tell you, getting to the top is one thing; staying there is another.
Now 33 years old, Cléo is taking her first real vacation in years, on a remote island with no one else in sight. With the never-ending spin cycle of her life finally on pause and no paparazzi peeking out from behind the coconut palms, she can work on her fourth album in peace. Except that with so much time to think, she can’t help but ruminate on her past --- including how, just six months earlier, things started to go very, very wrong.
Taking place between New York, Paris, Los Angeles and the South Pacific, MAKE ME FAMOUS is a brilliant sophomore novel from Maud Ventura that dives intoxicatingly deep into the machinations of one woman’s complicated mind and her relentless pursuit of fame.
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy