Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder "Edwards's second winter-themed anthology in the British Library Crime Classics series is a standout. As in the most successful of such volumes, the editor's expertise results in a selection of unusual suspects, expanding readers' knowledge." —Publishers Weekly STARRED review Crimson Snow brings together a dozen vintage crime stories set in winter. Welcome to a world of Father Christmases behaving oddly, a famous fictional detective in a Yuletide drama, mysterious tracks in the snow, and some very unpleasant carol singers. There's no denying that the supposed season of goodwill is a time of year that lends itself to detective fiction. On a cold night, it's tempting to curl up by the fireside with a good mystery. And more than that, claustrophobic house parties, with people cooped up with long-estranged relatives, can provide plenty of motives for murder. Including forgotten stories by major writers such as Margery Allingham, as well as classic tales by less familiar crime novelists, each story in this selection is introduced by the leading expert on classic crime, Martin Edwards. The resulting volume is an entertaining and atmospheric compendium of wintry delights.

Civil war looms in the House of Romanov, as members of the royal family speak freely of a regime change. Only a young prince wounded by the war and a ballerina past her prime can stop the upcoming bloodshed.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the British and Russian Empires played the 'Great Game,' a rivalry for supremacy in Central Asia. To secure a 'buffer zone' in Afghanistan, between India and Russian territory, Britain launched the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1838. Initial success, including the imposition of a puppet regime supported by too few troops (a situation that has great resonance today), was followed by complete disaster in 1842, with 4,500 soldiers and 12,000 civilian camp followers killed by rebellious Afghans. Only one Briton is known to have escaped the massacre. This compelling story of imperial misadventure is told by Jules Stewart, a former Reuters journalist with considerable experience in the region and a specialist in North-West Frontier history, and has a foreword from General Sir David Richards, Chief of the General Staff and a former NATO commander in Afghanistan. It provides important parallels with our current commitments in this graveyard of ambitions, and illustrates how little has been learnt from the past.

Edwards skillfully weaves the strands together [in] this twisty whodunit.'''' -Publishers Weekly ''''Edwards, ever the professional, plots densely but lucidly and includes a surprisingly logical killer.'''' -Kirkus Reviews A notice announcing that Harry Devlin died suddenly on Midsummer's Eve arrives at the office of his law firm one June day. Harry isn't happy to read it: Midsummer's Eve is less than a week away. His partner Jim Crusoe treats the message as a joke, but Harry isn't so sure. Meanwhile, young women are being murdered in Harry's home city of Liverpool. When a friend who has asked to meet him becomes the latest victim, Harry becomes a suspect. He's soon fighting for survival on two fronts. Even as he unravels the shocking secret behind the murders, Harry must discover and confront the enemy who wants him dead if he is to live to see Midsummer's Day. This atmospheric, fast-moving and intricate thriller features Harry Devlin, one of modern crime fiction's most memorable amateur detectives, in the deadliest case of his life. Martin Edwards has published 12 novels: eight featuring Harry Devlin and three Lake District Mysteries. He has twice been short-listed for a CWA Dagger and The Coffin Trail was short-listed for the Theakston's prize for best crime novel of 2006.

An epic dark fantasy set in a desert land that harkens Arabian Nights Eirik Hastin has hidden from the horrors of his past for nearly twenty years as an itinerant tourney fighter and notorious drunkard. Maiara, an orphan raised by an aloof innkeeper and his bitter wife, has known nothing but drudgery and isolation her entire life. However, a seemingly chance encounter with a wizened stranger brings with it promises of something greater for them both. The Broken Kingdoms have all but forgotten the existence of magic after a century of warfare and intrigue. Into this chaos an ancient evil – the stuff of legendary nightmares – emerges from the mists of time. The kingdoms as they now stand, shorn of their past glories, cannot stand against this onslaught. The time of legends may be past, but when wizards and heroes are nowhere to be found, perhaps two wounded, flawed people can make the difference.

Lake Champlain mysteries;#1 Members of Sugar Steeple Church find their assistant pastor lying dead on the snowy ground. Someone must have hurled him from the church belfry. But who?