In this “gem” of a second novel based on the hit tv series, a British detective inspector must solve the suspicious death of a supermodel (Daily Express). When Polly Carter is found dead at the foot of a cliff, it looks like suicide, but DI Richard Poole is not convinced. Famous for her looks and wild party-girl lifestyle, her friends are adamant she would never have killed herself. Seconded from London to the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, DI Poole is already at his wit’s end with the blinding heat. Unpicking the conflicting motives of a number of suspects and their stream of alibis is infuriating enough; a visit from his mother is the cherry on the cake. An absolutely gripping crime thriller, The Killing of Polly Carter is perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie. “I love Robert Thorogood’s writing.” —Peter James, international bestselling author of Picture You Dead

Based on the hit TV series, a murder at exclusive spa resort leaves a small circle of suspects for the British detective inspector on the case. DI Richard Poole has been seconded from London to the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Marie. More comfortable in woolen suits than short-sleeved shirts, he’s struggling to adapt to his new home. But this paradise is about to get deadly. When self-appointed guru Aslan Kennedy gets murdered in his spiritual retreat for wealthy holidaymakers, it’s down to DI Poole to find the killer. The murder took place in a locked room with five other people inside, and when someone confesses, it seems an open and shut case. But DI Poole knows the facts just don’t add up, and there is more to the mystery than meets the eye. . . . The first installment of the Death in Paradise Mysteries, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Caroline Graham. “I love Robert Thorogood’s writing.” —Peter James, international bestselling author of Picture You Dead

If you like Agatha Christie, then you'll love Robert Thorogood. Seconded from rainy London to the sweltering heat of the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, DI Richard Poole would rather be having a pint at his local pub. But when a body is discovered at the Beaumont plantation, DI Poole must put aside his woes and solve the murder. Despite the fact the victim was found in a locked room holding a smoking gun, Poole is convinced this is not a suicide. When another body turns up the hunt is on for the killer, and the evasive Beaumont family are – rather suspiciously – no help at all... The third novel in the Death in Paradise Mysteries is perfect for fans of T. E. Kinsey, Heron Carvic and Caroline Graham. Praise for Robert Thorogood‘Death in Paradise feels like a ray of sunshine’ Mirror ‘Plenty of red herrings and twists to keep readers guessing’ Daily Express ‘A treat’ Radio Times

‘Deftly entertaining ... satisfyingly pushes all the requisite Agatha Christie-style buttons’ Barry Forshaw, The Independent DEATH IN PARADISE is one of BBC One’s most popular series which averages 9 million viewers.

2023 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE, LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN AWARD "An absolute joy to read. Funny, entertaining, and beautifully written." —B. A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author A delightfully clever new mystery from creator of BBC One's hilarious murder mystery series Death in Paradise Meet Judith: a seventy-seven-year-old whiskey drinking, crossword puzzle author living her best life in a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of Marlow. Nothing ever happens in Marlow. That is, until Judith hears her neighbor shot while skinny-dipping in the Thames. The local police don't believe her story. It's an open and shut case, of course. Ha! Stefan can't be left for dead like that. Judith investigates and picks up a crew of sidekicks: Suzie the dogwalker and Becks the vicar's wife. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club. When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape... Robert Thorogood, has turned the Christie-mystery on its head with this ever-so-sly cozy perfect for readers who love Richard Osmond's Thursday Murder Club and An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good. "Lightweight but no-nonsense and genuinely brainy"—Kirkus Reviews "Damn right funny and heartwarming...great fun"—Crime Time "I love Robert Thorogood's writing."—Peter James, international bestselling author

30th Anniversary Edition with a new introduction by the author Robert Pendleton is a chemical genius with a fertilizer worth a fortune to whoever controls the formula. Not surprisingly, the Bank, his notoriously exclusive backer, wants to keep an eye on its investment. But so does the CIA. And the Chinese government. And a few shadier organizations. So when Pendleton disappears from a conference in San Francisco, along with all of his research, Neal Carey enters the picture. Neal knows the Bank is calling in its chips in return for paying his grad school bills. He thinks this assignment will be a no-brainer until he meets the beguiling Li Lan and touches off a deadly game of hide-and-seek that will lead him from San Francisco’s Chinatown to the lawless back streets of Hong Kong, and finally into the dark heart of China. In a world where no one is what they seem, Neal must unravel the mystery of a beautiful woman and reach the fabled Buddha’s Mirror, a mist-shrouded lake where all secrets are revealed.

The Gory Stories Behind The Murder Ballads Cheerfully vulgar, revelling in gore, and always with an eye on the main chance, murder ballads are tabloid newspapers set to music, carrying word of the latest ‘orrible murders to an insatiable public. Victims are bludgeoned, stabbed or shot in every verse and killers often hanged, but the songs themselves never die. Instead, they mutate – morphing to suit local place names as they criss cross the Atlantic and continue to fascinate each generation’s biggest musical stars. Paul Slade traces this fascinating genre’s history through eight of its greatest songs. Stagger Lee’s “biographers” alone include Duke Ellington, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Dr John, The Clash and Nick Cave. No two tell his story in quite the same way. Covering eight classic murder ballads, including “Knoxville Girl”, “Tom Dooley” and “Frankie & Johnny”, Slade investigates the real-life murder which inspired each song and traces its musical development down the decades. Billy Bragg, The Bad Seeds’ Mick Harvey, Laura Cantrell, Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family and a host of other leading musicians add their own insights.