Collection: Mystery, Thrillers, & Crime

A Best Book of the Year by Financial Times and Bloomberg

Filled with real political insight and intrigue, this thrilling novel explores the nature of power through the inner workings of Putin's regime.

Known as the "Wizard of the Kremlin," the enigmatic Vadim Baranov was a TV producer before becoming a political advisor to Putin, aka "The Czar." After his resignation from this position, legends about him multiply, with no one able to distinguish truth from fiction. Until one night, when he tells his story to the narrator of this book...

He immerses us in the heart of the Russian state, where sycophants and oligarchs have been engaging in open warfare, and where Vadim, now the regime's main spin doctor, turns an entire country into an avant-garde political stage. Yet Vadim is not as ambitious as the others. Entangled in the increasingly dark secrets of the regime he has helped create, he will do anything to get out, guided by the memory of his grandfather, an eccentric aristocrat who survived the Revolution, and the mesmerizing, merciless Ksenia, whom he has fallen in love with.

Giuliano da Empoli, once a senior advisor to Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, draws on his experience behind the scenes to create an authentic, compelling portrait of power and how it corrupts.

The New York Times bestselling author of the brilliantly inventive The Word Is Murder and The Sentence Is Death returns with his third literary whodunit featuring intrepid detectives Hawthorne and Horowitz.

"Horowitz is a master of misdirection, and his brilliant self-portrayal, wittily self-deprecating, carries the reader through a jolly satire on the publishing world." --Booklist

When Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and his sidekick, author Anthony Horowitz, are invited to an exclusive literary festival on Alderney, an idyllic island off the south coast of England, they don't expect to find themselves in the middle of murder investigation--or to be trapped with a cold-blooded killer in a remote place with a murky, haunted past.

Arriving on Alderney, Hawthorne and Horowitz soon meet the festival's other guests--an eccentric gathering that includes a bestselling children's author, a French poet, a TV chef turned cookbook author, a blind psychic, and a war historian--along with a group of ornery locals embroiled in an escalating feud over a disruptive power line.

When a local grandee is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Hawthorne and Horowitz become embroiled in the case. The island is locked down, no one is allowed on or off, and it soon becomes horribly clear that a murderer lurks in their midst. But who?

Both a brilliant satire on the world of books and writers and an immensely enjoyable locked-room mystery, A Line to Kill is a triumph--a riddle of a story full of brilliant misdirection, beautifully set-out clues, and diabolically clever denouements.

Who are the three jokers?

Batman doesn't understand how or why, but the fact is certain: the man he has spent a lifetime chasing isn't one man at all. There are three Jokers. Now that he knows the unbelievable truth, Bruce needs real answers. Joined by Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd, two former victims of the Joker's brutality, the Dark Knight is finally on a path to defeat the madman once and for all. Every last one of him.

Geoff Johns (Doomsday Clock, Batman: Earth One) and Jason Fabok (Justice League: The Darkseid War) reunite to present one of the most highly anticipated comics events in years! Collects Batman: Three Jokers #1-3.

A small-time criminal. A has-been rock star. A shadowy government agency. And a severed hand whose dark powers threaten to destroy them all.

"Rosson's novel plays out like a nightmare--one that's nearly impossible to put down."--Tor

"The unsettling darkness of Joe Hill meets the cryptic mystery of The X-Files."--Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of The Violence

A WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

When leg-breaker Hutch Holtz rolls up to a rundown apartment complex in Portland, Oregon, to collect overdue drug money, a severed hand is the last thing he expects to find stashed in the client's refrigerator. Hutch quickly realizes that the hand induces uncontrollable madness: Anyone in its proximity is overcome with a boundless compulsion for violence. Within hours, catastrophic forces are set into motion: Dark-op government agents who have been desperately hunting for the hand are on Hutch's tail, more of the city's residents fall under its brutal influence, and suddenly all of Portland stands at the precipice of disaster. . . .

But it's all the same for Katherine Moriarty, a singer whose sudden fame and precipitous downfall were followed by the mysterious death of her estranged husband--suicide, allegedly. Her trauma has made her agoraphobic, shackled within the confines of her apartment. Her son, Nick, has moved home to care for her, quietly making his living working for Hutch's boss.

When Hutch calls Nick in distress, looking for someone else to take the hand, Katherine and Nick are plunged into a global struggle that will decimate the walls of the carefully arranged life they've built. Mother and son must evade both crazed, bloodthirsty masses and deceitful government agents while exorcising family secrets that have risen from the dead--secrets, they soon discover, that might hold the very key to humanity's survival.

Can you resist the hand? Find an excerpt from the next Fever House novel at the end of the book.

Return to the world of the bestselling Running Out of Time with this middle grade thriller from Margaret Peterson Haddix, where Zola discovers she's related to Jessie Keyser and her seemingly perfect utopian world is covering up a dark reality.

Twelve-year-old Zola thinks she has the perfect life. She thinks everyone does, now that it's 2193, and humanity has solved all its problems. Insta-Closets deliver new clothes every morning, Insta-Ovens deliver gourmet meals on demand, and virtual reality goggles let her have any adventure she wants, with friends from all over the world.

Then one day Zola finds a handwritten note in her Insta-Closet:

If you want to see things as they really are, come find me.

What if Zola's wrong about everything--even the year? As she struggles to figure out who wrote the note, she discovers a printed book in her Insta-Closet called The Jessie Keyser Story: How One Girl Escaped from Clifton Village. Zola wonders: Who is Jessie Keyser, and why does she look like her . . . and what else do they have in common?

In this sequel to the classic novel Running Out of Time, Margaret Peterson Haddix has crafted a riveting page-turner that captures the terrors of a world where nothing seems real--but finding out who really loves you still matters.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever comes the hair-raising story of a mother who moves herself and her daughter across the country to escape a dangerous stalker-- but she can't keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can't identify

HIS GAME. HIS RULES. HER LIFE.

It started with the letters...

For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she's mostly unfazed. But there's something different about Marker Man...

He's been in her home...

Meribel's sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects are changing places inside her house. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start--but no distance is great enough.

He's watching her...

Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower--she can feel eyes on her, and someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect and Meribel finds herself in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.

If he can't have her, no one can.

Look for these other pulse-pounding thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson:

Mother May INever Have I Ever

A detective on the brink.

An assassin out for revenge.

A desperate mother racing against the clock.

While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city's border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don't know if she's run for cover or been taken...or if something more sinister is happening.

The truth will shatter Taylor's career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.

Taylor Jackson is back. And you've never seen her quite like this.

"Powered by unexpected twists, intriguing characters, a high-stakes plot, and the ultimate enemies-to-friends story, THE WOLVES COME AT NIGHT is a true thrill ride. I loved it."

-Jayne Ann Krentz, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Five harrowing novellas of horror and speculative fiction from the singular mind of the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box

AN ESQUIRE AND LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Josh Malerman is a master weaver of stories--and in this spine-chilling collection he spins five twisted tales from the shadows of the human soul:

A sister insists to her little brother that "Half the House Is Haunted" by a strange presence. But is it the house that's haunted--or their childhoods?

In "Argyle," a dying man confesses to homicides he never committed, and he reveals long-kept secrets far more sinister than murder.

A tourist takes the ultimate trip to outer space in "The Jupiter Drop," but the real journey is into his own dark past.

In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM)," a trendy married couple buys the latest home gadget only to find themselves trapped by their possessions, their history . . . and each other.

And in "Egorov," a wealthy old cretin murders a young man, not knowing the victim was a triplet. The two surviving brothers stage a savage faux-haunting--playing the ghost of their slain brother--with the aim of driving the old murderer mad.

Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child, will adore this magnifique new mystery set in Paris and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidante, and fellow American. From the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall, this delightful new book provides a fresh perspective on the iconic chef's years in post-WWII Paris.

"Enchanting...Cambridge captures Child's distinct voice and energy so perfectly. Expect to leave this vacation hoping for a return trip." -Publishers Weekly

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn't just the City of Light; it's the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who's fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia's studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha's sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she'd met only the night before, at a party given by Julia's sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too--a knife from Julia's kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha's handwriting, was found in the dead woman's pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse.

"Part historical fiction, part mystery, Mastering the Art of French Murder is totally delectable entertainment." -The Washington Post

"Certain to appeal to a broad readership, especially fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, and Cambridge's own Phyllida Bright series." -First Clue, STARRED REVIEW

In this "spellbinding and totally original thriller" (Philipp Meyer, author of The Son) a lonely veteran's gruesome discovery throws him right into the face of danger as a twisted investigation unravels the secrets of his dark past.

One early morning on a Norfolk beach in Virginia, a dead body is discovered by a man taking his daily swim--Arman Bajalan, formerly an interpreter in Iraq. After narrowly surviving an assassination attempt that killed his wife and child, Arman has been given lonely sanctuary in the US as a maintenance worker at the Sea Breeze Motel. Now, convinced that the body is connected to his past, he knows he is still not safe.

Seasoned detective Catherine Wheel and her newly minted partner have little to go on beyond a bus ticket in the dead man's pocket. It leads them to Sally Ewell, a local journalist as grief-stricken as Arman is by the Iraq War, who is investigating a corporation on the cusp of landing a multi-billion-dollar government defense contract.

As victims mount around Arman, taking the team down wrong turns and towards startling evidence, they find themselves in a race, committed to unraveling the truth and keeping Arman alive--even if it costs them absolutely everything.

The scavenger hunt continues in book two of the bestselling National Park Mystery Series.

After camping in Rocky Mountain National Park, Jake and his friends travel to the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado. Exploring the heart of the dunes, they stumble upon something both unexpected and dangerous. Through more twists and turns, Jake's friendships and integrity are tested by choices that will demand smarts and courage.

The National Park Mystery Series

Before Jake's grandfather died, he was on the trail of a centuries-old mystery. And he has entrusted that mystery to Jake, leaving behind a set of hidden codes, riddles, maps, and other clues that lead Jake and his friends on a scavenger hunt into the most wild and rugged wilderness of the national parks.

The mystery unfolds as Jake, Amber, and Wes learn about survival skills, natural history, integrity, character, and friendship.

Along the way, they discover they are not the only ones on this quest. An elusive shadow group is close on their heels.

Illustrated by the author, this page-turning adventure is designed to capture the imagination of even the most reluctant of young readers. Parents looking for a delightful read-aloud adventure will find it hard to put down. (Word of Caution: readers frequently note that this is a "Please read just one more chapter" experience).

If your family loves the enchanted lands of our national parks, this series will take you to hidden places and into breathtaking landscapes. If you enjoy movies like National Treasure and Uncharted, or mystery adventures like the Hardy Boys and Gary Paulsen's survival story, Hatchet, you'll love this second installment of the National Park Mystery Series. Start this epic adventure with the ebook or begin the journey with a paperback copy.

The second in the delightful Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings--when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, fielding questions from both irate housekeepers and heartbroken mothers is par for the course...

"Dear Miss Hermione--what is a mother to do?"

Sensible Violet Manville and her very ladylike half-sister Sephora are absolutely bored, thank you very much. Though neither of them would ever admit it aloud, they're missing the thrill of playing detective.

So when Violet receives a letter from "A Heartbroken Mother" sent to her alter-ego, the Agony Aunt known to the world only as Miss Hermione, her pulse can't help but quicken. The daughter in question has gotten caught up in a cult: the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. Rumors of human sacrifices, mystical doings, and a ghost in the ruined Alburn Abbey where the Children pray have gripped the public consciousness, helped along by a series of novels about the group, written by the mysterious Count Orlando, and clearly this girl has fallen prey.

Miss Hermione's investigation soon collides with very real life when Violet discovers a surprising connection to the cult. With the dashing-but-frustrating Eli Marsh turning up and a member of the Children poisoned, Violet and Sephora--along with their ever-trusty housekeeper Bunty--may have more intrigue than they can manage.

"Quickly and assuredly, Jewell builds an ecosystem of countervailing suspicions...Tricky, clever, unexpected." --New York Times Book Review

"Brace yourself as Jewell stacks up the secrets, then lights a long, slow fuse." --People

"A seize-you-by-the-throat thriller and a genuinely moving family drama." --A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

The instant New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Then She Was Gone delivers another suspenseful page-turner about a shocking murder in a picturesque and well-to-do English town, perfect "for fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and Luckiest Girl Alive" (Library Journal).

You're back home after four years working abroad, new husband in tow. You're keen to find a place of your own. But for now, you're crashing in your big brother's spare room.

That's when you meet the man next door. He's the head teacher at the local school. Twice your age. Extraordinarily attractive.

You find yourself watching him. All the time. But you never dreamed that your innocent crush might become a deadly obsession.

Or that someone is watching you.

In Lisa Jewell's latest "bone-chilling suspense" (People), no one is who they seem--and everyone has something to hide. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware, Watching You will keep you guessing as "Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace" (Booklist, starred review) until the startling revelations on the very last page.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"T. J. Newman has written the perfect thriller! A must-read." --Gillian Flynn
"Stunning and relentless. This is Jaws at 35,000 feet." --Don Winslow
"Falling is the best kind of thriller...Nonstop, totally authentic suspense." --James Patterson
"Amazing...Intense suspense, shocks, and scares...Chilling." --Lee Child

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

Collects Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #1-5. Someone's not walking away from this one! Spider-Man faces the strongest super-powered foes and most dangerous gauntlets the Multiverse can throw his way. And every time Miles Morales falls, he rises again - stronger than before. Until now. There are some punches you don't get up from, and a new villain isn't pulling a single one as they threaten everyone and everything Miles loves. Between school, home, his love life and fighting crime night and day, Miles is reaching his breaking point. And when this new foe is finished, Spider-Man's world will be changed forever! But what does this villain have to do with Misty Knight's investigation and a slew of upgraded foes, like the souped-up Scorpion, terrorizing NYC?

In the alleys of Edinburgh, someone is killing for profit...

Scotland has a dead body problem. Another one. And in the wake of a similar spate of tribute killings, Special Agents Luke Kendrick and Carly MacDonald know they have their work cut out for them. Working alongside a new team of agents, the partners have more questions than answers when the crime scenes yield little evidence. In the style of infamous killers Burke and Hare, it appears victims are being moved to a secondary location, where they're dissected and sold for spare parts.

With the clock ticking on every organ being harvested, the members of Blackbird know the killers must be near at hand, and soon discover that they're also being closed in on. As questions begin to arise about the newest additions to their team, Luke and Carly are running out of time--and people they can trust--to catch the killers before the agents themselves are the next to be put on ice.

The Blackbird Files

Book 1: Death Behind Every Door
Book 2: Market for Murder
Book 3: Legacy of Blood