Description
Description
Fearless freelance reporter Shona Sandison might be about to get her biggest scoop yet--if she can make it to the end of the investigation alive. The third installment of the Shona Sandison Investigations is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, John le Carré, and Denise Mina. In a post-COVID Britain, investigative reporter Shona Sandison is seeking meaning and the next big story; her reclusive contact inside the government has promised her something huge, but she has no idea what kind of danger she's in. Meanwhile, her old journalist friend Hector Stricken has taken on a position in communications for a new state agency, where he stumbles across a sinister, top-secret project code-named Grendel. Finally, an aging former MI6 director now living in seclusion grieves for his murdered son and ponders revenge. Little do they know they are caught in the web of a dark conspiracy at the heart of the United Kingdom, facing a rot so deep that the only way to cure it may be to cut it out--or burn the whole thing down. Written in beautiful, immersive language and peopled with iconic characters grappling with issues far larger than themselves, Philip Miller's new mystery depicts the reality of the ongoing fight against state oppression.
About the Author
About the Author
Philip Miller lives in Edinburgh. He was a newspaper journalist for twenty years and was twice named Arts Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. His previous novels include The Blue Horse, All the Galaxies, The Goldenacre, and The Hollow Tree; and his poetry has been published online and in print. His first poetry collection, Blame Yourself, was published in 2024.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Praise for The Diary of Lies
A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book of the Year
Air Mail's 10 Best Mystery Books of the Year "Excellent . . . Admirers of Mick Herron's Slow Horses series will appreciate the similarly jaundiced tone."
--The New York Times "Far from being one of those cozy British crime stories, this novel offers a lament for a Great Britain that's lost its bearings . . . [Shona's] sheer doggedness is why, despite all its premonitions of tyranny, The Diary of Lies isn't a bummer. She still has faith that the truth will make a difference."
--NPR's Fresh Air "Strikingly written . . . What makes The Diary of Lies so engrossing is the author's accomplished prose, which evokes a dark and dangerous world."
--Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal "Miller is chilling and doom-laden in his furiously poetic depiction of a once great civilization going off the rails. Addressing this through the framework of crime fiction--laced with surreal doses of Old English and Celtic folklore--produces a fascinating hybrid that is Miller's alone . . . Evil is not banal in The Diary of Lies--it's a dragon coiled in a Scottish castle, ready to slither out and unleash its foulness."
--Air Mail "Miller writes with confidence and flair . . . This is a novel that holds the attention, offers much rich entertainment and has splendidly atmospheric and even comic scenes."
--The Scotsman "Full of spies, conspiracies, government secrets, the newspaper industry and, inevitably, murder . . . Miller has proven himself a very able crime writer."
--Greenock Telegraph "A gripping page-turner . . . [The Diary of Lies] feels like reading the corkboard of a conspiracy theorist, with many strands of red string connecting people, places and plans."
--LoveReading UK "Philip Miller does it again. Beautifully written, complex, and gripping from start to finish, The Diary of Lies is a dark and brutal tale that holds a mirror up to our troubled times."
--E. S. Thomson, award-winning author of Beloved Poison "Soundly constructed and resonant."
--Kingdom Books "[A] sophisticated narrative . . . with striking prose and lovable characters. Fans of Mick Herron will adore this."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "The Diary of Lies is deeply scary and all too believable."
--BookPage, Starred Review "[A] riveting cloak-and-dagger thriller."
--Gumshoe Review "Miller's greatest gift is to get you to care about his characters long before you've figured out what they're looking for."
--Kirkus Reviews Praise for the Shona Sandison Investigations Winner of the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel "Mr. Miller is a superb writer . . . As her editor says of the sinister story that the intrepid Shona slowly pieces together, the book is 'a cracker, an absolute belter.'"
--The Wall Street Journal "A literary thriller in the tradition of The Goldfinch or All the Light We Cannot See, but better! . . . [An] enjoyable thriller that is part cerebral and part noir."
--Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine "The Hollow Tree is gripping yet haunting, and surely one of the best crime novels of the year."
--David Peace, author of the Red Riding Quartet
A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book of the Year
Air Mail's 10 Best Mystery Books of the Year "Excellent . . . Admirers of Mick Herron's Slow Horses series will appreciate the similarly jaundiced tone."
--The New York Times "Far from being one of those cozy British crime stories, this novel offers a lament for a Great Britain that's lost its bearings . . . [Shona's] sheer doggedness is why, despite all its premonitions of tyranny, The Diary of Lies isn't a bummer. She still has faith that the truth will make a difference."
--NPR's Fresh Air "Strikingly written . . . What makes The Diary of Lies so engrossing is the author's accomplished prose, which evokes a dark and dangerous world."
--Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal "Miller is chilling and doom-laden in his furiously poetic depiction of a once great civilization going off the rails. Addressing this through the framework of crime fiction--laced with surreal doses of Old English and Celtic folklore--produces a fascinating hybrid that is Miller's alone . . . Evil is not banal in The Diary of Lies--it's a dragon coiled in a Scottish castle, ready to slither out and unleash its foulness."
--Air Mail "Miller writes with confidence and flair . . . This is a novel that holds the attention, offers much rich entertainment and has splendidly atmospheric and even comic scenes."
--The Scotsman "Full of spies, conspiracies, government secrets, the newspaper industry and, inevitably, murder . . . Miller has proven himself a very able crime writer."
--Greenock Telegraph "A gripping page-turner . . . [The Diary of Lies] feels like reading the corkboard of a conspiracy theorist, with many strands of red string connecting people, places and plans."
--LoveReading UK "Philip Miller does it again. Beautifully written, complex, and gripping from start to finish, The Diary of Lies is a dark and brutal tale that holds a mirror up to our troubled times."
--E. S. Thomson, award-winning author of Beloved Poison "Soundly constructed and resonant."
--Kingdom Books "[A] sophisticated narrative . . . with striking prose and lovable characters. Fans of Mick Herron will adore this."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "The Diary of Lies is deeply scary and all too believable."
--BookPage, Starred Review "[A] riveting cloak-and-dagger thriller."
--Gumshoe Review "Miller's greatest gift is to get you to care about his characters long before you've figured out what they're looking for."
--Kirkus Reviews Praise for the Shona Sandison Investigations Winner of the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel "Mr. Miller is a superb writer . . . As her editor says of the sinister story that the intrepid Shona slowly pieces together, the book is 'a cracker, an absolute belter.'"
--The Wall Street Journal "A literary thriller in the tradition of The Goldfinch or All the Light We Cannot See, but better! . . . [An] enjoyable thriller that is part cerebral and part noir."
--Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine "The Hollow Tree is gripping yet haunting, and surely one of the best crime novels of the year."
--David Peace, author of the Red Riding Quartet
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Soho Crime
Pub date:
2026-12-01
Length:
304 pages
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