You should have been a detective. If there's one thing the last year has proved, it's how good you are at finding things out. Not simple things. Hard things. Things that nobody is supposed to be able to find out. Things that are buried so deep nobody even thinks twice about them. The sort of things that turn people's lives inside out once they're exposed.' Meet Tony Hill's most twisted adversary - a killer with a shopping list of victims, a killer unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer driven by the most perverted of desires. The murder and mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own. But it's not long before Tony realises it's just the start of a brutal and ruthless campaign that's targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people. Struggling with the newly-awakened ghosts of his own past and desperate for distraction in his work, Tony battles to find the answers that will give him personal and professional satisfaction in his most testing investigation yet.

Tony Hill and Carol Jordan make a nail-biting return. 'You should have been a detective. If there s one thing the last year has proved, it s how good you are at finding things out. Not simple things. Hard things. Things that nobody is supposed to be able to find out. Things that are buried so deep nobody even thinks twice about them. The sort of things that turn people s lives inside out once they re exposed.' Meet Tony Hill s most twisted adversary - a killer with a shopping list of victims, a killer unmoved by youth and innocence, a killer driven by the most perverted of desires. The murder and mutilation of teenager Jennifer Maidment is horrific enough on its own. But it s not long before Tony realises it s just the start of a brutal and ruthless campaign that s targeting an apparently unconnected group of young people. Struggling with the newly-awakened ghosts of his own past and desperate for distraction in his work, Tony battles to find the answers that will give him personal and professional satisfaction in his most testing investigation yet.

The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is a master of the dark and sinister story, and these powers are demonstrated in full force in Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales. From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to an author who is haunted by the spiteful presence of a jealous writing partner, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous, never above suspicion. Follow Tony Hill and Carol Jordan as they track a deadly killer who is preparing to strike on Christmas Day, and lose yourself in a festive exclusive - a recently unearthed case for a classic detective duo, set as the lights are going out across Europe. These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the frosty winter draws in and each night gets darker than the last, written by one of our greatest living crime writers.

The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is a master of the dark and sinister story, and these powers are demonstrated in full force in Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales. From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to an author who is haunted by the spiteful presence of a jealous writing partner, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous, never above suspicion. Follow Tony Hill and Carol Jordan as they track a deadly killer who is preparing to strike on Christmas Day, and lose yourself in a festive exclusive - a recently unearthed case for a classic detective duo, set as the lights are going out across Europe. These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the frosty winter draws in and each night gets darker than the last, written by one of our greatest living crime writers.

'There are lots of things that ran in families, but murder wasn't one of them . . .' When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself. Meanwhile Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kinds of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . . . An atmospheric, gripping mystery from the number one bestseller.

1989. The world is on the brink of revolution and journalist Allie Burns is a woman on a mission. When she discovers a lead about the exploitation of society's most vulnerable, Allie is determined to investigate and give voice to the silenced. Elsewhere, a ticking clock begins the countdown to a murder. As Allie begins to connect the dots and edges closer to exposing the truth, it is more shocking than she ever imagined. There's nothing like a killer story, and to tell it, Allie must risk her freedom and her life... The brand-new unmissable, heart-stopping thriller from number one bestseller, Val McDermid

An old man is found murdered in his Reykjavik flat. A cryptic note and a photograph of a young girl's grave are left behind. Did the dead man's past come back to haunt him? Inspector Erlendur discovers that several decades ago the victim was accused, but not convicted, of an unsolved crime. As he follows a fascinating trail of strange forensic evidence, Inspector Erlendur uncovers secrets that are much larger than the murder of one man - dark secrets that have been carefully guarded for many, many years... 'A fascinating window on an unfamiliar world as well as an original and puzzling mystery' Val McDermid

In this special 20th anniversary edition, Lee Child introduces the Gold Dagger award-winning serial killer thriller that began the Number One bestselling crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill, hero of TV’s much-loved Wire in the Blood. You always remember the first time. Isn’t that what they say about sex? How much more true it is of murder… Up till now, the only serial killers Tony Hill had encountered were safely behind bars. This one’s different – this one’s on the loose. Four men have been found mutilated and tortured. As fear grips the city, the police turn to clinical psychologist Tony Hill for a profile of the killer. But soon Tony becomes the unsuspecting target in a battle of wits and wills where he has to use every ounce of his professional nerve to survive. A tense, beautifully written psychological thriller, The Mermaids Singing explores the tormented mind of a serial killer unlike any the world of fiction has ever seen.

A gripping and suspenseful Albert Campion mystery by one of the queens of crime, Margery Allingham. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Sweet Danger features an afterword by international bestselling crime writer, Val McDermid. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Aristocratic detective Albert Campion is called upon by the British government to establish ownership of the tiny, oil-rich principality of Averna on the Adriatic Coast. The titled but impoverished Fitton family lay claim to it, but the deeds are nowhere to be found. With the help of his loyal chums and sidekick, retired cat burglar Magersfontein Lugg, Campion must pit his wits against a criminal financier and his heavies in order to unearth the truth.

When human remains are discovered in the grounds of an old convent, it quickly becomes clear that someone has been using the site as their personal burial ground. But with the convent abandoned long ago and the remains dating back many years, could this be the work of more than one obsessive killer? It's an investigation that throws up more questions as the evidence mounts, and after their last case ended catastrophically, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan can only watch from afar. As they deal with the consequences of previous actions, someone with a terrifying routine is biding their time - and both Tony and Carol find themselves closer to the edge than they have ever been before . . . Electrifying and filled with masterful suspense, this is the most eagerly anticipated thriller yet from number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid.

'Somebody has been here before us. And he's still here . . .' When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems. It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the centre of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own . . . Number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid returns with her most breathtakingly atmospheric and exhilarating novel yet.

The second riveting crime novel in the Karen Pirie series, from No.1 Sunday Times bestseller Val McDermid. Twenty-five years ago, a woman and her baby son were kidnapped and held to ransom. Catriona Grant ended up dead and little Adam's fate has remained a mystery ever since. When a new clue is discovered in a deserted Tuscan villa – along with grisly evidence of a recent murder – cold case expert DI Karen Pirie is assigned to follow the trail. She's already working a case from the same year. During the Miners' Strike of 1984, pit worker Mick Prentice vanished. Where did he really go? And is there a link to the Grant mystery? The truth is stranger – and far darker – than fiction.

Philippa Palfrey, adopted as a child, believes herself to be the motherless, illegitimate daughter of an aristocratic father. At eighteen she exercises her right to find out the truth. What she discovers will change her life forever. Philippa embarks on a thrilling investigation, enters a new and terrifying world and soon comes to realize that she is not the only one interested in her parents' whereabouts. From the bestselling author of Death Comes to Pemberley, Children of Men and Death in Holy Orders, Innocent Blood is both a mystery and a thriller, a superb novel that explores the themes of self-identity, blood ties, guilt and revenge. P.D. James has been influential as a crime writer for many years and her writing is often compared to the work of authors such as Val Mcdermid, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. "A fascinating psychological study of blood ties, guilt and revenge". (Sunday Telegraph).

"Glasgow comes to life in Ramsey's dark, bright and audacious thriller" by VAL McDermid", the debut cracker ... Many readers expect a chill, followed by a crushing climax"WhenThe Crucifix killer stalks Glasgow, leaving the mutilated bodies of the victims in the pose of Christ. Chief Inspector Alan McAlpine is called to lead the hunt with the support of local officers Inspector Anderson and Sergeant Costello.But the past holds terrible memories for McAlpine. The last time he worked on this site was about twenty years ago, when he was assigned to guard a woman- faceless after a sadistic acid attack- in a Glasgow hospital. In this hospital room, an obsession was born that never completely left McAlpine, and now it seems to be surfacing again. As the pursuit of stopping the horrific murders intensifies, Anderson and Costello find a frightening cause for concern in the uncomfortable proximity of home.

"Glasgow comes to life in Ramsey's dark, bright and audacious thriller" by VAL McDermid", the debut cracker ... Many readers expect a chill, followed by a crushing climax"WhenThe Crucifix killer stalks Glasgow, leaving the mutilated bodies of the victims in the pose of Christ. Chief Inspector Alan McAlpine is called to lead the hunt with the support of local officers Inspector Anderson and Sergeant Costello.But the past holds terrible memories for McAlpine. The last time he worked on this site was about twenty years ago, when he was assigned to guard a woman- faceless after a sadistic acid attack- in a Glasgow hospital. In this hospital room, an obsession was born that never completely left McAlpine, and now it seems to be surfacing again. As the pursuit of stopping the horrific murders intensifies, Anderson and Costello find a frightening cause for concern in the uncomfortable proximity of home.

When human remains are discovered in the grounds of an old convent, it quickly becomes clear that someone has been using the site as their personal burial ground. But with the convent abandoned long ago and the remains dating back many years, could this be the work of more than one obsessive killer? It’s an investigation that throws up more questions as the evidence mounts, and after their last case ended catastrophically, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan can only watch from afar. As they deal with the consequences of previous actions, someone with a terrifying routine is biding their time - and both Tony and Carol find themselves closer to the edge than they have ever been before… Electrifying and filled with masterful suspense, this is the most eagerly anticipated thriller yet from number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid.