Bøger udgivet af Bloodhound Books

How many bad decisions does it take to go from a conventional life to one where murder makes perfect sense? Not as many as you'd think . . .Adrian Smythe is employed, married, and a doting father to Lydia. But he feels confined and thinks his life lacks purpose.In an act of quiet rebellion, Adrian quits his job. He hides this decision from his wife, fearing her judgment, until finally revealing it weeks later. Appalled by his behavior, she exposes him as a fraud and a failure to their daughter.Infuriated that his wife tarnished the thing most precious to him, Adrian goes on a rampage before leaving the family home. He moves into a small flat by the seaside, while his wife moves to France with their daughter.Now, disconnected from everything in his past, he is finally free of the constraints he resented so much. But Adrian's new life may not be exactly what he bargained for. In fact, it could be his undoing . . .

A man reunites with his estranged, ailing father to learn the truth about his own tragic childhood in this mystery from "a very promising writer" (Sir Michael Parkinson, journalist and television presenter). In 1994, eleven-year-old Callum was abducted from his Wiltshire village. His body was found six months later by his older brother, Tom, near a Neolithic henge called the Shadowing Stones. It was the first in a series of events that would destroy Tom's family; the boys' father was a suspect but never charged, and their mother died by suicide a year later. Convinced his father was responsible for his brother's death, Tom fled to Australia to start a new life. Now, almost three decades later, Tom learns that his father is dying of cancer. Knowing this may be his last chance to uncover the truth, Tom returns to England. But when childhood acquaintance, Anna, forms a bond with Tom, old feelings are stirred. As he's reluctantly drawn closer to both Anna and his father, Tom is confronted with a series of shocking twists and revelations that will change his life forever.

A collection of criminally funny quotations, anecdotes, and jokes about the legal profession, ranging in hostility from gentle teasing to fierce loathing. People love to hate lawyers. You can't live with them, but you also can't live without them. So you may as well laugh at them, as we have for centuries. In Lawyers and Other Reptiles, Jess Brallier compiles some of history's most humorous quips, quotations, anecdotes, and jokes about those in the legal profession. Enjoy the wit of such notables as Clarence Darrow, Jay Leno, Groucho Marx, Richard Nixon, Richard Pryor, Will Rogers, Theodore Roosevelt, Carl Sandburg, William Shakespeare, and Mark Twain. This book is certain to entertain any client, relative, or friend of a lawyer--and perhaps garner a nod of recognition from those employed in the illustrious legal community.

A collection of quotes on drinking from more than one hundred of the greatest thinkers (or drinkers) in history, sure to entertain, inspire, or enlighten. US President Herbert Hoover called the cocktail hour "the pause between the errors and trials of the day and the hopes of the night." It's a period for relaxation, reflection, and, of course, socializing. Some of our greatest minds have observed the cocktail hour, enjoying a good, stiff drink and the stimulation, amusement, and insight it can offer. In Cocktail Hour: A Mixer of Quips and Quotations, Jess Brallier and Sally Chabert mix together quotations from more than one hundred luminaries. Sip the wit and wisdom instilled in these pages from the likes of Tallulah Bankhead, Winston S. Churchill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fran Lebowitz, Dorothy Parker, George Bernard Shaw, Tom Waits, Tennessee Williams, and Gore Vidal. With this book, you'll find the ultimate literary accompaniment for those who enjoy a proper drink, a charming companion, and delightful banter. Bottoms up!

"Gloriously Gothic, alarmingly good." -The Poisoners' Cabinet Podcast A woman is accused of killing her husband, but is she actually guilty? Inspired by a true historical case, this novel will delight and engross readers. Liverpool, England, 1889: In the shadowy streets, the air is thick with secrets and the line between guilt and innocence blurs. Twenty-six-year-old Constance Sullivan is brought to trial charged with poisoning her husband, William. But William was no ordinary victim... As Constance's barrister fights to prove her innocence, a sinister web of deception unravels, exposing the dark underbelly of their seemingly idyllic marriage. One by one, witnesses emerge with incriminating testimony and facts about the dark side of Constance and William's marriage are revealed. For many, the widow's guilt seems clear. But is someone holding the key to the whole truth?

A dark secret from their teenage years comes back to haunt two women, in this novel of psychological suspense by the author of Keep Her Safe. Long ago, Nicole and Emily lied about their whereabouts and witnessed a terrible accident. Neither of them took action. Now Nicole is a wife and mother who follows the rules and strives to make up for her mistake. But Emily, a teacher, believes life is too short for regrets and refuses to blame herself. When their old classmate Bex dies, the past is stirred up once again as they begin to receive anonymous texts from someone who knows what they did. Each of them spirals into risky and reckless behaviour, and their friendship is strained to breaking point. There's more to the story-but can the women unearth the full truth about that day before it destroys them both?

Menacing texts lead to murder in an English village, in this unmissable, witty mystery by the Dagger Award-nominated author of A Most Unusual Demise. May Morrigan is in her bookshop one morning when she-and everyone else in the shop-receives an anonymous text. It contains a reference to a Shakespeare quotation-and seems to be aimed at the vicar and his partner, Juan. The next morning, one of them is dead. Meanwhile, May's elderly mother, Minty, is staying with her, her old friend Fletcher, and her two dogs. To her dismay, Minty is quite preoccupied with death herself lately. She also keeps reminiscing about her past in ways that make May wonder what secrets she's hiding. As disturbing texts continue to arrive, the Blackheath residents are threatened with further revelations and titillations. Then Fletcher becomes the focus of the tormenting texter . . . and barely escapes an attempt on his life. It's time for May to send a strong message-and block this killer permanently . .

Revisiting the past threatens a woman's future, in a stunning new thriller by the author of The Good Child. Sally is about to launch her highly anticipated true crime book, which recounts the unsolved, long-ago abduction she survived-and her best friend did not. Despite the risks and the intense publicity she'll have to deal with, she's determined to tell her story. Then Sally receives a note amid a barrage of fan mail-someone knows her true crime book is not the whole truth. Someone knows there's something she didn't reveal in those pages. But who are they? What did they witness? And what do they want with her after all these years? Praise for the novels of Charlotte Barnes "An addictive read . . . a really well written and enjoyable psychological thriller." -Donna's Book Blog "Smartly plotted. . . . Definitely an author to watch!" -Grace J Reviewerlady

After three years, her missing husband has returned-but can she ever trust him again? A bereavement, I called it. A death without a body, a coffin, a note, or a reason. But what do I call it now, now that you've come back? When Kate marries Marc, a wild, sexy Frenchman she meets on holiday, everyone is stunned. But Marc proves to be an adoring and attentive husband-until the morning he goes out and doesn't come back. After three years searching for him, Kate tries to start again without the man she just can't stop loving. Then one day, she wakes up with Marc asleep in her bed. He asks for seven days to prove his love-at the end of it, Kate must make a choice. Can she ever forget, forgive and, most of all, love again?

A new thriller by the author of The Desperate Wife: Sometimes the ones closest to us are the ones with the most to hide . . . Thirteen-year-old Kaleb has gone missing-and Laney Atkinson and her sister are keeping a secret: their kids were the last to see Kaleb alive. With the neighbourhood in a panic, they don't want their children traumatised by police interviews and pointing fingers. Instead, Laney devotes herself to trying to find Kaleb. But any lingering hope for a happy ending is lost when the boy's body is discovered days later. Sure enough, gossip and suspicion engulf the community. Laney, though, has her own suspicions about the tragedy, and they involve someone close to her. As tensions erupt within her family and a shocking secret is revealed, will the truth bring her relief-or shatter her world?

A bookseller finds an old diary containing a condemned man's last words-but can they be trusted? "A compelling book, superbly plotted" (Peter Lovesey, author of The Last Detective). Browsing through a collection of old volumes, a bookseller comes across a diary-contained in it, the final words of a man sentenced to die for murder, addressed to his executioner. But after reading the journal, the bookseller wonders if there was a miscarriage of justice? Did the wrong man go to the gallows? And is there any way to prove it? A Coin for the Hangman is a "mesmerising and thought-provoking" work of historical fiction, rich in detail and character, that delves into questions of duty, war, innocence, and guilt (Crime Fiction Lover). A Recommendation of the Walter Scott Prize Academy "A fiendishly clever plot set in the aftermath of World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed it." -Minette Walters, Edgar Award-winning author of The Sculptress "Capital punishment seems so alien to modern Britain that it is a shock to be reminded that just over fifty years ago there was a middle-aged man in a middle-ranking job in a London office who, two or three times a year, was paid six guineas to visit one of Britain's prisons and kill one of the prisoners. . . . A disturbing and poignant little novel." -Historical Novels Review "A very moving piece of fiction." -Crimesquad

When small-town doctor Sylvia Greene makes a wish at the Tarrin's Bay Wishing Festival, she doesn't expect it to come true. But a week later, her wish arrives in town - the daughter she secretly gave up for adoption as a teenager... Grieving the loss of her adoptive mother, eighteen-year-old Grace brings secrets of her own and Sylvia's life is thrown into disarray. Then, when Sylvia's love life comes to a grinding halt, matters are complicated further by the arrival of an interesting new medical colleague, Mark, whose treatments conflict with hers. Mark is looking for a fresh start after losing his wife but is having trouble letting go. Can three people who have all suffered hurt and loss finally find a way to move on? They say be careful what you wish for, but, for Sylvia, the unexpected consequences may be just what the doctor ordered...

A mysterious disappearance escalates into a murder case, in this riveting new thriller by the author of The Accident. Not long after receiving a devastating medical diagnosis, Amy Cooper is at the police station-reporting the disappearance of her husband, Callum. A few miles away, a mother and her children are outdoors enjoying a day in the snow when they discover a dead man in a ditch nearby. The mother calls the police, whose initial investigation indicates the body belongs to the missing husband, killed in a hit-and-run. But the autopsy results reveal to DI Samantha Freeman and DS Jenny Newcombe that the man didn't die in a car accident. And a murder investigation is initiated. Now they must work their way through a web of secrets and lies to learn what really happened-and to whom . .

Why do we hold on to things we don't need? "A beautifully assured debut that is part love story, part psychological slow-burner" (Emma Jane Unsworth, international bestselling author of Animals). Miriam is twenty-nine; temping, living with a flatmate who is no longer a friend, and still trying to find her place in life. To move forward, she decides to dispose of the many possessions that anchor her in the past. When Erik, an artist and photographer in his mid-forties, hires Miriam to help clear out his book-filled, paper-packed home, she begins to feel drawn to him, despite his obsessive hoarding and the fact that he's still haunted by his previous marriage. But can there be a happy ending for the troubled pair? This powerful, moving novel explores the unlikely relationship between two very different people-and explores deep questions about fear, freedom, and attachment. "Weaves its way through the cracks of our everyday perceptions to skilfully explore complex issues around illness, grief and longing. . . . Combining exquisite descriptions with scalpel-sharp human insights, this is a book to languish in, and emerge from deeply moved. It marks the arrival of an elegant and thrilling new voice in literary fiction." -Emma Jane Unsworth "A simply riveting and unfailingly entertaining read." -Midwest Book Review "A strong debut novel." -The Manchester Review

A lawyer gets uncomfortably close to a former client, crossing a dangerous line, in this edgy debut thriller.Daniel, a criminal barrister, is working all hours on a sensational trial at the Old Bailey, defending a client he believes is wrongfully accused of a grisly murder. Determined to keep Rod out of prison, he begins to neglect his wife-and soon afterwards suspects she's having an affair.After Daniel triumphs in court, the bond he's formed with his newly acquitted client grows even stronger. Then Rod offers Daniel a favour that he really shouldn't accept . . .When things take a catastrophic turn, Daniel realises his conduct has veered from unprofessional to indefensible-and that he's trapped in a nightmare of his own making. .

A relaxing holiday is cut short by murder for the Scotland Yard detective in a mystery by "one of [the genre's] subtlest and wittiest practitioners" (The New York Times). Set on having a relaxing holiday in Tilsey, Detective Inspector Littlejohn once again finds himself pulled into a baffling investigation. When local judge Nicholas Crake is found dead in his home, Littlejohn and his partner Sergeant Cromwell have the difficult task of sifting out the murderer from a mass of feuding neighbors, friends, and family. Could Crake's faithless wife have had the means? Or his strange brother-in-law? Or what about the superintendent, who seems to be doing more to impede the case than solve it? Faced with family secrets, old grudges, and more than one dead body, Littlejohn must unravel a web of deceit to get to the bottom of this case.

A man is killed five months after his funeral, in a tale by "one of the greatest mid-20th-century practitioners of the detective novel" (Alexander McCall Smith).Private detective Albert Campion is summoned to the village of Kepesake to investigate a particularly distasteful death. The body turns out to be that of Pig Peters, freshly killed five months after his own funeral. Soon other corpses start to turn up, just as Peters's body goes missing. It takes all Campion's coolly incisive powers of detection to unravel the crime.The Case of the Late Pig is, uniquely, narrated by Campion himself. In Allingham's inimitable style, high drama sits neatly beside pitch-perfect black comedy. A heady mix of murder, romance, and the urbane detective's own unglamorous past make this an Allingham mystery not to be missed."My very favourite of the four Queens of Crime is Allingham."--J. K. Rowling"Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered."--P.D. James

The disappearance of a reclusive widower sends Detective Littlejohn on a far-flung hunt for a killer in this classic British mystery.It was meant to be a fool-proof scheme. The victim was someone who wouldn't be missed, yet even the most meticulous criminals can make mistakes. When questions about a minor case of fraud lead to a missing persons case, the local bank's chief inspector calls in Detective Littlejohn to investigate.It seems that a bank customer has disappeared just after withdrawing a large sum of money. The only clue to his whereabouts is a note on his front door saying he'd gone abroad. But when they discover the man's brother had been murdered, Littlejohn realizes something sinister is afoot.

The prize-winning, "exceptionally moving" memoir of a family boat trip, an IRA bombing, and a teenager's loss of his twin brother (The Telegraph). Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Award Winner and PEN/JR Ackerley Prize Nominee On an August weekend in 1979, fourteen-year-old Timothy Knatchbull joined his family on a boat trip off the shore of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland. By noon, an Irish Republican Army bomb had destroyed the boat, leaving four dead. The author survived, but his grandparents, family friend, and twin brother did not. Lord Mountbatten, his grandfather, was the target, and became one of the IRA's most high-profile assassinations. Knatchbull and his parents were too badly injured to attend the funerals of those killed, which only intensified their profound sense of loss. Telling this story decades later, Knatchbull not only revisits these terrible events but also writes an intensely personal account of human triumph over tragedy--a story of recovery not just from physical wounds but deep emotional trauma. From a Clear Blue Sky takes place in Ireland at the height of the Troubles and gives compelling insight into that period of Irish history. But more importantly, it brings home that while calamity can strike at any moment, the human spirit is able to forgive, to heal, and to move on. "A minute by minute story of what happened that day, and what happened afterwards." --Daily Mail "This is an extremely moving book. Beyond providing a phenomenally detailed evocation of his own family's trauma, Knatchbull has lots of wise things to say about how we survive horrors--of all kinds--in our lives." -- Zoë Heller, author of the Booker Prize finalist Notes on a Scandal "A very poignant, clearsighted, heartbreaking but ultimately positive account." --Hugh Bonneville, The New York Times

"Allingham has that rare gift in a novelist, the creation of characters so rich and so real that they stay with the reader forever." --Sara ParetskyWorld War II is limping to a close and private detective Albert Campion has just returned from years abroad on a secret mission. Relaxing in his bath before rushing back to the country, and to the arms of his wife, Amanda, Campion is disturbed when his servant, Lugg, and a lady of unmistakably aristocratic bearing appear in his flat carrying the corpse of a woman.The reluctant Campion is forced to put his powers of detection to work as he is drawn deeper into the case, and into the eccentric Caradocs household, dealing with murder, treason, grand larceny, and the mysterious disappearance of some very valuable art. "Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered." --P.D. James"Margery Allingham was one of the greatest mid-20th-century practitioners of the detective novel." --Alexander McCall Smith

Murder takes center stage when a song-and-dance man is targeted, in an Albert Campion whodunit from "the best of mystery writers" (The New Yorker).When entertainer Jimmy Sutane falls victim to a string of malicious practical jokes, there's only one man who can get to the bottom of the apparent vendetta against the music hall darling--gentleman sleuth Albert Campion. Soon, however, the backstage pranks escalate, and an aging starlet is killed. Under pressure to uncover the culprit and plagued by his growing feelings for Sutane's wife, Campion finds himself uncomfortably embroiled in an investigation which tests his ingenuity--and integrity--to the limit."Allingham's work is always of the first rank." --The New York Times

"Slow and steady wins the case" as a dedicated London policeman puzzles through a fatal fall, a financial mystery, and an eccentric family's many secrets (Kirkus Reviews). Miss Penelope Blow's fatal fall from her bedroom window would seem like a tragic accident, if it weren't for Penelope's multiple visits to Scotland Yard before her death, trying to get in touch with Inspector Littlejohn. Now, before he ever had a chance to talk to the woman, he's driven to look deeper into a case that may very well be murder--with no cooperation from Penelope's wealthy, secretive, and thoroughly odd family . . . "As is often the case in Bellairs' novels, his prose is often very wryly amusing. . . . One of his most readable tales, offering an interesting mix of characters and a satisfying puzzle to solve." --Mysteries Ahoy

"If I had to vote for the single best detective story, this would be it." --A.S. ByattCelebrated amateur detective Albert Campion awakes in hospital, accused of attacking a police officer and suffering from acute amnesia. All he can remember is that he was on a mission of vital importance to His Majesty's government before his accident. On the run from the police and unable to recognize even his faithful servant or his beloved fiancée, Campion struggles desperately to put the pieces together--while World War II rages and the very fate of England is at stake.Published in 1941, Traitor's Purse is "a wartime masterpiece" (The Guardian)."Uncommonly exciting stuff, replete with Allingham's skill in story-building and the plausible characters that make her as much a fine novelist as a mystery writer." --The New Republic"Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light. And she has another quality, not usually associated with crime stories, elegance." --Agatha Christie

Where do the disappeared go? This novel "skillfully rips away the veneer of our civilized world and exposes a dark and secret one that lurks below our cities" (Julia North, author of Hear Me) Freelance reporter Allen Kimbo wonders about the girls and women who vanish, seldom to resurface. He believes there's a network of men who guard those who are taken-and keep the silence that surrounds and enables such deeds. Now, despite his girlfriend Emily's pleas to stay away, an email has lured Allen to Eastern Europe, to a meeting of the Takers and Keepers. In Belgrade, more is revealed than he had ever thought possible. But back home, Emily is missing . . . Will Allen find the answers he is looking for, or will he discover that some questions should never be asked?

"In the sleepy English village of Sanford Angelorum, Oxford professor and amateur detective Gervase Fen is taking a break from his books to run for Parliament. At first glance, the village he's come to canvass appears perfectly peaceful, but Fen soon discovers that appearances can be deceiving: someone in the village has discovered a dark secret and is using it for blackmail. Anyone who comes close to uncovering the blackmailer's identity is swiftly dispatched. As the joys of politics wear off, Fen sets his mind to the mystery -- but finds himself caught up in a tangled tale of eccentric psychiatrists, escaped lunatics, beautiful women, and lost heirs . . ."--

This playful whodunit featuring an Oxford don and a permanently silenced opera singer is "a splendidly intricate and superior locked-room mystery" (The New York Times).When an opera company gathers in Oxford for the first postwar production of Wagner's Die Meistersinger, its happiness is soon soured by the discovery that the unpleasant Edwin Shorthouse will be singing a leading role. Nearly everyone involved has reason to loathe Shorthouse, but who amongst them has the fiendish ingenuity to kill him in his own locked dressing room?In the course of this entertaining adventure, eccentric Oxford professor and amateur sleuth Gervase Fen has to unravel two murders, cope with the unpredictability of the artistic temperament, and attempt to encourage the course of true love."One of the last exponents of the classical English detective story . . . elegant, literate, and funny." --The Times of London"[Crispin's] books are fast, fun and smart, their hero charming, frivolous, brilliant and badly behaved." --New Review

An "intelligently written and thought-provoking" novel of two women, an abandoned baby, a long-ago trauma, and a confrontation with truth (Cambridge Journal).When they were nineteen, taking a summer journey along the British coast, Olivia and Eve found a newborn baby in a phone box.The trip had been filled with adventures, arguments, and friendship. But that day marked the end of it all. The baby could have drawn them together, but instead, the trauma of its story pushed them dramatically apart. A few days later, Olivia and Eve went their separate ways and never spoke to each other again.Twenty-five years later, their lives have gone in very different directions. But when a mutual friend writes to tell Olivia she's getting married, Olivia knows the moment is coming when she and Eve will have to see each other again-and face the truth of what happened that summer, and what it has done to them . . ."Witty and empathetic." -Country Life

Is all that stuff in romance novels real? Two longtime friends are about to find out, in this spicy new novel by the author of The Two-Week Promise . . . Tabatha, a romance writer, is back on Long Island and back together with her longtime best friend, Levi, a bookstore manager. His sister is getting married, giving the pair a chance to hang out in person after years of messages and video chats. In discussing Tabatha's literary career, Levi expresses skepticism about the tropes she and her fellow novelists employ. It all seems silly to him-until they try settling the argument by experimenting with some of those fictional scenarios in real life. And the classic romance trope of "friends-to-lovers" is soon put to the test . .

"Coronation hears of the murders before she even reaches the slave port of Bristol-six boys found with their throats slit. Horrified, she questions the locals' readiness to blame the deaths on Red John, a traveling-man few have actually seen. Corrie yearns to know more about the mystery. But first she has to outsmart the bawds, thieves, and rakes who prey on young girls like her, fresh from the countryside and desperate for work. And when the killer strikes shockingly close, Corrie will have to scheme, eavesdrop, and spy on all around her until the shameful truth is out..."--

From the Dagger Award-winning "top notch thriller writer," a new novel of politics, religion, power, and a woman's search for her missing father's secrets (Simon Kernick, bestselling author of Relentless). A man lies bleeding on the roadside. Hidden in his clothing is a message to Sidney from her father-who has been missing for fourteen years . . . Practical and level-headed Sid doesn't believe in miracles. So she sets out on a search for her father that leads to his old friends from university-or at least, the two of them who are still around. One is the head of a religious cult. The other is an ambitious politician. And both have secrets they want to stay buried-secrets Sid will have to uncover before a killer strikes again . . . Praise for CJ Carver "A page-turning must read." -Booklist "Solid gold." -Lee Child, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series "Exceptional." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)