Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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LJ Ross

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
The clock is ticking… 
 
For Detective Chief Inspector Ryan, the stakes have never been higher. Most of the world thinks he’s dead, killed by an assasin's rifle in his own home. But another man took the bullet intended for him, and now Ryan’s living on borrowed time. As long as he stays ‘dead’, in the sanctuary of his parents’ home in Devon, there’s a chance to find the people behind the deadly killing network. It’s only a matter of time before his secret’s uncovered, and nowhere will be safe. 
 
Back in Northumberland, Ryan’s team are called in to investigate the mysterious death of a man in Alnwick, who collapsed yards from the walls of its Mediaeval castle. When a second person is rushed to hospital with the same symptoms, her life hangs in the balance unless they can discover the toxic substance that’s killing her. For DCs Lowerson and Reed, there’s only one place to look for inspiration—the Poison Garden… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Poison Garden

The past never stays buried for long... 
 
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan believes he has put his turbulent history behind him. Then, in the early hours of the summer solstice, the skeleton of a young woman is found inside the Roman Wall at Sycamore Gap. She has lain undiscovered for ten years and it is Ryan's job to piece together her past. 
 
Enquiry lines cross and merge as Ryan is forced to face his own demons and enter into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who seems unstoppable. 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular scenery of Hadrian's Wall country in Northumberland. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Sycamore Gap

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS... 
 
After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert’s cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake—far from being over, their problems are only just beginning… 
 
Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen—something that can never be replaced. 
 
As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair—until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what’s been lost, he must first crack ‘Cuthbert’s Code’, following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands. 
 
Can Ryan find what he’s looking for, before it’s too late? 
 
He’s going to need a miracle… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Cuthbert's Way

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
A murder for the history books… 
 
After a long and eventful winter, DCI Ryan and his team are looking forward to the joys of spring. But, when one of their colleagues is shot dead on her own doorstep and the brass think it’s an inside job, Ryan finds himself drafted in to investigate. 
 
He’s barely scratched the surface when reports flood in of a terror explosion at Durham Cathedral. Chaos descends on the sleepy, historic city and, when the smoke clears, they find a priceless artefact that once belonged to Saint Cuthbert is missing. 
 
With tensions running at an all-time high, unable to trust the local police, can Ryan and his team bring a killer to justice — and restore Cuthbert’s cross to its natural resting place? 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscape of County Durham. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

The Shrine

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY... 
 
When a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn’t think much of it—except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body. 
 
Then another body turns up amongst the sand dunes at the base of the mighty castle fortress, and he decides it can’t be a coincidence… 
 
Meanwhile, after a recent revelation about her sister, DC Melanie Yates’ quest to avenge her death is becoming an obsession—much to the concern of those around her. With a new DCS to contend with and hundreds of cold case files to sift through, the chances of uncovering a dormant killer seem unlikely. 
 
But as Melanie delves deeper into the secrets of the past to uncover the truth, she soon realises it lies much closer to home… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Bamburgh

FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND SYCAMORE GAP 
 
The hunter becomes the hunted… 
 
When a man is found dead at the remote church of Heavenfield, DCI Ryan is the only other person for miles around. The police have no weapon, no motive and no other suspects. 
 
Already suspended from Northumbria CID, Ryan must fight to clear his name. But soon, more than his career is at stake when prominent members of the mysterious ‘Circle’ begin to die. Somebody wants Ryan’s name to be next on the coroner’s list and to survive he must unmask the devil who walks among them – before it is too late. 
 
Unfortunately for Ryan, the devil looks just like everybody else… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit from LJ Ross, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Heavenfield

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A COINCIDENCE... 
 
When the body of a talented photographer is found on the rocks beneath the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, DCI Ryan and his team of detectives immediately suspect the worst. But, since none of their potential suspects seems to have a motive, the case runs cold. 
 
Then, when another body is found dead on a lonely stretch of road near Hadrian’s Wall and their only suspect has an airtight alibi, the team are faced with another crime without a perpetrator. 
 
With the number of unexplained deaths in the area increasing rapidly and only a series of coincidences to work from, Ryan and his team must find the invisible link between them to crack the case—before it’s too late. 
 
Can Ryan solve his most dangerous case yet? 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Death Rocks

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
He’ll make you his angel, but first you have to die... 
 
After a turbulent time, DCI Ryan’s life is finally returning to normal and he’s looking forward to spending an uneventful Easter bank holiday weekend with his fiancée. 
 
Then, on Good Friday morning he is called out to a crime scene at one of the largest cemeteries in Newcastle. The body of a redheaded woman has been found buried in a shallow grave and the killer has given her wings, like an angel. 
 
Soon, another woman is found at a different cemetery, followed quickly by another. Panic spreads like wildfire as a new serial killer is born, and Ryan’s band of detectives must work around the clock to unmask him before he can strike again. 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
----------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Angel

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
 
When you sell your soul, the devil gives no refunds... 
 
 
When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders. When everyone had a motive, can he unravel the secrets of the past before the killer strikes again? 
 
 
Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, trouble is brewing with rumours of a mole in Ryan’s department. With everyone under suspicion, can he count on anybody but himself? 
 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Penshaw

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
Beware what lies beneath… 
 
One fateful, starry night, three friends embark on a secret camping trip but only two return home. Thirty years later, the body of a teenage boy rises from the depths of England’s biggest reservoir and threatens to expose a killer who has lain dormant…until now. 
 
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan returns from honeymoon to face danger from all sides. In the depths of Kielder Forest, a murderer has escaped justice before and will do anything to protect the secrets of the past. Meanwhile, back at Northumbria CID, an old foe has taken the helm as Superintendent and is determined to destroy Ryan at any cost. 
 
Who will prevail in Ryan’s most dangerous case yet? 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Dark Skies

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
Are you afraid of the dark..? 
 
After his climactic battle with notorious serial killer The Hacker, DCI Ryan is spending the summer with his fiancée within the grounds of Cragside, a spectacular Bavarian-style mansion surrounded by acres of woodland. 
 
When they are invited to attend the staff summer party – a Victorian murder mystery evening – it’s all a joke until the lights go out and an elderly man is found dead. It looks like an unfortunate accident but, as the dead man’s life begins to unfold, Ryan and his team of detectives realise that all is not as it appears. 
 
When a second body is found, terror grips the close-knit community and Ryan must uncover the killer who walks among them, before they strike again... 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
------------------------------ 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Cragside

FROM THE MULTI-MILLION BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
Christmas can be deadly… 
 
After a long year of crime-fighting, DCI Ryan and his team are looking forward to a peaceful Christmas filled with festive treats – including the occasional turkey stottie, or three. To celebrate a job well done, the entire team are treated to a party at beautiful Belsay Hall, a spectacular country estate on the outskirts of the city. But, when their dinner is interrupted by the untimely arrival of a dead body, they’re reminded that crime never sleeps – and nor do the secrets within the walls of Belsay. 
 
It's time to find out who’s been naughty or nice… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Belsay

The twenty-fourth instalment in LJ Ross's globally bestselling DCI Ryan mystery series 
 
---------------------------------Blood never lies... 
 
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is living a nightmare. As one of the country's foremost murder detectives, Ryan knows he can face the worst of humanity and step into the darkest minds because, every night, he returns home to the loving arms of his wife, Anna. 
 
When he receives a call to say she's been arrested for the murder of a well-known author, he refuses to believe the evidence that seems to be piling up against her. Anna could never murder anyone. He's sure of it. 
 
Isn't he? 
 
With the case mounting against her, Ryan must search his soul to answer the question that seems to be on everybody's lips... 
 
Does he really trust the woman he married? 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Berwick

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND SEVEN BRIDGES 
 
He thought he was invincible, but he was wrong… 
 
When an old man is found dead inside the ancient hermitage at Warkworth Castle, Northumbria CID are called in to investigate. With no apparent motive, it’s their job to unravel why he was murdered – and this time they’re forced to do it without their star detective… 
 
DCI Ryan is thousands of miles away. He’s tracked a killer across Europe and has sworn not to return until he has his man in custody. Nathan Armstrong is a dangerous psychopath but there’s just one problem – he’s also an international celebrity; a world-famous thriller writer with money and connections. 
 
Ryan is a stranger in a foreign land, but he knows one thing – he’ll never give up. 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular landscapes of Northumberland and Tuscany. 
 
---------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

The Hermitage

The thrilling first instalment in the globally bestselling DCI Ryan mystery series, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves. 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle 
 
------------------------------------------------------On the spectacular Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, a killer is hiding in plain sight... 
 
Forced to take leave from his duties as a homicide detective, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan seeks sanctuary on Holy Island. 
 
But just a few days before Christmas, he is thrust back into the murky world of murder when a young woman is found dead amongst the ancient ruins of the nearby Priory. 
 
When former local girl Dr Anna Taylor arrives on the island as a police consultant, old memories swim to the surface making her confront her difficult past. 
 
She and Ryan struggle to work together to hunt a deadly killer, while pagan ritual and island politics muddy the waters of their investigation. 
 
Can they overcome their differences before the killer strikes again?

Holy Island

THE PREQUEL TO THE #'1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER HOLY ISLAND 
 
No man is an island… 
 
In the stifling summer heat of 2014, a killer has been stalking the streets of Newcastle causing city-wide panic. When the officer in charge of the case turns up dead, it falls upon Detective Chief Inspector Ryan to take up the baton and find the person responsible. 
 
To the close-knit team of police in Northumbria CID, Ryan is still an outsider; aloof and uncompromising. He’s lived a charmed life and has an unbroken track record to match. But, as The Hacker’s death toll rises, Ryan realises this is one adversary he’ll never bring to justice on his own… 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced crime thriller, set amidst the iconic North-Eastern landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

The Infirmary

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND 
 
FROM THE SHADOWS INTO THE LIGHT… 
 
When a fishing boat is wrecked off the treacherous North Sea coast and the body of a young woman washes up on the beach beside the iconic ‘Marsden Rock’, DCI Ryan cannot ignore the call to duty. 
 
With one already dead and more human cargo missing from the wreckage, Ryan and his team race to find the remaining souls — before it’s too late, and their investigation turns to murder. As they uncover the seedy underbelly of Tyneside, cold and calculated opportunism clashes with the rock-hard arm of the Law, but there’s one thing that proves stronger than stone… 
 
The human spirit. 
 
Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular North Eastern landscape. 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
PRAISE FOR LJ ROSS 
 
"LJ Ross is the queen of Kindle" - Sunday Telegraph 
 
"She keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times 
 
"Holy Island is a blockbuster" - Daily Express 
 
"A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

The Rock

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