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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Lee Child

In this ebook short story, also available in the new, complete Jack Reacher short story collection No Middle Name, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Lee Child goes back to 1989, when Jack Reacher is serving as an officer in the military police. 
A young lieutenant colonel, in a stylish handmade uniform, roars through the damp woods of Georgia in her new silver Porsche - until she meets a very tall soldier with a broken-down car. 
What could connect a cold-blooded off-post shooting with Reacher, his elder brother Joe, and a secretive unit of pointy-heads from the Pentagon? 
 
_________ 
 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

Small Wars

(The new Jack Reacher short story)

Serge Joncour

Winner of the Prix Roman France Télévisions 
 
On a hot and lazy sun-drenched afternoon, when one affluent family are at their most docile, most vulnerable, most ripe for the picking, a handsome stranger unexpectedly turns up, and lingers poolside. A master of the art of deception, Boris introduces himself as an old school friend of Philip, the feckless brother. No matter that Philip has been unreachable for days and yet to arrive for the summer holiday, Boris is welcomed with open arms. 
 
As the island's spectacular Bastille Day fireworks celebration looks ever nearer, and Philip's arrival feels increasingly imminent, Boris is embraced wholeheartedly into the family fold. No one seems to notice as he carefully exerts a powerful and sinister influence over them all...

Here are two Jack Reacher stories first published together in ebook form, now also included in the new Jack Reacher story collection No Middle Name. 
 
James Penney's New Identity: In the dry desert of Southern California, James Penney is laid off from the plant after seventeen loyal years of service. With the threat of the bank repossessing his treasured red Firebird, he goes on the run. But why are the cops so hot on his trail? And who is the tall military policeman, built like a weightlifter, who offers him a ride? 
 
Guy Walks Into Bar: Just a few minutes before the terrifying opening of Gone Tomorrow, Jack Reacher stops at a bar in lower Manhattan for a late night beer and some music, His eyes are drawn to a rich young Russian girl and her bodyguard. Is she in danger? Who are those two suspicious-looking guys sitting at separate tables, watching her? 
 
These two short stories are part of the Storycuts series.

James Penney's New Identity/Guy Walks Into a Bar

Two Jack Reacher short stories

James Crumley

‘Crumley in scintillating form: an anarchic, savagely violent and brilliantly written lament for a vanishing past’ Evening Standard 
 
James Crumley is the king of hard-boiled noir, credited with inspiring the next generation of crime writers – including Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly – and best known for his two private detectives, Milo Milodragovitch and C. W. Sughrue. He brought them together for one wild, pulse-pounding ride. This is that story. 
 
Someone shot Sughrue and left him for dead, and someone stole Milo’s $3million inheritance. And they’re not the kind of men to let it go. They’ve joined forces in El Paso and they’re set for a wild ride across America. They’re out for revenge… 
 
‘No one in American crime fiction writes sharper, more authentic dialogue, nor more exciting action, nor, beneath the tough façade, has a greater feel for the values and mores that really matter’ The Times

Bordersnakes

Sharon Bolton

‘Sharon Bolton is changing the face of crime fiction’ TESS GERRITSEN 
 
There must be a thousand people in the vicinity of Westminster Bridge on this beautiful evening . . . in approximately thirty minutes’ time, many of them will be dead. 
 
Mark Joesbury, of Scotland Yard’s Covert Operations Unit, is undercover. Embroiled in a terrorist gang’s plans for a deadly attack at the heart of the capital, he’s risking everything to stop them. But as they prepare to target London’s most iconic landmarks, it’s no longer just countless strangers he’s fighting to save. Because they’ve also got the woman he loves, DC Lacey Flint…

Here Be Dragons

A Short Story

Charlotte Bingham

A family finds peace through the unexpected struggle to aid a stranger in this captivating and moving saga. From the million copy and Sunday Times bestselling author Charlotte Bingham, for fans of Louise Douglas and Dinah Jefferies. 
 
 'An uplifting and inspiring book, emotional yet optimistic, which leaves the reader feeling optimistic and empowered' - THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE 
 
'I was surprised by this book. I'm not a romantic... but this did leave a little warm glow in my heart by the end.' - ***** Reader Review 
 
'A very enjoyable read, I loved the ending' - ***** Reader Review 
 
********************************************************************************* 
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO HELP A STRANGER? 
Florence Fontaine has not recovered from a family tragedy when she discovers a 
 strangely dressed young man asleep in her guest cottage at the Old Rectory. 
 
Against her better judgement she offers him breakfast, only to find herself caught up in his drama. Florence's young and beautiful daughter, Amadea, is immediately suspicious of Edmund, as he appears to be called, fearing that he might be a fraud. 
 
 Despite her reservations, Florence enlists friends and neighbours to help restore Edmund's memory. As the mystery unfolds, it becomes apparent that Edmund's history is entwined with that of nearby Harlington Hall, but that his real identity is something quite other. 
 
 Florence and Amadea become united in their quest and are finally able to put the tragedies of the past behind them, repair their once disjointed lives, and embrace a new and happy future...

Out Of The Blue

an enchanting and uplifting saga set in the West Country from bestselling author Charlotte Bingham

John D MacDonald

The edge-of-your-seat thriller that was so good it inspired a generation of crime writers. Well-paced, intelligently written and with a penchant for characterisation, this series is not one to miss. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, James Patterson and John Grisham. 
 
'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' - LEE CHILD 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - STEPHEN KING 
 
'To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.' - KURT VONNEGUT 
 
******************************************************** 
 
Travis McGee isn't your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
 Travis McGee isn't particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet girl who's been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn't anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. 
 
 As Travis hunts for the ruthless man who steals women's sensibilities and livelihoods, he can't guess how violent his quest is soon to become. 
 
He'll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse... 
 
Featuring an introduction by Lee Child. 
 
 
Further Praise for the Travis McGee series: 
 
 'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He's great because he has a philosophical side - he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
 'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
 '. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
 'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
 'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
 'There's only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Deep Blue Goodbye

(Travis McGee: 1): introducing the inspiration behind a genre: Travis McGee, from the grandmaster of American crime fiction

Simon Kernick

Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick - the UK's answer to Harlan Coben - has done it again. Siege is not for the faint-hearted - a relentlessly fast-paced, high-octane, race-against-the-clock thriller, it's perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Stuart MacBride and Peter James. 
 
'Pacy, violent and gripping' -- The Sun 
'A murder-a-minute gallop which successfully relies on sheer pace' -- Daily Telegraph 
'Nail-bitingly tense, Siege is genuinely unputdownable' -- Irish Independent 
'A first class read' -- ***** Reader review 
'I love reading Simon Kernick books - they keep you gripped from page one and this one is no different' -- ***** Reader review 
'Good, old-fashioned thriller action...marvellous!' -- ***** Reader review 
'A book that you cannot put down' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************* 
WHO WILL SURVIVE? 
 
LONDON. THE STANHOPE HOTEL, PARK LANE. 16.00. A normal afternoon. 
 
THE MANAGER 
Newly engaged Elena Serenko has just made the life-changing decision to quit her job and start a new life in Australia. 
 
THE GUESTS 
Upstairs, a young woman waits for her lover; a visiting family prepare for an evening out; and a sick man contemplates his own mortality. 
 
THE ASSASSIN 
High up amongst the penthouse suites, a skilled and dangerous killer is hunting a quarry who's eluded him for far too long. 
 
THE SIEGE 
What none of them know is that a group of ruthless gunmen are about to burst into the Stanhope, shooting indiscriminately, and seizing hostages. 
 
As darkness falls and the gunmen become increasingly violent, only one thing matters. Who will survive?

Siege

(Scope 1)

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
Travis McGee has known his share of beautiful girls, but true love always passed him by – until Gretel. But suddenly, the woman who stole his heart dies of an unidentified illness. Convinced that she has been murdered, McGee finds himself pursuing a less-than-noble cause: revenge. 
 
Obsessed with his crusade, he becomes more and more unhinged. He has spent his life saving other people, but now he’ll need to find the strength to save himself – before he loses his mind. 
 
 First published in 1979, The Green Ripper was the winner of the National Book Award. This edition features an introduction by Lee Child. 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Green Ripper: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No.18

Elvi Rhodes

In 'A Trip to the Park', Cassie is excited to arrive in New York, but disappointed when her fiance's job takes him away from her on her first weekend in the city. He makes her promise she'll stay in the apartment where she'll be safe, but she can't resist a little walk around Central Park - she is here to see the sights, after all. There she meets Dan, who manages to persuade her that he should show her the sights of the city. She knows Richard would be cross, but what harm could come of it? 
 
In 'Come Home With Me', when Genevieve meets Nicholas, she can't believe her luck. Everything about their relationship seems just perfect. But when the time comes to introduce him to her family, she is sure that will be the end of them. Her family are so completely mad - there's no way he'll want anything to do with her after that! Or perhaps she shouldn't be so quick to assume what he is thinking... 
 
Part of the Storycuts series, these two short stories were previously published in the collection Summer Promise and Other Stories.

A Trip to the Park/Come Home with Me (Storycuts)

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
In the Florida Keys, a houseboat explodes in a giant white flash, instantly killing those on board. The boat belonged to Travis McGee’s friend Meyer. But it’s not Meyer who’s dead – he’d lent it to his just-married niece, Norma, and her husband, hoping to give them the perfect honeymoon. 
 
When a group of Colombian terrorists take responsibility for the brutal act, Meyer and McGee travel to Mexico to seek justice. And Meyer, normally content in McGee’s shadow, is determined to avenge the one family member he had left . . . or die trying. 
 
First published in 1982, Cinnamon Skin features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

Cinnamon Skin: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No 20

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
As a boat captain, Van Harder’s reputation is his most valuable possession. But his wealthy employer has gone missing, presumed dead, and people are pointing the finger. They say he was drunk at the helm when his employer went overboard. 
 
But Harder insists he doesn’t drink . . . at least, not any more. And he wants his reputation back. But who would believe him? To help him, Travis McGee must do the impossible: prove that a dead man is actually alive . . . 
 
First published in 1978, The Empty Copper Sea features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Empty Copper Sea: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No.17

Another impeccable edge-of-your-seat thriller from bestselling author John D MacDonald that has inspired a generation of crime writers. Well-paced, intelligently written and with a penchant for characterisation, this series is not one to miss. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, James Patterson and John Grisham. 
 
'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' - LEE CHILD 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - STEPHEN KING 
'To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.' - KURT VONNEGUT 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - DEAN KOONTZ 
'A treasure of a book' -- ***** Reader review 
'John D MacDonald has done it again: another page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Compelling' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another Macdonald masterpiece' -- ***** Reader review 
 
*********************************************************************************** 
Travis McGee isn't your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
An expert stamp collector is left frantic when he misplaces the extremely valuable collection of an important and shady client. Hirsh doesn't know how he's going to get it back. But fortunately for him, he's got a friend in Travis McGee. 
 
It's not long till Travis is hot on the trail of the missing collection. But Travis is going to have to play this game carefully - Hirsh's client is liable to break some fingers if he doesn't get what he's owed . . . 
 
First published in 1972, The Scarlet Ruse features an introduction by Lee Child 
************************************************************************************************* 
Further Praise for the Travis McGee series: 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He's great because he has a philosophical side - he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There's only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Scarlet Ruse: Introduction by Lee Child

(Travis McGee: 14): a masterpiece in suspenseful thriller writing from the grandmaster of American crime fiction

'The poet laureate of hard-boiled literature, superior even to James Lee Burke in his ability to evoke extreme melancholy, gruesome violence and an acute sense of landscape... Deeply compelling' Guardian 
 
Things are never straightforward for private detective C. W. Sughrue. A long-time recovering Vietnam veteran and prone to trouble, he’s finally enjoying a slower pace of life. Until, that is, his old friend - psychiatrist William Mackinderick - enlists his help in shadowing some of his patients. 
 
Mackinderick suspects one of them may have taken highly confidential files from his office and he’s desperate to know who. But soon Sughrue’s not tracking them alive but dead, as one after the other they meet a gruesome end. Sughrue thought he’d seen it all before but he’s been proved wrong…madness knows no bounds.

The Right Madness

Published exclusively as an ebook, a long short story from thriller master Lee Child about the teenage Reacher, now also available in No Middle Name: the Collected Jack Reacher Stories. 
 
July 1977. Jack Reacher is almost seventeen, and he stops in New York on his way from South Korea to visit his brother at West Point. The summer heat is suffocating, fires are raging in the Bronx, the city is bankrupt, and the mad gunman known as Son of Sam is still on the loose. 
 
Reacher meets a woman with a problem, and agrees to help her . . . and then the power grid fails and the lights go out, plunging the lawless city that never sleeps into chaos. 
 
What does a visiting teenager do in the dark? If that visiting teenager is Jack Reacher, the answer is: plenty. 
 
Don’t miss the exciting preview of Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher novel, Never Go Back!

High Heat: (A Jack Reacher Novella)

John Macken

If you like Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell, you'll love this edgy and engrossing forensic thriller by bestselling author John Macken. 
 
"A terrific forensic thriller, which real flesh and blood characters and a plot that never lets up" - PETER ROBINSON 
"Tense and absorbing" - OBSERVER 
"A great page-turner" -- ***** Reader review 
"Fast and furious...and full of intrigue" -- *****Reader review 
"Kept me hooked right to the last page" -- *****Reader review 
 
****************************************** 
 
FOR AN EX-COP, PRISON IS A DEATH SENTENCE... 
 
Reuben Maitland has lost everything: his job, his marriage, his reputation. Fired from CID's elite forensic investigation unit, he is forced to turn to the other side of the law to find work. 
 
 Michael Brawn is currently enjoying the hospitality of Her Majesty at Pentonville maximum security prison. He is not who he claims to be and has been placed there on forged genetic evidence. Evidence that was submitted to the court on Reuben's authority. But who is he, and why is he there? 
 
 Reuben is offered one chance to clear his name. He needs to discover Brawn's real identity and, more importantly, his reason for falsely entering prison. And there is only one way of getting to him. Reuben is going to have to enter Pentonville. 
 
But as he is about to find out, prison is a very dangerous place for an ex-copper.

Trial By Blood

(Reuben Maitland: book 2)

Manda Scott

Manda Scott has written a powerful thriller debut, the terrifying tale of a lone woman pitted against an enigmatic killer—a man who deals out death without a second thought... 
 
For Detective Inspector Orla McLeod, violence is a way of life. As a child, her own world was ripped apart by a brutal, unforgettable moment of terror. So when the Special Branch operation she is spearheading goes disastrously wrong, she will do everything she can to protect the nine-year-old boy caught in the cross fire. For Jamie Buchanan was the sole witness to an act of savagery committed in cold blood by a man rapidly becoming one of the most feared criminals in Europe. 
Orla and her partner, Luke Tyler, had risked their lives to infiltrate Tord Svensen’s criminal world. Together they had gone deep undercover in a Glasgow tenement to get close enough to bring him down. Then in a series of harrowing events, everything in Orla’s life would change forever. 
Now Orla finds herself haunted by the memory of what happened—and tormented by the guilt she feels over her own survival. What keeps her going are the promises she made to her partner Luke and to orphaned Jamie Buchanan. Jamie is the only person who’s seen Tord Svensen’s face, the only one able to ID him. Officially pulled off the Svensen case, Orla spirits Jamie away to the only place she feels safe, a lonely cottage under the shadow of a snowcapped Scottish mountain. But there will be no sanctuary for them in the Highlands. For, like Orla, the hunter who pursues them knows exactly what to do to survive. And that means putting both Orla and her vulnerable young charge in the grave.

No Good Deed

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
Around four in the morning, Travis McGee is jarred awake by a ghost from his past: an old flame who needs a place to stash a package full of cash. He agrees to help. Two weeks later she’s dead. 
Left with a hundred grand and a nagging conscience, Travis goes to a seedy little town to look into Carrie’s previous life. But what Travis finds only pushes him further into the corrupt world she was trying to escape . . . 
 
First published in 1975, The Dreadful Lemon Sky features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Dreadful Lemon Sky: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No.16

Medics have a way of organising cases. The first one you see is: 'in my experience'. Two becomes 'case after case'. Three is a series. In medicine, as in crime, three is the magic number that makes a syndrome real - or that turns death from a frightening accident,an unfortunate end to a night of heavy drinking, or a ridiculous overdose into a series. And that means the killer, too, has a label. Three men are dead, three colleagues with a shared past, a past also shared by the one person Kellen Stewart would trust with her life: pathologist Lee Adams. Suspect number one in this fast, hard-edged thriller.  Set in Scotland, the action takes us to the rocks of the west coast and back to the farm in the Campsie Fells that is the location for the first two Kellen Stewart novels.

Stronger Than Death

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
Ellis Esterland was rich, mean, and slowly succumbing to cancer – until someone hastened the inevitable by beating him to death. His son wants Travis McGee to find out who killed his estranged father. The ‘why’ seems obvious: his hotly contested, multimillion-dollar estate. 
 
McGee’s quest takes him from Hollywood to the Midwest, from prostitution rings to drug deals gone wrong. In the haze of violence surrounding him, McGee is in danger of losing himself. But one thing remains crystal clear: he is on the trail of a killer conjured from his worst nightmares. 
 
 
First published in 1981, Free Fall in Crimson features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

Free Fall in Crimson: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No. 19

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
The funny thing about favours: sometimes they come back to haunt you. And Travis McGee owes a friend a big one. Little surprise that he finds himself on a trip to Hawaii to help out his friend’s daughter, who is convinced her husband is trying to kill her. 
 
But Travis can’t find a single thing wrong and puts her paranoia down to simple anxiety. It’s not until he’s back home that he realises he may have overlooked a clue or two. And that she might be in very real danger . . . 
 
First published in 1973, The Turquoise Lament features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Turquoise Lament: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No.15

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
Discover Travis McGee with this special collection of the first three titles of John D. MacDonald’s classic series. 
 
The Deep Blue Goodbye 
Travis McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake . . . 
 
Nightmare in Pink 
Travis McGee’s old army buddy needs a favour. His sister’s fiancé has just been murdered in what the authorities claim was a standard Manhattan mugging. But Nina knows better. Travis is determined to get to the bottom of things, but just as he’s closing in on the truth he finds himself taken captive. Some people will go to any lengths to make sure their secrets don’t get out . . . 
 
A Purple Place for Dying 
Travis McGee isn’t sure he wants to help Mona, a woman trapped in a marriage with a wealthy businessman whom she is convinced is stealing from her trust fund. That is until he sees Mona shot dead on the cliffs near her cabin. But when he arrives at the scene, her body is gone. And there’s no trace of them ever having met. Will Travis prove that what he saw was real, and unravel a complex murder web, in time to save his own skin? 
 
Features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

Travis McGee: Books 1-3

Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee finds himself in the one place he would never choose to be: New York City, where no one can be trusted. 
 
MacDonald only gets better as he lays bare more of his America. Find out why he is the inspiration behind a generation of crime writers. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Michael Connelly and John Grisham. 
 
'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' - LEE CHILD 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - STEPHEN KING 
'To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.' - KURT VONNEGUT 
 
 
Travis McGee isn't your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
 Travis McGee's old army buddy needs a favour. 
 
His sister's fiancé has just been murdered in what the authorities claim was a standard Manhattan mugging. But Nina knows better. 
 
Her soon-to-be husband had been looking too closely at his firm's books, and he'd found that the numbers weren't adding up. 
 
 Travis is determined to get to the bottom of things, but just as he's closing in on the truth he finds himself taken captive. 
Some people will go to any lengths to make sure their secrets don't get out . . . 
 
 
Featuring an introduction by Lee Child 
 
 
Further Praise for the Travis McGee series: 
 
 'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He's great because he has a philosophical side - he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
 'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
 '. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
 'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
 'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
 'There's only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

A Nightmare in Pink

(Travis McGee: 2): the danger is palpable and the setting more so in McGee’s return, the second novel from the grandmaster of American crime fiction

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
Discover Travis McGee with this special collection. Features books four, five and six of John D. MacDonald’s classic series. 
 
The Quick Red Fox 
Hollywood’s leading lady Lysa Dean isn’t in the business of making mistakes. But a night involving a debauched party and some naked photos turns out to be one mistake too many. Travis McGee soon finds himself led on a wild chase across the country, trying to track down everyone associated with the fateful evening. But just when Travis thinks he knows exactly where things are headed, one big twist shakes his very core . . . 
 
A Deadly Shade of Gold 
When Travis McGee picks up the phone and hears a voice from his past, he can’t help it, he has to meddle. Especially when he has the chance to reunite Sam, his reckless, restless old friend, with the woman who’s been waiting for him. 
 
But the case takes a sinister turn when Sam shows up brutally cut and lying in a pool of his own blood. Travis is left to uncover the truth in a violent chase that takes him to dark but beautiful Mexico. But when the truth is as terrifying as this, does he really want answers at all? 
 
Bright Orange for the Shroud 
When an old friend, conned out of his life savings by his ex-wife, unexpectedly turns up at Travis McGee’s door, he finds himself pursuing a violently twisted hustler to get it back. What starts out as a simple job soon turns into a dangerous mission when he comes face-to-face with a quick-thinking and quicker-fisted enemy. To beat him, Travis is going to have to play him at his own game . . . 
 
Features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

Travis McGee: Books 4-6

Anthea Halliwell

For Fidgie, living in pre-war Wales, the long school holiday stretched blissfully ahead. With her new friend Chaz as companion for idyllic summer days by the sea, she was able frequently to escape her edgy mother and her malicious older sister, Cly. Her father, mercifully, was away from home ... 
 
Through Fidgie's clear eyes the events of a brief hot spell in August unfold: her family and neighbours become involved in adultery, deception, and other, darker, misdemeanours. The eight-year-old child is an engaging and lively narrator; swept along by her extraordinarily compelling tale, the reader will realise that underlying Fidgie's innocent accounts of family meals, fishing trips round the bay, tree-climbing and playing at May Queens, a very adult sub-text is developing. Its conclusion is both tragic and inevitable. 
 
Anthea Halliwell's novel marks the emergence of a delightfully individual voice and a most original storytelling talent.

The Cuckoo's Parting Cry

Andy McNab

A STUNNING ACTION THRILLER FROM A REAL-LIFE HERO 
 
Kevin Dodds leads a dull, uneventful life. He has a steady job at the bank, a nice house and car. His wife goes to Bingo on a Saturday night, but he usually stays in to save money. 
 
But Kevin has spent enough quiet nights in watching TV and decides he'd like a night out himself. And he's not talking about a pint and a packet of peanuts down at the local. He's going to attempt to pull off a daring bank robbery single handed. 
 
Kevin is about to take a heart-thumping step into the unknown. For once, he's going to stop being the grey man... 
 
Quick Reads are brilliant, short books by bestselling writers and celebrities. 
 
These exciting, dramatic and funny stories are ideal for adults who've stopped reading or find reading tough, and for regular readers who want a short, fast book by one of the best authors writing today. 
 
Quick Reads have helped hundreds of thousands of people to pick up books and enjoy reading again. 
 
For more information, please go to www.quickreads.org.uk 
 
Books available at bookshops and libraries. Books and downloads available at online book retailers.

The Grey Man

This short read (20 pages) is perfect for a coffee break and includes the first three chapters from Lee Child's new thriller - Past Tense. 
Jack Reacher likes to head south for the winter, to stay warm: so just before Christmas he arrives in a small town in Southern California. But the weather there is not warm and dry, as it's supposed to be: he arrives in a freak blizzard. Reacher finds refuge in a snowed-in roadhouse with four other strangers stranded by the storm. Two of them are British military police, separated by the weather from the VIP they are detailed to protect. Can Reacher help them find their guy, or will an undercover assassin find him first? 
 
_________ 
Don't miss Reacher's newest adventure, no.26, Better off Dead! ***COMING SOON and AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW***

The Christmas Scorpion

A Jack Reacher Short Story

Dr Nina Crawford of the University of Glasgow's Veterinary College - driven, fanatically dedicated, a survivor - is one of the most respected equine surgeons in the country. But now she seems to be losing her grip, on her operating theatre, on her skills - and on her mind. A surgeon's worst nightmare is coming true before her eyes: "The operation was a great success, but the patient died." All of her cases are dying after routine surgery and she has no idea why, or how, or what to do to stop it. Under the fierce scrutiny of those around her, Nina feels herself spiralling into the depths that led her, years before, to attempt suicide. Kellen Stewart is Nina's therapist - and also her friend. Now her own horse needs emergency surgery and Nina is the only one who can do it. As the boundaries blur between friendship and professional relationship, it becomes clear that it's not only the horses' lives that are on the line.

Night Mares

A classic from a legend of American crime writing. ‘Crumley writes like an angel on speed’ Time Out. 
 
Milo Milodragovitch isn’t exactly an upstanding citizen. He’s more than likely to be drunk, and leaves heartbreak in his wake; five ex-wives to be precise. In fact, ‘his forte is self-destruction’ (Elmore Leonard). 
 
When an elderly lady offers him a handsome fee to satisfy her curiosity he thinks it’s an easy job, a quick win. Every Thursday she watches a couple arrive at the same spot at the woods opposite her house, in separate cars. But finding out who they are and what they’re doing is far from straightforward and before he knows it Milo is in a world of trouble, complete with machine guns, grenades, and a bag of coke. Never a dull day...

Dancing Bear

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 
 
Travis McGee isn’t your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. 
 
McGee knows the dangerous link between Florida boatjackings and the drug trade, and he’s vowed never to swim with the sharks. But when Billy Ingraham, a self-made tycoon, bets that McGee can locate his $700,000 custom cruiser, he decides to jump straight in. 
 
After a friend leads him to the stolen vessel, McGee immediately regrets not going with his gut. The yacht is no longer an ordinary boat. It’s a slaughterhouse. Shortly followed by the return of a ghost from his past, Travis realises that this case may be his last . . . 
 
First published in 1984, The Lonely Silver Rain features an introduction by Lee Child 
 
JOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER 
 
'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King 
 
'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He’s great because he has a philosophical side – he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons 
 
'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton 
 
'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman 
 
'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz 
 
'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark 
 
'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain 
 
'There’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul

The Lonely Silver Rain: Introduction by Lee Child

Travis McGee, No. 21

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