Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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Jessica M. Goldstein

Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her lap: a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy. 
 
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it.

Retro

Kate Eberle

She thought she was in a romance. Fate threw her into a thriller. Will happily-ever-after still be on the cards when fiction and reality blur for Roxie? 
When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favourite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind — namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted by a mysterious busker. Except for one little hiccup: that dashing stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist — but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So, when her escape from a potential murderer takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman — an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels — she decides a little light kidnapping is a small price to pay for survival.Together, Roxie and Grant team up to navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur and find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End — or maybe even Happily Ever After.

If Books Could Kill

Steve Jones

Ray might be about to die. But he&rsquo;s sure as hell not going quietly &hellip; 
 
Former policeman Ray &lsquo;Sugar&rsquo; Leonard is no stranger to bad breaks. But even Walter White never had to open up and share his feelings with a bunch of misfits like Ray&rsquo;s chemotherapy group: a giant God-bothering Welsh bouncer, a sharp-suited wannabe Wolf of Wall Street, and a misanthropic, potty-mouthed little old lady. Compared to that lot, getting mugged on his way home from the clinic was almost a relief. 
 
But Ray is not your average victim. And when his training kicks in and his would-be attacker winds up dead, he wonders, who else might be equally deserving of such summary justice? After all, he&rsquo;s got cancer, what&rsquo;s he got to lose? 
 
Then Ray lets slip his new philosophy to the group and it soon becomes clear that he&rsquo;s not the only one with murder in mind &hellip;

Terminally Kill

Simone St. James

1960s: 
 
Three siblings are all haunted in three very different ways. Violet wakes to a strange and cold woman looming over her bed, Dodie wakes in a constant state of drowning and Vale wakes to beaming light and probing figures. But the one thing that haunts them the most is the disappearance of their little brother, Ben, who went missing during a game of hide and seek. 
 
1980s: 
 
Violet is notified that Ben's spirit is seen wondering their haunted childhood home calling for them to return and the three siblings do just that. But secrets become un-earthed, their past traumas seem more connected that they thought and all siblings are faced with a very angry spirit who wants revenge.

A Box Full of Darkness

Gillian McAllister

A road trip across America with her teenage daughter was meant to be much-needed bonding time for Simone before Lucy leaves home for university. 
 
But on the first night of their stay, in a cabin deep in the Texan desert, Simone wakes to find Lucy missing and a mobile phone in her place. The phone rings and the voice on the other end issues instructions: Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. Be prepared to do a deal… 
 
There is nothing Simone wouldn’t do to save her daughter. Hide the truth. Commit a terrible crime. Become a wanted woman. 
 
But there’s one thing Simone hasn’t considered. 
 
What if this is just what the kidnappers want?

Caller Unknown

Mark Edwards

It’s Noel and Dani’s first Christmas in their new home and they want everything to be perfect - lavish presents, a beautiful tree and outdoor decorations to join in with the festivities in this welcoming community.But they quickly wonder if this street is as idyllic as it appears. First, there are the unwelcome presents left anonymously on their doorstep. Then they are sure someone is watching them. And why are the neighbours all obsessed with a notorious killer who is housed at the nearby women’s prison?After tragedy strikes at a Christmas party, Noel and Dani try to find out who is targeting them – but, in this case, it might be safer not to know . . .

The Christmas Magpie

Robin Burcell

Husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo face a new exciting adventure, continuing the bestselling series from UK No. 1 Bestseller Clive Cussler, the Grand Master of Adventure. 
 
The latest action-packed thriller featuring treasure-hunting team Sam and Remi Fargo. 
 
Praise for Clive Cussler: 
 
 'The Adventure King' Sunday Express 
 
 'Just about the best in the business' New York Post 
 
 'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail

Clive Cussler's The Serpent's Eye

K. L. Slater

Emily is ready to leave the lies behind. With a beautiful new home and money in the bank, her partner Oliver promises their life as con artists is over. Orchard Lane seems perfect — friendly neighbours, quiet dinners, a fresh start.But something isn’t right. Unsettling messages arrive. Emily feels watched. Oliver starts acting strangely.As paranoia grows and secrets resurface, murder strikes the street. And Emily realises there’s only one thing she knows for certain about her husband:He’s a very good liar.

We Tell Lies

Patrick couldn’t believe his luck when Holly fell for him. She’s wickedly funny, beautiful, and with an intimidatingly successful father, Charles. 
So when she invites him to Charles’ mansion for a New Year’s break in Scotland, all he’s hoping is that they’ll accept him as one of the family. 
But everything feels a little off. Whispers in hallways. Rumours of a body that got found nearby the previous year. And something very strange about Charles’ new girlfriend. 
Every family has secrets, and Patrick tells himself all he needs to do is survive the next few days. 
But then the first body is found, and Patrick realises that all he needs to do is survive the next few days…

One of the Family

Graham Brown

When a NATO super-weapon is successfully tested at the North Pole, the aircraft carrying it suddenly vanishes off the radar, the crew are found murdered at their stations, and the weapon – capable of triggering global catastrophe – disappears into the Arctic mists. 
 
NUMA’s Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are pulled into a race against time to lead the search. 
 
Rival Russian and Chinese powers are closing in, but as Kurt and his team race to reach the wreck first, a darker mystery emerges: the world’s great powers are all being carefully manipulated by one vengeful man with a deadly plan . . .

Clive Cussler’s Cold Fire

Bea Fitzgerald

Nadine Heywood is determined to be the best actress in the world.Getting into London’s top drama school is just the first step. But there, Nadine comes head-to-head with Harper Moore. Beautiful, brilliant, effortlessly charming, she is everything Nadine isn’t. And immediately Nadine sees her as more than just her competition.As their worlds collide against the glitz of Hollywood, they can no longer keep their rivalry private. Splashed over the tabloids, Harper and Nadine are the public’s favourite celebrity feud. 
 
But as the stakes get higher, they start to realise there is more to their passionate hate than meets the eye…

Better Than Revenge

Matthew Frank

Julian Sinclair is a serial killer - charming, manipulative, deadly. He hunted girls for sport, and it's high time justice was served. 
 
But when Sinclair's conviction is thrown out in court, DC Joseph Stark and DS Fran Millhaven find themselves forced to protect the man they're sure is guilty from those who would see him pay in blood. 
 
Then another girl dies. And Sinclair can't have killed her from his hospital bed. 
 
Is a killer lurking inside someone they never suspected? 
 
And have they had the wrong man all along?

The Killer Inside

Tim Weaver

When Paul Conister heads upstairs he doesn't return. His wife Maggie goes up to find all the windows are locked from the inside and Paul's phone and wallet are next to their bed. 
He hasn't left. And there's no sign of him anywhere. 
This case brings missing persons investigator David Raker into contact with three other mysteries. 
A deadly discovery by night patrolmen in an Underground station. A cold case with a witness that no longer exists. A tragic shooting of a young man with a terrible secret. 
Four stories. One connection. Only Raker can uncover the truth.

The Shadow at the Door

Four cases. One connection. The gripping David Raker short story collection

Jørn Lier Horst

Detective William Wisting has spent years solving the cases that others can’t. 
 
But when his daughter, Line, unearths information about the little-known past of Adrian Stiller – Wisting’s replacement as head of the Cold Case Unit – including the mysterious disappearance of Stiller’s high school sweetheart, Wisting trusts Line to follow the trail. 
 
Wisting is looking forward to taking a step back. When his former boss dies, however, Wisting suspects foul play was involved. Particularly when a link to Stiller and another cold case emerges… 
 
As secrets come to light, new and old threads intertwine – and at the centre of it all stands Wisting, who alongside his daughter, must solve one last case.

The Last Case

Leodora Darlington

Natalie’s in tears in her bedroom. She’s had a huge argument with her husband. Slowly, she realises she’s already holding a knife. 
 
She’s telling herself she doesn’t want to do it. Not again. 
 
Because Natalie has an awful secret. Sometimes, on her worst nights, she blacks out. She loses control. 
 
What do you do when there’s a killer in your house, and you think it might be you?

The Exes

Christoffer Carlsson

On a cold, snowy winter's night in 1999, Sander and Killian leave a house party together, in a small town in rural Sweden. The very best of friends, they imagine they will remain so forever. 
 
The next morning, each is a key suspect in a murder. Each has something they want to conceal from the police. And from the other. 
 
The hunt for Mikael Söderström's killer will take over twenty years. It will see a detective leave the force forever. And it won't end until a second body is found, and the tight-knit community's secrets are finally brought to light...

The Living and the Dead

Alex Dekker

After a catastrophic deployment that left most of his team dead or injured, Nathan Wilde has said his goodbyes to the life of the Green Beret. He is now seeking the quiet life, dedicating himself to his academic passion for history and archaeology—but his hero days are far from over. Nathan’s attempt to lead a normal existence is soon threatened by his remarkable discovery of the lost civilisation of Ubar. Catapulted onto the world stage, Nate attracts more than just academic acclaim—mysterious forces are at play, leading to missing friends, summons from world leaders, and conscription back into the military. 
 
Knowing he’s going back into harm’s way, Nate turns to the only men left alive that he truly trusts: his group of tight knit former teammates—a motley crew of expertly trained warriors, to help him navigate the challenges ahead, as well as the demons of his past. Finding themselves hunted by a former Spetsnaz soldier who works for a shadowy organization and chased through the desert by al Qaeda terrorists, the former commandos must utilise their skills in a race to discover whether the city truly exists, as well as uncover a deeper geopolitical mystery that will have resounding ramifications around the world.

The Desert Heist

Claire Douglas

When Imogen is told she’s inherited a country house near Bath, she thinks it must be a mistake. She last saw its owner, reclusive artist Dorothea Roe, sixteen years ago, during a tragic summer which changed her life for ever.Now, with partner Josh in tow, it’s a chance for a fresh start.But after discovering an old box with her name on it in Dorothea’s abandoned study, Imogen starts to believe the woman was trying to send her a secret message.And when rumours begin to swirl that Dorothea was murdered, she starts to suspect that this gift might not be the life-line she thought it was.Who would want to kill Dorothea?Could it be tangled up in Imogen’s own dark family history?And what if Imogen is now the one in danger?

The Family Friend

Josh Winning

Bastian may be a vampire, but he doesn’t bite—anymore. He’s just trying to live his best undead life: sightseeing through Italy with his magical talking cat, Whitby, and maybe flirting with a cute boy or two. 
 
Then a body turns up on the beach, seemingly drained by a vampire. It wasn’t Bastian. He swears—on his own grave. But the local police chief isn’t convinced and assigns the infuriatingly handsome detective Nico De Luca to watch him until his trial. 
 
With the Vampire Council on their way and more victims appearing, Bastian, Whitby, and Nico must unmask the real killer before the whole town is gone—fangs, flirting, and all.

Be Still My Unbeating Heart

Travis Kennedy

It’s Los Angeles, 1986, and metal rules the world. When aspiring drummer Rikki Thunder gets a shot to join L.A.’s hottest new band, Whyte Python, he soon has a hit single scorching up the charts, and the life he always dreamed of. 
 
But good fortune can be deceiving. With the Cold War breathing its last gasps and American music blasting through the Iron Curtain, a revolution is taking hold. Rikki soon realizes there is a deeper web of influence propelling Whyte Python, and his mission—to spread peace, love, and epic shredding across the globe—are far more dangerous than he could ever imagine...

The Whyte Python World Tour

Jessica Bull

Jane Austen is preparing for the summer season. 
 
As guests of their wealthy relatives Mr and Mrs Leigh-Perrot, Jane and her sister Cassandra will be holidaying in Bath Spa – the world-famous health resort, and more importantly, the epicentre of the marriage mart. 
 
For many, the summer will be spent hunting husbands. But for Jane, when a series of murders take place across the city, she must chase down a killer instead. 
 
With her beloved sister by her side, Jane is determined to bring the murderer to justice. Can she stop this villain from taking any more victims, before the summer ends? Or will her only dance of the season be with death…

Pride, Prejudice and Peril

Mike Maden

From the outside, The Oregon is a rustling hunk of junk. But beneath the ships decaying exterior lurks a state-of-the-art vessel equipped with a uniquely effective array of weaponry. It's manned by the charismatic Juan Cabrillo, chair of the US government sponsored organisation 'The Corporation'. Aided by his crew of mercenaries, Cabrillo takes the Oregon on missions that the law can't handle, dealing justice to villains who threaten chaos on a global scale.

Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon face a ghost ship, deadly assassins and a threat from Cabrillo’s own past in their race to stop the launch of the world’s deadliest machine in this electrifying new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. 
 
There’s a tempest brewing in Central America. A government crackdown on cartels leaves most of the drug lords locked up in an impregnable prison. In response, Amador Fierro, a brilliant, tech-savvy crime boss forges the seven largest cartels into an allegiance called La Liga. If they are to defeat the U.S. led offensive, they will need a powerful weapon. Thus is born Project Q: an Artificial General Intelligence computer that, when finished, will grant Fierro such overwhelming control of America. 
 
Chairman Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon are the only ones standing in his way, but they have their own problems. While two members of the team are unreachable in the Darien Gap searching for an Iranian Quds Force base, the Oregon crew have a mole in their midst. Meanwhile, other dark forces are at play, competing for the all consuming power at hand. 
 
The race to stop the launching of Project Q will come down to the wire. It’s a race neither Juan Cabrillo, nor the western world, can afford to lose . . .

Clive Cussler’s Quantum Tempest

Gregg Hurwitz

A thrilling new story featuring Gregg Hurwitz's bestselling Orphan X! 
 
Joey Morales was the last recruit of the government's full black operation, the Orphan Program. Trained to be an assassin until she washed out, she was rescued by Evan Smoak, the former agent known as Orphan X. 
 
Now Joey, still a teenager and under the watchful eye of Evan Smoak, lives on her own (with Dog the dog) and attends college. 
 
While on campus, she tries to stop a young woman's suicide attempt - and fails. Then Joey uncovers the reason for Becca Morgan's desperate act - a document called The List, which ranks and rates women around campus based on their sexual appeal and performance. 
 
Determined to find the boys behind The List, the ones whose callous acts drove Becca Morgan to suicide, Joey recruits the help of her mentor, Orphan X, and uses all her skills to uncover and expose the ones responsible. 
Usually working from the shadows, Joey has to put herself on the line and in harm's way this time to not just avenge the dead but to protect the rest of the women who are targets of the hidden cabal behind The List. 
 
Praise for Orphan X 
'OUTSTANDING IN EVERY WAY' LEE CHILD 
'WEAPONS-GRADE THRILLER WRITING' GUARDIAN

The List

Isha Raya

When struggling actress Dimple Kapoor pushes her Hollywood rival to her death, it’s not the first time she’s killed. Or the second... 
 
But this third time was an accident. It just so happens to be a very convenient accident that's created the perfect opportunity to land her dream role. 
 
It’s too bad another partygoer witnessed it. With everything she’s ever wanted within reach, Dimple will do anything to keep it in her grasp. 
 
Unfortunately for Dimple, top private investigator Saffi Iyer is catching onto her deadly schemes. 
 
But when the two women meet, sparks fly. 
 
Has Dimple finally met her match?

Triple Threat

Matt Baker

A summer on the Italian island of Capri. The perfect opportunity for recently widowed DCI Joe Mottram to reconnect with his teenage daughter. What better place to bond than in his late wife’s childhood home where her parents still run renowned beachside restaurant, Da Vinale's. 
 
And then the body turns up. 
 
When a British tourist is found dead at the bottom of an iconic landmark, Joe’s hopes of a restorative holiday are shattered. Then local detective Lara Sarrancino arrives at Da Vinale's asking questions, and Joe realises the family restaurant might be hiding secrets amidst its delicious dishes. 
 
Joe will have to act fast - and find a way to work with stubborn Lara - in order to learn the truth. 
 
Because the next murder might be even closer to home...

A Taste For Murder

Samantha Downing

You’d never guess Lottie Jones had skeletons in her closet. 
 
She’s lived in town for decades now. She’s getting older. She lives for the simple pleasures of weekly bingo games at church, and gossiping with her friends about their children’s love lives. 
 
But when investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past, and specifically about her connection to numerous unsolved murders, well, Lottie just can’t have that. 
 
But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realises this crime might just be the death of her…

Too Old For This

Welcome to Kent, 1797. 
 
Jane Austen is set to spend the summer with her estranged brother, Neddy. As heir to wealthy widow Mrs Knight’s fortune, it is imperative that Neddy stays in his benefactor’s good graces. 
 
But upon arrival at Godmersham Park, Jane realises Neddy is in dire need of her help. For a mysterious young woman currently resides with Mrs Knight – a stranger who threatens to swindle the inheritance for herself. 
 
Jane must uncover who this imposter is, to protect the fortunes – and fate – of her entire family. But when her investigation takes a dark and dangerous turn, can she solve the mystery – and save herself?

A Fortune Most Fatal

Eve Chase

Mimi Mott, celebrated interior designer and style icon, is auctioning off her estate, intent on telling the true story of her life in objects. Her new assistant, Jo O’Mara, is determined to win Mimi’s trust. But Jo has secrets of her own, and time is running out to unpick the past. 
 
Who is Mimi, really? A woman who rose from humble beginnings – but at what cost? What happened in that Wiltshire manor house during the summer of 1969? Who died the night of the glittering summer party? 
 
As the countdown begins, Jo is drawn into a world of obsession, sisters and secrets – and must risk everything to unravel the truth, one thread at a time.

The Secret Thread

The Oregon. From the outside, the ship is a rusting hunk of junk. But beneath that decaying exterior lurks a state-of-the art vessel equipped with a uniquely effective array of weaponry. And it’s manned by the charismatic Juan Cabrillo, chair of the US government sponsored organisation ‘The Corporation’. Aided by his crew of mercenaries, Cabrillo takes the Oregon on missions that the law can’t handle, dealing justice to villains who threaten chaos on a global scale.

Untitled Cussler - Oregon #20

Two problems: A tech-billionaire whose psychological crisis could have catastrophic implications for the global order. And the abduction of vulnerable young woman, Anca, seized from the New York City Subway, held, hurt, then discarded like trash. 
 
One solution: Evan Smoak, a former black ops assassin codenamed Orphan X, now dedicated to helping the desperate with nowhere else to turn. 
 
But saving the world from a powerful man who has lost his mind while pursuing justice for an innocent survivor will test Evan like never before. Especially when complicated by Anca's inconvenient insistence that he show some measure of mercy to the men who abducted her. 
 
Because if the world's greatest assassin cannot kill, then this mission just got a whole lot more daunting and dangerous. 
 
As lethal threats mount, Evan may have to choose between upholding a higher code . . . and his own life.

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