An unusual study of a particular form of crime fiction. The leading desperadoes here derive from Raffles and Arsene Lupin via the inescapable Bulldog Drummond to such later household names as The Saint, the Toff, The Baron, Norman Conquest and many others, not least James Bond. Likely to be of immense interest to crime buffs. First edition. 13 x 20 cm. hardback, with jacket. 288 pages. For contents, see photos. Index. Bibliography. The jacket looks good under a non-gummed cellophane cover. All contents browned. Binding good. Title page missing. So a good reading copy of an unusual study.

Poirot was present when Jane bragged of her plan to get rid of her estranged husband. Now he is dead, Poirot can't help feeling he was being taken for a ride. This is another Hercule Poirot crime novel by 'the acknowledged Queen of detective fiction'. 'Monsieur Poirot, somehow or other I've just got to get rid of my husband!' No sooner had she uttered the words than Lady Edgware's husband was dead, brutally stabbed in the neck. The evidence against her is overwhelming, the case cut and dried. But what was the truth behind it all? What enemies lurked in the background of the victim's life? Hercule Poirot is on the case, intrigued once more, ready to investigate murder in the library. John Moffatt stars as the great Belgian detective in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization.

This is a biography of one of Britain's best-known criminals, Dick Turpin - but it is also an examination of the cult of the highwayman, of crime in the 18th century and the treatment of criminals. This is a masterly biography of one of Britain's best-known criminals - who was this notorious highwayman and why did he become so famous? It is also an examination of the cult of the highwayman, of crime in the 18th century and the treatment of criminals. In the absence of any police force how were crimes solved? Who did the detective work? And did the criminals get a fair trial - an important question if you were going to hang from the neck for a relatively minor misdemeanour. Was there a criminal underclass and did people really live in terror of going on the roads at night. Looking at the underbelly of society and the nastier aspects of life that many historians ignore, James Sharpe creates a vivid picture of life on the edges in eighteenth century Britain.

Fiona Cameron, academic psychologist, used to help the police track serial offenders. She vowed never to work again for the Met when they ignored her advice but, when her friend's fellow crime novelist is murdered, she is forced to respond. Stunning new psychological thriller from Britain's most exciting crime writer, the award-winning Val McDermid... 'Val McDermid is a roaring Ferrari amid the crowded traffic on the crime-writing road' Independent A killer is on the loose, blurring the line between fact and fiction. His prey -- the writers of crime novels who have turned psychological profilers into the heroes of the nineties. But this killer shatters all conventional wisdom, and for one woman, the desperate hunt to uncover his identity becomes a matter of life and death.;Professor Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses computer technology to help police forces track serial offenders. She used to help the Met, but when they screwed up an investigation after ignoring her advice she vowed never to work for them again. Still smarting from the experience, she's working a case in Toledo when her lover, thriller writer Kit Martin, tells her a fellow crime novelist has been murdered. It's not her case, but Fiona can't help taking an interest. Which is just as well, because before too long the killer strikes again. And again. And Fiona finds herself caught in a race against time not only to save a life but to bring herself redemption, both personal and professional.

It's summertime in the Granite city: the sun is shining, the sky is blue, & people are dying. It starts with a prostitute, stripped naked & beaten to death down by the docks. Despite DS Logan MacRae's best efforts, it's not long before another body turns up on the slab. A new Logan McRae thriller from the bestselling author of Cold Granite', set to rival Ian Rankin. It's summertime in the Granite city: the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and people are dying. It starts with Rosie Williams, a prostitute, stripped naked and beaten to death down by the docks - the heart of Aberdeen's red light district. For DS Logan McRae it's a bad start to another bad day. Only a few short months ago he was the golden boy of Grampian police. But one botched raid later he's palmed off on a DI everyone knows is a jinx, waiting for the axe to fall with all the other rejects in the 'Screw-up Squad'. Logan's not going to take it lying down. He's determined to escape DI Steel and her unconventional methods, and the best way to do that is to crack the case in double-quick time. But Rosie Williams won't be the only one making an unscheduled trip to the morgue. Across the city six people are burning to death in a petrol-soaked squat, the doors and windows screwed shut from the outside. And despite Logan's best efforts, it's not long before another prostitute turns up on the slab. Stuart MacBride's characteristic grittiness, gallows humour and lively characterization make this his second unputdownable novel, confirming his status as the rising star of crime fiction.