Naples, 1750. In the dead of the night, three men with swords burst into the palazzo of a marquis. The intruders' leader, the Prince of San Severo, accuses the marquis of being an imposter, and demands to know a secret that he believes the man harbours. In the fight that ensues, the false marquis escapes over the rooftops, leaving behind a burning palazzo and a raging prince who is now obsessed with finding his quarry at any cost. Baghdad, 2003. An American army unit hunting down Saddam's inner circle makes a horrifying discovery: a state-of-the-art, concealed lab where dozens - men, woman, children - have died after enduring gruesome experiments. The mysterious scientist they were after, a man believed to be working on a bioweapons program and known only as the hakeem - the doctor - escapes, taking with him the startling truth about his work. A puzzling clue is left behind, crudely carved into the wall of one of the underground prison's cells: a circular symbol of a snake feeding on its own tail. So begins Raymond Khoury's explosive new novel, placing two bold women at the centre of the action as they get caught up in a murderous trail of ancient clues. Ripped from the history books and coupled with cutting-edge science, The Sanctuary delivers even more of the brilliant mystery and rapid-fire suspense that made Khoury's debut novel, The Last Templar, a Sunday Times, New York Times and #1 international bestseller.
Raymond Khoury is an acclaimed screenwriter and producer for both television and film. Educated in France and the United States, Khoury now lives in London with his wife and two children.
Raymond is a highly promotable author and one of the main writers of the massive hit tv show, SPOOKS .
Matthew Klein was born in New York City and went to Yale University. After graduation, Klein started several technology companies in Palo Alto, which, combined, raised tens of millions of dollars from investors. After the collapse of the dot com market, Klein moved to Westchester County, where he now runs a trading technology company and writes novels.
When the body of Federal Attorney Gregory Youssef is found dumped on the edge of Baltimore, every law-enforcement officer in the city is determined to catch his killer. But four months on, no one has been brought to justice and the department is under massive pressure to deliver a suspect. Meanwhile, Tess' boyfriend, Crow, runs into a homeless black teenager and insists on helping him. He brings Lloyd home for some food and a bed for the night. When Tess mentions the Gregory Youssef case in his presence, Lloyd freezes. That night, Lloyd sneaks out of the house and disappears. What could be the link between Youssef's death and the teenager? Tess tracks Lloyd down and convinces him to share what he knows - which she then passes on to the press on the condition that Lloyd's name isn't used. But they use Tess' name instead ... The police start to put the screws on Tess to reveal her source, but to give them Lloyd's name would be equivalent to a death sentence - snitches aren't tolerated on the streets of Baltimore. Meanwhile Lloyd suddenly shows up at Crow's door. Another black teenager has been shot and it quickly emerges that Lloyd was the intended target. Lloyd has nowhere to run to and he certainly can't go to the police. Before long the situation spins wildly out of control, leaving Tess to fear not only for Lloyd, but also for those closest to her.
Before becoming a full time novelist, Laura Lippman was a newspaper reporter for 20 years, including twelve at the Baltimore Sun. She lives in Baltimore with her partner, the writer David Simon.
Before becoming a full time novelist, Laura Lippman was a newspaper reporter for 20 years, including 12 years at the BALTIMORE SUN. She lives in Baltimore with her partner, the writer David Simon.
It all starts with a cat-and-mouse chase to the death in a Baltimore funfair: the Jackal, Bourne's age-old antagonist, is back and Bourne is forced from his idyllic retirement with his wife and children to confront his enemy. In Europe, Russia and America there are men and women whose lust for power is disguised by their positions and respectability. Their aim: to gain control at the highest level, to avenge, to destroy. Jason Bourne has been the assassin before: now he longs for peace with his family, but the threat of the Jackal puts in jeopardy all possibility of peace ...
After a successful career in the theatre, Robert Ludlum launched his career as a best-selling writer with THE SCARLATTI INHERITANCE in 1971, the first of twenty-two consecutive international bestsellers. Robert sadly passed away in March 2001.
Alex McAuliff has received an offer he can't refuse... but if he takes it, it could be the last thing he does.
McAuliff has been given two million dollars for a geological survey of Jamaica's dark interior. All Dunstone Ltd requires is his time, his expertise, and absolute secrecy. But British Intelligence is aware of the deal, and they've let Alex in on a secret: the last survey team Dunstone despatched to Jamaica vanished without trace. For Alex, it's too late to turn back. He already knows about Dunstone - which means he knows too much. From the moment he lands in Jamaica he is a marked man. But who wants him dead? In an island paradise where even a beautiful woman could be a spy, Alex's only clue to survival is a single, mysterious word: Halidon...
After a successful career in the theatre, Robert Ludlum launched his career as a best-selling writer with The Scarlatti Inheritance in 1971, the first of twenty-two consecutive international bestsellers. Robert sadly passed away in March 2001.
Robert Ludlum began his professional life as an actor and producer for stage and screen. Following on from his success in theatre and TV, he launched his career as a writer with The Scarlatti Inheritance in 1971, the first of a string of consecutive massive international bestsellers.
Of all Robert Ludlum's bestsellers, the Jason Bourne novels remain among his most-read and most-loved books. With THE BOURNE LEGACY, Eric Van Lustbader brought Bourne to a whole new audience. Now he's back, and the stakes are higher than ever...
Eric Van Lustbader is the author of numerous novels but is most widely known as the author of a string of international bestselling thrillers. Born in New York City, he currently lives in New York state.
Of all Robert Ludlum's bestsellers, the Jason Bourne novels remain among his most-read and most-loved books. With THE BOURNE LEGACY, Eric Van Lustbader brought Bourne to a whole new audience. Now he's back, and the stakes are higher than ever...
Eric Van Lustbader is the author of numerous novels but is most widely known as the author of a string of international bestselling thrillers. Born in New York City, he currently lives in New York state.
The first in a brand new series from the crime master himself, Ed McBain.
Alice In Jeopardy is the first novel in an exciting new series. Each novel is set in a different location featuring a contemporary woman whose life or children are suddenly endangered. The woman must find in herself the resources to save both her children and herself. Alice is a recently widowed young woman living in Florida with her two small children. She has been utterly devastated by her late husband's death in a boating accident, and is struggling to re-build her life. And as if life can't get any worse, her children are kidnapped. Surrounded by police fighting inter-departmental battles, Alice ultimately has to resort to finding and saving her children herself. ALICE IN JEOPARDY is a truly gripping book, absolutely jam-packed with twists and turns, culminating in a totally unexpected ending.
Ed McBain is one of the most illustrious names in crime fiction. In 1998, he was the first non-British author to be awrded the Crime Writers' Association/Cartier Diamond Dagger Award. He is also holder of the Mystery Writers of America's coveted Grand Master Award and the Sherlock Award for 'Best International Detective'.
Struggling through another Edinburgh winter Rebus finds himself sucked into a web of intrigue that throws up more questions than answers. Was the Lord Provost's daughter kidnapped or just another runaway? Why is a city councillor shredding documents that should have been waste paper years ago? And why on earth is Rebus invited to a clay pigeon shoot at the home of the Scottish Office's Permanent Secretary? Sucked into the machine that is modern Scotland, Rebus confronts the fact that some of his enemies may be beyond justice...
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, as well as receiving two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. He has also been shortlisted for the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the USA, and won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize in 2000. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's 'Newsnight Review', he also presented his own TV series, 'Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts', on Channel 4 in 2002. His most recent novel, A Question Of Blood, was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in both
hardback and paperback. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
A shot rings out, the woman dies instantly. But she was not alone on the steps of the London hotel. A number of other people could also have been the intended target of the invisible sniper. But the assassin, Michael Weston, knows he has carried out his assignment successfully. One mistake was enough, a long time ago, when a young American girl had accidentally received the fatal bullet. After all those years, the father of the dead girl still had a private eye named Hoffer on a permanent retainer to track him down. Every time Weston completed a job, he knew Hoffer would not be far behind. But why had the police been on the scene so quickly? Weston has to find out - even if it means coming face to face with Hoffer...
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, as well as receiving two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. He has also been shortlisted for the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the USA, and won Denmark's Palle Rosenkrantz Prize in 2000. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's 'Newsnight Review', he also presented his own TV series, 'Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts', on Channel 4 in 2002. His most recent novel, A Question Of Blood, was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in both
hardback and paperback. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
Ian Rankin was born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960. In 1997 he was awarded the Macallan Gold Dagger for Fiction for Black And Blue. His subsequent Rebus novels have all been international bestsellers and he has gone to receive three further dagger awards. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, and in 2003 Ian received an OBE for his services to literature.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.
Ian Rankin has been elected a Hawthornden Fellow, and is also a past winner of the Chandler-Fulbright Award, as well as receiving two Dagger Awards for the year's best short story and the Gold Dagger for Fiction. Ian Rankin is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Edinburgh.
A contributor to BBC2's 'Newsnight Review', he also presented his own TV series, 'Ian Rankin's Evil Thoughts', on Channel 4 in 2002. His most recent novel, A Question Of Blood, was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in both hardback and paperback. He recently received the OBE for services to literature, opting to receive the prize in his home city of Edinburgh, where he lives with his partner and two sons.
James Rollins is the author of eight previous bestselling novels. An amateur spelunker and scuba enthusiast, he holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Missouri. He currently lives and writes in Sacramento, California.
Alex Scarrow lives a nomadic existence with his wife Frances and his son Jacob, their current home being Norwich. He spent the first ten years out of college in the music business chasing record deals and the next 12 years in the computer games industry.
Alex Scarrow lives a nomadic existence with his wife Frances and his son Jacob, their current home being Norwich. He spent the first ten years out of college in the music business chasing record deals and the next 12 years in the computer games industry.
'The Butcher of Belle Vue' has struck again. Like the first two victims, the third has been partially skinned and dumped on waste ground, her muscles, tendons and ligaments exposed to view. Only this time, her face has also been removed. Jon Spicer and his new partner, Rick Saville, are on the investigating team. The case is waiting for its first breakthrough when a woman approaches Jon insisting that she heard 'The Butcher' claiming his third victim in the next-door room of a run-down hotel in Belle Vue. But all she has to back up her story is a business card that she recovered from the empty room the following morning - it's from a local escort agency and the name 'Alexia' has been scrawled on the back. Jon's investigation takes him into the twilight world of Manchester's escort agencies and the unscrupulous cosmetic surgery industry, ultimately forcing him to confront the propensity for violence that is inherent within each of us - even within himself.
Chris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. After travelling throughout the world he settled near Manchester. He is married with four children and works as a freelance copywriter.
Chris Simms is married with four children and works as a freelance copywriter. His acclaimed novel Killing the beasts was selected as a Best Crime book for 2005 by SHOTS magazine. His second novel Pecking Order was selected as a Best British crime novel by DEADLY PLEASURES magazine. Chris Simms lives in Marple, near Manchester.
Spooks is a stylish, gripping spy thriller series, shown on BBC1 where it regularly draws audiences of over seven million viewers, making it one of the most popular drama series in British TV. Its enormous appeal is brought about because the subject matter is so close to events on the news, the superb performances of the cast, and because the outcome is always in doubt (rarely have the leads in s show had such a high mortality rate!). Now in this fascinating book, we get right behind the scenes to understand how the shows are made, how the plots are devised, and the enormous amount of work that goes into making it seem as authentic as possible. Featuring interviews with the cast and writers, and packed with exclusive stills of the making of the programmes, this book provides all the information about how the series is made and the truth that lies beyond the fiction.
Katie Porter is an ordinary Manhattan girl. Working her first job out of college, her life is one of drinks and dates, gym visits and shopping. But someone thinks she's special - very special. And he's following her...But it's not her boyfriend, Andy. The frat-boy who never grew up is too busy working out how far Katie will go and if her friends are hot, to stop and think whether Katie's 'the one'. But someone's already decided she is - and he's watching Katie. Peter has seen Katie from the gym desk he mans. He's seen her at the coffee stall she stops at on the way to work. In fact, he's seen her almost everywhere, as he quietly follows her. But most of all, he sees her in his plans for the future. He's got the proposal worked out, he's even got the ring and their happy home already bought. After all, he's had enough time to plan things to perfection - he grew up in the same small town. Surely, after all these years, he can't let anything stand in his way...Combining his trademark razor-sharp dialogue, black humour and killer page-turning suspense, THE FOLLOWER will creep you out, hook you in, and make sure you always double-lock your door at night.
Jason Starr was born and raised in Brooklyn. His novels have been published in seven languages and he lives with his wife and daughter in Manhattan.
Katie Porter is an ordinary Manhattan girl. Working her first job out of college, her life is one of drinks and dates, gym visits and shopping. But someone thinks she's special - very special. And he's following her...But it's not her boyfriend, Andy. The frat-boy who never grew up is too busy working out how far Katie will go and if her friends are hot, to stop and think whether Katie's 'the one'. But someone's already decided she is - and he's watching Katie. Peter has seen Katie from the gym desk he mans. He's seen her at the coffee stall she stops at on the way to work. In fact, he's seen her almost everywhere, as he quietly follows her. But most of all, he sees her in his plans for the future. He's got the proposal worked out, he's even got the ring and their happy home already bought. After all, he's had enough time to plan things to perfection - he grew up in the same small town. Surely, after all these years, he can't let anything stand in his way...Combining his trademark razor-sharp dialogue, black humour and killer page-turning suspense, THE FOLLOWER will creep you out, hook you in, and make sure you always double-lock your door at night.
Jason Starr was born and raised in Brooklyn. His novels have been published in seven languages and he lives with his wife and daughter in Manhattan.
Who will own the greatest treasures of all...? In the darkness of 13th Century Europe, the most precious wonders of the Christian world lie in a small church in the great ruined city of Constantinople, the spoils of a failed Crusade. The crown of thorns, the spear that pierced Jesus' side, the shroud bearing the imprint of Christ - all lie in the mysterious Chapel of Pharos, untouchable treasures beyond earthly price. On the other side of the globe, Petroc of Auneford sails into the sprawling Pool of London for the first time. He has left his old monastic world behind for that of the enigmatic Captain de Montalhac - purveyor of fine relics and other exotic trinkets to anyone with sufficient money and desire. But for Petroc, the trip is soon blighted by tragedy. Grief, however, is no guard against greed, and with rumours of the sale of the relics of Pharos growing, the Captain needs Petroc's help. The great powers of Christendom are gathering - all covet the power of the relics - and Petroc finds himself right in the eye of the storm. Stretching from the streets of London to the brothels of Venice and all the way to ruined palaces of Constantinople, The Vault Of Bones is an epic tale of faith, power, money and revenge.
Pip grew up in South Devon. He studied medieval history at London University and later worked as a reader for a literary agency when he wasn't dabbling as a bike messenger, saxophonist, food critic, gardener and restaurant owner. He now lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.
They are the Choirboys - the patrol squad of the LA Police attempting to stay sane in an insane world. The five sets of partners on the night-watch are men of varying temperaments and backgrounds, but they are joined together by the job and they have elected to spend their pre-dawn hours in MacArthur Park in relaxing drink and sex sessions they call 'choir practice'. This is the story of men endangered ultimately not by the violence of their jobs but by their choice of off-duty entertainment. This is a boisterous and freewheeling novel, as chillingly authentic as only a veteran police officer could make it.
Edward Wright grew up in Arkansas and was a naval officer and a newspaperman before discovering the greater satisfaction of writing fiction. Although transplanted to California, he remains partial to barbecue and bluegrass music. He also has an affinity for film noir. Among his regrets are never having met Will Shakespeare, Robert E. Lee, or Hank Williams. He and his wife, Cathy, live in the Los Angeles area but get away whenever possible to the lakes and trails of the eastern Sierra Nevada.
Edward Wright grew up in Arkansas and was a naval officer and a newspaperman before discovering the greater satisfaction of writing fiction. Although transplanted to California, he remains partial to barbecue and bluegrass music. He also has an affinity for film noir. Among his regrets are never having met Will Shakespeare, Robert E. Lee, or Hank Williams. He and his wife, Cathy, live in the Los Angeles area but get away whenever possible to the lakes and trails of the eastern Sierra Nevada.