CAMPBELL AND CARTER UNITE WITH MITCHELL AND MARKBY IN AN UNFINISHED MURDER BY ANN GRANGER

Two great detective duos unite in the Ann Granger’s AN UNFINISHED MURDER, published today in hardback and ebook by Headline in the UK. American readers can also get their hands on a copy of the sixth addition to the Campbell and Carter series today as AN UNFINISHED MURDER is out in ebook from Canelo in the US. In Ann’s latest mystery, Campbell and Carter are joined by retired detectives Mitchell and Markby when they find themselves dealing with a cold case. Fans of Ann’s novels will recognise the older investigative team from the internationally acclaimed Mitchell and Markby series.

As young children, Josh Browning and his sister, Dilys, stumbled across a dead body while playing on the outskirts of their Cotswold village. Terrified by what they'd seen, neither of them told a soul. Now, twenty years later, Josh finds the dead woman's charm bracelet among his sister's possessions.

Who better to tell than his trusted friend, the man he gardens for, retired Superintendent Alan Markby? As Markby listens to Josh's confession, alarm bells start to ring. The dates and details tie in with a missing person case that was never solved.

Joining forces with Superintendent Ian Carter, who also investigated the original case, and Inspector Jess Campbell, from the region where the missing girl was last seen, Markby delves into the unsolved mystery. Together, they are determined to catch a clever killer who almost got away with murder...

Rights to AN UNFINISHED MURDER have been sold in Germany to Bastei Lubbe. The Mitchell and Markby and Fran Varady detective series have received international acclaim, entering the Top 5 German Bestseller list with each novel. Ann has also contributed to several short story volumes licensed internationally. Headline has published 29 of her crime novels, and the Campbell and Carter series has been translated into five languages.

Ann Granger has lived in cities all over the world, since for many years she worked for the Foreign Office and received postings to British embassies as far apart as Munich and Lusaka. She is now permanently based in Oxfordshire.

Praise for Ann Granger:

‘Characterisation, as ever with Granger, is sharp and astringent’ — The Times

‘Highly entertaining and frequently witty bit of sleuthing.’ — Manchester Evening News

‘The maturity of her writing is evident: the style is witty, the setting picturesque, and the characters vivid and colorful.’ — Mystery News

‘One of the most reliable practitioners of the crime fiction genre.’ — Good Book Guide

‘Ann Granger has shown she can sustain a series… it's worth investing.’ — Rich Westwood, EuroCrime

‘You can always count on Ann Granger! …Those craving for some nice, English crime-entertainment will be served well.’ — Kölner Express

‘Ann Granger creates suspense and interesting characters. Quirky ladies, cranky farmers and incompetent policemen…Pitchforks and drug traffic – Granger’s extremes are told with wit and humour.’ — Neue Presse

‘Solidly written, well plotted and always entertaining.’ — Frankfurter Rundschau

THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS BY EDWARD WILSON-LEE OUT NOW

Discover the vibrant life of Hernando Colón, Christopher Columbus’ illegitimate son in Edward Wilson-Lee’s illuminating new biography THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS out now from William Collins in hardback, ebook and audio. Helen Castor called it ‘a thought-provoking exploration of the ways in which we acquire, organise and retrieve information about the world and our place in it.’  In Literary Review Felipe Fernández-Armesto described the book as ‘a fascinating and beautifully written account of how Hernando conceived and assembled his library is set within a highly original biography of the compiler. It’s a work of imagination restrained by respect for evidence, of brilliance suitably alloyed by erudition, and of scholarship enlivened by sensitivity and acuity.’ You can also read Alison Flood’s Guardian feature on Edward and the book here

Without libraries, who are we? We have no past, and no future… This fascinating book tells for the first time in English the story of the first great universal library in the age of printing — and of the illegitimate son of Christopher Colombus who created it. Hernando Colón spent his life trying to build the first universal library of print: personally scouring bookshops in an attempt to acquire a copy of every book, he brought them back to his library in Seville, where he drove himself mad attempting to devise how best to navigate and organise the world of print.

Hernando lived in extraordinary times. He knew Erasmus, Dürer and Thomas More, was at the forefront in the first international conference to determine the circumference of the world, led the team that created the first world map on scientific principles — and invented the modern bookcase!

Hernando’s life placed him at the centre of the ages of exploration, print, and the Reformation: he spent a year living with his father marooned aboard a shipwrecked hull off Jamaica and wrote the first biography of Columbus. To reconstruct his life is not only to recover a vision of the Renaissance world, but also to appreciate the passions and intrigues that lie beneath our own disciplined attempts to b ring order to the world. THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is an unforgettable journey through these layered realities — and a bibliophile’s dream!

Last night saw the launch of THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS in the beautiful Wren Library in Cambridge. Home to over 700,000 books printed before the 1820s, medieval manuscripts and archives, the Wren Library was the perfect location to launch the captivating biography of a man who dedicated his life to the collection of books. Edward will be appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book programme on Sunday 20 May to talk about Hernando’s library.

Rights to THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS have been sold internationally in France, Spain, Germany, Japan and Italy, with more international news to come shortly!

Edward Wilson-Lee is a Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches medieval and Renaissance literature and Shakespeare. After growing up in Kenya and Switzerland, he went to university in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge, living briefly in Mexico and New Orleans in between.

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Praise for THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS:

‘Edward Wilson-Lee’s fascinating and beautifully written account of how Hernando conceived and assembled his library is set within a highly original biography of the compiler. It’s a work of imagination restrained by respect for evidence, of brilliance suitably alloyed by erudition, and of scholarship enlivened by sensitivity and acuity. … The ‘library that would collect everything’ became, as it grew unmanageably, a Borgesian labyrinth of ‘baffling marvels’. Wilson-Lee describes it with verve and strews his account with Rabelaisian lists, incantatory and almost magical in effect, of the sort Hernando loved.’ — Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Literary Review

‘Hernando Columbus deserves to be as famous as his father, Christopher…Wilson-Lee’s greatest strength is the subtlety with which Hernando’s public life as a courtier and his private life as a collector are interwoven. Unless you like libraries a lot then the most important thing about Hernando is not the most interesting. But in these elegantly handled parallels, Wilson-Lee leads us almost by stealth to an understanding of his subject’s greatest achievement.’ — Dennis Duncan, Spectator

'T‎his is a remarkable and deeply absorbing book – both a vivid account of the extraordinary life of Hernando Colón, younger son of Christopher Columbus, and a thought-provoking exploration of the ways in which we acquire, organise and retrieve information about the world and our place in it. THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS is minutely-researched history that reads like fiction – at once hauntingly redolent of Eco and Borges, and sharply relevant in our data-driven age.' — Helen Castor, author of SHE-WOLVES: THE WOMEN WHO RULED ENGLAND BEFORE ELIZABETH

‘Edward Wilson-Lee’s terrific new book brings to life Christopher Columbus’s son Hernando, his quirky and dazzling library, and the complex worlds between which he lived. THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS eloquently captures the life of an extraordinary man, while making his era resonate with our own: it is about how we seek to organise our minds and our lives, and, above all, about why books continue to matter.’ — Joe Moshenska, author of A STAIN IN THE BLOOD

VISIT THE ENCHANTING VILLA NARANJA IN SHEILA O’FLANAGAN’S NEW NOVEL THE HIDEAWAY!

Be transported to warmer climes in Sheila O’Flanagan’s engaging new novel, THE HIDEAWAY, published today in hardback and ebook by Headline. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Villa Naranja in Spain, THE HIDEAWAY follows Juno Ryan as she tries to recover from the heartbreak she left at home. Bookends Book of the Month for May, THE HIDEAWAY is the perfect addition to any holiday-maker’s suitcase this summer! The Sunday Mirror called it ‘a hugely enjoyable romance, written with pace and heart. It will make you long to jump on a plane yourself.’

What would you do if you discovered you were living a lie?

When a shocking news report shatters Juno Ryan's world, she suddenly finds herself without the man she loves - and with no way of getting the answers she so desperately needs.

A distraught Juno flees to the enchanting Villa Naranja in Spain. The blue skies and bountiful orange groves – along with Pep, the winemaker's handsome son – begin to soothe her broken heart, but only Juno herself can mend it.

Just when she begins to feel whole again another bombshell falls. Can Juno put the past behind her? And will she ever learn to trust herself again?

Internationally, new translating publishers have recently acquired Sheila’s titles, with new publications and deals in markets including Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic and Italy. Sheila’s last novel WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT took the UK and Irish bestseller lists by storm, reaching Number 2 in Ireland and Number 9 in the UK in its first week of sales. Fans can expect two more captivating reads from Sheila in 2019 and 2020, after Sheila signed a two-book deal with Headline in February.

SHIELD OF LIES, the second novel in Sheila’s exhilarating Young Adult fantasy series, THE CRYSTAL RUN, was published by Hachette Children’s Books in paperback and ebook on March 8. 

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of twenty-five thought-provoking, gripping and unforgettable Sunday Times and ebook bestsellers, including THE MISSING WIFE which was published in the US in February by Grand Central following its UK success. It became a Sunday Times and Irish Times paperback bestseller in 2017, as well as becoming a No.1 ebook bestseller, and one of Amazon’s Top Ten Bestselling ebooks of the year. Her interlinked short story collection CHRISTMAS WITH YOU reached No. 2 in the Irish bestseller lists in the run up to Christmas. Headline has sold over 7 million copies of Sheila’s books.

Visit Sheila’s website, where you can also join her mailing list.

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Praise for Sheila O’Flanagan:

‘O'Flanagan is one of our best-known, best-loved and most prolific women's fiction authors’ — Irish Independent

‘O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft’ — Belfast Telegraph

'One of our best storytellers' — Irish Mail on Sunday

‘Another fantastic read from Sheila O’Flanagan.’ — Bella Magazine

‘A spectacular read.’ — Heat

ROY GRACE IS BACK: DEAD IF YOU DON’T BY PETER JAMES OUT TOMORROW!

Roy Grace is about to be tested as he faces his most complex case yet in DEAD IF YOU DON’T, the fourteenth novel in the gripping series by CWA Diamond Dagger award-winning author Peter James, published tomorrow in hardback and ebook with Pan Macmillan. Tonight the launch of the much-anticipated new Roy Grace novel will be celebrated at the Amex Brighton and Hove Football stadium, a venue particularly relevant to the novel…

When the son of a high profile businessman is kidnapped at a football stadium, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is pulled into the city’s dark dealings as he searches for the culprit.

Kipp Brown, successful businessman and compulsive gambler, is having the worst run of luck of his life. He’s beginning to lose, big style. However, taking his teenage son, Mungo, to their club’s Saturday afternoon football match should have given him a welcome respite, if only for a few hours. But it’s at the stadium where his nightmare begins.

Within minutes of arriving at the game, Kipp bumps into a client. He takes his eye off Mungo for a few moments, and in that time, the boy disappears. Then he gets the terrifying message that someone has his child, and to get him back alive, Kipp will have to pay.

Defying instruction not to contact the police, Kipp reluctantly does just that, and Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is brought in to investigate. At first it seems a straightforward case of kidnap. But rapidly Grace finds himself entering a dark, criminal underbelly of the city, where the rules are different and nothing is what it seems . . .

In the run up to the release of DEAD IF YOU DON’T Peter has been a guest on various radio shows including BBC Radio Northampton, BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Devon, and yesterday appeared on London Live TV’s arts news programme to discuss his latest novel and his experiences out with the Met. He will be attending signings at various stores in England on May 17 and 18 to celebrate the publication of DEAD IF YOU DON’T.

DEAD IF YOU DON’T has already been snapped up in Russia by Eksmo and Minerva in Finland. Rights to Peter’s riveting thriller ABSOLUTE PROOF, in which a mysterious phone call pulls an investigative journalist into the search to find proof of God’s existence, have also been bought by international publishers. ABSOLUTE PROOF is set to be published by Macmillan in October, with a major campaign. Fans of Peter James can look forward to more compelling Roy Grace cases as Pan Macmillan have also acquired rights for three further titles.

Peter James is one of the UK’s most treasured crime and thriller novelists. He has won numerous awards for his gripping crime novels, including the coveted 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence, and an Honorary Platinum Award at the Specsavers Bestseller Awards, powered by Nielsen Book.  He was publicly voted by WH Smith – Britain's biggest book selling chain – The Best Crime Author of All Time. The Roy Grace detective novels have sold over 19 million copies worldwide and are now published in 37 territories. The best-selling detective series has dominated the charts, with 12 consecutive Sunday Times No.1s.  His last Roy Grace NEED YOU DEAD went straight in at No. 1 in the paperback bestseller charts in October 2017 and stayed in the top 10 for nine weeks.

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Praise for Peter James:

‘As with all Peter James novels, it is not just an individual cop or storyline that impresses but the excellence of the ensemble’ — The Times

‘Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business’ — Lee Child

‘Peter James is one of the most fiendishly clever crime fiction plotters.’ — The Daily Mail

‘Fast-paced and gripping...’ — Jessica Hamzelou, New Scientist

‘Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business’ — Karin Slaughter

ORDINARY PEOPLE FACE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS OUT THIS THURSDAY

MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS by Manu Joseph is out on May 17 with Myriad in paperback and ebook as their lead novel for 2018. As Zoë Heller has said: ‘Manu Joseph's new novel is a daring, page-turning thriller, filled with anger and wit and some of the loveliest sentences you will read this year.’ For a tantalising taster, you can hear Manu read from the novel and talk about it (from Bangalore) with Mariella Frostrup on BBC Open Book here.

Myriad won a closely-fought auction for Manu’s insightful and provocative new novel, buying UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding India and Canada, from Isobel Dixon and fast-tracking its publication to May. Publishing Director Candida Lacey said, ‘MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS is a cracking novel. It is a joy to read, and every bit as beguiling and surprising as its title. Cunning, sympathetic and fiercely original, it is a perfect fit for the ambitious and diverse list of literary fiction we’re developing with our partners at New Internationalist. We’re thrilled and very proud to be publishing such a magnificent and deservedly lauded novelist.’ 

Manu said: ‘Fiction cannot compete with real India. But an Indian novelist tries to make an honourable match of it. In the reactions of Candida Lacey and Myriad, I feel I may have come close. I feel blessed to find a British publisher who is able to see both the Indianness of the novel and the universality of its themes.’

Isobel said: ‘I was thrilled to hear about Myriad's collaboration with New Internationalist, as I've long admired Candida Lacey's publishing and think this is a perfect partnership – and now Manu Joseph's profound, wry and fierce novel has found a perfect UK home.’

On the day that Hindu nationalists and their controversial leader have won a spectacular election victory, a large apartment building collapses in Mumbai. The rescue operation finds a single survivor trapped under a beam. The only person able to reach him is Akhila Iyer, a medical student who is also a notorious social media prankster. Small enough to crawl along to administer medicine as rescuers try to dig him out, she finds him mumbling in delirium that two people are on their way to carry out a terror attack. Elsewhere, a young intelligence agent, Mukundan, is assigned to shadow the two terror suspects, one of whom is the teenage Laila, the sweetheart of her street. Time is running out.

MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS is a gripping chase novel that poses searching questions about the workings of power and its effects on the ordinary people — the watchers and the followers, and those who are trapped when buildings fall. Mariella Frostrup speaks of the novel’s ‘searing prose’ and Ben East in the Observer called it ‘caustic, comic and determinedly controversial’, talking of ‘the thriller lurking beneath it’. HarperCollins India published in India in 2017 and Podium publish the Dutch edition. Manu Joseph will be in the UK for publicity later this year, and will also take up a writer’s residency in Amsterdam.

Manu Joseph lives in Delhi and is a columnist for The Mint Lounge. He used to write the ‘Letter from India’ column for The International New York Times. His debut novel SERIOUS MEN (2010) won The Hindu Literary Prize and the PEN/Open Book Award, and was shortlisted for The Man Asian Literary Prize, the regional Commonwealth Prize and the PG Wodehouse Prize for the Best Comic Novel. His second novel THE ILLICIT HAPPINESS OF OTHER PEOPLE (2012) was shortlisted for the Hindu Prize and longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and IMPAC Dublin Prize for Literature. Both the novels have been translated into several languages.

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Praise for MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS:

‘Manu Joseph's new novel is a daring, page-turning thriller, filled with anger and wit and some of the loveliest sentences you will read this year’— Zoë Heller

‘Stylish and deceptively witty… one of most engaging and insightful interpreters of our times… a page-turning thriller that poses searching questions about the workings of power and its effects on the ordinary people.’ — Deirdre Falvey, The Irish Times

‘The latest satirical novel from Manu Joseph, an Indian journalist, is an unflinching portrait of his country... MISS LAILA, ARMED AND DANGEROUS sits comfortably on the bestseller shelves of bookshops across the country.’ — The Economist

‘Manu Joseph’s thrilling third novel casts a keen eye on not just law enforcement officials and politicians in flared shorts, but also investigative journalists, environmental activists and the good folks.’ — Mint

‘Manu lampoons the entire system- not just politicians, the bureaucracy, law enforcement officials and lackeys, but investigative journalists, social activists, and indeed the common man.’ — The Hans India