Traditional Detectives

Christmas in Wensleydale is just around the corner, and a beautiful blanket of snow covers the fells. But then a blizzard hits, and everyone knows that a white Christmas in the Dales spells danger for farmers and remote communities.

Private investigator Dan Armstrong can't believe his luck when he's invited to the luxury villa of none other than Alice Graceland, movie legend and queen of the silver screen. Could this be his big break - a chance to schmooze with stars and pitch his own murder mystery series?

Firefighters race to put out a blaze at a remote farmhouse. They discover two young girls alone in the house. Their mother is gone, and in her place is the dead body of a man, frozen naked in the fetal position. Two chess pieces made of ice have been left on the doorstep....

A timeless classic of modern-day piracy from the acclaimed master of action and suspense. Aboard the SS Campari, all is not well. For Johnny Carter, the Chief Officer, the voyage has already begun badly; but it’s only when the Campari sails that evening, after a succession of delays that he...

When another resident of the Rosemary House care home is found dead in her chair one Saturday evening, no one is very surprised - not until the results of a routine post-mortem....

The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident. The second time was deliberate. Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history....

A tense and nerve-shattering classic from the highly acclaimed masster of action and suspense. A ROLLING FOR KNOX is how the journalists describe the Presidential motorcade as it enters San Francisco across the Golden Gate. Even the ever-watchful FBI believe it is impregnable – as it has to be...

Three gripping crime fiction thrillers featuring DCI Whitney Walker and forensic psychologist Dr. Georgina Cavendish: Deadly Games, Fatal Justice, and Death Track....

The windswept shores of Norfolk may look peaceful, but dark secrets fester beneath the surface. As the seasons turn, so too does the tide of crime, and DI Tom Janssen must face new and chilling investigations.

Nestled high in the Tuscan hills lies Villa Volpone, home to renowned crime writer Jonah Moore and his creative writing course. It’s also the last place retired DCI Dan Armstrong expected to spend his retirement....

When a revered sports legend falls victim to a brutal home invasion, a nation is shaken to its core. Outrage swells and the press and powers that be demand answers.

When a teenage couple go missing, the police aren’t too concerned. Young lovers often make bad choices. Then a body is found near a Suffolk lighthouse, and shortly after, two girls seem to vanish into thin air.

The annual gathering of the book club at the start of December is supposed to be a time for relaxation and catching up. But this year, the convivial evening takes a sinister turn.

When Laura Carlyle left behind high society for committee meetings and quiet cups of tea, she never imagined her next guest would bring gossip, grief — and a murder.

Cleo’s holiday with her family to the seaside resort town of Brighton is everything she hoped it would be…until she receives a blackmail note. The blackmailer demands Cleo help her or a story revealing Cleo’s investigating will appear in the newspaper.

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. This...

Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison has moved up the ranks, fighting every step of the way to break through Scotland Yard's glass ceiling. Now, on her first day as the head of the Vice Squad, a high-profile case threatens to destroy everything she has worked for....

Detective Dove Milson is called out to a gruesome scene under the pier where four bodies are found floating in a flooded escape room....

Early one morning, DI Clare Mackay receives a message from her boss, DCI Alastair Gibson, telling her to meet him in secret. She does as he asks and is taken to a secure location in the remote Scottish hills....

A dead man on the beach. A detective with everything to prove. And a secret that won't stay buried. When a man’s body washes up on the North Yorkshire coast with a gunshot wound to the chest, DCI Tom Raven is handed the case. The only clue to the victim’s identity? A ring engraved with two names.

The new Kings Lake Central murder squad is about to spend its first morning on team-building exercises and reviewing cold cases when the call comes in that the body of one of the city's rough sleepers has been found in a shop doorway.

When a major network offers a TV deal to a group of new writers, the stakes couldn't be higher. They'll have a workshop in Cherringham to shape their show ideas - and win the prized contract. But when the writers get ominous threats, it seems their lives are in danger.

When a worker goes missing from a North Sea gas platform, there seem to be just two possible explanations - it was a tragic accident or a suicide....

Detective Inspector Fenella Sallow is haunted by her past and cannot escape its painful truth… no matter how hard she tries. At a social designed to build team spirit, Fenella is called to a grim scene.

DI Tom Janssen is currently suspended pending the outcome of the events at the close of his previous case. Using the time away from the office to consider his future, and how this will impact on his family life, Tom is invited to attend a school reunion which he reluctantly agrees to.

Private investigator Dan Armstrong can't believe his luck when he's invited to the luxury villa of none other than Alice Graceland, movie legend and queen of the silver screen. Alice isn't looking to bankroll Dan's writing, but instead she wants him to play host at a murder mystery evening with a glamorous (but suspiciously tense) collection of Hollywood royalty. It should be a meeting of old friends - but just how friendly are they? As the murder mystery evening takes a sinister turn, Dan and Oscar find themselves navigating more than the city's canals to find the truth.

The annual gathering of the book club at the start of December is supposed to be a time for relaxation and catching up. But this year, the convivial evening takes a sinister turn. Detective Barton is called to investigate, and he soon discovers the seemingly peaceful club harbours dark secrets and hidden resentments that go back years.

Kommissarin Fria Nordström wird zu einem Tatort nahe Flensburg gerufen: In einem Wäldchen hat man eine verscharrte Leiche entdeckt. Es gibt keinen Hinweis, wer der Tote ist. Aber Fria ist überzeugt, dass die mächtige Unternehmerfamilie von Groten, der das Land gehört, mehr weiß, als sie vorgibt. Überraschenderweise steht Fria kurz darauf auf der Gästeliste des Patriarchen Wilhelm von Groten, der in einem illustren Wellness-Resort auf Sylt seinen neunzigsten Geburtstag feiert.

Christmas in Wensleydale is just around the corner, and a beautiful blanket of snow covers the fells. But then a blizzard hits, and everyone knows that a white Christmas in the Dales spells danger for farmers and remote communities. In the town of Hawes there is little festive cheer as the snow closes in, the Christmas fair is cancelled, and the generator goes missing from the market hall. Then the local food bank is broken into.

The couple are determined their low-key celebration will go without a hitch, but there can’t be an ‘I do’ while the vicar is missing. And when he’s found dead – a victim of a poisoning – in the crypt behind the church, Hannah knows only she and Aunt Violet can find out who did it.

When Laura Carlyle left behind high society for committee meetings and quiet cups of tea, she never imagined her next guest would bring gossip, grief — and a murder. Rebecca Farrell is certain her husband didn’t just drop dead. And Laura’s late husband, an ex-civil servant with far too many secrets, taught her exactly how to spot a lie. Luckily (or not), help arrives in the form of Sebastian Silver — silver-haired, sharp-suited, and possibly a conman. He knows things about Harry Farrell that no one else does. The question is: can he be trusted?

In the fog-shrouded streets of Edwardian London, legendary detective Sherlock Holmes is drawn into a deceptively simple case: an elderly widow receives a mysterious offer to buy her home—the very house called Three Gables—along with every item of its furniture, so long as nothing may ever leave it. What follows is a twist-laden investigation involving a murdered diplomat’s secret manuscript, hired thugs, a glamorous widow with something to hide, and Watson silently watching the game unfold at Baker Street.

Horne Fisher – a brilliant yet disillusioned amateur detective – has intimate ties to Britain’s political elite: his father is friends with the Prime Minister, his sister is married to the Foreign Minister and the Chancellor of Exchequer happens to be his first cousin. Although unprecedented access to the inner workings of the government has its benefits, Horne finds it more of a curse than a blessing… With his sharp intellect and profound understanding of human nature, politics and power, Horne unravels a series of mysterious events...

Er wollte Holmes unbedingt an seinem nächsten Tatort mitten im Central Park dabei haben. Dann war da noch Ruth Hampton, die Witwe des ermordeten Bankiers Benjamin Hampton, die eigentlich nur ihr Erbe retten wollte. Bis ihr übereifriger Bruder ihr ungewollt einen Strich durch die gut geplante Rechnung macht und selber zum Täter wird. Holmes und Watson sind in Amerika so weit entfernt von einem echten Urlaub, wie von der Baker Street in London.

The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a gripping Sherlock Holmes mystery first published in 1926. Told uniquely from Holmes’s own perspective, this case explores themes of loyalty, secrecy, and the lingering effects of war.

The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans by Arthur Conan Doyle is one of Sherlock Holmes’ most thrilling tales of espionage and intrigue. When top-secret submarine blueprints vanish and a government clerk is found dead on the London Underground, Holmes and Watson are drawn into a high-stakes mystery that reaches the very heart of the British Empire.

Hinter einem „gewöhnlichen Mord" auf einer Ferieninsel im Bundesstaat Georgia stand offenbar doch eine tieferliegende Intrige, die Sherlock Holmes ganz und gar nicht vermutet hatte. Bankdirektor Benjamin Hampton, der immer noch in der Rolle des Gönners von Watson und Holmes auftritt und den beide aus London gut kennen, scheint plötzlich doch keine ganz so weiße Weste mehr zu haben. Holmes kann Watson aber erst von seinem Argwohn überzeugen, als Hampton in seinem eigenen Büro vom FBI verhaftet wird.

A troubled young woman, Miss Mary Sutherland, arrives at 221B Baker Street in distress. Her fiancé, the mysterious Mr. Hosmer Angel, has vanished on their wedding day without a trace. Her stepfather insists there’s no cause for alarm—yet something in the case feels far from ordinary.

Wohlbehalten in New York angekommen, möchte sich Holmes' Leibarzt Doktor Watson auf einige gemütliche Urlaubstage in der „Neuen Welt" einstellen. Doch dazu kommt es nicht. Zeitungsberichte bestätigen, dass ein fürchterlicher Brand aus der jüngeren Vergangenheit noch nicht ganz geklärt ist. Sherlock Holmes würde dies nicht besonders beunruhigen, wenn nicht mehr als hundertfünfzig Menschen damals zu Tode gekommen worden wären.

The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is one of the later Sherlock Holmes stories, first published in 1926. Told uniquely from Holmes’s own perspective rather than Dr. Watson’s, this gripping mystery follows the famed detective as he investigates a haunting case of friendship, fear, and secrecy.

The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge by Arthur Conan Doyle is one of Sherlock Holmes’s most atmospheric and chilling mysteries. When a wealthy Englishman receives a cryptic note inviting him to a secluded country estate, he soon finds himself entangled in a bizarre web of murder, deception, and superstition.

Les Ravenscroft filaient le parfait amour et menaient une vie tranquille ; on aurait pu supposer qu'ils étaient de ceux qui meurent paisiblement dans leur lit. Et non d'une balle dans la peau. Quinze années se sont écoulées depuis que, faute de preuves, l'affaire a été classée sans suite. Avec l'aide de son amie romancière Mrs Oliver, Hercule Poirot, qui a horreur des histoires inachevées, est bel et bien déterminé à résoudre ce mystère.

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a gripping Sherlock Holmes mystery that captures the essence of early 20th-century crime fiction.

Full-cast radio adaptations of two classic mysteries by the writer of The Phantom of the Opera Gaston Leroux was one of the pioneers of the detective story, alongside Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe. Best known for The Phantom of the Opera, he also wrote a series of crime novels featuring...

Die junge verzweifelte Mary Sutherland wendet sich an Sherlock Holmes. Am Tag ihrer Heirat verschwand ihr Verlobter Hosmer Angel spurlos, nachdem er ihr kurz zuvor das Versprechen abgenommen hatte, sie würde ihm treu sein, was auch immer geschehe. Mary befürchtet nun, dass Hosmer ein Unglück geschehen sei, doch Holmes erkennt schnell, dass man Mary ins Unglück stürzen will und dafür ihre Naivität und Kurzsichtigkeit schamlos ausnutzt. Doch am Ende kann Holmes nicht mehr tun, als zu hoffen, dass seine Klientin darüber hinweg kommen wird, denn die Wahrheit würde sie ihm niemals glauben.

Die Ultimo-1 treibt menschenleer im All. Wo ist die Crew geblieben? Da ein gefährlicher Auftrag bevorstand, mussten Sherlock Holmes und Dr. Watson das Schiff vor einiger Zeit verlassen. Nun holt sie die Galaktische Union wieder an Bord, um das Rätsel der Verschwundenen zu lösen.

Impossible crime stories have delighted people since the invention of detective fiction as puzzle-lovers sought more cerebral entertainment. Following on from Miraculous Mysteries, CWA Diamond Dagger Award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards brings together a whole new casebook of mystifying locked room mysteries and impossible crimes. Featuring more great stories by John Dickson Carr, Julian Symons and Margery Allingham alongside newly rediscovered writers, this selection of stories will bring you more insight into one of the most celebrated and dazzling sub-genres of detective fiction.

Am Heiligabend belauscht die 22-jährige Pia ein Gespräch ihrer Eltern – und erfährt, dass sie mit vier Jahren adoptiert wurde. Auf der Suche nach ihrer Herkunft reist sie in das winterliche Wasserburg am Inn, den Heimatort ihrer leiblichen Mutter. Während in den Raunächten dunkle Gestalten durch die Altstadt ziehen, holen Pia die Schatten der Vergangenheit ein.

Die Vorhersagen einer Hellseherin treffen so beängstigend ein, dass es nicht allen ihren Kunden und deren Angehörigen recht ist. Die Galaktische Union fragt sich, ob das mit rechten Dingen zugeht und beauftragt Sherlock Holmes, dem Treiben nachzugehen.

"Anarchy is our aim.” A fire and murder at the Blackfriars’ Theological College catches the attention of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. “Barbarism is our belief.” Their investigation leads them into contact with the High Priestess and the strange but menacing disciples of, the Order of the Acolytes. “Chaos is our creed.”