Crime Fiction 48 Bargain Book Box (17 Books)

Crime Fiction 48 Bargain Book Box (17 Books)

Four consecutive David Leadbeater thrillers. Two Maigret novels. Kay Scarpetta back on the slab. And Jeremy Vine, of all people, writing a murder mystery set in Sidmouth.

The range here is the point. Peter May on a murder in the Gulf of St Lawrence that reaches back to the Highland Clearances. Elly Griffiths opening a new series with a cold case unit and something considerably stranger than it first appears. Alexander McCall Smith in Scandinavia being gently, precisely funny. Alex Hay running a Victorian con that takes five days and leaves no trace.

Plus Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, a Harlan Coben-endorsed thriller about ten seconds that ruin a life, and a serial killer novel the BBC Radio 2 Book Club picked up.

Procedurals, capers, classics, and one very long-running action series you can settle into properly.

1. Bad Men — Julie Mae Cohen | ISBN: 9781804182161 | RRP: $39.99
   A BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. A serial killer who targets terrible men, and the true crime podcaster she becomes obsessed with. Darkly comic, genuinely romantic in its own warped way, and unlike anything else on the shelf.
2. Entry Island — Peter May | ISBN: 9781782062202 | RRP: $35.00
   A detective sent to a remote island in the Gulf of St Lawrence finds the murder suspect inexplicably familiar. Peter May weaves a contemporary investigation together with the Highland Clearances in one of his finest standalone novels.
3. The Texas Murders — James Patterson | ISBN: 9781529913545 | RRP: $34.99
   Patterson doing what Patterson does — short chapters, relentless pace, and a killer operating across Texas. Exactly the right book for when you want momentum and nothing else.
4. The Frozen People: An Ali Dawson Mystery — Elly Griffiths | ISBN: 9781529433333 | RRP: $55.00
   Elly Griffiths launches a new series with a cold case unit investigating a Victorian death — and a premise that takes a genuinely unexpected turn. Clever, warm, and full of the character work she’s known for.
5. Last Stop on the Murder Express — C J Farrington | ISBN: 9781472133199 | RRP: $49.99
   A murder aboard a Siberian train and an investigation conducted in deep cold and deeper isolation. C J Farrington writes remote Russia with real atmosphere and a welcome streak of humour.
6. Identity Unknown — Patricia Cornwell | ISBN: 9781408732618 | RRP: $65.00
   The Kay Scarpetta thriller for 2024, bringing the forensic pathologist face to face with a case that is painfully personal. Cornwell essentially invented this subgenre and still writes autopsy scenes nobody can match.
7. Ten Seconds — Robert Gold | ISBN: 9781408730577 | RRP: $49.99
   Described by Harlan Coben as a gripping thriller that twists and turns. Ten seconds that destroy a life, and the long reckoning that follows. Robert Gold plots with real precision.
8. The Queen of Fives — Alex Hay | ISBN: 9781035414291 | RRP: $49.99
   From the author of The Housekeepers comes a Victorian con story built on a five-day rulebook for the perfect swindle — and a mark who may be running a game of his own. Stylish, clever, and tremendous fun.
9. The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf — Alexander McCall Smith | ISBN: 9780349146034 | RRP: $32.99
   Another instalment of the Detective Varg novels, set in the Swedish Department of Sensitive Crimes. Gentle, wry, and quietly philosophical — McCall Smith’s crime fiction is really about human decency, with a case attached.
10. My Friend Maigret — Georges Simenon | ISBN: 9780241630792 | RRP: $24.99
    Maigret travels to a Mediterranean island to investigate the death of a small-time crook who had been boasting about their friendship. Simenon at his most atmospheric — short, perfect, and utterly unforced.
11. Maigret and the Headless Corpse — Georges Simenon | ISBN: 9780241639245 | RRP: $22.99
    Body parts surface in the Canal Saint-Martin and Maigret works his way patiently toward a quietly devastating domestic truth. One of the great examples of Simenon’s method — observation, patience, and compassion.
12. The Midnight Conspiracy (Joe Mason, Book 3) — David Leadbeater | ISBN: 9780008643539 | RRP: $32.99
    Breakneck action thriller writing from one of the most prolific authors in the genre. Joe Mason is a former soldier with an ex-wife, a daughter, and an inconvenient habit of finding global conspiracies.
13. The Babylon Plot (Joe Mason, Book 4) — David Leadbeater | ISBN: 9780008618506 | RRP: $32.99
    Ancient artefacts, international pursuit, and a team of specialists operating well outside official channels. Leadbeater writes pure momentum — ideal when you want a thriller that never slows down.
14. The Traitor’s Gold (Joe Mason, Book 5) — David Leadbeater | ISBN: 9780008710897 | RRP: $32.99
    The treasure hunt continues, with betrayal inside the team and considerably higher stakes. With four consecutive Joe Mason novels in this box, there’s a proper run of the series here.
15. The Angel Deception (Joe Mason, Book 6) — David Leadbeater | ISBN: 9780008724757 | RRP: $32.99
    The latest Joe Mason adventure, delivering the relic-hunting, globe-trotting action the series is built on. Short chapters, constant peril, and absolutely no padding.
16. Murder on Line One (The Sidmouth Murder Mysteries, Book 1) — Jeremy Vine | ISBN: 9780008707064 | RRP: $32.99
    The broadcaster’s crime fiction debut, opening a cosy mystery series in the Devon seaside town of Sidmouth. Jeremy Vine brings his radio ear for dialogue and a genuine affection for the genre.
17. Only If You’re Lucky — Stacy Willingham | ISBN: 9780008595647 | RRP: $32.99
    A college friendship, a missing girl, and a narrator whose account you should probably not take at face value. Stacy Willingham writes psychological suspense with real control and an exceptional sense of unease.