Showing results by publisher "Zaffre" in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

AD 79. Parthia is gripped by civil war. One King vying for the throne, desperate for help, welcomes an alliance from an unlikely source: a man claiming to be Nero, the dethroned Roman Emperor. Meanwhile, young Gaius wishes he could spend his summer on the Bay of Naples amongst his books. Instead Pliny, the famous Admiral, has sent him to befriend the nephew of Ulpius, the mysterious blind Senator from Spain. A man Pliny does not trust.

Southern Sweden, 1990. Five lifelong friends gather for a last farewell to their childhoods and each other at an abandoned quarry. The mood is effervescent, but under the surface tensions run deep as not everyone is ready to let go—or be left behind. When dawn breaks, only four remain alive. The police rule the death a tragic accident, but not everyone is convinced, and the incident remains an open wound in the community.

People are dying in the West Yorkshire city of Fordley, from the kind of random, everyday accidents that happen in a busy city. Or are they? Forensic pathologist Elle Richardson, doesn't think so. She believes there's a serial killer, stalking the streets. But with no hard evidence to go on, West Yorkshire police are treating them as unfortunate deaths. Convinced she's right, Elle turns to her good friend, Forensic Psychologist Doctor Jo McCready. Working as a police consultant, Jo's methods have proved successful in the past. But this time, she'll have to go it alone.

When a boarding school master at an exclusive boys' school is shot dead, it is deemed accidental. A lazy and usually drunk detective is sent to write up the report. Cardilini unexpectedly does not cooperate, as he becomes riled by the privileged arrogance of those at the school. He used to have instincts. Perhaps he should follow them now...With no real evidence he declares the shooting a murder and puts himself on a collision course with the powerful and elite of Perth. As he peels back layers, the school's dark secrets begin to emerge.

Who have you spoken to about me? What do you know about Operation Wahasha? What have you told Detective Sara Nowak? These are the last words priest Jürgen Stiller hears before he is executed by a former terrorist known only by the codename 'Faust'. Then the killer begins the hunt for Detective Sara Nowak.

Gillian Larkin is used to going unnoticed, until she is sent away to school and befriended by her roommate, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can't believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall. At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family's faded grandeur, and above all by Violet's beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following an accident in the house's grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren't quite what she thought they were.

What starts out like any other major libel trial for prolific lawyer Charlie Priest turns into a legal train wreck when the defence's star witness turns up murdered. While the defence stalls for time, Priest is determined to find out who is responsible, but as the bodies begin to pile up, Priest realises that he's caught in a web of deceit and corruption that protects a deadly secret - one that threatens to tear him and those he loves apart.

A three-year-old girl disappears without a trace from her wealthy parents' summer house. The alarm was on all night long and the windows and doors were locked. Investigators do not find any evidence of an abduction and fear the worst. Experienced lawyer, Joanna Chylka, and her novice protégé, Kordian Orynski, are tasked with defending a married couple charged with murder by the prosecutor's office. The trial is circumstantial in nature, but everything seems to point to the parents' guilt - after all, when you eliminate what is impossible, whatever remains must be the truth.

Charlotte Goodwin looks directly at the camera and reveals a chilling truth to the thousands watching her Instagram Live broadcast. She has killed her ex-boyfriend's new partner in cold blood. But she is not finished yet. With bloodied hands, she takes a calm sip of tea before continuing. The viewers must now vote to decide whether he should live or die. The public display sends shockwaves rippling through the online community and the numbers of viewers skyrockets. But as Lincoln's past is revealed, how will he be judged?

Marina is a divorced mother of three preschoolers. Lilah is a shy and lonely librarian. Opal is a broke post-menopausal fitness guru. These three strangers have nothing in common-except for the man who's been lying to all of them. And who they are now holding hostage in a basement. EAT, SLAY, LOVE is a book about making friends, finding joy, and discovering the woman you really are . . . though sometimes, becoming your best self involves committing abduction and murder.

When Freya arrives at her dream job with the city's hottest start-up, she can't wait to begin a new and exciting life, including dating her new colleague Jay. However, Nicole, Jay's ex and fellow employee, seems intent on making her life a misery. After a big deadline, where Nicole continually picks on her, Freya snaps and tells Jay about the bullying, and together they concoct a revenge prank. The next morning, Nicole is found dead in her apartment....

Lisa is running. She has taken her child, Jack, and she has run from his father. Lisa thinks she's safe. She's found a remote house where no one will be able to find them. Lisa is about to wake up in her worst nightmare. And now she must face what she's tried to escape. Risking everything to protect her little boy, Lisa knows that in order to survive she will have to fight, but it's hard to face someone you loved, especially someone you still love, who knows who you really are - and what you are really capable of. Family is everything. What would you do to protect it?

Turning to online dating each with their own reasons, four women download an app, hoping to swipe their way to love and happiness. But not everyone is who they seem online. Hidden behind a perfect smile and charming humour, he appears to be the perfect date. But the night he has planned is unlike any other. The clock is ticking, and for one woman, this date might just be her last....

A family in England is massacred, the father left holding the shotgun. PC Lucy Davies is convinced he's innocent. A sleeper agent in Moscow requests an urgent meeting with Dan Forrester, referencing their shared past. His amnesia means he has no idea whom he can trust. An aging oligarch in Siberia gathers his henchmen to discuss an English accountant. It's Dan's wife.

It's Christmas at The Emporium, a bespoke gift shop hidden in the depths of London's winding streets featuring handcrafted delights unavailable anywhere else. Tinsel coils around the wooden beams, lights sparkle in the windows and the open fire crackles comfortingly. As closing time approaches after a busy trading day, only a few customers drift towards the exit - but they find they cannot leave. The doors are locked. What initially seemed an innocent mix-up turns sinister as the shopkeepers seem strangely uninterested in lending assistance.

Erma Bridges dreams of violence. After years of dedication to academic research, her career is falling apart, all because of a mysterious workplace complaint. Erma suspects Jenny, a vindictive colleague, who has seemingly disappeared. Panicked, overworked and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Erma sets out to find Jenny. Through her search, she uncovers a dark series of crimes on campus - do they have something to do with Jenny's disappearance?

Vanessa and Kate live a glamorous life in the South of France helping the rich stay richer by hiding their money. While they know it's wrong, that their clients are corrupt, they are professionals and good at their jobs. Plus, there is the money... When their boss draws them deeper into his web of corruption, the chic veneer of their existence falls away, along with their excuses, leaving both women dangerously exposed to the lures of greed, gambling and hazardous liaisons.

To protect her daughter, she's willing to risk everything. If you like Lisbeth Salander and Amelia Sachs, then it's time to meet Nora Watts. She's not your average heroine, but she'll go above and beyond for those she loves. Nora Watts is used to being hunted. Since she rescued her biological daughter, Bonnie, two years ago, from the criminal gang that had kidnapped her, Nora's been targeted by the ruthless Dao. He wants revenge, and he will use whatever he can to get to Nora - including Bonnie. So, Nora has no choice: the hunted must become the hunter.

Flora is a new mum enamored of her baby girl, Iris, even if she arrived a few weeks early. With her husband on deployment, Flora navigates the newborn stage alone. But as the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur. Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up to help: Flora's own mother, to whom she hasn't spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more Flora's mother isn't telling her about the events that led to their estrangement?

When Nora Watts is approached by a man claiming to know her late father, she is thrown into turmoil. Struggling with the imminent death from cancer of her friend and mentor Sebastian Crow, she is unprepared for the memories that this encounter brings back. What happened to her father that made him kill himself and abandon Nora and her sister?