A brutal murder. A blighted investigation. The true story of five men damned by a crime they didn’t commit.On Valentine’s Day 1988, twenty-year-old Lynette White was brutally murdered in a dark corner of Cardiff’s world-famous, and infamous, Tiger Bay. Stigmatised by a bad reputation, the area was on the brink of major redevelopment which would change the historic community forever.South Wales Police launched its biggest murder hunt to date, and within weeks detectives released a photofit of a prime suspect seen outside the murder scene, his hands covered in blood. A white man. But as the months passed by and no arrest was made, the police came under inevitable pressure.Everyone knew John Actie. But he didn’t know Lynette White. Yet, almost a year after her death, he and four other innocent men were charged with killing her. None matched the description, and none were white. But they became the scapegoats in what some saw as a desperate attempt to close the case.Told predominantly through John Actie’s eyes, The Boy from Tiger Bay is an explosive true-crime narrative that exposes one of the UK’s most infamous murder investigations—a story of racial injustice and the enduring fight to bring the truth to light. Read more

The nineteenth instalment in the Number One bestselling DCI Banks seriesWhen Juliet Doyle finds a gun in her daughter's bedroom, she turns to old friend DCI Alan Banks for advice. But Banks is on a much-needed holiday, and it's left to DI Annie Cabbot to deal with the removal of the firearm.No one can foresee the operation's disastrous consequences, or that the Doyles will not be the only family affected. Banks's daughter Tracy has fallen for the wrong boy. Her flatmate's boyfriend is attractive, ambitious, and surrounded by an intoxicating air of mystery. He's also very dangerous. When Tracy warns him the police might be on his tail, he persuades her to go on the run with him, and flattered by his attention, she agrees. Before she knows it, a deadly chase across the country is set in motion. And on his return, unsuspecting of Tracy's precarious situation, Banks is plunged into his most terrifying, personal case yet.The final novel in the DCI Banks series, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS, is available now. Read more

* NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES * 'Thriller of the Year' Daily Mail 'Hypnotic and scary' Stephen King'Examines the fine line between seduction and stalking . . . Ludicrously readable' GuardianWhen aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he is instantly smitten. But there's more to Joe than Beck realises and much more to Beck than her perfect facade. And the obsessive relationship quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences...A chilling account of unrelenting, terrifying deceit, Caroline Kepnes' You is a thriller more perversely clever and dangerously twisted than any YOU have ever read.Praise for You . . . 'I am RIVETED, AGHAST, AROUSED, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious' Lena Dunham ‘Brilliant thriller with attitude, guts and true insight into the nature of obsession' Sophie Hannah 'A fantastically creepy thriller... The kind of book you put your life on hold for' Glamour 'Clever and chilling' Elle 'A brilliant tale… It's Gone Girl meets a sinister version of Girls' Marie Claire 'An addictive thriller!' Closer Read more

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TRUE CRIME AWARDS 2025 BOOK OF THE YEAR & BEST NEW AUTHOR 'Diligent and absorbing' Gaby Hinsliff, Guardian'Meticulous and unexpectedly gripping' Janice Turner, The Times'An excellent and open-minded study of the case' Peter Hitchens'Should become required reading for any hospital manager' Harry Wallop, The Times______________________________The untold story of the killer nurse.Lucy Letby seemed like a totally ordinary young woman: fun-loving and sociable. Those who knew who say she had a happy childhood with devoted parents, and after university she landed her dream job as a nurse looking after sick babies. She even became a poster girl for the hospital where she worked.And yet today, Lucy Letby is officially the most prolific child killer of the modern era. Following one of the longest murder trials in British legal history, she's been convicted of murdering seven babies, and attempting to murder seven others. She is only the fourth British woman ever to receive a whole life prison sentence. Still only in her thirties, Letby will die in prison. But although her journey from obscurity to infamy has made headlines across the world, very little is known about her. Meanwhile, her convictions have attracted unprecedented controversy with a growing number of critics arguing that she may in fact be innocent. So who is the real Lucy Letby? What was she like according to those who knew her best? What happened at the hospital where she worked? And what convinced senior medics and the police that she was killing babies? Despite trying and failing to appeal her convictions, Letby has maintained her innocence and no one ever saw her harming a baby - which is one reason why this case has become so controversial. Could Lucy Letby be the victim of a miscarriage of justice, as her supporters believe, or is she the cruel, calculating killer that the jury found her to be?Drawing on extensive interviews with people who knew and worked with her, as well as unrivalled access to sources and documents, this book traces the story of Lucy Letby from primary school to prison, and grapples with the truth about one of the most high-profile murder cases in living memory. Read more

A nail-biting, award-winning crime novel from the author of The Echo Man!A shocking crime scene…DCI Adam Bishop has never seen anything like it. Five murder victims – all with numbers written above their bodies. And the spray-painted daubs reveal a horrific truth: the killer is counting down…A case that twists and turns…When Dr Romilly Cole learns of the murders, they trigger memories of a traumatic past she has tried hard to forget. But getting involved with the case is a bad idea. She and Bishop have history – and working together could never end well.A race against time to stop a killer…Adam and Romilly soon realise the truth lies in a decades-old case, and only Romilly holds the key. But they must act quickly, because with every passing day, there are more victims. And as the numbers edge toward zero, the murders get closer to home…The countdown has begun. Who will die next?‘The Twenty is smart and brooding, icepick-sharp and shadow-dark; best of all, though, it’s scary as hell. Think you’re tough? Pick up this novel and prove it’A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window‘Fierce, frightening, twisted and addictive. The Twenty grips you by the throat and keeps on squeezing until the very end’Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End‘Riveting reading … Packed with suspense, it is a story that horrifies and hypnotises at the same time’Daily Mail‘Fast and furious, Sam Holland doesn’t take her foot off the pedal for a second’Victoria Selman, author of Truly Darkly Deeply‘If you like crime that’s dark, twisted, and keeps you up all night, Holland is the author for you’Jack Jordan, author of Do No Harm‘Really disturbing and gripping but with a trademark sexy cop at the heart to offset the serial killer gore. Lots of fun in a very nightmarish way’Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange* THE ECHO MAN won the Bronze Bat for Best Debut Thriller in October 2022, and THE TWENTY won the Silver Bat for best thriller of the year in October 2023, at the Netherlands Thriller Festival. Read more

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURYNow an FX TV series streaming on DISNEY+'Unquestionably one of the greatest literary achievements of the 21st century' Nick HornbyFrom the author of Empire of Pain – a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.One night in December 1972, Jean McConville, a mother of ten, was abducted from her home in Belfast and never seen alive again. Her disappearance would haunt her orphaned children, the perpetrators of this terrible crime and a whole society in Northern Ireland for decades.In this powerful, scrupulously reported book, Patrick Radden Keefe offers not just a forensic account of a brutal crime but a vivid portrait of the world in which it happened. The tragedy of an entire country is captured in the spellbinding narrative of a handful of characters, presented in lyrical and unforgettable detail.A poem by Seamus Heaney inspires the title: ‘Whatever You Say, Say Nothing’. By defying the culture of silence, Keefe illuminates how a close-knit society fractured; how people chose sides in a conflict and turned to violence; and how, when the shooting stopped, some ex-combatants came to look back in horror at the atrocities they had committed, while others continue to advocate violence even today.Say Nothing deftly weaves the stories of Jean McConville and her family with those of Dolours Price, the first woman to join the IRA as a front-line soldier, who bombed the Old Bailey when barely out of her teens; Gerry Adams, who helped bring an end to the fighting, but denied his own IRA past; Brendan Hughes, a fearsome IRA commander who turned on Adams after the peace process and broke the IRA’s code of silence; and other indelible figures. By capturing the intrigue, the drama and the profound human cost of the Troubles, the book presents a searing chronicle of the lengths that people are willing to go to in pursuit of a political ideal, and the ways in which societies mend – or don’t – in the aftermath of a long and bloody conflict. Read more

* BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA'S ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION AWARD *---'Impressive at every level' - Jeremy Vine'Poignant, funny, engrossing' - Jo Brand'A sensitive and immersive voyage through the career of a forensic psychiatrist' - Kerry Daynes'A beautifully balanced and compassionately written memoir... This is a fascinating account of a fascinating journey' - Dr Richard ShepherdMeet Dr Ben Cave. For over thirty years he has worked in prisons and secure hospitals diagnosing and treating some of the most troubled men and women in society. A lifetime of care takes us from delusional disorders to schizophrenia, steroid abuse to drug dependency, personality disorders to paedophilia, and depression so severe a mother can kill her own baby.These are the human stories behind the headlines. The reality of a life spent working with patients with the severest mental health disorders. The tragic and often frightening truth about what happens behind closed doors.Dr Ben Cave takes us on a journey to the heart of this highly emotive environment, putting himself under the microscope as well as his patients. In the process, he allows us to share what they have taught each other, and how it has changed them. To share the psychological battle scars that come with a career on the frontline of our health service. To learn about the brilliant mental health nurses for whom physical injury and verbal abuse are a daily hazard. To learn about ourselves, and what we fear most.---Thoughtful, revealing, often haunting and always enlightening, if you liked Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, Do No Harm by Henry Marsh and This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay this book is for you. Read more

THE BEST-SELLING TRUE CRIME BOOK IN HISTORY______________________The shocking true story of the Tate-LaBianca murders, revealed in this harrowing, terrifying book penned by the prosecutor who finally put Charles Manson behind bars. Helter Skelter won a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award in 1975 for Best Fact Crime Book.On August 9th 1969, seven people were found shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death in Los Angeles. America watched in fascinated horror as the killers were tried and convicted. But the real questions went unanswered. How did Manson make his 'family' kill for him? What made these young men and women kill again and again with no trace of remorse? Did the murders continue even after Manson's imprisonment?No matter how much you think you know about this case, this book will still shock you. For decades, this has been the definitive, controversial account of the Manson murders. Read more

The book that inspired the Netflix documentary, CHAOS: The Manson Murders______________________________A journalist's twenty-year obsession with the Manson murders leads to shocking new conspiracy theories about the FBI's involvement in this fascinating re-evaluation of one of the most infamous cases in American history.Twenty years ago, reporting for a routine magazine piece about the infamous Manson murders, journalist Tom O'Neill didn't expect to find anything new. But the discovery of horrifying new evidence kick-started an obsession and his life's work. What had he unearthed and what did it mean: why was there surveillance by intelligence agents? Why did the police make these particular mistakes and why did Tom's greatest ally in this fight turn into his biggest foe?Chaos is an explosive read that will shock, grip and change our understanding of a case that has haunted the world for over fifty years.______________________________'Riveting ... Sensational revelations ... True crime fans will be enthralled.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'[Full of] scandalous findings ... to me it seems only too plausible. O'Neill's intricately sinister 'secret history' often sounds incredible; that doesn't mean that it's not all true.' OBSERVER'Tantalizing ... Founded on prodigious research ... O'Neill's 20-year investigation reads like a thriller.' LOS ANGELES TIMES Read more

From the BAFTA-winning writer behind the TV series PRIME SUSPECT and author of WIDOWS, now a major motion picture... The coroner's report identifies the body as young, black, female, and impossibly anonymous. Yet one thing is clear to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison about the latest victim discovered in one of London's poorest districts - that news of her murder will tear apart a city already cracking with racial tensions, hurling Scotland Yard and Tennison herself into a maelstrom of shocking accusations and sudden, wrenching violence. Even as London's brutal killer remains at large, Tennison remains locked in a struggle to overcome her station house's brutal chauvinism and insidious politicking. And as the department's deeply rooted racism rears its head to overshadow every facet of her new investigation, the trail of her prime suspect is growing colder. Worse, when the details of the beleaguered detective's stormy personal life explode across the headlines of London's sleasiest tabloids, Tennison's already frenzied determination to bring the killer to justice will be catapulted into obsession - one that could send her spiralling over the edge.   Read more

Soon to be an ITV drama starring Lucy Boynton, A Cruel Love is the definitive story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain. Previously published as A Fine Day for a Hanging.'A forensically researched book that casts a haunting new light on the last woman to be hanged in Britain.' —DAILY MAILIn 1955, former nightclub manageress Ruth Ellis shot her lover, David Blakely, dead. A two-day trial followed, but despite huge public outcry, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. At 28, Ruth became the last woman executed in Britain, her hanging one of the most notorious under prolific hangman Albert Pierrepoint.Carol Ann Lee examines the facts behind the headlines surrounding this infamous case, which many believe led to the dismantling of the death penalty a decade later. Drawing on interviews and in-depth research into the full range of sources, she reveals the woman behind the crime.Previously published as A Fine Day for a Hanging, this is the acclaimed biography that inspired the ITV drama,A Cruel Love – a portrait of 1950s club life in all its seedy glamour, and a tragic true tale of murder, class, love and betrayal.'Wonderful . . . it will become the standard reference on Ruth Ellis' Stewart P. Evans, crime historian Read more

'An unburdening, a witness statement and a thriller all at the same time ... electrifying.'The TimesI have to assume that there is a very real chance that Putin or members of his regime will have me killed some day. If I'm killed, you will know who did it. When my enemies read this book, they will know that you know.A Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. A true-life thriller by one of Putin's Most Wanted.In November 2009, the young lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was beaten to death by eight police officers in a freezing cell in a Moscow prison. His crime? Testifying against Russian officials who were involved in a conspiracy to steal $230 million of taxes.Red Notice is a searing exposé of the whitewash of this imprisonment and murder. The killing hasn't been investigated. It hasn't been punished. Bill Browder is still campaigning for justice for his late lawyer and friend. This is his explosive journey from the heady world of finance in New York and London in the 1990s, through battles with ruthless oligarchs in turbulent post-Soviet Union Moscow, to the shadowy heart of the Kremlin.With fraud, bribery, corruption and torture exposed at every turn, Red Notice is a shocking political roller-coaster.__________________Reads like a classic thriller, with an everyman hero alone and in danger in a hostile foreign city ... but it's all true, and it's a story that needs to be told.'Lee Child'A shocking true-life thriller.' Tom Stoppard'A riveting account... it is a powerful story and Browder tells it skilfully.' The Washington Post Read more

The chilling true crime 'non-fiction novel' that made Truman Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative published in Penguin Modern Classics.Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote's comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who, vividly drawn by Capote, are shown to be reprehensible yet entirely and frighteningly human. Truman Capote (1924-84) was born in New Orleans. He left school when he was fifteen and subsequently worked for The New Yorker, which provided his first - and last - regular job. He wrote both fiction and non-fiction - short stories, novels and novellas, travel writing, profiles, reportage, memoirs, plays and films; his other works include In Cold Blood (1965), Music for Chameleons (1980) and Answered Prayers (1986), all of which are published in Penguin Modern Classics.If you enjoyed In Cold Blood, you might like Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs' And the Hippos were Boiled in their Tanks, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.'It is the American dream turning into the American nightmare ... By juxtaposing and dovetailing the lives and values of the Clutters and those of the killers, Capote produces a stark image of the deep doubleness of American life ... a remarkable book'Spectator Read more

'Murder in the Gulag is brilliant journalistic writing: punchy, eloquent, page-turning and factual. It's a powerful reminder of what an extraordinary man Navalny was' - Roland Oliphant, TelegraphIn this revised and updated paperback edition, award-winning journalist John Sweeney goes behind the headlines to investigate what really happened to Alexei Navalny in the freezing Polar Wolf penal colony in a remote part of Siberia in February 2024. This is a warts-and-all portrayal of the highly charismatic but controversial Russian opposition leader who at one time flirted with the far right. Murder in the Gulag lifts the lid on the reality of life in Russia today and asks what Navalny's death means for the future of Putin, Russia and the West. Read more

PRE-ORDER THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES NOW: INSIDE BELMARSH*THE INSIDE STORY OF BRITAIN'S TOUGHEST PRISON*HMP Wakefield. 'Monster Mansion'. Hell to be inside. Almost impossible to escape. This prison has seen some of the most infamous prisoners of all time pass through its cells - from Levi Bellfield to Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Charles Bronson.Jonathan Levi and Emma French are the perfect authors to give chilling insight into all the terrible men who have served time there. After detailing the shocking truth of life in Britain's most high-profile psychiatric hospital in their bestselling book Inside Broadmoor, now they will take readers behind bars in this the UK's most notorious prison.Inside Wakefield Prison will trace its long and intriguing history, from when it was first built in 1594 all the way up to the present day. Today, just over 750 of the country's most dangerous offenders are kept there, including 'Hannibal the Cannibal' Robert Maudsley, notorious killer Jeremy Bamber and former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.Featuring all the sinister and truly horrifying stories that have emerged from the prison, as well as new unheard tales, this book will fascinate and shock readers on every page. Told with the help of interviews with staff, experts - and even in the words of the prisoners themselves - this is a no-holds-barred journey into the dark. Read more

'A gripping story of a cold-blooded murder... This is true crime at its best' Wendy Moore'Drama so addictive it should be illegal' Sam ChristerA true Victorian murder mystery...Great Yarmouth, September 1900: A young woman is found dead on the beach, a bootlace tied tightly around her neck. Despite her death attracting national attention in the press, nobody claims her. Detective Inspector Robert Lingwood of the Great Yarmouth police force declares he will not rest until the mystery of the young woman's death is solved. But it's only once the case has been referred to Scotland Yard that the layers of mystery start to peel away... 'Mrs Hood' was in fact Mary Jane Bennett, and this is her story. Following clues and tracking red herrings leads the police to close in on their one and only suspect. With arson, fraud, an affair and a sensation-hungry press, the murder gripped the nation in one of the most eagerly anticipated trials of the early twentieth century. Author Kim Donovan finally tells her great-great-aunt's story and the truth of evil duplicity in Victorian England.'As atmospheric and absorbing as any murder mystery... A combination of your favourite whodunnit and your favourite true crime podcast. A real triumph!' Books by Your Bedside blog*A fascinating historical true crime case perfect for fans of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and The Five* Read more

'Shocking, scathing, entertaining.' Guardian 'Incredibly compelling.' The Times 'Heart-breaking.' Sunday Times Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Where is it easier to get 'spice' than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow? Welcome to Her Majesty's Prison Service. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn't spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film, he was sent down for five years. His new home would be HMP Wandsworth, one of the largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe. With a cast of characters ranging from wily drug dealers to senior officials bent on endless reform, this powerful memoir uncovers the horrifying reality behind the locked gates. Filled with dark humour and shocking stories, A Bit of a Stretch reveals why our creaking prison system is sorely costing us all - and why you should care. Read more

A steamy contract marriage standalone romance from bestselling author Meagan Brandy.All my life, I've always been second choice. Second best. Second born. Maybe that's what possessed me to track down my father's most formidable enemy, the infamous Enzo Fikile.He's the nation's most eligible bachelor, and the biggest threat to the crime world I was born into. He's determined to claim his place... and I want to make a deal with the devil. Now I'm engaged to the man the rest of the world fears and there's no going back. Even as it all starts to feel a little too real. I hate him as much as I crave him, but as enemies close in from the most unlikely of places, I realise something.No one is allowed to hurt my husband.Except, of course ... me. Read more

‘A hugely impressive achievement.’ – Hadley Freeman, author of House of GlassAt 8.00am on Monday 18th June 2001, Danielle Jones left home dressed in her school uniform – and promptly vanished.The 15-year old’s body was never recovered, but Danielle’s parents soon learned that her ‘Uncle Stuart’, a close family friend, had concealed a decades-long history of sexual violence against teenage girls. Despite the absence of a body, Stuart Campbell was sentenced to life in prison for Danielle’s abduction and murder. But what set him on his path as a violent sexual predator? And how do you come to terms with his actions if he’s your own flesh and blood?In My Brother the Killer, Stuart’s older brother Alix Sharkey chronicles the violent childhood and troubled teens that helped shape a bright and handsome little boy into one of Britain’s most notorious killers, and led to one of the UK’s most unusual murder trials. Sharkey also poses several terrifying questions: what happens when you discover a deadly sexual predator in your family? Is it possible to trace the root of his heinous crimes? And with the clock ticking towards his possible parole, can Stuart Campbell be convinced to reveal the location of Danielle’s remains?A devastating hybrid of true crime and family memoir, My Brother the Killer examines the true cost of keeping dark family secrets. Read more

'A CHILLING new memoir by the daughter of mass murderer Fred West and his wife Rose describes the savage cruelty of her upbringing in 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester' DAILY MAIL'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes. Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?What other readers are saying about Love as Always, Mum xxx:'A fascinating read. Mae West seems like such a warmhearted and caring person. It was heart-breaking to hear about what she went through.' 5* Goodreads'This book is truly moving in many ways and as much as I want to say I enjoyed it, I didn't, because it was heart-wrenching, but that's why it's a 5-star read. So much emotion and truth. It's definitely hard not to be moved by this.' 5* Goodreads'This is an extremely important story to read, giving Mae a voice to be verbal about breaking the cycle of abuse and surviving a terror she never thought she would be a part of. And because of that, it deserves five stars.' 5* Goodreads'This has got to be the most heartbreaking and emotionally demanding book I have ever read ... a heart wrenching and powerful read.' 5* Goodreads'As an avid reader of true crime books I had read a lot about Feed and Rose West. However with all of those books I had never considered their surviving children. This feels like such a raw, honest and real account of day to day life in 25 Cromwell Street. Good on you Mae for your strength to tell your story.' 5* Goodreads'A hauntingly tragic book. I couldn't put it down from start to finish.' 5* Goodreads Read more