George Surridge, director of the Birmington Zoo, is a man with many worries: his marriage is collapsing; his finances are insecure; and an outbreak of disease threatens the animals in his care. As Surridge’s debts mount and the pressure on him increases, he begins to dream of miracle solutions. But is he cunning enough to turn his dreams into reality – and could he commit the most devious murder in pursuit of his goals? This ingenious crime novel, with its unusual ‘inverted’ structure and sympathetic portrait of a man on the edge, is one of the greatest works by this highly respected author. The elaborate means of murder devised by Crofts’s characters is perhaps unsurpassed in English crime fiction for its ostentatious intricacy. This new edition is the first in several decades and includes an introduction by the award-winning novelist and crime fiction expert Martin Edwards.

The dead bodies of two elderly ladies are discovered; both had been strangled. Each is found lying full-length, clasping in her hand the stem of a Madonna lily.

The dead bodies of two elderly ladies are discovered; both had been strangled. Each is found lying full-length, clasping in her hand the stem of a Madonna lily.

England. 1934. In full view of a half dozen witnesses, the flying instructor of the Baston Aero Club goes into a tail spin, crashes, and is killed. Merely a regrettable incident apparently, but that unique character, the Bishop of Cootamundra, who is learning to fly at the Club whilst on leave, thinks otherwise. He doubts that the strange death was an accident. These suspicions are the starting point of an investigation which involves an amazing chain of intrigue linked to the quiet town of Baston, culminating in one of the cleverest murders in detective fiction. Together with Inspector Bray of Scotland Yard and Inspector Creighton, the Bishop uncovers an international crime operation involving cocaine, drug smuggling, secret marriages, French newspapers and loyalty to an elusive figure known as ‘The Chief’. Included in the cast of this dramatic crime are Sally Sackbut, irreverent and flighty manager of the Club; two rival transatlantic flyers; Tommy Vane, who handles a double Scotch with greater agility than he handles a plane; Lady Crumbles, amazing organizer of air shows; and other extraordinary and diverting characters. Can the Bishop identify the members of the criminal enterprise in time to prevent another death? And what will become of those innocent victims in charge of the Baston Aero Club? Death of an Airman is an intriguing classic murder mystery of conspiracy, mirth and murder.

In this collection of short stories, drawing heavily from the author's own experiences as a medical graduate on the eve of the Russian Revolution, Bulgakov describes a young doctor's turbulent and often brutal introduction to his practice in the backward village of Muryovo. Using a sharply realistic and humorous style, Bulgakov reveals his doubts about his own competence and the immense burden of responsibility, as he deals with a superstitious and poorly educated people struggling to enter the modern age. This acclaimed collection contains some of Bulgakov's most personal and insightful observations on youth, isolation and progress. THIS EDITION INCLUDES THE PIECE 'MORPHINE'

In 18th-century England, a widowed confectioner is drawn into a web of love, betrayal, and intrigue and a battle of wits in this masterful historical novel from the author of the USA TODAY bestseller The Square of Sevens. Following the murder of her husband in what looks like a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. Her confectionary shop on Piccadilly is barely turning a profit, her suppliers conspiring to put her out of business because they don’t like women in trade. Henry Fielding, the famous author-turned-magistrate, is threatening to confiscate the money in her husband’s bank account because he believes it might have been illicitly acquired. And even those who claim to be Hannah’s friends have darker intent. Only William Devereux seems different. A friend of her late husband, Devereux helps Hannah unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his death. He also tells her about an Italian delicacy called iced cream, an innovation she is convinced will transform the fortunes of her shop. But their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip and draws Henry Fielding’s attention her way, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything she can imagine.

England. 1934. In full view of a half dozen witnesses, the flying instructor of the Baston Aero Club goes into a tail spin, crashes, and is killed. Merely a regrettable incident apparently, but that unique character, the Bishop of Cootamundra, who is learning to fly at the Club whilst on leave, thinks otherwise. He doubts that the strange death was an accident. These suspicions are the starting point of an investigation which involves an amazing chain of intrigue linked to the quiet town of Baston, culminating in one of the cleverest murders in detective fiction. Together with Inspector Bray of Scotland Yard and Inspector Creighton, the Bishop uncovers an international crime operation involving cocaine, drug smuggling, secret marriages, French newspapers and loyalty to an elusive figure known as ‘The Chief’. Included in the cast of this dramatic crime are Sally Sackbut, irreverent and flighty manager of the Club; two rival transatlantic flyers; Tommy Vane, who handles a double Scotch with greater agility than he handles a plane; Lady Crumbles, amazing organizer of air shows; and other extraordinary and diverting characters. Can the Bishop identify the members of the criminal enterprise in time to prevent another death? And what will become of those innocent victims in charge of the Baston Aero Club? Death of an Airman is an intriguing classic murder mystery of conspiracy, mirth and murder.

On a dark November evening, Sir Wilfred Saxonby is travelling alone in the 5 o'clock train from Cannon Street, in a locked compartment. The train slows and stops inside a tunnel; and by the time it emerges again minutes later, Sir Wilfred has been shot dead, his heart pierced by a single bullet. Suicide seems to be the answer, even though no motive can be found. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard thinks again when learns that a mysterious red light in the tunnel caused the train to slow down. Finding himself stumped by the puzzle, Arnold consults his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur expert in criminology. Merrion quickly comes up with an 'essential brainwave' and helps to establish how Sir Wilfred met his end, but although it seems that the dead man fell victim to a complex conspiracy, the investigators are puzzled about the conspirators' motives as well as their identities. Can there be a connection with Sir Wilfred's seemingly troubled family life, his highly successful business, or his high-handed and unforgiving personality? And what is the significance of the wallet found on the corpse, and the bank notes that it contained?

On a dark November evening, Sir Wilfred Saxonby is travelling alone in the 5 o'clock train from Cannon Street, in a locked compartment. The train slows and stops inside a tunnel; and by the time it emerges again minutes later, Sir Wilfred has been shot dead, his heart pierced by a single bullet. Suicide seems to be the answer, even though no motive can be found. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard thinks again when learns that a mysterious red light in the tunnel caused the train to slow down. Finding himself stumped by the puzzle, Arnold consults his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur expert in criminology. Merrion quickly comes up with an 'essential brainwave' and helps to establish how Sir Wilfred met his end, but although it seems that the dead man fell victim to a complex conspiracy, the investigators are puzzled about the conspirators' motives as well as their identities. Can there be a connection with Sir Wilfred's seemingly troubled family life, his highly successful business, or his high-handed and unforgiving personality? And what is the significance of the wallet found on the corpse, and the bank notes that it contained?

This addition to the Crime Classics series is an immersive musical mystery, featuring diagrams of the orchestra arrangement and four pages of musical notation with relevance to the plot. First published in 1941 but out-of-print since, this is by a lost writer of the genre, Sebastian Farr (a pseudonym for Eric Walter Blom), a prolific Swiss-born and British-naturalised music lexicographer, music critic and writer. The headline from The Maningpool Telegraph read TRAGIC DEATH OF SIR NOEL GRAMPIAN – shot during performance – Symphony Concert Calamity As a rousing Strauss piece is reaching its crescendo in Maningpool Civic Hall, the talented yet obnoxious conductor Sir Noel Grampian is shot dead in full view of the Municipal Orchestra and the audience. It was no secret that he had many enemies – musicians and music critics among them – but to be killed in mid flow suggests an act of the coldest calculation. Told through the letters and documents sent by D.I. Alan Hope to his wife as he puzzles through the dauntingly vast pool of suspects and scant physical evidence in the case, this is an innovative and playful mystery underscored by the author's extensive experience of the highly-strung world of music professionals. First published in 1941, this new edition returns Farr's only crime novel to print to receive its long-deserved encore.