New Crime & Mystery Fiction Titles From Severn House 1998 July-Sept

File Updated: 01/04/00

New Crime & Mystery Fiction Titles From Severn House JULY-SEPT 1998

Martin Edwards Perfectly Criminal 2 Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 072785237X

Whydunit?
What could drive you to crime', Fear? Money? Revenge? Ambition? Love?

Or something totally unexpected?

Following on from Perfectly Criminal, whose story Herbert in Motion by lan Rankin won the 1996 CWA Short Story Dagger. this thrilling collection explores the motives and character traits that can lead to crime - the elusive 'why',' behind the act.
Ruth Rendell heads a distinguished cast of writers, including Lawrence Block, Reginald Hill, Peter Lovesey and Margaret Yorke, all of whom are members of the CWA. Their approach to the 'whydunit?' theme is fascinating in its rich variety, and to make the collection even more unique, each contributor will introduce their story to the reader letting you into the secret of 'why' they chose to write it...

The celebrated Crime Writers Association has been producing anthologies for nearly forty years. Compiled and edited by Martin Edwards, this second collection from Severn House is more compelling than ever modern crime writing at its very best.

Martin Edwards Past Crimes 3 Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0727822322 Artwork by: Jacket illustration: Derek Colligan

From the award-winning CWA series comes the next sparking anthology

In Ancient Greece, Socrates is called on to unravel the death of a young man. poisoned during a friendly drinking session.
Iddo the Merchant, of Samaria, finds a human head in a barrel of salted fish Can he rival the recent miracles of the Healer of Nazareth and make the dead talk?
London still smoulders in the wake of the Great Fire - but was it really started accidentally by a careless baker?
And in the bloody trenches of Ypres, an officer risks his life to rescue a soldier in a blind panic - a straightforward example of heroism?

From the immortals of Mount Olympus to the air raids of the Second World War, Past Crimes uncovers stories of murder and mayhem from the pages of history itself. Contributions from such distinguished names as Catherine Aird, Eileen Dewhurst, Marjorie Eccles, Edward D Hoch, Susanna Gregory, H. R F. Keating, Amy Myers, Ruth Rendell, Anne Ferry, Andrew Taylor and many more make this latest volume in the award-winning series as unputdownable as its predecessors.

Praise for Perfectly Criminal:
'This collection demonstrates how engaging a short story can be ... What makes many of these stories work so well is the twist - that abrupt hairpin turn that comes in the last few sentences ... Overall, there is gratifying variety in these tales from a group of skilled and inventive writers' Publishers Weekly
'Whatever you do, don't read all nineteen stories at a sitting. They might give you ideas' Kirkus Reviews
'Those great, old-fashioned storytelling values of the foxing puzzle and surprising resolution pervade this anthology' Time Out
'These are stories designed to intrigue, enthrall and surprise you; in many ways, they are perfect' Tangled Web Reviews
Martin Edwards is the author of six novels about the Liverpool solicitor and amateur detective Harry Devlin, the latest of which is The Devil in Disguise. Many of his short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies in the UK and USA. He has also edited six anthologies of crime fiction, two of which have earned the CWA Dagger for the best short story of the year: Ian Rankin's 'Herbert in Motion' (Perfectly Criminal, Severn House, 1996) and Reginald Hill's 'On the Psychiatrist's Couch' (Whydunit?, Severn House, 1997).

Clive Egleton The Skorzeny Project Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0 7278 5384 8
November 1944
'Time is running out for Hitler in his frantic quest for victory. He is desperately hoping for yet another propaganda coup - and so Operation Double Griffin is born.
U 195, the most grotesque U-boat ever commissioned, has only one purpose: to bomb New York on New Year's Eve, when Times Square will be thronged with revellers.
Three men face a date with destiny: Korvettenkapitan Erich Hartmann, the U-boat commander; Paul Webber, born Weber, an American Nazi sympathiser, and Detective Benjamin Delgado, a New York policeman. The prize in their deadly game is no less than a U-turn in the course of history.

'Masterly storytelling, combined with authentic detail, an inventive plot and superb pacing, add up to yet another outstanding thriller' Booklist
'Egleton's espionage thrillers are like a single-malt whiskey. smooth, smoky and rich ' Publishers Weekly

Brian Freemantle Gold Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0 7278 5346 5

Ambition, greed - and the deadly struggle between super-powers

A Russian military transport plane crashes moments after takeoff near Amsterdam airport.
NATO intelligence teams race to the scene to find the navigator dead and the pilot unconscious. Checking the plane's equipment and cargo crates the section head swears at the sight of gold within. From the number of crates, the total value is estimated at $300 million. But the assay marks on the ingots are South African.
So what are the Russians - major gold producers themselves - doing with South African ingots?

'Freemantle has no peer when it comes to writing espionage thrillers' Booklist
'A master of the form' Publishers Weekly
Other titles by Brian Freemantle from Severn House include Betrayal, O'Farrell's Law, Dirty White and The Kremlin Conspiracy.

W E B Griffin Badge of Honor Book VI The Murderers Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0727853953

Book VI in the superb Badge of Honor series

A Philadelphia narcotics cop is shot dead in his home. A bar owner's wife and partner are gunned down during an attempted robbery. And in a beautiful mansion, a young woman dies of a heroin overdose.
At first the crimes seem unconnected, but these four deaths are about to trigger a massive convergence of corruption, cops and the Mob that could tear the Philadelphia Police Department apart from the inside out - all the way to the top.
From the cop on the beat to the Commissioner himself, this is the story of the men and women who put their lives on the line in the name of duty.

'Griffin is a natural storyteller ' Publishers Weekly
'Colourful... gritty ... tense' Philadelphia Inquirer
'A real winner ' New York Daily News

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Keeping Secrets Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 0 7278 5388 0

Andrew Klavan The Trapdoor Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 0727822101
Some things are more important than the latest scoop
Robert Cambridge, hot-shot managing editor of the New York Star, has a sadistic streak where some people are concerned. And John Wells, old fashioned and definitely not computer friendly crime reporter, has just found it.
Still haunted by the death of his daughter five years earlier, Wells is stunned to hear Cambridge assign him to cover a spate of teen suicides in upstate New York.
Gritting his teeth, John Wells prepares to face the tragedy - and his own pain - head on. But nothing in Grant County is what it seems. And what looks like suicide might just turn out to be murder.

'Bewitching ... the plot moves forward smoothly, the characters are plausible and the literary quotes are enriching ... Recommended' Library Journal
'A fast-paced, intricate mystery with unusual and memorable characters' Booklist

Christopher Nicole Shadows in the Sun Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0 7278 5364 3
Back in 1918, arms dealer James Martingell received a knighthood for equipping and supplying the British Army during the war. Now the government wants to close him down - with the coming of peace there can be no more gun-running.
But poverty is a far from welcome prospect, so, ignoring all obstacles, Martingell doggedly pursues the one last coup that will make him rich beyond measure, accompanied by the faithful Mbote and the women to whom he is almost a god. Trekking across Asia through civil war, betrayal, murder and death, he becomes a figure of grim legend in his own lifetime.

Recent titles include the Russian Saga: The Seeds of Power, The Masters, The Scarlet Generation and Death of a Tyrant, and most recently, The Trade, volume one of the Arms Business series, also available from Severn House.

Roger Ormerod Parting Shot Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 0 72785380 5

'There didn't seem much to go on, but I had to do something or I'd go crazy'

When fashion photographer and ex-cop Owen Tanner's Scandinavian wife Karin vanishes from his apartment, he assumes she has left him and their marriage is over. But then his home is ransacked and he begins to wonder. And when distressed Karin calls him from Sweden, his suspicions are confirmed.
In an attempt to find her, Owen realises he is being tailed by an old colleague from the force, the Norwegian police and other more sinister figures. Suddenly caught up in hunt for international diamond thieves, Owen uncovers a story behind his wife's departure he could never have imagined.

'Unerringly skilful' Publishers Weekly

Recent titles include Curtain of Beads, Farewell Gesture, The Vital Minute and The Seven Razors of Ockam.

Betty Rowlands Death at Dearley Manor Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 0727853813
'I didn't kill her. I didn't. You do believe me, Susan, don't you?'
Paul Reynolds' second marriage has turned into a nightmare. His wealthy wife Myrna treats him more like an employee than a husband.
When Myrna is found brutally murdered, Paul is the obvious suspect, but Myrna's obsession with money and power has endeared her to so few that that there is no shortage of others with possible motives.
For scene of crime officer Sukey Reynolds, who discovers the body, the case brings terrible dilemmas as she is forced to confront accusations and suspicions about the man to whom she was once married for so many years.

Betty Rowlands' award-winning fiction includes a number of crime novels and short stories. An Inconsiderate Heath and A Hive of Bees are both available from Severn House.

Julian Jay Savarin Norwegian Fire Published August 1998 by Severn House at Ł17.99 ISBN: 0 7278 5391 0

January 1945. RAF Banff; Scotland

Home of the six squadrons in Banff Strike Wing, among them Per Alvik, a former Resistance member from Bergen, who came to England to join the RAF. His intimate knowledge of the western fjords of Norway soon proves invaluable when commander Jo-Jo Kearns is charged with attacking an enemy battleship in these waters.
The Graf von Hille, more powerful than the Bismarck, could cause mayhem if allowed to escape - could even change the course of the War.
Can Kearns and Alvik possibly succeed in a mission from which few expect them to return?

'First rate' Library Journal
'A roller coaster of an adventure' Booklist
Recent titles include Hammerhead, Lynx, Warhawk and Trophy, and from Severn House, Target Down, Pale Flyer, MacAllister's Run and Horsemen in the Shadows.

Peter Turnbull The Justice Game Published September 1998 by Severn House at Ł16.99 ISBN: 0727822098
'Even if it takes twenty years, remember we in Italy believe revenge is a dish best taken cold'
In Rome, the police are baffled at three seemingly unconnected but very professional killings. In Glasgow, maverick lawyer Dominic Rossi receives an unexpected visit from his Italian lover Francesca Arcalli. But quite soon Dominic begins to suspect her motives, and when he finds Francesca hiding in the bathroom with the locked door full of bullet holes, his suspicions are confirmed. But who is she running from, and why?
Caught up in a web of deceit and betrayal which leads inexorably back to Rome, Dominic Rossi is out of his depth - and out of time.

'Turnbull keeps the tension ratcheted up ... Rock-solid procedural work' Kirkus Reviews
'Outstanding crime fiction ' Booklist
Other titles include Two Way Cut, Condition Purple, And Did Murder

Him and Killing Floor.