Classic crime and mystery fiction

Strange bedfellows can be political poison, and the candidate had picked himself a dilly.

'Tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestseller author of Presumed Innocent and Testimony'Kingpin among the mystery writers' New York Times'Why would anyone hire a girl with the figure of a stripteaser and pay her $100 a week to put on weight?

'For fans of classic hard-boiled whodunits, this is a time machine back to an exuberant era of snappy patter, stakeouts, and double-crosses' LA Times 'Kingpin among the mystery writers' New York TimesMuriell Gilman left her father at the breakfast table while she cooked seconds of sausage and eggs.

'Kingpin among the mystery writers' New York Times'His Mason books remain tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestselling author of Presumed Innocent Ellen Robb came into Perry Mason's office with a gun in her purse.

'Tantalising on every page and brilliant Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent and Testimony'Kingpin among the mystery writers' New York TimesWhen Norda Allison saw her husband-to-be slap his young son, she immediately called off the wedding.

'A master storyteller' New York Times'His Mason books remain tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent 'For fans of classic hard-boiled whodunits, this is a time machine back to an exuberant era of snappy patter, stakeouts, and double-crosses' LA Times The first woman wouldn't even give her name.

Perry Mason - a major new TV series'Tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestselling author of Presumed InnocentThe ingredients were quite simple: one middle-aged tycoon with a lovely young wife; one oh-so-apologetic visitor to the tycoon's office; one devoted secretary, graduate of a correspondence course of How to Be a Detective.

'The bestselling author of the century .

'Tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestselling author of Presumed InnocentShe pulled herself out of the water and into a canoe and gasped, 'I don't know who you are .

'This is a time machine back to an exuberant era of snappy patter, stakeouts, and double-crosses' LA TIMES'Amazing originality' NEW YORK TIMESA suspicious personal ad conceals nefarious intent - and eventually lands in the lap of Perry Mason.

'Tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestselling author of Presumed Innocent'The best American writer, of course, is Erle Stanley Gardner' Evelyn WaughWho was that masked woman?

The story of how a man can commit a brutal murder, confess, and get away with it!

Perry Mason now a major new TV series'Tantalising on every page and brilliant' Scott Turow, bestselling author of Presumed InnocentFrances Celane has good reason to pout.

A reporter, a young mother and a shadowy band of former schoolmates play out a drama to an end none of them anticipated.

When a lone runner is found dead on Miami Beach's North Shore, Detective Sam Becket's first concern is for his adopted daughter, Cathy, a student at Trent University.

Alex Levin hasn't met anyone as passionate about cleaning as Frankie Barnes.

When she was thirteen years old, Abigail Allen was responsible for killing her parents and boyfriend.

Some people find it hard to trust Robin Allbeury, a wealthy lawyer and an expert on marital secrets, who runs an unorthodox sideline helping troubled wives escape from their abusive marriages.

From the day he sets foot in the Hampstead house, Matthew Gardner realises that life with his new wife, Caroline, is going to be rougher than he'd hoped.

Jake Woods, ex-cop and criminal justice professor, is pulled into danger when investigating the disappearance of a friend's son.

Held captive in a dark room in New York State, a young woman is at the mercy of a killer.

On the face of it, the double homicide of Arnold and Marie Robbins looks like just another brutal Miami Beach murder - except that teenage Cathy Robbins is lying between the bodies, traumatised but unharmed.

There's something chillingly familiar about what's happening to Nick Miller.

Though they live fulfilling, independent lives in three different countries, Olivia Segal, Jamie Arias and Annie Aldrich Thomas remain bound to each other by a past tragedy - and by their pact always to be there for each other at times of great need.

Richard Monk was on holiday in Japan.

Joseph Berg was due to meet his 'contact' at a pub in London one rainy Friday evening.

Frank Wimble never doubted his ability to do anything he wanted.

Laurence Deegan, QC, had just won his latest case.

John Farndon, a teacher at a public school, is bored with his French wife Monique and infatuated with the assistant matron Belinda.

In Bloomsbury Magistrate's Court, stipendiary magistrate Donald Ferney reigned supreme.

On trial is young tearaway Ian Tanner, accused of the accidental but reckless hit-and-run killing of his own buddy.

Every autumn an old reprobate, tramp and scrounger, mysteriously known as Shem, drifts into the village of Long Gaisford.

Chris Laker is what you might call a layabout.

A woman is murdered in a London suburb and the police investigation into her death is meticulously undertaken.

Clive Donig is on trial for the murder of Stanley Fulmer, a senior partner in a very shady firm of solicitors.

Detective Sergeant Nick Atwell has been suspended, accused of soliciting a bribe from a murder suspect.

Stephen Burley was standing trial for the theft of 20,000 in cash from his employers, Rickard's Motors.

The first 'menaces' brought Herbert Sipson, professional blackmailer, to the dock, charged with having demanded 10,000 from a bingo company under threat of bombing their premises.

Barrister Martin Ainsworth is sent to West Berlin by British Intelligence to make contact with his former lover, a suspected Communist agent, and it's up to him to find out the truth and to spot her contacts.

Agent or traitor?

He braced his shoulders against the back of James Geddy's swivel chair and stretched out his arms luxuriously.

'We have an agent in East Germany whom we wish to get out .

'Roger waited but nothing further came.

The crime is murder - cold blooded, pre-meditated and motivated by sheer greed.

'Her scarf had been knotted tightly around her neck and it was obvious she had been killed with great determination .

Adam Cape - a young barrister - prosecutes a case of assault at the Old Bailey.

A police officer needs the quickness and guile of a bookmaker, the ingenuity of a psychiatrist and the physical reserves of a Marine, or so it seems to Detective Chief Superintendent Manton, who is called in to investigate a huge bullion robbery and its possible link with the death of a solicitor in a car crash.

When Mrs Sophie Easterberg is found dead on her bedroom floor in the picturesque village of Five Meadows, it is apparent she has been murdered.

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die .

Six men have failed to appear in a West End court, so it's time for Scotland Yard to make a few undercover enquiries.