New Release Books by Christopher Brookmyre

A Glasgow bank heist turns into an unlikely meet-cute for a disgruntled female cop in this hilarious crime novel by the master of tartan noir. Their eyes met across a crowded room. It was a room crowded with hostages and armed bank-robbers, and Zal’s eyes were the only part of him that Angelique could see behind his mask. Officer Angelique de Xavia already had enough to be upset about before she’s taken hostage by the most bizarrely unorthodox crooks ever to set foot in Glasgow. Disillusioned, disaffected and chronically single, she’s starting to take stock of the sacrifices she’s made for a job that’s given her back nothing but grief. So when her erstwhile captor has the chutzpah to phone her at work and ask her out on a date, Angelique finds herself in no great hurry to turn him in. She’s long since learned that the cops will never love her back. But maybe one of the robbers will.

This prize-winning comic thriller takes readers “from high-octane gun antics to kitchen mopping in East Kilbride . . . [in] one beast of a story” (The Guardian, UK). International bestselling author Christopher Brookmyre has been lauded for his dark sense of humor and brilliant suspense plotting. Now his Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize–winning novel follows “his most ambitious heroine yet”: a forty-six-year-old house-proud grandmother (The Guardian, UK). As a teenager, Jane Bell had dreamt of playing in the casinos of Monte Carlo, surrounded by the likes of James Bond. But now her dreams are as dry as the dust her Dyson sucks up from her hall carpet. Her son Ross, a researcher for a Swiss arms manufacturer, is the one with the exciting life. But lately it’s gotten a bit too exciting. Ross needs to disappear before some shady characters force him to divulge the secrets of his research. And they’re not the only ones desperate to locate him. Ross’s firm has hired a team of security experts, and, headed by the enigmatic Bett, they have little in common apart from total professionalism and a thorough disregard for the law. Bett believes the key to Ross’s whereabouts is his mother, and in one respect, he is right. But even he is taken aback by her dogged determination to secure her son’s safety. The teenage dreams of fast cars, high-tech firepower, and extreme action had always promised to be fun and games, but in real life, it’s likely someone is going to lose an eye . . . “Funny, electric and captivating.” —Times (UK)

Scotland has often been depicted as a land of haunting, misty moors and literary genius. But Scotland has also been a place of brutal crime, terrifying murder, child abuse, and bank robbery. Crime can strike anywhere. From the southern border to the Northern Isles, suspicion and suspense are never far away. Edinburgh, with its reputation for civility and elegance, has often been the scene of savagery; the dark streets of industrial Glasgow and Dundee have protected thieves and muggers, while the villages of coast and countryside hide murderous men and wild women. Stellar contributors to Bloody Scotland include Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Peter May, Ann Cleeves, Louise Welsh, Lin Anderson, Doug Johnstone, Craig Robertson, E. S. Thomson, Sara Sheridan and Stuart MacBride explore the thrilling potential of Scotland's iconic sites and structures. From murder in a Hebridean blackhouse and a macabre tale of revenge among the furious clamour of an eighteenth century mill, to a dark psychological thriller set within the tourist throng of Edinburgh Castle and an 'urbex' rivalry turning fatal in the concrete galleries of an abandoned modernist ruin, this collection uncovers the intimate--and deadly--connections between people and places.Prepare for a dangerous journey into the dark shadows of our nation's architecture--where passion, fury, desire, and death collide.

In the early hours of 14 June 2017, a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London, killing at least 72 people and injuring many more. An entire community was destroyed. For many people affected by this tragedy, the psychological scars may never heal. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that affects many people who have endured traumatic events, leaving them unable to move on from life-changing tragedies. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the focus was rightly placed on providing food, shelter and health care for those left homeless – but it is important that we don’t lose sight of the psychological impact this fire will have had on its survivors. 24 Stories is an anthology of short stories, written on themes of community and hope, by a mix of the UK’s best established writers and previously unpublished authors, whose pieces were chosen by Kathy Burke from over 250 entries. Contributors include: Irvine Welsh, A. L. Kennedy, Meera Syal, John Niven, Pauline Melville, Daisy Buchanan, Christopher Brookmyre, Zoe Venditozzi, Nina Stibbe, Mike Gayle, Murray Lachlan Young, Barney Farmer.

The Scottish crime master dishes out “equal parts adrenaline and empathy” in a thriller featuring a woman hacker and online intrigue (Diana Gabaldon). Sam Morpeth has had to grow up way too fast. Left to fend for a younger sister with learning difficulties when their mother goes to prison, she is forced to watch her dreams of university evaporate. But Sam learns what it is to be truly powerless when a stranger begins to blackmail her online. Meanwhile, reporter Jack Parlabane seems to have finally gotten his career back on track with a job at a flashy online news start-up, but his success has left him indebted to a volatile source on the wrong side of the law. Now that debt is being called in, and it could cost him everything. Thrown together by a common enemy, Sam and Jack are about to discover they have more in common than they realize—and might be each other’s only hope. (Published in the UK as Want You Gone) “Pure literary dynamite.” —Lorenzo Carcaterra, New York Times–bestselling author of Sleepers “Tremendous fun, with superb characterization, gripping moral complexity, and no shortage of clever villainy.” —Chris Pavone, New York Times–bestselling author of The Paris Diversion “A revelation . . . The computer is the scariest tool since the invention of the buzzsaw.” —Thomas Perry, New York Times–bestselling author of The Bomb Maker “Works exceptionally well as cybercrime fiction, but it’s the human element that makes it tick.” —Kirkus Reviews

A “hair-raising . . . devilishly complicated mystery” from the Scottish crime master. “Don’t even try to guess the outcome” (The New York Times Book Review). Diana Jager is clever, strong, and successful, a skilled surgeon and fierce campaigner via her blog about sexism in medicine. Yet it takes only hours for her life to crumble when her personal details are released on the internet as revenge for her writing. Then Diana meets Peter. He is kind, generous, and knows nothing about her past—the second chance she’s been waiting for. Within six months, they are married. Within six more, Peter is dead in a road accident, a nightmare end to their fairy-tale romance. But Peter’s sister doesn’t believe in fairy tales, and tasks rogue reporter Jack Parlabane with discovering the dark truth behind the woman the media is calling the Black Widow. Still on the mend from a turbulent divorce, Jack’s investigation into matters of the heart takes him to hidden places no one should ever have to go. Winner of the 2017 Theakson Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the 2016 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year “Brookmyre excels at melding the true chills of a psychological thriller with rollicking—if dark—humor. A witty and wild page-turner, Black Widow shines in showcasing this winning combination.” —The Boston Globe “Exceptionally good—a knotty mystery that’s . . . one of the most perceptive excavations of a dysfunctional marriage I can remember reading.” —The Guardian (UK) “A tense and provocative read.” —Entertainment Weekly

A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year: From Berlin to Barcelona, sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, and murder make for “tantalizing . . . fantastic thriller fare” (Booklist). Celebrated, beautiful, and talented, rock star Heike Gunn had everything . . . right up until she vanished. Meanwhile, Scottish journalist Jack Parlabane just watched his career and marriage vanish, along with his reputation, after landing himself on the wrong end of a scandal. But when he gets a call for help from Heike’s manager, Parlabane sees a shot at redemption. As Parlabane enters the backstage world of Heike’s band, he discovers each member has plenty to hide. Paranoia, jealousy, guilt, and obsession are getting the best of them. Just like they got to Heike. But as he pursues the superstar’s reckless past—from Milan to the Scottish islands—Parlabane is forced to confront his own dark history. As secrets start colliding, he’d better find Heike before it’s too late for both of them. Christopher Brookmyre’s prize-winning series continues with a “country-hopping plot [that] looks back to Graham Greene and John Buchan, but . . . [it’s] bang up-to-date” (The Sunday Times). “Fascinating . . . darkly humorous yet disturbing.” —Publishers Weekly “Good right to the final page.” —The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“Gangland violence explodes off the page” as two female detectives cross paths in Scotland’s criminal underworld (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Glasgow Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod has one gangster in the mortuary and another, Glen Fallan, behind bars for allegedly taking him out. But fighting for conviction isn’t going to be easy. This case may be more personal for McLeod than she’s letting on. And Fallan might not even be guilty. Private investigator Jasmine Sharp has a stake in Fallan’s future, too. The gangland enforcer once moved in the same dangerous shadows that her mysterious father lived and died in. And the strange bond Fallan had with her mother is something no one in Sharp’s family ever dares to discuss. As McLeod battles her demons and Sharp chases her ghosts, these two very different detectives will ultimately confront the secrets that have entangled both of their fates—by descending into the Glasgow underworld where vengeance spans generations and everyone has a score to settle. “A polished stylist who spikes his smooth wordsmithery with a quirky Scottish brogue.” —Marilyn Stasio, TheNew York Times “Should cement Brookmyre’s reputation as one of today’s top Scottish crime writers.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From “one of the funniest, savviest crime writers around” comes a midsummer night’s murder mystery that sets its scene in Scotland (The Independent). For actress-turned-private investigator Jasmine Sharp, finding long-lost relatives for clients is a standard routine. But when a woman hires Jasmine to find her missing sister, the case draws her back into the world of professional theater—and the warnings to mind her own business are coming on cue. Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod is taking an interest in drama as well. She’s just been called to the Highlands where a prominent figure in the Scottish arts community has just been issued the worst review of his life: taken out by a sniper at an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As Sharp and McLeod’s paths cross, so do the secrets of the missing girl and the hot-shot victim. And they’re leading both detectives to a mysterious Highlands estate where a conspiracy of drugs, sex, and satanic rituals is about to reach a shocking climax. “A true pleasure for all detective fiction fans—think Ian Rankin by way of Agatha Christie.” —Michael Koryta, New York Times–bestselling author of The Prophet “Brookmyre’s work shimmers with a sense of unfettered fun . . . I’m already looking forward to the next Sharp-McLeod outing.” —The Independent

Who cares if a lowlife is murdered? Two Glasgow investigators, in a thriller that’ll “wake up crime fiction readers everywhere” (Val McDermid). When a small-time heroin dealer turns up dead one fine morning in Scotland, no one is that surprised. Sleeping with a big-time drug trafficker’s girlfriend can bring around plenty of enemies. Little wonder that Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod has no shortage of early leads. If only out-of-work actress Jasmine Sharp could get a lead. With a career in nosedive, she’s helping her uncle Jim with his PI work and having more than a little trouble learning the ropes. When her uncle goes missing, Sharp is thrown into the deep end. To find him she’ll have to solve his most recent case—and do it solo. No sooner does Sharp follow her first clue than she finds herself in the crosshairs of an unknown assailant—and headed down the same road as McLeod. When their investigations become intertwined, “Glasgow’s mean streets come alive . . . [in] one of the best novels of the year” (John Lutz, New York Times–bestselling and Edgar award–winning author). “Smartly written . . . Brookmyre deftly twists one case around the other.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “[For] fans of Lynda La Plante’s Prime Suspect series and HBO’s The Wire.” —Library Journal “Tough Scottish humor . . . leavened with Elmore Leonard-like flourishes . . . finely controlled yet exuberant mayhem.” —The Christian Science Monitor

The murder of a controversial Scottish media mogul ignites “a high-octane political thriller doused in stinging satire” (The Sunday Times). Just when left-leaning journalist Jack Parlabane trades in his muckraking career for domestic quietude, the muck comes calling. Conservative tabloid tycoon Roland Voss, his wife, and their two ineffectual bodyguards have been found at Voss’s country estate with their throats slit. An arrest has been made, the media is pouncing, and Parlabane smells a fix. So does public defender Nicole Carrow. The pigeon is her former client, a harmless Robin Hood burglar now accused of breaking parole most spectacularly. But this is no simple frame-up. It’s more of a high-end conspiracy. Parlabane and Carrow are determined to do right—even as so many things are about to go wrong. Jack Parlabane, the hero of Christopher Brookmyre’s acclaimed series returns—along with the author’s trademark “sassy, nasty fast style of . . . Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen” (The Guardian). “Brookmyre . . . twists his plotlines, throws out terrific one-liners, piles up corpses and contrives narrow escapes with the impeccable timing of a Swiss watchmaker. If there’s a code for fulfilling the requirements of a witty crime caper, surely he’s cracked it.” —The New York Times “A biting, violent, fiendishly funny story of bribery, blackmail, and murder in high places . . . for all lovers of hip, intelligent, action-packed crime thrillers.” —Booklist

Death threats rock a Hollywood film festival: “Imagine Day of the Locust updated and rewritten by Carl Hiaasen” (Kirkus Reviews). After a family tragedy, LAPD cop Larry Freeman gets back to work with what he thinks is a simple assignment: Keep a rabid group of right-wing evangelical protestors as far away as possible from a celluloid celebration of ex—and very X—adult film actors. But when an oceanic research vessel off the West Coast is discovered with its crew vanished, Freeman has no idea how dirty this twisty game in the City of Angels is going to get. The players include the voluptuous daughter of a conservative US senator, a Glaswegian photographer with a mysterious agenda, a yacht-load of Hollywood producers, a throng of faded stars feeling more exposed than ever, and a band of self-righteous extremists bent on a glittering apocalypse. Set on the near side of the millennium, at a point when the world is about to spin out of control, this witty thriller delivers “a crazy off-the-wall roller coaster of a book that throws in not only the kitchen sink but the dresser, the best china, and the cook herself” (The Irish Times). “A wild, no-punches-pulled ride.” —The Philadelphia Weekly

“Pulp Fiction meets And Then There Were None” during a high school reunion off the coast of Scotland (Booklist). Gavin Hutchinson has it all planned out. A unique “floating holiday experience” on a converted North Sea oil rig, a haven for tourists who want a vacation but without the hassle of actually going anywhere. What better way to test out his venture than to host a fifteen-year high school reunion, the biggest social event of his life? How embarrassing then for Gavin. Not only does no one remember him, but his wife has discovered his philandering ways and plans to ditch him with a very public announcement in front of his assembled guests. That includes the uninvited ones, like a band of party-crashing mercenaries who are about to bring out the very worst in very old friends. Let the fun begin “as champagne bottles morph into defensive weapons” in prize-winning author Christopher Brookmyre’s comedy of betrayal, double-cross, blackmail, revenge, and survival (The Hartford Courant). “Furiously paced and wonderfully absurd, with more one-liners than a Colombian coke dealer.” —Maxim “Broad humor . . . and breakneck plotting.” —The New York Times Book Review

The first book in the Jack Parlabane series, from author Christopher Brookmyre. Yeah, yeah, the usual. A crime. A corpse. A killer. Heard it. Except this stiff happens to be a Ponsonby, scion of a venerable Edinburgh medical clan, and the manner of his death speaks of unspeakable things. Why is the body displayed like a slice of beef? How come his hands are digitally challenged? And if it's not the corpse, what is that awful smell? A post-Thatcherite nightmare of frightening plausibility, QUITE UGLY ONE MORNING is a wickedly entertaining and vivacious thriller, full of acerbic wit, cracking dialogue and villains both reputed and shell-suited.

It was a 'team-building' weekend for lawyers, advertising execs, businessmen--oh, and a journalist. Amid the paintballing and flowing Shiraz, the organisers pulled some surprises--stalkers in the forest, power cuts in the night, disappearing staff, disappearing guests. When the only access for thirty miles is cut off it seems that events are being orchestrated not just for pleasure... And that's before they find the first body.

The third book in the Jack Parlabane series, from author Christopher Brookmyre. Jack Parlabane, the investigative journalist who is not averse to breaking the law for the sake of a good story, has finally been caught on the petard of his own self-confidence and is experiencing accommodation courtesy of Her Majesty. The fledgling Scottish parliament is in catatonic shock after experiencing its first dose of Westminster sleaze. The Catholic Church of Scotland is taking full advantage of the politicians' discomfort and is riding high in the polls as the voice of morality. Behind the scenes the truth is obscured by the machinations of the spin doctors and in prison, aware he's missing out on a great story, Parlabane discovers that contacts and a pretty way with words are no defence against people he has helped to put away. Part political satire, part cliff-hanging thriller this is high calibre entertainment.

We could tell you about the bodies. We could tell you their names, where they were found, the state they were in. We could tell you about the suspects too, the evidence, the investigators; join a few dots, even throw you a motive. But what would be the point? After all, you know these people. You went to school with them. We all did. So if you really knew them then, you'll already have all the answers...

Heaven is a prison. Hell is a playground. Would it be your ultimate fantasy to enter the world of a video game? A realm where you don't have to go to work or worry about your health; where you can look like a hero or a goddess; where you can fly space-ships, slay dragons, yet all of it feels completely real. A realm where there are no consequences and no responsibilities. Or would it be your worst nightmare? Stuck in an endless state of war and chaos where the pain and fear feels real and from which not even death can offer an escape. Prison or playground. Heaven or hell. This is where you find out. This is white-knuckle action, sprawling adventure, merciless satire and outrageous humour like you've never experienced. This is 'Bedlam'.

The first book in the Angelique De Xavier series, from author Christopher Brookmyre. Back when they were students, just like everybody else, Ray Ash and Simon Darcourt had dreams about what they'd do when they grew up. In both their cases, it was to be rock stars. Fifteen years later, their mid-thirties are bearing down fast, and just like everybody else, they're having to accept the less glamorous hands reality has dealt them. Nervous new father Ray takes refuge from his responsibilities by living a virtual existence in online games. People say he needs to grow up, but everybody has to find their own way of coping. For some it's affairs, for others it's the bottle, and for Simon it's serial murder, mass slaughter and professional assassination.

The fifth book in the Jack Parlabane series, from author Christopher Brookmyre. Do you believe in ghosts? Do we really live on in some conscious form after we die, and is that form capable of communicating with the world of the living?...Aye, right. That was Jack Parlabane's stance on the matter, anyway. But this was before he found himself in the more compromising position of being not only dead himself, but worse: dead with an exclusive still to file. From his position on high, Parlabane relates the events leading up to his demise, largely concerning the efforts of charismatic psychic Gabriel Lafayette to reconcile the scientific with the spiritual by submitting to controlled laboratory tests. Parlabane is brought in as an observer, due to his capacities as both a sceptic and an expert on deception, but he soon finds his certainties crumbling and his assumptions turned upside down as he encounters phenomena for which he can deduce no rational explanation. Perhaps, in a world in which he can find himself elected rector of an esteemed Scottish university, anything truly is possible. One thing he knows for certain, however: Death is not the end - it's the ultimate undercover assignment.

The senior pupils of St Peter's High School are on retreat to a secluded outdoor activity centre, coming to terms with the murder of a fellow pupil through the means you would expect: counselling, contemplation, candid discussion and even prayer - not to mention booze, drugs, clandestine liaisons and as much partying as they can get away with. Not so far away, the commanders of a top-secret military experiment, long-since spiralled out of control, fear they may have literally unleashed the forces of Hell. Two very different worlds are on a collision course, and will clash in an earthly battle between science and the supernatural, philosophy and faith, civilisation and savagery. The bookies are offering evens.

It was a junket, a freebie. A 'team-building' weekend in the highlands for lawyers, advertising execs, businessmen, even the head of a charity. Oh, and a journalist, specially solicited for his renowned and voluble scepticism - Jack Parlabane. Amid the flying paintballs and flowing Shiraz even the most cynical admit the organisers have pulled some surprises - stalkers in the forest, power cuts in the night, mass mobile phone thefts, disappearing staff, disappearing guests: there's nothing can bring out people's hidden strengths or break down inter-personal barriers quite like not having a clue what's going on and being scared out of your wits. However, when the only vehicular access for thirty miles is cut off it seems that events are being orchestrated not just for pleasure ... And that's before they find the first body. Thereafter, 'finding out who your colleagues really are' is not so much an end product as the key to reaching Monday morning alive. Visit the author's website at www.brookmyre.co.uk

Each society gets the serial killers it deserves ... Simon Darcourt, an inventive killer with a sense of humour, is creating his own celebrity talent show, one that is generating more publicity than its contestants have ever had in their lives. The catch is that those lives won't be very long. The police turn to Angelique de Xavia, a cop who has crossed his path before. However, the police are not the only people who want Darcourt. Now she's faced not only with tracking him down, but also with the task of ensuring she doesn't end up dead once she's served her purpose. Scared and alone, Angelique knows she's got a snowball's chance of pulling this off, which is why she's going to need a little magic ...