Nicola Upson

'A perfect Christmas crime story.' Elly Griffiths 'A true Christmas cracker!' Andrew Taylor A Christmas murder mystery featuring the real-life couple who invented Cluedo 'An ingenious plot' ????? 'A great read for Christmas . . . nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining.' ????? 'Unexpectedly emotive, engaging and sweet.' ???? Christmas Eve, 1943. Anthony and Elva Pratt arrive in a snowy English village to run a murder mystery game - and instead discover a real murder. The Pratts had planned for festive cheer: with Elva's map of the hotel and Anthony's prop weapons to use as clues, the guests would move through the rooms to figure out whodunnit - a bit like in a board game. But when Elva discovers the cook's sister Miss Silver dead, they instead find themselves investigating a shockingly real crime. The hotel manager is trying to keep the peace, but the guests are agitated - and one of them hasn't been seen at all. Can the Pratts puzzle out this Christmas mystery before it's too late? 'There's terrific historical detail, and this twisted tale still resonates today.' Val McDermid 'I loved that the real-life creators of Cluedo appeared as characters in this clever, entertaining mystery that will appeal to cosy crime fans!' Good Housekeeping 'The perfect quiet-time reward to follow a festive family board-game session.' Telegraph

In this festive whodunit, set in a cozy snowed-in country-house, an innocent mystery game goes horribly wrong, leaving the real-life couple who invented the name Clue to solve a real murder. It is Christmas Eve, 1943, when Anthony and Elva Pratt arrive at a snowy English country house to host a murder mystery game, but instead find themselves solving a real murder. The Pratts had planned on a festive game to liven up the dreary wartime atmosphere, where guests using prop weapons as clues would explore the house to solve the whodunnit. It is all fun and games until Anthony discovers the cook's sister Miss Silver beaten to death, leaving the sleuthy couple to solve an all-too-real murder. The hotel manager Mr. Browning is trying to keep calm, but the guests are agitated, Colonel Colman seizes the opportunity to take over the hotel for the war effort - and the enigmatic Mrs. Threadgold's whereabouts remain a mystery. Snowed-in with a murderer in their midst, the Pratts must investigate the novel's colorful cast. But can they solve this Christmas mystery before someone else is killed?

Christmas Eve, 1943. Anthony and Elva Pratt arrive in a snowy English village to run a murder mystery game - and instead discover a real murder.The Pratts had planned for festive cheer, despite the wartime shortages: with Elva's map of the hotel and Anthony's prop weapons to use as clues, the guests in their parlour game would move through the rooms to figure out whodunnit.But when Anthony discovers the cook's sister Miss Silver beaten to death, they instead find themselves investigating a shockingly real crime. The hotel manager Mr Browning is trying to keep the peace but the guests are agitated, Colonel Colman is about to take over the hotel for the war effort - and the mysterious Mrs Threadgold hasn't been seen at all.In games, there's only one victim - but this is real life. Can the Pratts puzzle out this Christmas mystery before it's too late?

'Brilliant.' The Times'One of Upson's most evocative novels.' GuardianSeptember 1939: The worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock's Rebecca.Little does Josephine realise that the man she has befriended in Hollywood is the perpetrator of a shocking act of violence and is being sought back in Britain by DCI Archie Penrose.Together, they find themselves on a trail that echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, resentment and murder.WHAT READERS THINK:'Brilliant as ever . . . Thrilling.' 5* review'Fascinating and compelling . . . Loved it.' 5* review'What a story!' 5* review'Wonderful.' 5* review'I absolutely loved this . . . a thrilling and glamorous read.' 5* review

'Always a delight.' Sunday TimesI will never understand why murder is considered such a lowbrow speciality in Hollywood.September, 1939, and the worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock's Rebecca. Then a shocking act of violence reawakens the shadows of the past, with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, and Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves on a trail leading back to the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier - a trail that echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy and murder.'An astonishingly complex mystery.' The Times'Classy, clever, endlessly entertaining . . . one of this talented author's most impressive outings yet.' Lancashire Evening PostReaders love Nicola Upson'Oh my, what a delight to read this was. An author absolutely in command of her craft.' ***** reader review'I felt like I knew the Hitchcocks personally. The talent to make that feel likely is really Upson's draw for me. She never misses a beat.' ***** reader review'One of my favourite things about this author is the detail she brings to the pages and the way she can build tension and truly keep you gripped.' ***** reader review'What's not to like about a story of Hollywood and murder? . . . She writes in a way that the story flows effortlessly and makes reading easy and a joy.' ***** reader reviewPraise for the Josephine Tey series'[A] splendid series.' The Times'There's a wonderful golden age feel . . . containing wonderful twists and turns which single out Upson as a talented author of historical crime.' Scotland on Sunday'If Josephine Tey were alive, she would be the first to welcome a major talent.' Daily Mail

Violence finds its way to old Hollywood in the eleventh Josephine Tey mystery, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear. September 1939, and the worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock's Rebecca. Then a shocking act of violence reawakens the shadows of the past, with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, and Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves on a trail leading back to the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier - a trail that echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy, and murder.

It takes a village to bury a child . . .'Genius . . . A standout series.' The Times Crime Book of the Month1 September 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the safety of the countryside. But when a little girl vanishes, it's clear that danger can lurk in the quietest village.In the chaos of war, crime novelist Josephine Tey arrives to help her friend DCI Penrose to investigate the girl's disappearance. When a cloud of mistrust falls across the small community she has come to love, events take a sinister turn.

It takes a village to bury a child... September 1st, 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the countryside, but when a little girl vanishes without a trace, the reality of separation becomes more urgent and more deadly for those who love her. In the chaos and uncertainty of war, Josephine struggles with the prospect of change. As a cloud of suspicion falls across the small Suffolk village she has come to love, the conflict becomes personal, and events take a dark and sinister turn. Blending a Golden Age mystery with the timeless fears of a child's abduction, Dear Little Corpses is an atmospheric snapshot of England in the early days of war.

'More than just a brilliant mystery . . . wonderful.' Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants'Kept me guessing. Bravo!' Martin Edwards, author of The Lake District MysteriesIt takes a village to bury a child.1 September, 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the countryside, but when a little girl vanishes without trace, the reality of separation becomes more desperate and more deadly for those who love her.In the chaos and uncertainty of war, Josephine struggles with the prospect of change. As a cloud of suspicion falls across the small Suffolk village she has come to love, the conflict becomes personal, and events take a dark and sinister turn.'A class above the usual crime fiction.' Independent

December 1938, and storm clouds hover once again over Europe. Josephine Tey and Archie Penrose gather with friends for a Cornish Christmas, but two strange and brutal deaths on St Michael's Mount - and the unexpected arrival of a world famous film star, in need of sanctuary - interrupt the festivities. Cut off by the sea and a relentless blizzard, the hunt for a murderer begins.Pivoting on a real moment in history, the ninth novel in the 'Josephine Tey' series draws on all the much-loved conventions of the Golden Age Christmas mystery, whilst giving them a thrilling contemporary twist.

The fifth novel in the enthralling series starring Golden Age crime writer Josephine TeyA house that can't restA crime that won't fade...When Josephine inherited a remote Suffolk cottage from her godmother, it came full of secrets. Sorting through the artefacts of her godmother's life, Josephine is intrigued by an infamous murder committed near the cottage a century before. Yet this old crime - dubbed the Red barn murder - still seems to haunt the tight-knit village and its remote inhabitants.As Josephine settles into the house, she knows that something dark has a tight hold on the heart of this small community. Is it just the ghosts of the Red Barn murder, or is there something very much alive that she needs to fear?Trapped in this isolated community and surrounded by shadows of obsession, abuse and deceit, can Josephine untangle history from present danger and prevent a deadly cycle beginning once again?

Summer, 1936. The writer, Josephine Tey, joins her friends in the holiday village of Portmeirion to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, are there to sign a deal to film Josephine's novel, A Shilling for Candles, and Hitchcock has one or two tricks up his sleeve to keep the holiday party entertained - and expose their deepest fears.But things get out of hand when one of Hollywood's leading actresses is brutally slashed to death in a cemetery near the village. The following day, as fear and suspicion take over in a setting where nothing - and no one - is quite what it seems, Chief Inspector Archie Penrose becomes increasingly unsatisfied with the way the investigation is ultimately resolved. Several years later, another horrific murder, again linked to a Hitchcock movie, drives Penrose back to the scene of the original crime to uncover the shocking truth.