Margaret Murphy

‘Martin Edwards demonstrates that he has a ventriloquist’s gift for other people’s voices….Murder Squad is a genuine attempt to demonstrate the diversity and quality of what is being produced by authors who are shelved under crime…This book is a celebration. So sit yourself down with a glass or a steaming mug of what you fancy, and indulge yourself. Or else.’ From the Foreword by Val McDermid Ann Cleeves’ The Plater was short-listed for a CWA Dagger

Murder Squad, a group of award-winning crime and mystery writers, celebrate their twenty-first birthday with a bang in this criminally good collection of short stories. A dawn swim turns deadly in a brand-new short story starring DCI Vera Stanhope . . . Two bored cell-mates play a game with chilling results . . . A hen night in an isolated cottage brings new meaning to 'I will survive' . . . A train traveller teaches a valuable lesson in reading labels . . . A day at the seaside turns stormy for a woman who doesn't care for foreigners . . . A wealthy retiree makes a new friend who connects her to the Other Side . . . and much much more. Short, sharp and packed with twists, these 21 unputdownable tales showcase Murder Squad's range and talent throughout the years. So why not treat yourself to a slice of murderously moreish fiction, and join us in wishing the squad 'Many Deadly Returns'. With stories by Ann Cleeves, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Margaret Murphy, Chris Simms and Cath Staincliffe, as well as John Baker, Chaz Brenchley and Stuart Pawson.

Best Eaten Cold and Other Stories showcases a group of highly regarded, award-winning crime writers who all share a special passion for crime, which is reflected in this superb volume. Funny and sad, atmospheric and dark, ingenious and frightening, each of the thirteen stories in this collection will thrill lovers of crime fiction.

Published in association with the Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement and the Agricultural History Society of Ireland, this collection explores the relationship between Irish settlement and agricultural practice from the Neolithic to the 18th century. The types of farming that took place in any particular period of Irish history had a powerful impact on the development of settlement. Interdisciplinary studies in this volume address key periods to illustrate that process: from the spread of Neolithic pastoralism, the very basis of farming on the island; through the medieval focus on tillage, which gave rise to manorial villages and granges; to the 18th-century agricultural revolution and the impact that had on urban and rural landscapes.

When Megan Ward goes missing, suspicion falls on the stalker seen outside her house. The police would love it to be so simple, but the closer they look the more mysterious Megan herself becomes. They find no photos, no passport, no family or friends from an earlier life, only the corrupted computer files in Megan's strangely impersonal room. Meanwhile Patrick Doran, owner of Safe Hands Security, is living his own nightmare. A hacker has breached his computer network, where he thought he had safely buried his past. Then Megan's landlady is murdered - and the shadowy Megan re-emerges. The woman who doesn't exist becomes very real, very elusive and very dangerous.

Twelve pictures, twelve tales of crime and mystery. Written by Murder Squad and their accomplices, these page-turning short stories open up a world of intrigue, suspense and fear. With contributions from celebrated crime writers including Ann Cleeves, Cath Staincliffe and Martin Edwards, each tale has been inspired by the atmospheric and evocative work of Pembrokeshire-based photographer David Wilson. The stories, all illustrated with the images that inspired their authors, include modern day love and betrayal, historical murder mysteries, and crime in the Welsh countryside.