Author:Georges Simenon,Howard Curtis
'The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect' Daily Telegraph
A baffling case. A mysterious inheritance.
It starts when a man's arm is fished out of Paris's Canal Saint-Martin. Then the rest of the body is retrieved - apart from the head. Inspector Maigret is determined to unearth the truth behind this disturbing murder. When he meets the strangely taciturn owner of a shabby local bistro, Madame Calas, who says her husband is away, the pieces start to fall into place. But, as the dogged, laconic detective discovers, nothing in this tangled case is as it seems.
Not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor.
—— Boyd Tonkin , The TimesOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.
—— GuardianOne of Simenon's masterpieces ... Simenon's subject is how people who are pushed to the edge push themselves over it; the force of the sleuthing is that of psychoanalysis, not police interrogation.
—— Adam Gopnik , The New YorkerDirect, spare, sensously atmospheric, hypnotic in its realism, and honest in a way that few novelists would dare to be
—— John BanvilleTo me, Simenon is as good as Camus
—— Hanif Kureishi , GuardianIrresistible . . . read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss
—— The Sunday TimesEvery year, Simenon would rage at the “idiots of Stockholm” who yet again had refused him the Nobel Prize in literature. I used to think this was crazy; now I think it quite sane. His romans durs are spare and harsh, with a deep understanding of human nature; this is one of his finest
—— Julian Barnes , The WeekThe genius of Simenon, aided by a brilliant translation, compels the eye and captures the heart.
—— Barry Turner , Daily MailA welcome new translation of a key Simenon standalone. With its sensuously detailed rustic setting and edgy interactions between a widow managing her own farm and the dissolute, privileged ex-convict Jean, this is quietly hypnotic fare
—— Financial TimesThrilling
—— Richard & Judy Book ClubPacked with twists
—— Daily Express"Dramatic, thrilling, and very disturbing...Yet another masterpiece by this brilliant star...the prose manages to be breathtakingly seductive and pulse triggering at the same time.
—— KappraktPulse-raiser about nightmare case... Grens' own journey is nicely intertwined with the plot...Clever intrigue and twists.
—— TaraSet in the ever-moody and hauntingly beautiful city of New Orleans, The Butcher and the Wren tells the story of a meticulous serial killer and the distinguished forensic pathologist, Dr. Wren Muller, set out to stop him. After researching countless horrific true crime cases over the last several years, we have no doubt Urquhart will knock it out of the park with this one. This is the perfect book to pick up if you want to 'Keep it weird.'
—— Brett Nicole Hayden, The Everygirl , -A serial killer novel like none you have ever read, The Butcher and the Wren takes a cat-and-mouse chase between two instantly memorable antagonists and turns all the conventions of the genre upside down. Dark, twisty, full of authentic detail, it'll have you listening to the night in an entirely different way
—— Neil Nyren, Booktrib , -If you've ever wanted to actually get inside the mind of a serial killer, look no further
—— Paste MagazineJaw-droppingly good
—— Sun on SundayThat. Twist. You will gasp out loud and question everything you've read so far... with Just Another Missing Person, Gillian McAllister has secured her crown as the queen of the mind-bending plot twist.
—— HOLLY SEDDONIngenuously plotted
—— GuardianPraise for Wrong Place, Wrong Time
—— -It's perfection, every word, every moment. A masterpiece . . . I had my mind blown apart. After I finished it I sat with my mouth hanging open in awe. One of the best books I've ever read
—— Lisa JewellA spellbinding 'whydunnit'. A novel with a difference. Richly layered
—— Sunday TimesIt's absolutely AMAZING. The plot is astonishing - original and ingenious
—— Marian KeyesExtraordinary and Sinister. The mystery overlaps with blackmail and revenge in a dark and convoluted plot that takes the breath away.
—— Daily MailA stunning, clever and ingeniously plotted thriller with jaw-dropping gasp out loud twists
—— The Sunday ExpressIn his new thriller, Robert Harris wrests [a] fascinating period back from its unjust oblivion, showing how closely its complex landscape of constitutional crises and Puritan politics played out in new unregulated media resonates with us today
—— The CriticHarris, deft as ever, weaves a hefty amount of historical fact into the narrative, politics, religion, colonial life, family ties - as well as themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Underneath it all though is the remorseless and building propulsion of hunter and prey
—— New StatesmanA drama so involving and nerve-wracking, you can barely turn the pages fast enough. Historic!
—— Saga MagazineAnother fantastic piece of historical fiction from Robert Harris, immaculately researched and utterly believable
—— IPU ReviewA gripping thriller and a timely reminder of the dangers of a deeply divided and intolerant society
—— The Shropshire MagazineThe book excels in its stunning recreation of the landscape of America... Harris proves himself to be masterful at this and it gives the book a vibrant memorability
—— New StatesmanFew writers combine history, politics and excitement of a thriller as enthrallingly as Robert Harris does.
—— Sunday TimesWhat Harris does here is nothing short of masterful.
—— Irish TimesHarris displays an impressive grasp of the historical context without taxing his readers by showing his 'workings'.
—— Church TimesBased on real and fascinating history, this is Robert Harris's best since An Officer and a Spy
—— The TimesPacy and tense, and the pungently evoked past offers up some shrewd present-day parallels
—— Mail on SundayAn absolutely stunning historical novel and a ripping crime thriller at the same time. I've been recommending it far and wide and buying it for people for Christmas!
—— Dead GoodThe best historical fiction combines a gripping plot with meticulous research - leaving the reader inspired to learn more about the real-life protagonists. And the latest release from Robert Harris once more proves his mastery of the genre
—— SoldierI loved Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris, which achieves the astonishing feat of taking 17th-century events and people and telling their stories in 21st-century language without a single seam showing
—— Ben Macintyre , The TimesThrilling
—— Gregory Doran , The TimesThis is a novel that asks big historical questions. You could read it as a pure thriller, and it is one of Harris's most compellingly paced to date. You could read it as a piece of intelligent historical immersion. I think it is more; I think it is his best novel since Fatherland.
—— Sunday TimesIt's a belter.
—— The TimesIf only all historical thrillers could be this entertaining.
—— ObserverIn this tense and beautifully written account of the ensuing manhunt, Harris brings sympathy to characters on either side of the civil war that divided a nation.
—— Daily MailA brainy, compulsive page-turner.
—— Daily TelegraphA violent, gripping, globetrotting chase thriller
—— Daily MirrorHe’s my go-to person that I know will keep me entertained
—— Jane Garvey[A] rich, propulsive novel
—— Sunday Times