Murder and Mayhem!

By Jacqson Diego Story Emporium

From supernatural detectives to historical murder, this list showcases some of our favourite murder and mystery books. From ages 8-108, there's something to be found here for everyone!

Potkin and Stubbs

Potkin and Stubbs

Sophie Green and Karl Mountford

£7.99 £7.59

Lil Potkin lives in bleak Peligan City. Her mum works in City Hall and is rarely at home, so aspiring journalist Lil has all the time she needs to explore the city in her bright yellow raincoat, investigating unsolved stories. One rainy evening Lil meets a sad-looking boy sitting by himself in the bus station and buys him a hot chocolate. That night Lil wakes to find him in her bedroom. He doesn't want to admit to being a ghost, but when he finally remembers his name (Nedly ... possibly) he explains that he needs Lil's help to find out what happened to him after he disappeared from his orphanage a year ago. So Lil and Nedly - aka Potkin and Stubbs - team up to solve their mystery, and they call in the reluctant help of once-famous detective Abe Mandrel. He agrees to help them with the Stubbs case if they help him find the criminal who escaped justice and cost him his career. Except - Mandrel thinks it's only Lil he's working with. And Lil realises she is the only person in the whole of Peligan City who can see Nedly. Which can come in handy when trying to solve crime... Funny, atmospheric, spooky - the perfect detective story for young readers 9+

The Bullet That Missed: (The Thursday Murder Club 3)

The Bullet That Missed: (The Thursday Murder Club 3)

Richard Osman

£20.00

It is an ordinary Thursday and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill...or be killed. As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

The Man In The Queue

The Man In The Queue

Josephine Tey

£8.99 £8.54

In 1920s London, the packed queue for the city's most popular musical comedy is growing impatient. When the theatre doors open at last and the crowd surges forward, a man falls to the ground, dead-silently stabbed with a stiletto. Who killed him before melting away unseen into the night?As Inspector Alan Grant investigates, the mystery turns into a breathless manhunt leading from London all the way to the Scottish highlands and back, before at last a truth is revealed that shocks even the canny detective himself. This is an unforgettable classic from crime writing's golden age

Crookhaven The School for Thieves: Book 1

Crookhaven The School for Thieves: Book 1

J.J. Arcanjo

£7.99 £7.59

13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he's caught. But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven - a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and 'crim-nastics', all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent. But ... can you ever really trust a thief?With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel's first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember... An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.

Murder Most Unladylike

Murder Most Unladylike

Robin Stevens

£7.99 £7.59

At Deepdean School for Girls, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't.) Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery, when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Jesse Sutanto

£9.99 £9.49

Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective? Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy 'detective' work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he's dating anybody yet). But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it's going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she'll do a better job than the police possibly could - because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands - Vera decides it's down to her to catch the killer.

Flock Horror

Flock Horror

Jennifer Killick

£7.99 £7.59

Angelo and his friends know that together they can handle any pretty much anything - including giant mutant spiders or snake-like parasites that burrow into your brain. But when a terrifying new enemy attacks from above it seems they have met their ultimate match . . . how can they defeat giant vampire birds that are after BLOOD? With summer term in full force - and sports day and prom night on the horizon - the whole school is in danger. The gang need a plan to bring safety to the skies! The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spookyCrater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine's Goosebumps.

How to Kill Your Family

How to Kill Your Family

Bella Mackie

£9.99 £9.49

They say you can't choose your family. But you can kill them. Meet Grace Bernard. Daughter, sister, serial killer... Grace has lost everything. And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.

The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie

The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie

Yvonne Banham

£7.99 £7.59

When Delores Mackenzie is chased home by a restless spirit, she is sent to the mysterious Uncles in Edinburgh Old Town to learn how to control her unusual 'gifts'. Scared and alone, she finds her new home at the Tolbooth Book Store is full of curious surprises: some welcome, others less so. But when a sinister apparition threatens the lives of her strange new housemates, Delores must gather all her strength to save them.

Mason Mooney: Paranormal Investigator

Mason Mooney: Paranormal Investigator

Seaerra Miller

£12.99 £12.34

A spooky, ghost-filled and hilarious adventure awaits when you dive into the mysterious world of Mason Mooney!Join paranormal investigator Mason Mooney as he tackles ghosts, witches and grumpy teenagers to prove once and for all who the REAL talent in the world of paranormal creatures. If anyone can figure out what's going on in Grimbrook's most haunted house - it's him. And no one else. But with an evil curse looming over him and the house's inhabitants, can Mason finally prove to the Paranormal Society that he's the best around - or is he a bit out of his depth?Packed with evil curses, haunted houses, quirky characters and a town full of unexplained phenomena, Seaerra Miller's new series of illustrated comic-picture books are sure to be a hit with kids who love twisted tales and action-packed, mysterious stories.

An Inspector Calls The Graphic Novel: Original Text

An Inspector Calls The Graphic Novel: Original Text

J. B. Priestley and Will Volley

£11.99 £11.39

The classic novel brought to life in full colour. A respectable household is shocked when a strange man visits them shortly after dinner and proceeds to unravel their prejudices and lies.

I, Spy: a Bletchley Park mystery

I, Spy: a Bletchley Park mystery

Rhian Tracey

£7.99 £7.59

Twelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver. When she's not at school, there's nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages. Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes. Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies. But first, she must sign the Official Secrets Act and is ordered not to leave the grounds of the park. While Bletchley is buzzing with people recruited for the war effort and all eyes are on the skies, Robyn becomes convinced that there's something sinister going on within Bletchley Park itself. Together with her friends Mary and Ned, Robyn resolves to uncover the enemy in their midst .

The Headmaster's List

The Headmaster's List

Melissa de la Cruz

£8.99 £8.54

Four students. A fatal car crash. Three come out alive - and they will do anything to bury the truth. One of them was driving. One of them was high. One of them screamed. And one of them died. When one of their own is tragically killed in a car crash, Argyle Prep is full of questions. Who was at the wheel? And more importantly, who was at fault? But in a place ruled by pedigree and privilege, the answers can only come at a price. Set against the glitz and glamour of an elite LA private school The Headmaster's List, Melissa de la Cruz's first YA thriller, is an addictive whodunit perfect for fans of Gossip Girl and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Five Survive

Five Survive

Holly Jackson

£14.99 £14.24

Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It's a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There's a sniper out there. He's watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for. As a game of cat-and-mouse plays out, the group desperately tries to get help. Buried secrets are forced to light and tensions within the group reach deadly levels. Only one thing is for sure. Not everyone will survive the night .

Good Girls Die First

Good Girls Die First

Kathryn Foxfield

£8.99 £8.54

Mind games. Murder. Mayhem. How far would you go to survive the night? Blackmail lures sixteen-year-old Ava to the derelict carnival on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group find themselves cut off from the real world and from their morals. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she's willing to go to survive.

Hell Breaks Loose

Hell Breaks Loose

Derek Landy

£14.99

Discover the world of Skulduggery Pleasant in this prequel to the bestselling series. So many enemies, so little time . . . Italy, 1703. As the war with Mevolent rages on, the Dead Men are dispatched to a walled town in the Tuscan hills - not to assassinate the Lord of the Dark Sorcerers, but to save him. A rift has opened to a hellish dimension where a being of devastating power awaits, and only Mevolent is strong enough to seal it and save the world. A simple mission, then, which turns ever-so-slightly trickier when Skulduggery is presented with the opportunity to finally get revenge on Nefarian Serpine, the man who murdered him and killed his family thirteen years earlier. Return to the world of Skulduggery Pleasant in a short novel set hundreds of years before Valkyrie Cain is even born, and follow Skulduggery, Ghastly, Shudder, Ravel, Saracen, Dexter and Hopeless as they argue, bicker and battle their way through an army of their most hated enemies in order to save their oldest enemy so they can stop another, brand new, enemy... And that's when things get complicated.

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison

J.T. Williams and Simone Douglas

£7.99 £7.59

Agents of history. Partners in Mystery. Sisters in solving crime. Twelve-year-olds Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle are from different worlds - Lizzie lives in Westminster in her dad's tea shop, while Belle is an heiress being brought up by her aunt and uncle at grand Kenwood House - but they both share a love of solving mysteries. And after saving Lizzie's father from attempted murder surely there is no threat too challenging for this detective duo? It's the summer of 1777, the night of the grand unveiling of the Sancho-Mansfields family portrait - and a celebration of friendship, family, and freedom! But all too soon things take a dark turn - the painting has been stolen! Now it is time for Lizzie and Belle to put their sleuthing skills to the ultimate test, following a trail of thefts, kidnappings and even poisonings that haunts the twisting London streets. With a grand conspiracy afoot, and a mysterious organisation threatening their closest friends and family, who can Lizzie and Belle trust? Once again it is up to the two girls to unveil the truth and put an end to the villainy that plagues the city.

Love You to Death

Love You to Death

Gina Blaxill

£8.99 £8.54

Someone is obsessed with Mia Hawkins. She's felt their gaze on the back of her neck. She's heard their footsteps, walking home in the dark. She's glimpsed a shadowy figure and the flash of a camera. Mia doesn't know Jade. But Jade knows everything about Mia. In fact, she's turned herself into Mia's doppelganger, from her long brown hair to the minute details of her outfits. She's so convincing that when Jade's body is found by the cliffs, everyone believes it's Mia. But Mia can't work out why anyone would imitate her - or why they'd end up dead. As life as she knows it is decimated, she is left with no idea who to trust . . . or if she will be the next one to die. A heart-racing YA thriller with hints of You, Single White Female and Hitchock's Vertigo Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Karen M. McManus, Cynthia Murphy and Kathleen Glasgow Told with Gina Blaxill's trademark smart, feminist angle and a deftly crafted web of vivid characters