Oxford

This week sees our Killer Reader Kate Stephenson (pictured right) asking for your views on modern Twisted Thrillers Vs. the classic Murder Mystery... Earlier this year at the Oxford Lit Fest, Sophie Hannah and Simon Brett discussed the respective merits of the dark and twisted new school and the cosy old school of murder mysteries in a panel entitled Murder Mystery: Blood Bath or Brain Teaser? Has crime fiction become too gory? It’s a question hotly debated amongst readers and writers alike. Some hark back to the masters of the cosies like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, and despair that contemporary crime fiction has gone too far, indulging in graphic violence – particularly the torture of women and children – for sensationalist purposes. Others don’t have a problem with it, being that it is fiction, after all. The authors are not committing the violent crimes they describe, nor inciting readers to do so. And surely we’re all consenting adults, making our own reading choices – if what you’re reading offends you, all you need to do is put the book down. Read More

BRITAIN, 1940. A SON NEEDS HIS FATHER. A COUNTRY NEEDS A HERO. We are rather proud of our lovely Sam Bourne widget! Click to hear Sam Bourne talking about the inspiration behind his explosive new thriller, Pantheon, then read an extract to see what all the fuss is about!… Read More

A country awash with paranoia and conspiracy - but a safe haven for a radical monk on the run. Read More