This new collection from British Library Crime Classics features some of the greatest mystery tales from the Golden Age of detective fiction to be based around food and drink. Complete with a well-stuffed introduction from expert editor, anthologist and crime author Martin Edwards, detailing the fascinating role of what we imbibe to the genre, this anthology includes tales from the likes of Dorothy L Sayers, Michael Gilbert and EC Bentley, and is sure to leave readers hungry and wanting more.

The Class of 2000.
The Actress. The Techie. The Bimbo.
The Sportsman. The Bad Boy. The Writer. The Singer.
The Lecturer. The Musician. The Mature Student. The Weirdo.
But who is The Murderer?

It's Bathory University's 25-year reunion. The Class of 2000 reassemble – and old flames and old feuds are quicky reignited.

Laurence still loves Diana. Mags still hates Bill. Tillie wants Ed. Ryan wants revenge. Rob turned out good. J.D. turned out bad. Lilah's not the same. And as for Marty…

But when murder strikes, the clues to the killing can be found a quarter of a century ago on Graduation Day 2000. As the secrets, tragedies and betrayals from years gone by play out at the reunion, someone is taught a deadly lesson.

Eleven witnesses – or are they suspects? – from the Bathory students and staff recount events in the years 2000 and 2025 while the murder trial unfolds before us. But who is the victim? Who is accused of being the killer? And is the right person even on trial?

The murderer will be revealed… but only by degrees.

Praise for award-winning, bestselling author Maz Evans:
'Fabulous' JANICE HALLETT
'Deliciously funny' MARTINA COLE
'Pure fun in book form, a laugh out loud murder mystery…a book you won't be able to put down!' C L MILLER
'Wickedly spit-out-your-tea funny…but also heartwarming' S. J. BENNETT
'This witty mystery will please fans of Richard Osman and Janice Hallett' The i Paper
'Gorgeously warm, brilliantly witty…impossible to put down' LUCY MANGAN
Warm, wacky and witty. I loved it!' SALLY PAGE
'A triumph' DAILY MIRROR
'Sometimes a book comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with reading. ..an absolute joy!' WOMAN & HOME
'Splendidly offbeat whodunnit' DAILY EXPRESS

'Phoebe Atwood Taylor can get more fun into a detective story than any writer at present producing books of this sort' – New York Times

Meet Asey Mayo, Cape Cod’s answer to Sherlock Holmes, a Jack-of-all-trades who uses his worldly knowledge to solve the most puzzling crimes to strike the peninsula.

A massive heatwave is scorching the coast. A journalist is found murdered in the cabin he’s rented for the season, and the summer holiday becomes a nightmare for the local police. They believe that beloved local businessman Bill Porter is the murderer – it’s up to Asey Mayo to prove him innocent and find the true killer.

Praise for The Cape Cod Mystery:

'Delightful, light, witty and vivacious' – Chicago Tribune

'Asey Mayo possesses more common sense and personal charm than any other detective in fiction' – Times Literary Supplement

'The real atmosphere of the Cape is here' – Boston Globe

The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation, little imagining that this time it will take them all the way to Venice in a tale of spies, lies and Cold War skulduggery.

PRAISE FOR S.J. BENNETT'S HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN INVESTIGATES MYSTERY SERIES:

'A witty whodunit starring our very own HM The Queen as an amateur sleuth' – Good Housekeeping
'A flawless gem. A perfect score on the '3 Cs': charm, character and comedy' – CJ Wray
'A pitch-perfect murder mystery' – Ruth Ware
'A masterclass from start to finish' – Ian Moore
'Written with wit and brio' – Daily Express
'Miss Marple with a crown' – Daily Mirror
'Absolute perfection!' – Isabelle Broom
'Delightfully charming' – Adele Parks
'Pure confection' – New York Times
'Warm & witty' – Woman&Home
'A delightful read' – BBC Radio 2
'I loved it' – Joanne Harris
'A total joy' – Nina Stibbe
'Charming' – Guardian
'What a hoot!' – Saga

This is the story of how we . . .
– Discovered a dead body
– Launched an investigation
– Battled mean girls, feral bats, and nearly destroyed our three-year friendship all in the noble pursuit of solving a complex murder

Mae Flynn is used to the chaos of her rural Irish Catholic boarding school, but she isn’t expecting to discover a dead body in the school kitchen. To make matters worse, the hapless victim, Conor Haddock, was the previous owner of the school building and had recently been talking about selling up, alongside getting on the bad side of seemingly every adult Mae knows. In other words: the suspects are endless.

Along with her best friends, the self-named Common Criminals' Club, Mae is determined to solve the murder. But the more she uncovers, the more she begins to suspect that everyone around her is hiding something. Soon it’s not only her lessons and friendships at stake, but her very life . . .

'Olly Smith brings his legendary nose to detecting dark and troubling notes in the vinous twittens of Lewes'
RICHARD COLES, author of Murder Before Evensong

🍷In an idyllic Sussex town, murder is fermenting… 🍷

Barclay Flint is the charmingly eccentric proprietor of The Bottle Bank wine shop, nestled in a picturesque Sussex town renowned for its gloriously anarchic Bonfire Night celebration.

Barclay can taste a kaleidoscopic universe in a single glass of wine and delights in matching customers to the grapes of their dreams. But when his close friend, struggling regenerative vineyard owner Victor Crawshaw, is found dead, Barclay finds himself a prime suspect.

To crack the case and clear his name, Barclay must deploy his wine detection skills and follow his nose through the rolling Sussex hills where a tangle of old resentments and rivalries awaits to ensnare him.

With a killer on the loose and Bonfire Night fast approaching, the town crackles with anticipation. This year the fireworks might not be the only things to explode…

Join Barclay and his friends from The Bottle Bank in this sparkling debut novel by wine expert Olly Smith. It's time to uncork the most exuberant and irresistible mystery of the year!

'What a wonderful debut… Barclay Flint is a brilliantly drawn, vibrant character – an unforgettable new detective with flair and wit' MEL PENNANT, author of A Murder for Miss Hortense

'Death by Noir is cosy crime at its finest: vintage storytelling with a modern twist. I loved it' CHARLOTTE PHILBY, author of Dirty Money

There used to be a café called Mon Cheri at Nishi Waseda, where members of the Waseda Mystery Club spent day after day frothing in excitement over the latest mystery novels. Now, one former member is enlisted by his granddaughter to solve real-life mysteries . . .

As a lover of classic crime stories, it’s perhaps no surprise that twenty-seven-year-old schoolteacher Kaede encounters everyday mysteries more often than your average person. Solving them is another matter, though, and the person she always heads to for guidance is her beloved grandfather – who, despite having dementia, retains a keen sharpness of mind.

From impossible locked-room murders to confounding missing person cases, the granddaughter and grandfather team ‘weave stories’ in master-and-apprentice fashion. Together, they get to the bottom of case after case. But, all the while, a shadow slowly closes in on Kaede, posing a more insidious threat . . .

Filled with charming characters and steeped in references to classic crime – from Christie to Chesterton to Poe – My Grandfather, the Master Detective is a touching, charming mystery by Masateru Konishi. For fans of The Thursday Murder Club. Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, winner of the Lindsley and Masao Miyoshi Traslation Prize 2025.

‘Expert sleuthing‘ – The Saturday Review

Bennet Farr was the richest and most hated man in town, so when he is found dead, the list of those with a grudge grows endless. There’s the librarian, the journalist, the schoolteacher, and Bennet’s own son, who was struck off the family inheritance just days before Bennet’s death.

How do catch a killer when everyone in town has a motive? The police are befuddled by the lack of evidence. And in the end, the key to solving the mystery is found not by them but by Bennet’s pet cat, Smoky.

A lost classic worthy of rediscovery, this cosy mystery will delight any fan of Golden Age detective fiction.