"A disgraced college lecturer is found murdered on a disused railway line near his home. He has 5,000 euros in his pocket, yet in the four years since his dismissal has been living a poverty-stricken and hermit-like existence. There are many suspects, mostly at the college where he used to teach, but Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, much to the chagrin of his boss, soon becomes fixated on Lady Veronica Chalmers, who appears to have links with...

From the New York Times bestselling author comes a riveting collection of short fiction, marked by the piercing psychological insight and brilliant characterization that are hallmarks of his acclaimed novels. Ever since the publication of his first mystery featuring Detective Inspector Alan Banks, Peter Robinson has been steadily building a reputation for compulsively readable and perceptive novels that probe the dark side of human nature. Plumbing...

Five novellas about deadly books-and even more dangerous people-from five acclaimed mystery authors. Book Club : Ex-cop Avery Sharecross now spends his days tracking rare books in Good Advice, New Mexico. But his old career collides with his new one when the local sheriff asks him for help on a case of a dead book collector. Seven Years : New York Times -bestselling author Peter Robinson tells of a retired professor who discovers a threatening inscription...