Christianna Brand Libri

Inspector Cockrill's dull vacation is jolted by a Mediterranean murder From the moment he steps on the plane, Inspector Cockrill loathes his fellow travelers. They are typical tour group bores: the dullards of England whom he had hoped to escape by going to Italy. He gives up on the trip immediately, burying his nose in a mystery novel to ensure that no one tries to become his friend. But not long after the group makes landfall at the craggy isle of San Juan el Pirata, a murder demands his attention. The body of a woman is found laid out carefully on her bed, blood pooled around her and fingers wrapped around the dagger that took her life. The corrupt local police force, impatient to find a killer, names Cockrill chief suspect. To escape the Italian hangman, the detective must find out who would go on vacation to kill a stranger.

The incorrigible Brown children, who devour nannies, nurse-maids, and governesses, finally meet their match.

Once upon a time there was a huge family of children; and they were terribly, terribly naughty ... So begins Nurse Matilda, the first of three books about the no-nonsense nanny who uses magic to rein in the mischievous children in her charge - and changes their lives forever. This covetable, highly collectable new hardback edition of a timeless classic is packed with episode after episode of mischief, mayhem and hilarity, all accompanied by Edward Ardizzone's beautiful original illustrations. The inspiration for the much-loved film Nanny McPhee, starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, Nurse Matilda overflows with naughtiness, wit and timeless humour - the perfect gift for mischief-makers both young and old!

As the prospect of driving back across Kent amid falling bombs detains the inspector for the night, a tense and claustrophobic investigation begins to determine who committed the foul deeds, and how it was possible to kill with no evidence left behind.

First published in 1952, London Particular was Brand’s favourite among her own books, and it remains a fast-paced and witty masterpiece of the genre, showing off the author’s signature flair for the ruthless twist.

Also known by its American title The Crooked Wreath, this classic mystery novel from 1947 is loaded with sharply drawn characters and devilish misdirection, all capped by one of the genre's most thrilling denouements.

First published in 1948, Brand's masterpiece of the impossible crime subgenre is a fiendishly complex yet riveting mystery, featuring nuanced characters, Shakespearean plotting, dumbfounding acts of misdirection and a truly thrilling denouement.

In the English countryside, one of the well-mannered guests at Pigeonsford Estate may be a murderer in this series debut by an Edgar Award-nominated author. As war rages in Europe, the citizens of London flee to the country. At Pigeonsford, a group of guests plays cards, drinks tea, and acts polite--but Grace Morland knows the strong emotions that lurk beneath the placid social surface. She's painfully in love with Stephen Pendock, the squire of Pigeonsford, but Pendock's smitten with young beauty Francesca Hart. One afternoon, Fran debuts a new hat, and Grace's jealousy gets the better of her. She exclaims, "I wouldn't be seen dead in a ditch in a thing like that!" She will soon be proven wrong. Grace is found dead with the hat on her head--and her head removed from her neck. To the scene comes the incomparable Inspector Cockrill, who finds that far more than petty jealousy lies beneath this hideous murder.