On a jaunt to visit her friend Miss Marple, Elspeth McGillicuddy sees a man strangling a woman on a passing train. The police dismiss her observation as imagination, but Miss Marple knows better and decides to search for the corpse on her own.

P. D. James, the undisputed queen of mystery, gives us an intriguing, inspiring and idiosyncratic look at the genre she has spent her life perfecting. Examining mystery from top to bottom, beginning with such classics as Charles Dickens's Bleak House and Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White, and then looking at such contemporary masters as Colin Dexter and Henning Mankell, P. D. James goes right to the heart of the genre. Along the way she traces the lives and writing styles of Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, and many more. Here is P.D. James discussing detective fiction as social history, explaining its stylistic components, revealing her own writing process, and commenting on the recent resurgence of detective fiction in modern culture. It is a must have for the mystery connoisseur and casual fan alike.

FROM CWA CARTIER DIAMOND DAGGER AWARD WINNER COLIN DEXTER Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague. The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . . And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . . PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR MORSE SERIES "The Inspector Morse series, both the novels and the television dramas, are among the finest creations of British culture and are known and loved all over the world." Sydney Morning Herald "Let those who lament the decline of the English detective story reach for Colin Dexter" Guardian

The Female Detective by Andrew Forrester is about a female detective who expertly evades suspicion while cracking the hardest cases. Excerpt: "Who am I? It can matter little who I am. It may be that I took to the trade, sufficiently comprehended in the title of this work without a word of it being read, because I had no other means of making a living; or it may be that for the work of detection I had a longing which I could not overcome."

Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernize the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs. In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a “perfect” crime committed many years before.

David Frith's revised and updated autobiography, 25 years on from the acclaimed 1997 story of his decades at the heart of cricket: a story of wartime, two-way emigration, playing, watching and writing about cricket past and present: the controversies, the sweeping research, the friends (and enemies), the great occasions, and closeness to the Arlotts and Bradmans and hordes of others. This is cricket from the central hub and a human story like no other.It is terrific . . . a love story, a search for cultural identity . . . meditation on how cricket can be so informative of one's sensibilities . . . Frith's mastery of his subject is astounding and sometimes hilarious . . . This is not a comfortable 'thanks for the memories' book, but Frith's has not been a comfortable life. That is the price one pays for fearless honesty and self-knowledge. Gideon Haigh

There's been no end to the chaos at 32 Windsor Gardens since Paddington, that irresistible bear from Darkest Peru, joined the Brown family. Even Mrs. Bird, the housekeeper, has learned that there's no knowing what's likely to happen when he's around. Well meaning as ever, Paddington's at it again, and this time he really goes to town. If a boulder rolls down the aisle of a bus, sending the entire carload careening; if a visitor to the hospital leaves even the staff psychiatrist baffled; or if a hostess discovers her surprise dessert is "baked elastic," you can be sure that Paddington is somewhere close at hand. Paddington fans will be delighted as, once more, that bear turns things merrily, unpredictably topsy-turvy in this revised edition of Paddington Goes to Town.

Mariah Carey's classic Christmas song is now featured in a one-of-a-kind picture book that will have readers of all ages singing all season long! Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You", one of the bestselling and most beloved songs of all time, brings Christmas joy to countless listeners of all ages every year. And now its classic lyrics will bring that same holiday spirit to readers of all ages in this one-of-a-kind picture book about a young girl whose greatest Christmas wish is for a new puppy! Full of festive December moments with family, friends, presents, and of course, Santa Claus—and featuring lively yuletide illustrations alongside the complete song lyrics—All I Want for Christmas Is You will become a cherished part of your family's Christmas traditions for many years to come. Includes a special Christmas letter from Mariah to her fans! "All we want for Christmas is this!" —USA Today "All we want for Christmas is Mariah Carey's new book!" --People Magazine "All I Want For Christmas Is You is the gift that keeps on giving." --Entertainment Weekly

They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in this “stunning…unforgettable” (Publishers Weekly) thriller set in the world of competitive Scrabble, where a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages. CATALYST 13 points noun: a substance that speeds up a reaction without itself changing When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It seems that even though Najwa is trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet. But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it. As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.

Paddington Bear has a busy day ahead filled with lots of tasty treats to eat.