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Discover the most original murder mystery which will have you guessing until the very last page . . .

‘One of the year’s most entertaining crime novels’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘When did you last read a genuinely original thriller? The wait is over’ A. J. FINN, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

‘Grips like a vice’ SOPHIE HANNAH

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BARRY AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
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All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules.

Grant McAllister, an author of crime fiction and professor of mathematics, once sat down and worked them all out.

But that was thirty years ago. Now he’s living a life of seclusion on a quiet Mediterranean island – until Julia Hart, a sharp, ambitious editor, knocks on his door. His early work is being republished and together the two of them must revisit those old stories.

An author, hiding from his past, and an editor, probing inside it.

But as she reads the stories, Julia is unsettled to realise that there are parts that don’t make sense. Intricate clues that seem to reference a real murder.

One that’s remained unsolved for thirty years . . .

If Julia wants answers, she must triumph in a battle of wits with a dangerously clever adversary.

But she must tread carefully: she knows there’s a mystery, but she doesn’t yet realise there’s already been a murder . . .
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**Winner of the Capital Crimes Reader Award for Debut Book of the Year**

‘A box of delights . . . Pavesi’s revelations are completely unexpected, right up to the end’ New York Times

‘This super-smart homage to the Agatha Christie tradition is a must. Stylish, ingenious and great fun’ Sunday Mirror

‘Has an intricacy rare in modern crime fiction. Alex Pavesi deserves huge applause for his plot, constructed with all the skill of the old masters’ Sunday Express

‘So, so clever. Agatha Christie would take her hat off to this one – bravo!’ Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her Eyes

‘Ingenious . . . perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’ Best

‘An ingenious exploration of the crime genre’ Literary Review

Publisher Review

Ingenious . . . perfect for fans of Agatha Christie * Best * A brilliantly conceived novel . . . "I didn't see that coming", you'll say * Shots Magazine * An ingenious exploration of the crime genre * Literary Review * I loved this intelligent and inventive novel and I'm sure that it will find legions of fans amongst aficionados of classic crime. It's the most fun I've had in ages -- Cathy Rentzenbrink I have never read a book quite like this. It's original, clever and compelling - and the revelations at the end took me totally by surprise. -- Rachel Abbott A fantastic read. Utterly original, yet reads like a long-lost golden age classic. The author surprises from the first chapter, is always one step ahead, and constantly gives you this feeling that something macabre is happening behind your back! Bravo -- Ragnar Jonasson Alex Pavesi has written one of the most creative detective novels of the year...if not of all time. Sharp writing, crisp dialogue, and the end will leave you reeling. An incredible debut novel! -- Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife So clever and a lot of fun, fans of Golden Age crime fiction (of which I am one) will love this unique tale with a modern twist -- Jenny Blackhurst, bestselling author of How I Lost You Alex Pavesi's Eight Detectives is a delightfully inventive and enjoyable debut which plays fascinating games with the classic murder mystery and puts a fresh spin on the notion of whodunit. Bravo! -- Martin Edwards, winner of the 2020 Diamond Dagger An absolute juggernaut of a novel. -- Caz Frear Masterfully told in a unique way - this is sure to get you thinking * Woman's Weekly * In Eight Detectives, Alex Pavesi constructs a remarkable puzzle that turns readers into literary detectives with every new twist. Both a celebration and a reinvention of mystery fiction -- Matthew Pearl, bestselling author of The Dante Club Has an intricacy rare in modern crime fiction. Alex Pavesi deserves huge applause for his plot, constructed with all the skill of the old masters * Sunday Express * This super-smart homage to the Agatha Christie tradition is a must. Stylish, ingenious and great fun * Sunday Mirror * An absolute triumph of a novel. I read it in two greedy gulps. Intelligent and compelling storytelling. Utterly brilliant -- Ali Land, bestselling author of Good Me, Bad Me It's rare for me to read a book in a single day, but I couldn't put Eight Detectives down. Compelling, clever, and beautifully-constructed. It deserves to be huge. I genuinely wanted to applaud at the end -- Alex North This is both a wonderfully tricksy debut and a loving tribute to the golden age of crime fiction * Mail on Sunday * Alex Pavesi is a lively writer . . . It feels like a game of Clue-do-ku * Times * So, so clever. A twisty story and an education in the maths of murder mysteries, Agatha Christie would take her hat off to this one - bravo! -- Sarah Pinborough Dizzying, dazzling - a potent potion of a thriller, a brew of bibliophilia (think The Shadow of the Wind), wire-taut tension (The Talented Mr. Ripley), and plot swerves so sharp and sudden you risk whiplash with each turn of the page, as bold as the best of Michael Connelly and Lisa Gardner. When did you last read a genuinely original thriller? The wait is over. * A J Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window * Terrific. Alex Pavesi knows the genre inside out. One of the year's most entertaining crime novels * Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month *