British Crime Festivals + Bargain Books Today

May 27, 2025

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If you’re planning to attend Bloody Scotland this September 12th-14th in Stirling, they’ve just announced Sir Ian Rankin (author of the Rebus novels) will be presenting a conversation with American author Kathy Reichs (author of the Temperance Brennan novels that inspired the TV show Bones).

The full programme of events will be announced on June 12th.

If you’re looking for something happening a bit sooner, check out the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, which takes place between July 17th and 20th…or Capital Crime in London on July 13th and 14th.

Can’t make it all the way over to the UK? The ones that take place in the US don’t feature as many British authors (obviously) - but they’re still worth checking out. We recommend BoucherCon (September 3-7 in New Orleans), Left Coast Crime (February 26-March 1, 2026 in San Francisco), Malice Domestic (April 24-26, 2026 in Bethesda), and Killer Nashville (August 21-24 in Franklin, TN).

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British eBooks on Sale: May 27th

As always, a short disclaimer on the sale listings - the overwhelming majority of our readers are US-based, so sale availability may vary outside of the US (it’s up to the publisher/author if they wish to coordinate sales internationally). Deals can disappear at any time, but all e-books were $2.99 or less at time of writing.

  • The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer - In a British manor on the brink of war, a grieving young woman discovers a parallel world—one where the Titanic never sank and a voice behind her bedroom wall may belong to the man she’s meant to love.

  • Pictures of Perfection by Reginald Hill - During a festive celebration in a Yorkshire village, Dalziel and Pascoe investigate a constable’s disappearance, uncovering hidden tensions and long-buried secrets beneath the idyllic surface.

  • A Sky Full of Stars by Fay Keenan - While archiving a crumbling observatory in the Somerset village of Lower Brambleton, a rootless archivist uncovers hidden truths—and a possible future with the man determined to tear it all down.

  • Nelson: The Sword of Albion by John Sugden - This second volume offers a richly detailed account of Admiral Horatio Nelson’s final years, blending his legendary naval victories with personal struggles, political ambition, and a scandalous love affair.

  • A Scottish Island Summer by Julie Shackman - When city girl Darcie Freeman is sent to the Isle of Skye for a travel guide project, her plans take an unexpected turn thanks to a charming local and a life far from the spotlight she's used to.

  • Murder in Norfolk by Sadie Norman - Still recovering from a near-fatal stabbing, Detective Anna McArthur returns to work in West Norfolk after discovering a body marked with the word catfish—the first sign of a killer who's just begun.

  • Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett - When two strangers are stood up under the clock at Waterloo Station, a chance meeting leads to a fake relationship that just might turn into something real.

  • Little Black Lies by Gillian Jackson - Still grieving her fiancé, Detective Samantha Freeman is pulled into a complex murder case where buried secrets, stolen identities, and police corruption point to a killer dangerously close to home.

  • Thicker Than Water by JD Kirk - When a mutilated body is found on the shores of Loch Ness, DCI Jack Logan must cut through media frenzy and local legend to stop a killer before they strike again.

  • Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron - This one’s technically a dollar over our $2.99 limit at time of writing, but considering it’s Mick Herron and it’s the first book in a series coming to television in the near future, we figured we’d throw it in. When a girl goes missing after a deadly explosion in an Oxford suburb, a determined woman and a private investigator uncover a dangerous conspiracy hidden behind the quiet streets.

A Few Print Book Deals…

Print books aren’t sold as cheaply as ebooks (and Amazon has recently announced plans to take larger fees on books priced under $9.99, causing publishers/authors to increase prices), so for these we look for books priced at $10-12 or less at time of writing.

  • Queens of London by Heather Webb - In 1925 London, gang leader Alice Diamond rises to power with an ambitious criminal empire—until one of Britain’s first female detectives sets her sights on bringing it down.

  • A Recipe for Love by Amelia Berry - When Bella's holiday romance turns into a new life on a crumbling Scottish estate, she launches a cookery school to save it—testing her love, her skills, and her courage along the way.

  • The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen - When her husband dies suddenly, Jane Bell must save the struggling coaching inn at the heart of Ivy Hill, forging an uneasy alliance with her mother-in-law as both women face uncertain futures—and unexpected chances at love.

  • Graduation by Christopher C. Tubbs - In 1820s London and beyond, elite spy Lady Bethany Stockley must uncover a plot against the British Empire, risking everything as she moves between ballrooms and battlefields.

  • The London House by Katherine Reay - When a hidden family scandal surfaces, Caroline Payne travels to London to uncover the truth about her great-aunt’s alleged betrayal during WWII—unraveling a story of sisters, secrets, and the shadowy world of spies in 1930s Paris.

“It is much easier to make good men wise, than to make bad men good.”

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