Book excerpt: 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 _________ 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 . . . _________ **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