A Hen Mallin Mystery

“I could cheerfully murder my boss,” Gemma remarks over coffee. She and her friend Jo joke about fantastic ways of committing the crime. The game is so amusing that in a double date with Jake and Rick they discuss forming a murder society and soon the quartet are calling themselves “The Headhunters.” But some of Rick’s suggestions sound uncomfortably serious.

On the following Sunday morning, Jo is horrified to find a dead body on the beach at Selsey. By the time the police have identified the victim Gemma and Jo have found another corpse. This time it’s a colleague of Gemma’s. Worse still, Gemma’s boss is missing …

UK Publisher: Sphere, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-84744-213-0
US Publisher: Soho Press, 2008 ISBN: 978-1-56947-490-7

“Peter Lovesey excels in portraying ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events and The Headhunters is a splendid example … This is a very cleverly constructed mystery with well-rounded characters, and it confirms Lovesey’s place in the top echelon of British crime writers.” Susanna Yager (Sunday Telegraph)

“… a thoroughly delightful detective story, old-fashioned in the way that reminds us why we started reading and loving mysteries in the first place. If you are unfamiliar with the works of Mr Lovesey after nearly 40 years of excellence, it’s time to remedy that gap in your experience.” Otto Penzler (New York Sun)

“The Headhunters offers proof once again that nobody can write the modern traditional detective novel as perfectly as Lovesey.” Tom & Enid Schantz (Denver Post)

“You can always count on Peter Lovesey, one of England’s most respected mystery writers, to come up with a rollicking good detective yarn…. If you like a classic British mystery that keeps you guessing and moves quickly to a conclusion you’ll thoroughly enjoy The Headhunters.” Joseph Scarpato Jr. (Mystery Scene)