Under the Blazing Sun

Hannah's love life is in ruins, writer's block hits, and her agent sends her to Sicily to finish her sequel. But when murder strikes, Hannah's life turns into the crime novel she's meant to write. Darkly funny, atmospheric, and full of twists, the second instalment in an addictive new series.

'Hilarious, dark and whip-smart, Under the Blazing Sun confirms Madsen as a wonderful literary talent' Doug Johnstone

'The quintessential holiday read, funny and atmospheric. Hannah is the kind of heroine we'd all love as a friend, and it's also a brilliant evocation of the stunning island landscape of Sicily. My favourite read of the year so far!' Kate Rhodes

'A wild ride of murder and humour. The most fun I've had reading a crime novel this year' Will Carver

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Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut – and she's out of ideas. After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses.

But inspiration doesn't strike – murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation … again. The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn't.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she's trapped inside one.

Dark, sly and deliciously atmospheric, Under the Blazing Sun is the second novel in the award-winning series featuring accidental sleuth and disgruntled literary author Hannah, whose pursuit of plot twists keeps turning dangerously real.

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Praise for the MURDER BY THE BOOK series

'Dark and atmospheric … Hannah is a pitch-perfect depiction of the bombastic neurosis that we writers know so very well' Harriet Tyce

'An original and thoroughly enjoyable treat' Guardian

'Fantastic … darkly funny, tense and a lot of poking fun at crime-writing' Tariq Ashkanani

'Dark and sharp … a lot of fun' Val McDermid

'Witty, dark, meta, ingenious and hugely compelling' Will Dean

'Hilariously scathing. Satirises genre fiction while creating a first-class example of it, full of suspects, red herrings and twists … wit and originality make it a joy to read' Sunday Times

'Such a clever, original twist on the Nordic Noir tradition – darkly humorous and utterly captivating' Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

'Delightfully dark' Antti Tuomainen

'So atmospheric' Crime Monthly

'An absolute gem … a superb mix of humour and dark, twisty crime fiction with an added layer of contemplation regarding what makes books 'literary' … Not to be missed' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

'Shades of Fargo and Twin Peaks – and there's no higher praise than that. Absolutely brilliant!' Rod Reynolds

'A truly original thriller that perfectly balances humour and suspense' Vogue

'A hugely enjoyable read with thrills and laughs, as Hannah sticks her nose in where it's not welcome' Michael J. Malone

'So satisfying … a truly great read' Lilja Sigurðardóttir

'A skilful, witty mash-up … really entertaining' Aly Monroe

'This reminded me somewhat of the more recent, meta efforts of the great Anthony Horowitz' The Bookbag