The Frozen People - by Elly Griffiths (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A lavish, cleverly plotted mystery in which an unforgettable heroine finds herself trapped in the past, from international bestselling author Elly Griffiths Meet Ali Dawson: a police officer working on crimes so old, the joke goes, that they are not only cold but frozen. The team's office is in a grimy part of the city, yet Ali's work seems like a safe desk job. But what her friends--and even her beloved son--don't know is that the cold case team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence. So far, Ali has only made short trips to the recent past, so she's surprised when she's asked to investigate a murder in 1850. The killing has been pinned on an aristocratic patron of the arts and antiquities, and member of a sinister group called The Collectors.She arrives in the Victorian era during a mini ice age to find another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions. But when her son is arrested, Ali attempts to return home only to find herself trapped in 1850. In a race through and against time, can Ali prove her son's innocence and discover the link between the nineteenth-century Collectors and a twenty-first century killing in time to prevent another death? Some murders can't be solved in just one lifetime"--

Book Synopsis

"A pleasure from finish to start." --Anthony Horowitz

"Fresh and exciting, with both humor and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park!" --Shari Lapena

Some murders can't be solved in just one lifetime.

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen--or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it's too late.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Frozen People

"The historical sections are well researched, and Griffiths not only succeeds in making the implausible plausible, but leaves enough narrative breadcrumbs to make us long for more."
--The Guardian

"Griffiths adds a fun and surprising fantastical element to her historical crime fiction."
--The Washington Post

"A new book by Elly Griffiths is always a cause of delight, and this series promises to broaden our horizons. Ali Dawson will capture readers' hearts."
--Mick Herron, award-winning author of Slow Horses

"The time-travel element adds something fresh for the author and the readers. Fans of Griffiths, police procedurals, and/or historical mysteries will find a lot to enjoy."
--Library Journal

"The Frozen People is a daring, genre-blending start to a series that promises both thrills and thoughtfulness. For fans of atmospheric mysteries, strong female leads, and twisty time-travel tales, this one's not to be missed."
--Clarion-Ledger

"The Frozen People is simply brilliant, and I am sure its success will merit a lengthy series that allows readers to spend more time with Ali Dawson and all of these wonderful new characters. The benefit of time travel stories is that there is a seemingly endless number of possible plotlines that may be explored, which a talented writer like Elly Griffiths certainly will capitalize on."
--Bookreporter

"Murder on several time planes is a fascinating premise enhanced by an enthralling look at Victorian London."
--Kirkus

"An intriguing new series. . . with richly nuanced characters and vivid historical detail. This is a good bet for mystery buffs, historical fiction fans, and time-travel enthusiasts alike."
--Publishers Weekly

"Griffiths expertly builds a world where time travel is new, top-secret, and filled with unpredictable glitches and opportunities. Some loose ends in the story hold the promise that readers will see more of Ali in the future."
--Booklist

"For fans of cold cases and time travel! Elly Griffiths now . . . has a super exciting start to a new series."
--BookRiot

"Fresh and exciting, with both humor and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park!"
--Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of What Have You Done?

"Think you know time-travel? Think again! Far more than just a detective story, this is a tale about time itself, with delicious connections that thread back and forth between 1850 and 2023. Elly Griffiths has weaved a corker of a mystery that gripped me from page one. Smart, original, and utterly masterful."
--Janice Hallett, international bestselling author of The Appeal

"A pleasure from finish to start."
--Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series

"Elly Griffiths is back with a cast of instantly memorable characters, and a dazzlingly inventive new conundrum."
--Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of One Perfect Couple

"A dark, thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller that will keep you flying through the pages. Present and past collide in this ingenious, time-twisting exploration of justice and a mother's race to save her son."
--Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest

"Inventive, surprising, endlessly entertaining while being part murder mystery, part historical thriller, and part speculative fiction. Readers of any genre will enjoy sinking into its murky underworld with a protagonist they will love."
--Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time

"The story is well paced and well written, with enough intrigue and twists to maintain the reader's interest. . . [The Frozen People] offers an engaging mystery, a generous dose of Victorian London, and elements of time-travel all wrapped into a neat package."
--Strange Horizons

"A brilliant concept executed to perfection by a writer at the absolute top of her game."
--Erin Kelly, international bestselling author of The Skeleton Key

"Elly Griffiths mixes a beguiling cocktail of crime and time travel in a twisty, dual-timezone novel sure to delight fans of both genres."
--Chris Chibnall, creator of Broadchurch and author of Death at the White Hart

"The Frozen People is wickedly entertaining, clever, and truly spooky. I loved every page."
--Liz Nugent, international bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond

About the Author

Elly Griffiths is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series, as well as the standalone novels The Stranger Diaries, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel; The Postscript Murders; and Bleeding Heart Yard. She is the recipient of the CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She lives in Brighton, England.