Why We Die - (The Zöe Boehm Thrillers) by Mick Herron (Paperback)

About the Book

First published in Great Britain, 2006 by Constable, and imprint of Constable & robinson Ltd.

Book Synopsis

From the author of Slow Horses and soon to be an Original Series from Apple TV+ starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson.

The road to hell is paved with all sorts of intentions, as Oxford private investigator Zoë Boehm discovers when a straightforward jewelry store robbery turns out to be anything but.

When Zoë Boehm agrees to track down the gang who knocked over Sweeney's jewelry shop, she's just hoping to break even in time for tax season. She certainly doesn't expect to wind up in a coffin. But she's about to become entangled with a strange collection of characters, starting with suicidal Tim Whitby, who's dedicating what's left of his life to protecting the pretty, battered Katrina Blake from her late husband's sociopathic brothers, Arkle and Trent.

Unfortunately for Zoë, Arkle has a crossbow, Tim has nothing left to lose, and even Katrina has her secrets. And death, like taxes, can't be avoided forever.

Review Quotes

Praise for Why We Die

"Herron is a stylish writer with a mordant sensibility and a deadly wit. He's also a tricky plotter."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Dazzling . . . Smart, dogged and never down for the count, Zoë is a fine addition to the ranks of female P.I.s."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"A dark, entertaining, off-kilter world in which anything can happen, and probably will."
--Kirkus Reviews

"The seamy side of Oxford, England, takes center stage as lives and plans collide in this bleak crime novel . . . British noir reminiscent of Jerry Raine's Smalltime."
--Booklist

Praise for Mick Herron

"Stylish and engaging."
--Washington Post

"Good characterization, dialogue and well-paced narrative make this confident first novel frighteningly plausible."
--Daily Telegraph

"Masterful . . . How Herron is able to tie all these events together will test the sleuthing ability of even the most savvy readers as one surprise engenders another. The intricate plot, coupled with Herron's breezy writing style . . . results in superior entertainment that makes most other novels of suspense appear dull and slow-witted by comparison."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

About the Author

Mick Herron is a British novelist and short story writer who was born in Newcastle and studied English at Oxford. He is the author of the Slough House espionage series, four Zoë Boehm mysteries, and several standalone novels. His work has won the CWA Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement in Crime Writing, the Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel, the Steel Dagger for Best Thriller, the Theakstons Novel of the Year Award, the Barry Award and the Ellery Queen Readers Award, and been nominated for the Macavity and Shamus Awards. Slow Horses and Down Cemetery Road have both been adapted into Apple Original series. Mick is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He currently lives in Oxford and writes full-time.