The Frozen People
An Ali Dawson Mystery
Published on 13. February 2025
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-5294-3333-3 (ISBN)
Description
The instant Sunday Times bestseller
SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.
'A five-star start to a dazzling new series . . . Smart, original and utterly masterful' Janice Hallett
'A pleasure from finish to start' Anthony Horowitz
'Fresh and exciting with both humour and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park' Shari Lapena
Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen - or so their inside joke goes. Most people don't know that they travel back in time to complete their research.
The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London in order to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of MP Isaac Templeton. Rumour has it that Cain was part of a sinister group called The Collectors; to become a member, you had to kill a woman...
Fearing for her safety in the middle of a freezing Victorian winter, Ali finds herself stuck in time, unable to make her way back to her life, her beloved colleagues, and her son, Finn, who suddenly finds himself in legal trouble in the present day.
Could the two cases be connected?
Get ready for an original, transportive and characterful new crime novel from no. 1 bestselling author Elly Griffiths. Perfect for those missing the Dr Ruth Galloway series and for any crime and historical fiction fans.
A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 17/02/2025
SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.
'A five-star start to a dazzling new series . . . Smart, original and utterly masterful' Janice Hallett
'A pleasure from finish to start' Anthony Horowitz
'Fresh and exciting with both humour and thrills, Griffiths' first book in her new series knocks it out of the park' Shari Lapena
Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen - or so their inside joke goes. Most people don't know that they travel back in time to complete their research.
The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London in order to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of MP Isaac Templeton. Rumour has it that Cain was part of a sinister group called The Collectors; to become a member, you had to kill a woman...
Fearing for her safety in the middle of a freezing Victorian winter, Ali finds herself stuck in time, unable to make her way back to her life, her beloved colleagues, and her son, Finn, who suddenly finds himself in legal trouble in the present day.
Could the two cases be connected?
Get ready for an original, transportive and characterful new crime novel from no. 1 bestselling author Elly Griffiths. Perfect for those missing the Dr Ruth Galloway series and for any crime and historical fiction fans.
A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 17/02/2025
Reviews / Votes
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 the way Ruth Galloway did. * Mick Herron * Think you know time-travel? Think again! The Frozen People is a five-star start to a dazzling new series. Elly Griffiths has weaved a corker of a mystery that gripped me from page one. Smart, original and utterly masterful. * Janice Hallett * A pleasure from start to finish. * 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 * Elly Griffiths' new series showcases a writer at the height of her powers, with the confidence to go with the Big Idea. The Frozen People brings together time travel, a compelling Victorian mystery, and characters destined to become familiar names. An exhilarating new crime series with a fabulous genre twist. * Vaseem Khan * In The Frozen People Elly Griffiths brilliantly makes the unbelievable believable - a tour de force. * Peter James * A new series from Elly Griffiths is always a reason to celebrate and The Frozen People is outstanding. With consummate skill and wit, Elly creates new worlds and characters that feel utterly real. The Frozen People is a remarkable achievement from a crime fiction phenomenon. * Jane Casey * The Frozen People has it all: mystery, humour and high stakes for a new group of heroes brought brilliantly to life by an author whose talent continues to dazzle and surprise. * Sarah Hilary * Ending a much-loved crime series to start afresh takes some guts. Of course, Elly Griffiths pulls it off. Warm and engaging characters, a brilliant mystery, a surprise at the end, and - of course - that energising bit of time travel too. Amazing stuff. * Stig Abell * Elly Griffiths is one of our very best storytellers, and The Frozen People is an outstanding start to an original new series. Mixing historical and contemporary drama, she weaves a captivating, atmospheric mystery filled with wisdom, wit and compassion. I can't wait for the next instalment. * Antonia Hodgson * Those of us missing Ruth Galloway need not worry because Elly Griffiths has presented us with a new character to fall in love with. Detective Ali Dawson is such a personable and relatable character. The Frozen People is wickedly entertaining, clever ... truly spooky. I loved every page. * Liz Nugent * The Frozen People is an absolute triumph, vivid, suspenseful, fierce and funny - I was all-in from page one. * Louise Candlish * A brilliant concept executed to perfection by a writer at the absolute top of her game. * Erin Kelly * I really enjoyed this book. 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 * An audaciously compelling thriller, full of rare charm, zest and warmth - it will captivate you and it will melt you. * Nicci French * Wildly inventive, brilliantly plotted and another surefire hit from the amazing powerhouse that is Elly Griffiths. * Jo Spain * Elly Griffiths is back with a cast of instantly memorable characters, and a dazzlingly inventive new conundrum. * Ruth Ware * Both hugely entertaining and erudite, The Frozen People is a triumphant start to Elly Griffiths' new series. The most original crime novel you'll read this year * Mark Edwards * Ingeniously inventive . . . an unputdownable triumph * Crime Monthtly * Entertaining * Irish Times * Ambitious and daringly original . . . an exciting blend of chills, thrills and satirical humour * Lancashire Post * Well-imagined and entertaining * Mail on Sunday * Masterful * Sunday Post * Well-researched and well-written . . . a light hearted caper that solves murder in the past and present * The Times *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
554 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5294-3333-3 (9781529433333)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Elly Griffiths is the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries; the Brighton Mysteries and several standalone thrillers. She has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and the Edgar Award; has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, and shortlisted six times for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.