The Killing Time
the bestselling new Ali Dawson Mystery - from the author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries
Will be published approx. on 10. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-1-5294-3342-5 (ISBN)
Description
The instant Sunday Times bestseller
SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.
A mysterious death. A Victorian psychic. A case for Ali Dawson and the Frozen People.
'Warm and engaging characters and a wildly brilliant story wittily told' Ann Cleeves
'Truly wonderful, wildly atmospheric' Marian Keyes
'A thriller that is full of zest and joy' Nicci French
Ali Dawson is a police detective who leads a unit that investigates cases so cold her team must travel to the distant past to solve them. But Ali and the team haven't been allowed to time-travel ever since their technical expert, Jones, got stuck in Victorian London.
To distract herself, Ali looks into a present-day case - an apparent suicide of a young man who fell to his death from a high building. She believes the death is linked to a psychic medium called Barry Power, who convinced the boy he could fly. Ali goes to one of Power's shows where he claims to be in contact with Jones.
When Ali notices that evening that her cat, Terry, has gone missing, she decides to go back in time just long enough to prevent Terry from escaping through his open cat flap. A dangerous plan which backfires, and she finds herself once more in Victorian London, where she meets Jones, as well as Power . . .
'Elly Griffiths has done it again. Warm, witty and outrageously believable' Sarah Hilary
'Ali Dawson is a delight - a detective you'll want to spend more time with' JP Delaney
'Ali Dawson could be the most fun time-travelling detective since Dirk Gently' Chris Brookmyre
A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16 Feb 2026
SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.
A mysterious death. A Victorian psychic. A case for Ali Dawson and the Frozen People.
'Warm and engaging characters and a wildly brilliant story wittily told' Ann Cleeves
'Truly wonderful, wildly atmospheric' Marian Keyes
'A thriller that is full of zest and joy' Nicci French
Ali Dawson is a police detective who leads a unit that investigates cases so cold her team must travel to the distant past to solve them. But Ali and the team haven't been allowed to time-travel ever since their technical expert, Jones, got stuck in Victorian London.
To distract herself, Ali looks into a present-day case - an apparent suicide of a young man who fell to his death from a high building. She believes the death is linked to a psychic medium called Barry Power, who convinced the boy he could fly. Ali goes to one of Power's shows where he claims to be in contact with Jones.
When Ali notices that evening that her cat, Terry, has gone missing, she decides to go back in time just long enough to prevent Terry from escaping through his open cat flap. A dangerous plan which backfires, and she finds herself once more in Victorian London, where she meets Jones, as well as Power . . .
'Elly Griffiths has done it again. Warm, witty and outrageously believable' Sarah Hilary
'Ali Dawson is a delight - a detective you'll want to spend more time with' JP Delaney
'Ali Dawson could be the most fun time-travelling detective since Dirk Gently' Chris Brookmyre
A Sunday Times bestseller w/c 16 Feb 2026
Reviews / Votes
Truly wonderful, wildly atmospheric * Marian Keyes * Elly Griffiths has done it again. The Killing Time is a deft and compelling detective story with the added frisson of time travel. Warm, witty and outrageously believable. I loved it * Sarah Hilary * Ali Dawson could be the most fun time-travelling detective since Dirk Gently * Chris Brookmyre * Warm and engaging characters and a wildly brilliant story wittily told; I loved this * Ann Cleeves * Joyously inventive, totally original, filled with warmth, humanity and fun. Ali Dawson is a delight - a detective you'll want to spend more time with * JP Delaney * Here's a paradox: a thriller that is full of zest and joy * Nicci French * A gripping sequel to The Frozen People that I could read time and time again * Saga * Beautifully written, this is a novel to savour * Belfast Telegraph * Another cracking good story which will garner yet more fans for this deservedly popular author * Mystery People * Good fun * Irish Times * A warm, witty and compelling mystery featuring an intelligent and resourceful protagonist as well as a delightful dip into stylish 1850s London life * Irish Independent * One of our favourite crime writers is back * The Sun * Memorable. Thrilling * The Sunday Post * Yet again Elly Griffiths delivers clever plotting, sharp humour and memorable characters in an atmospheric series that blends police procedural with time travel thrills. Fans of intelligent mysteries and quicky characters will be captivated by Ali Dawson * Yours Magazine * We've been eagerly anticipating this, the gripping second book. Thrilling * Press Association * If the thought of time travel puts you off, don't let it. The Killing Time is a real-page turner with great characters and a wonderful plot * Sunday Independent *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-5294-3342-5 (9781529433425)
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
Other editions
Additional editions
Elly Griffiths
The Killing Time
the bestselling new Ali Dawson Mystery - from the author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries
E-Book
02/2026
Quercus
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Elly Griffiths is a multi-award-winning author and a No. 1 bestseller. She has written twenty-seven crime novels for adults; four for children, and a volume of short stories. Her books for adults include the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, the Brighton Mysteries and the Detective Harbinder Kaur series, as well as The Frozen People, the first book in the Ali Dawson Mysteries.
Elly's many accolades include the CWA Dagger in the Library, the Edgar Award, the Fingerprint Award for Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award, as well as being shortlisted multiple times for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award.
Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.
Elly's many accolades include the CWA Dagger in the Library, the Edgar Award, the Fingerprint Award for Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award, as well as being shortlisted multiple times for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award.
Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.