Pagans by James Alistair Henry

Pagans by James Alistair Henry

TWO COPS. ONE KILLER. HUNDREDS OF GODS.

21st Century London.
The Norman conquest never happened.
The ancient tribes of Britain remain undefeated.
But murders still have to be solved.

The small, mostly unimportant, island of Britain is inhabited by an uneasy alliance of tribes - the dominant Saxon East, the beleaguered Celtic West, and an independent Nordic Scotland - and tensions are increasing by the second. Supermarket warpaint sales are at an all- time high, mead abuse shortens the lives of thousands, and social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories suggesting the High Table's putting GPS trackers in the honeycakes.

Amid this febrile atmosphere, the capital is set to play host to the Unification Summit, which aims to join together the various tribes into one 'united kingdom'. But when a Celtic diplomat is found brutally murdered, his body nailed to an ancient oak, the fragile peace is threatened. Captain Aedith Mercia, daughter of a powerful Saxon leader, must join forces with Celtic Tribal Detective Inspector Drustan to solve the murder - and stop political unrest spilling onto the streets.

But is this an isolated incident? Or are Aedith and Drustan facing a serial killer with a decades-old grudge? To find out, they must delve into their own murky pasts and tackle forces that go deeper than they ever could have imagined.

Set in a world that's far from our own and yet captivatingly familiar, Pagans is "The Bridge" meets "Vikings", exploring contemporary themes of religious conflict, nationalism, prejudice... and the delicate internal politics of the office coffee round. Gripping and darkly funny, Pagans keeps you guessing until the very end.

“High concept brilliance supercharged by low humour, great characters and a gripping plot” – The Daily Mail

“Our pick of the best new debut fiction... Henry’s mash-up of fantasy and crime genres is inventive, enjoyably nasty and frequently very funny.“ – The Financial Times

“Works beautifully, blessed with a plot that snaps into place at the end without ever seeming forced or contrived, and leads who are good company… More than good enough to give the likes of Ben Aaronovitch and Adam Simcox a run for their money.” – SFX

“A compelling detective thriller set against the backdrop of an utterly original and credible alternate history of Britain. Will ensnare crime lovers, fantasy fans and history nuts alike.” – Matthew Graham, creator of Life On Mars

“Simultaneously darkly funny and grimly authentic, Pagans reinvents crime fiction for a tribal age. It's Vikings meets The Bridge – and it really works. The most unexpected, brilliant fantasy crime novel of the year.” – Ava Glass, author of the Washington Post Thriller of the Year The Traitor

“Bark out loud funny.“ – Radio Times

“A debut author to keep a close eye on.“ – The Daily Mirror

“Lots of delightful touches... a fun and well-worked out, engaging read.” – Fortean Times

“Funny and original… a debut to brighten winter's dark nights.“ – Country and Townhouse

“A debut author to watch out for this year.“ – The Irish Times

“The concept is pure genius... It manages to be both a great alt-history and a really good mystery thriller… Enormously enjoyable.” – KJ Charles, author of the Doomsday Books

“Unlike any book that I have read before. It’s fast-paced, intricately plotted, and packed with richly drawn characters. It's downright astonishing. Easily my book of the year.” – M.W. Craven, author of Fearless and The Washington Poe series

Screenwriter and editor James Alistair Henry first started writing while working as a bookseller. He joined the writing team for Channel 4's Smack the Pony and went on to write the BAFTA-award winning Green Wing, ITV comedy Delivery Man and cult hit Campus as well as episodes for smash-hit children's television shows Bob The Builder and Hey Duggee. His Radio 4 sketch show, Wosson Cornwall, was selected as BBC Radio 4 Comedy of the Week and his newest ITV sitcom, Piglets, received rave reviews. His debut novel, Pagans, was a Times Top Ten bestseller and has been optioned for TV. James lives in Cornwall with his wife, a writer and medieval historian, and their two children.