Michael Underwood

Joseph Berg was due to meet his 'contact' at a pub in London one rainy Friday evening. Unfortunately for Berg and the contact, someone got to the spy first and cut his throat - and Berg both witnessed the murder and became the chief suspect. In his desperation Berg approaches Richard Monk, a young solicitor with a taste for investigation, and Alan Scarby, a barrister who has his work cut out to defend Berg both at the Old Bailey and in Israel.

Frank Wimble never doubted his ability to do anything he wanted. When he set out to commit the perfect murder he was entirely confident. When his wife vanishes the locals all assume Wimble has done it, especially when he starts to go around with his young mistress. But with no body and no evidence the police can't do much. They can't do anything, in fact, until Wimble gets unlucky and a most damning piece of evidence suddenly appears. But is it enough to convict Wimble at trial?

Laurence Deegan, QC, had just won his latest case. At fifty, already a distinguished and famous barrister, he seemed set to become a judge at an early age. A few hours later Deegan ran the bath installed in his Chambers, got into it and slit the veins in both wrists. Why had he done it? His son, a Special Branch police officer, takes it upon himself to find out ...'Underwood couldn't write a bad book if he tried' Oxford Mail

John Farndon, a teacher at a public school, is bored with his French wife Monique and infatuated with the assistant matron Belinda. He plans to kill Monique, but from the moment John is about to pull the trigger the action jumps to a trial. But the trial is not John's - and Monique is still alive. John has been shot in the back of the head ...'Neatly written, convincing' Financial Times

In Bloomsbury Magistrate's Court, stipendiary magistrate Donald Ferney reigned supreme. Ferney sought to acquire the public image of the 'kindly magistrate' and his remarks, even his judgements, were sometimes aimed at the local reporters present in court. But among those who knew him better, Mr Ferney was not loved. He had, indeed, made many enemies in all departments of his life, in particular among the permanent staff who served at his court ...'Among Mr Underwood's best' P. D. James

Every autumn an old reprobate, tramp and scrounger, mysteriously known as Shem, drifts into the village of Long Gaisford. Kenny, a young boy, likes Shem. It's not his fault that the well-meant tip he gives Shem should lead to disaster. The local Detective-Superintendent of Police is within weeks of retirement; to him the demise of Shem revealed clearly as 'foul play', is very bad news, especially as Kenny will not talk - and, as the story develops Shem's death unlocks deeper implications.

A woman is murdered in a London suburb and the police investigation into her death is meticulously undertaken. Trying to solve the riddle is Detective Chief Inspector Chudd, newly appointed and still trying to find his feet in. When the truth finally emerges, the gallery of suspects includes the lady next door, a clock-winder, the ex-lodger, a Canadian heiress and two 'bovver boys'. This is as much a story about detection and detectives as it is about the brutal crime itself. 'As always, splendid' Oxford Mail

Clive Donig is on trial for the murder of Stanley Fulmer, a senior partner in a very shady firm of solicitors. The prosecution contend that he is a professional killer, hired by one of Fulmer's clients whom Fulmer has cheated. Detective Sergeant Nick Atwell is a key witness for the prosecution, as well as being the officer in charge of the case. And, behind the scenes Nick's clever young wife, Clare, is doing a bit of enquiring of her own ...

The first 'menaces' brought Herbert Sipson, professional blackmailer, to the dock, charged with having demanded £10,000 from a bingo company under threat of bombing their premises. The second is a demand for £100,000 from the Swallow Sugar Corporation under threat of introducing ground glass into some of its bags of sugar on the supermarket shelves. It, too, bears all the hallmarks of a Herbert Sipson scheme. But it arrives on the opening day of Herbert's trial and he has been locked up in prison. How can he be responsible?

Bernie Mostyn, vice racketeer, is being retried. At his first trial a jury had failed to agree - but this time around two jurors are threatened and a third is killed. The most obvious suspects are Mostyn's strong-arm men, still at large. But the police are not convinced ...'Mr Underwood at his attractive, unpretentious best' Sunday Times

Richard Monk was on holiday in Japan. He didn't expect to get involved in the theft of £50,000, blackmail and murder ... But that was what happened when the good-looking young man came up to him on a Japanese mountainside and said: 'I'm in deep trouble, Mr Monk. Will you help me?'

On trial is young tearaway Ian Tanner, accused of the accidental but reckless hit-and-run killing of his own buddy. What really happened? The answer involves a ruthless gang, a gang that nearly disposes of yet another victim before Detective Constable Patrick Bramley figures it all out. Meanwhile the judge is facing a personal predicament so closely associated with the case itself that he doubts whether he should proceed ...'Excellent' Current Crime

Chris Laker is what you might call a layabout. He has drifted from job to job and when he's been out of work his loyal girlfriend Janey has supported him. Now Chris is in real trouble. He is on trial for the murder of a rich businessman - and the evidence is piled up against him. His Smith and Wesson has been used to kill Gheorge Dimitiu, and his fingerprint is on the gun. Chris swears he is innocent - but will the jury at the Old Bailey believe him?'Solidly authentic' The Times

Stephen Burley was standing trial for the theft of £20,000 in cash from his employers, Rickard's Motors. Detective Sergeant Nick Atwell, the investigating officer in charge of the enquiries, had become uneasy about the case. Burley had fainted in the dock when he was convicted, and Nick interpreted this as another sign of his innocence. Nick appeals to his young wife, Clare, for help, and on various pretences Clare embarks on some very tricky enquiries of her own ...

Detective Sergeant Nick Atwell has been suspended, accused of soliciting a bribe from a murder suspect. His wife, and former cop, Clare sets out to prove his innocence, which involves delving in the family affairs of politician and TV personality Sir Guy Frensham. Frensham's seventeen-year-old son is guilty of bludgeoning widow Florence Isaacs. Nick had been the investigating officer in the case, and Clare will need more than a little help to unlock the mystery of the real criminal ...'An utterly professional blend of plot and characters' Kirkus

Traite des maladies des enfans, de Michael Underwood, entierement refondu, complete et mis sur un nouveau plan, par Eusebe de Salle, ... avec des notes de M. Jadelot et un discours preliminaire contenant l'exposition de la nouvelle semeiologie-physiognomonique... Date de l'edition originale: 1823Ce livre est la reproduction fidele d'une oeuvre publiee avant 1920 et fait partie d'une collection de livres reimprimes a la demande editee par Hachette Livre, dans le cadre d'un partenariat avec la Bibliotheque nationale de France, offrant l'opportunite d'acceder a des ouvrages anciens et souvent rares issus des fonds patrimoniaux de la BnF. Les oeuvres faisant partie de cette collection ont ete numerisees par la BnF et sont presentes sur Gallica, sa bibliotheque numerique. En entreprenant de redonner vie a ces ouvrages au travers d'une collection de livres reimprimes a la demande, nous leur donnons la possibilite de rencontrer un public elargi et participons a la transmission de connaissances et de savoirs parfois difficilement accessibles. Nous avons cherche a concilier la reproduction fidele d'un livre ancien a partir de sa version numerisee avec le souci d'un confort de lecture optimal. Nous esperons que les ouvrages de cette nouvelle collection vous apporteront entiere satisfaction. Pour plus d'informations, rendez-vous sur www.hachettebnf.fr

Barrister Martin Ainsworth is sent to West Berlin by British Intelligence to make contact with his former lover, a suspected Communist agent, and it's up to him to find out the truth and to spot her contacts. As he travels through a divided Berlin, his dual role becomes emotionally tortuous, his lack of training an unforeseen hazard, and he turns more reckless than his peers had ever bargained for ...'A more or less conventional spy story is suddenly turned inside out by a most ingenious twist' Guardian

Agent or traitor? Killer or victim? Kurte Menke is a refugee from the East ... or is he? Once they had been friends - long ago in Berlin before the wall was built. Now, for fifteen years, their friendship has totalled a card at Christmas. But, a late-night phone call brings Charles Ashmore, a respectable London solicitor, and Kurte Menke, an East German defector, together again. Is it just chance that Kurt's reappearance coincides with the trial of an English spy - a trial that Charles is defending? And who sends the mysterious attackers to Charles's cottage? Is it the Germans, the British, or somebody else?