130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

IT'S FINALLY HERE! HAPPY ACOTAR 6 RELEASE DAY! ✨

The Unwanted Dead

Winner of the HWA Gold Crown for Best Historical Fiction
By Chris Lloyd
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.82 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 687 ratings, 81 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Unwanted Dead by Chris Lloyd is a gripping crime thriller set in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II. The story follows Eddie Giral, a French police detective, who finds himself caught between loyalties as he investigates a series of murders linked to sensitive political tensions. As Eddie delves deeper, he faces moral dilemmas and personal struggles amidst the chaos and challenges of the occupation.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by atmospheric historical settings combined with gripping crime investigations. It's set in Nazi-occupied Paris, weaving a tale of intrigue, murder, and political tension. If you enjoy crime stories where the setting plays a pivotal role and characters must navigate through complex moral landscapes, this is a thrilling choice.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The first in a new gritty, edgy historical crime series for fans of Philip Kerr and Mick Herron.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.' — ANDREW TAYLOR

WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD

'Terrific' — SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of the Month

'A thoughtful, haunting thriller' — MICK HERRON

'Sharp and compelling' — THE SUN

*

Paris, Friday 14th June 1940.

The day the Nazis march into Paris, making headlines around the globe.

Paris police detective Eddie Giral - a survivor of the last World War - watches helplessly on as his world changes forever.

But there is something he still has control over. Finding whoever is responsible for the murder of four refugees. The unwanted dead, who no one wants to claim.

To do so, he must tread carefully between the Occupation and the Resistance, between truth and lies, between the man he is and the man he was.

All the while becoming whoever he must be to survive in this new and terrible order descending on his home...

*

Lloyd's Second World War Paris is rougher than Alan Furst's, and Eddie Giral, his French detective, is way edgier than Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther ... Ranks alongside both for its convincingly cloying atmosphere of a city subjugated to a foreign power, a plot that reaches across war-torn Europe and into the rifts in the Nazi factions, and a hero who tries to be a good man in a bad world. Powerful stuff. — THE TIMES

A tense and gripping mystery which hums with menace and dark humour as well as immersing the reader in the life of occupied Paris — Judges, HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD

Excellent ... In Eddie Giral, Lloyd has created a character reminiscent of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, oozing with attitude and a conflicted morality that powers a complex, polished plot. Historical crime at its finest. — VASEEM KHAN, author of Midnight at Malabar House

Monumentally impressive ... A truly wonderful book. If somebody'd given it to me and told me it was the latest Robert Harris, I wouldn't have been surprised. Eddie Giral is a wonderful creation. — ALIS HAWKINS

A terrific read - gripping and well-paced. The period atmosphere is excellent. — MARK ELLIS

The best kind of crime novel: gripping, thought-provoking and moving. In Detective Eddie Giral, Chris Lloyd has created a flawed hero not just for occupied Paris, but for our own times, too. — KATHERINE STANSFIELD

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Unwanted Dead by Chris Lloyd has garnered praise for its haunting and thoughtful narrative, set in wartime Paris. The book's rich atmosphere and meticulous research vividly recreate the city's occupation under Nazi control, offering a gripping murder mystery. Eddie Giral, the edgy and morally complex detective, has been compared favourably to iconic characters in similar historical crime novels, making this an impressive addition to the genre.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781409190271

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 March 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 320g

Pages: 464

Collections

Chris Lloyd Crime & Thriller Education & Reference Fiction General Fiction Historical Crime & Mystery Historical Fiction Police Procedural

About the Author

Straight after graduating in Spanish and French, Chris Lloyd hopped on a bus from Cardiff to Catalonia and stayed there for over twenty years, falling in love with the people, the country, the language and Barcelona Football Club, probably in that order. Besides Catalonia, he's also lived in the Basque Country and Madrid, teaching English, travel writing for Rough Guides and translating. He now lives in South Wales, where he works as a Catalan and Spanish translator, and returns to Catalonia as often as he can.

Also by Chris Lloyd

View all
  • Handbook of Psychosocial Rehabilitation
    Handbook of Psychosocial Rehabilitation
    Handbook of Psychosocial Rehabilitation is designed as a clinical handbook for practitioners in the field of mental health. It recognises the wide-ranging impact of mental illness and its ramifications on daily life. The book promotes a recovery model of psychosocial rehabilitation and aims to empower clinicians to engage their clients in tailored rehabilitation plans. The authors distil relevant evidence from...
    By Chris Lloyd and Tom Meehan and Robert King
    Paperback
    $14099
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Art of Occupation
    Fantastic! A must read for fans of Philip Kerr STEVE CAVANAGH An excellent historical series VASEEM KHAN THE BRAND NEW NOVEL IN THE AWARD-WINNING OCCUPATION SERIES In the city of light, some deals are only made in the shadows. When a corrupt art dealer is killed, Detective Eddie Giral descends into an underground world of stolen paintings, forged identities, and...
    By Chris Lloyd
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Paris Requiem
    Paris Requiem
    A page-turning, morally complex thriller. SUNDAY TIMES, Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023 'More than a historical crime novel, it's a tour de force.' ALIS HAWKINS 'You have a choice which way you go in this war...' Paris, September 1940. After three months under Nazi Occupation, not much can shock Detective Eddie Giral. That is, until he finds a murder...
    By Chris Lloyd
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Art of Occupation
    The Art of Occupation
    Fantastic! A must read for fans of Philip Kerr STEVE CAVANAGH An excellent historical series VASEEM KHAN THE BRAND NEW NOVEL IN THE AWARD-WINNING OCCUPATION SERIES In the city of light, some deals are only made in the shadows. When a corrupt art dealer is killed, Detective Eddie Giral descends into an underground world of stolen paintings, forged identities, and...
    By Chris Lloyd
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Banquet of Beggars
    Fantastic! A must read for fans of Philip KerrSTEVE CAVANAGH An excellent historical seriesVASEEM KHAN THE BRAND NEW NOVEL IN THE AWARD-WINNING OCCUPATION SERIES, FEATURING DETECTIVE EDDIE GIRAL In Paris 1940, survival means sacrifice. Like most in the city, Detective Eddie Giral has already lost so much under Occupation: the people he once loved, the job he once believed in....
    By Chris Lloyd
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Crime & Thriller

View all
  • New Release
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The French Illusion
    Bestselling author John Grisham delivers a new gripping, suspenseful page-turner about aParis honeymoon gone horribly wrong - and the nightmare that follows. After Paul and Chelsea Tanner's fairytale wedding, their future is full of promise. But their honeymoon to Paris takes a dark, shocking turn when they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. Who would...
    By John Grisham
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • King’s Ransom
    New Release
    Eve's Pick Eve's Pick
    King’s Ransom
    Five innocent hostages. Five private investigators. A fiendish ransom game. Has Detective Sam Speedman met his match? A fast and deadly Matthew Reilly thriller. A DARING ABDUCTION The richest man in the world has been kidnapped. Along with four of his children. THE DEADLY CHALLENGE The kidnapper's demand: the five best private detectives in America must come to the missing...
    By Matthew Reilly
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Family Cross
    In the gripping new thriller in James Patterson's globally bestselling series, Alex Cross faces his most personal case yet as a ruthless conspiracy targets Washington's most vulnerable... and his own family. Discover the latest gripping thriller in the globally bestselling Alex Cross series - now the inspiration for the original series CROSS on Prime Video starring Aldis Hodge as Alex...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Heights
    In The Heights by #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sir Ian Rankin, murder comes to London's most exclusive high-rise - and every resident is a suspect... MURDER COMES TO LONDON'S MOST LUXURIOUS HIGH-RISE: AND EVERY RESIDENT IS A SUSPECT. The Heights: a gleaming, high-end high-rise looming over Hyde Park. Newly built from steel and smoked glass, it is a billionaire's playground offering sumptuous suites...
    By Ian Rankin
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Death Row
    With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid! A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden! Death is coming for her… unless she finds the truth first. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering...
    By Freida McFadden
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Signed Copy
    On Sale
    19% off
    Dying Days
    Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...
    By Anthony Byrt
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    19% off
    New Release
    Fury In Death: An Eve Dallas thriller (In Death 63)
    In the new crime thriller from the bestselling author, Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born… NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas has seen a lot in her time but even she is shocked by the savagery of a beating which leaves a wealthy biotech executive dead in his home office. The victim’s corpse is so mangled...
    By J. D. Robb
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    19% off
    New Release
    Tom Clancy Pressure Depth
    Jack Ryan Jr leads a team of divers in a race to beat the Chinese Navy to a weapon of terrible destructive power in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Jack Ryan Jr. is on Guam to work on a project for Hendley Associates. It's a perfectly ordinary insurance matter, but trouble finds the Ryans...
    By Jack Stewart
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Country Road Murders
    On Sale
    10% off
    New Release
    The Country Road Murders
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...
    By James Patterson
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    15% off
    Every Lake
    Scary stories are fun... until your life becomes one. When Alice was fifteen, her father killed Mia Heywood in their lakefront cottage before vanishing into the trees. At least that's what the locals think happened. Over a decade later, Alice has lost her job as a journalist, she's going through an expensive divorce and she desperately needs to sell the...
    By Adam Perry
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Crime & Thriller lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all