Koom Valley - that was where the trolls ambushed the dwarfs, or the dwarfs ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago. But if he doesn't solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see it fought again, right outside his office. With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war-drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him. Oh...and at six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, he must go home to read "Where's My Cow?", with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are some things you have to do.

About the Author

Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular authors writing today.He lives behind a keyboard in Wiltshire and says he 'doesn't want to get a life, because it feels as though he's trying to lead three already'.He was appointed OBE in 1998 and his first Discworld novel for children, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, was awarded the 2001 Carnegie Medal.Thud! is the thirtieth novel in his phenomenally successful Discworld series. Register to receive news from Discworld! Simply email: news@discworld.co.uk

Prizes

A brand new Discworld novel, about an ancient feud

Reviews

Thud is right. When Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch arrives at work, he confronts murder, incipient war, and a new recruit he knows just won't cut it. With an eight-city tour; simultaneous publication in Great Britain. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

" Like reading Tolkien but with gags -- and good gags too."
-- "The Guardian"

"From the Hardcover edition."

Ankh-Morpork's City Watch Commander, Sam Vimes, stars in the latest entry in Pratchett's popular Discworld series (Going Postal, etc.). "Thud" is the sound that commences the novel, as a dwarf is bludgeoned to death; it's also the name of a chesslike match that recreates the battle of Koom Valley, a long-ago fight between trolls and dwarfs. As the anniversary of the battle approaches, ancient politics and the present-day murder cause tensions between the trolls and dwarfs to boil. Though Koom Valley was a disaster for both sides, certain community leaders from each side have been spoiling for a rematch-something Vimes is duty-bound to prevent. In the midst of this, a push toward affirmative action forces Vimes to hire a vampire named Sally to the Watch. She's sworn off human blood, but that's cold comfort to the assortment of humans, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves and golems that make up the police force. Vimes and his motley crew of coppers are called upon to not only find the murderer and keep the peace but also, in a jab at The Da Vinci Code, solve the riddle of a painting that reputedly holds the secret to what really happened at Koom Valley. Pratchett's fantastic imagination and satirical wit are on full display. Agent, Ralph M. Vicinanza. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.