British Crime Fiction

SPIDER MOUTHDI FRED FAIRSERVICE has just returned from holiday when he’s confronted with several mysterious deaths; the mutilated dead body of a junkie, the apparent suicide of a housewife, and the murder of a cannibal, kicks off the strangest investigation of his dark and brutal career. But the strangest element of the case is the connection to the deaths of several old men and women who are found with spiders placed in their mouths.

Chief Inspector, Lord Ralph McGinniss and Professor Claire Lane have conceded defeat and married. Then war is declared, and both are called on to help defend the Empire. Ralph to his Uncle’s regiment and Claire invited to Bletchley Park. A shift in the government’s plans for both results in the discovery of a German Spy embedded in an old murder case. They are running out of time. Will Ralph with Claire’s help unravel the mystery and prevent a National catastrophe? Or will Johannes Liebert be successful in a kidnap attempt which will change their lives forever?

Chief Inspector, Lord Ralph McGinniss and Professor Claire Lane are sent to investigate the link between the murder of a Police Constable on a lonely road, and the presence of German Zeppelin Commander Ludwig Mathieu, left behind in England after the War. Ralph McGinniss is the victim of a pickpocket on a Motorbus in central London and realises the woman responsible is connected to Jack the Top, a notorious thief and pimp. Claire Lane is convinced the two are linked. When Ralph uncovers a plot to assassinate a well-known Judge from the High Court, the duo must act to discover what is the ...

When London’s finest jazz musicians, the Dizzy Heights, are booked to play the glitzy Midsummer Ball at a country house in Oxfordshire, they expect a weekend filled with flappers and toffs having a roaring good time. But the festivities at Bilverton House take a turn for the worse when the group are stranded by a summer storm. And when a member of the Bilverton family turns up dead in a locked room in an apparent suicide, Skins, Dunn and Ellie realize this is going to be a much tougher gig than they thought.

Revised - Revamped - Refreshed in 2025 A mesmerising tale of love, lies, and the secrets that can destroy everything—by the best-selling author of The Watcher and An Impossible Dilemma. After the collapse of her marriage, Geraldine returns to her idyllic childhood village, hoping to find comfort in the familiar. But what she finds instead is disquieting: her once-vivacious mother has become withdrawn, and strange tensions ripple through the community. As Geraldine digs deeper, she uncovers unsettling truths that could fracture her world forever. James, now a seasoned investigator, has ...

Inspector Ralph McGinniss, Lord of the Realm, returns to his ancestral seat at Daroonga Castle in Oxfordshire for his annual holidays, only be called upon to investigate the housekeepers’ death from his cousin’s estate. Agnes Tonbridge is found dead on the front lawn. Was this an accident, or a chance to cover up other dealings by the inhabitants? Bedwin Hall is full of surprises. Lady Petunia, the daughter of the house is under suspicion. Ralph’s brother Stephen McGinniss is making a nuisance of himself with the Inspector’s fiancé, Lady Annabelle Frampton. Claire Lane, noted ...

What happens if you fall in love with the wrong person? Two friends, two artists, two men that love the same woman - a tragedy, an unforgivable deception and a chance to begin again. Killing a Friend is a book of love, longing and lust.T.S. O'Rourke's writing has been declared powerful and beautiful by both readers and critics alike.

Book 1 in the thrilling new crime series, by David J. Gatward, author of the DCI Harry Grimm crime series, and set in the hauntingly beautiful Somerset countryside.

The best-kept secrets are the deadliest. When a private boarding school pupil drowns in a lake on the grounds, DI Fiona Williams is called in to investigate. Security around the school grounds is tight, making it a closed community. Fiona thinks the death was due to a secret society initiation rite that went wrong, but the school denies the societies exist, and her investigation hits a wall of silence. A second pupil dies, but the silence continues. The school is concerned with its reputation and upholding traditions, the influential parents care only about protecting their children, and ...

An eye for an eye. A death for a death. Some people will do anything for revenge. And one detective will do anything to stop them. DI Fiona Williams returns from a short break to a station stretched by the antics of a gang of youths, staff absences and three murders in quick succession. With unconnected victims and widely different murder methods, the only link is they seem motiveless. Forced to work in small groups rather than as a team, frustrations and jealousies flare-up between the officers creating a minefield of tension and a headache for Fiona. As the most experienced officer, she ...

A body was found in a Trunk at Kings Cross Station. Nothing unusual, except Chief Inspector, Lord Ralph McGinnis is sent down from Scotland Yard to investigate. Recognized as retired Police officer Casper Fellen, Ralph suspects he stumbled into gang warfare, and what is the Royal connection with horseracing at Epsom? Professor Claire Lane senses the truth. Will she side with Ralph, or take another view, agree to disappear undercover with renowned Gang boss Alexander Carrington. Is this the end, or does this spell disaster for not only Claire’s reputation, but to Ralph’s heraldic ...

Inspector Witherspoon has been assigned another tough case. The latest murder victim has possibly swindled his shareholders out of a huge sum of money. When the businessman is found with a bullet through is chest, all of them are suspects - but no one is telling the truth. It is up to Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff at Upper Edmonton Gardens to crack the case.

Professor Claire Lane interrupted by a sudden telephone call to help in a murder investigation leaves the tranquility of Edinburgh for the country lanes of Oxford. Lord of the Realm, Inspector Ralph McGinnis is puzzled. Unlike his colleague Miss Lane is adamant this is a copycat murder. Last seen in the seventeenth century by an overzealous Venetian statesman. A well-known Australian financier is dead. Propped up in the Nativity scene outside the church. The vicar is acting strangely, could he have been persuaded to preach peace and good will during this festive season, or will Claire work ...

When is a death a murder? There’s trouble brewing in the idyllic town of Faukon Abbey. The main employer, Gwedrow Glassworks plans big layoffs and tempers flare. When Marion Rivers, a pillar of the community, is found lifeless in her bathtub, it becomes a case for DI Peter Greene and DC Terry Ford. Their efforts are compounded by one injured cyclist and another cyclist who has disappeared. As secrets emerge, yet another chilling death further shatters the peace. Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter from the Faukon Abbey Chronicle, digs in to unravel the twisted web of lies and motives. Will Greene’s...

It doesn’t take long for Ray Spalding to realise that prison is nothing like an Elvis Presley movie. The warden has no intention of throwing a party and the only bands Ray encounters are gangs of hard men. When an old adversary seeks him out, Ray decides his only chance for survival is escape. Ray’s son, Jesse, is discovering that being on the run in the middle of winter is no fun. With his stamina stretched to the limits, he’s ready to surrender himself to social services. At least that way he can see his girlfriend again. Danny Boy is the man in the middle. He thinks he can break ...

Professor Claire Lane’s students are always close to her heart. When one disappears into fells and becks of the Lake District in Northwest England, she is not convinced the woman has gone to meditate on Scafell Pike. A talented and gifted writer, Bo Huan, a Chinese National follows her dream. Claire in desperation seeks help from her fiancé Lord Ralph McGinniss, known for his uncomplicated investigations as a Senior Detective at Scotland Yard. The Lake District is meant for walking and enjoying nature, not murder and international spying. Ralph and Claire join forces to solve a delicate ...

In Albion Minor, riots rule & soldiers shoot to order. A dead body is decaying in Ben Jackman’s patch and he’s suspect Number 1. Proving his innocence in a dystopian hell is problematic because justice is auctioned to the highest bidder and Ben Jackman has no coins to jingle in his pockets. The story begins with Marvin, Ben’s last best friend, being in deep trouble with the Black Hat cartel. He has stolen and they want the theft punished. Marvin asks Ben to deliver a bag, the stolen booty, to his mother, pleading with Ben to honour a childhood pact, a promise to help each other in ...

Grave Stones is the ninth instalment of Andrea Frazer's Falconer Files, a detective series chock-full of picture-postcard villages, dastardly deeds, and a delightful slice of humour. The residents of Shepford St Bernard are to have a party in the church hall, in response to a request to boost congregation numbers only their new vicar is a woman, and a young one to boot, which is not to everyone's liking ... The morning after the party, the extent of the brooding resentment felt in the small community is revealed when an elderly woman is found dead outside her house, the contents of her safe...

Chief Inspector, Lord Ralph McGinniss has booked his boat fare to Australia to find his wife, Professor Claire Lane. Then a mysterious cold case file is handed to him from Sgt Pennyworth. British Army Intelligence has requested his help. Can he find Squadron Leader Mike Bristol? Was he last seen leaving The Fur & Feathers Pub in Stow on the Wold on the date stated on the warrant, 30th August 1944? Suspected of murdering two women. A well-known West End Actress Mia Jones and local shopkeeper Mrs Anne Tumbler. The Chief Ralph McGinniss is not convinced. With the war over, the cases of ...

Has cyber-crime escalated to murder? Forensic accountant Kat Munro puts her traumatic past behind her and begins dating journalist Connor O’Malley, whose investigations into online crime attract the wrong kind of attention. When a colleague’s teenage son goes missing, and his friend’s body is discovered, Kat finds herself working with DS Adam Jackson again. The murder enquiry leads Adam to an exclusive London school where allegations of drugs, gaming fraud and child pornography abound. As he gets deeper into the investigation, Adam is forced to face issues in his private life while ...