British Crime Mystery

Hallowe'en is coming... A series of mysterious murders dating back decades presents Kit Aston with his greatest challenge yet in this macabre tale. The latest victim is found by a medium, the mysterious Eva Kerr. Kit Aston discovers this murder is the tip of the iceberg. Is it a killer like Jack the Ripper or something much worse? And why have the murders been covered up over the years? With the help of Scotland Yard, London’s Gangland and Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Kit Aston is in a race against time to bring a sinister cult to justice. What reviewers are saying about Jack Murray’s Kit ...

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #3 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY."WHEN A MAN IS FOUND STRANGLED by a climbing rope beneath the Lake District's notorious Sharp Edge, it is assumed he is the victim of a tragic accident. But Detective Inspector Skelgill suspects otherwise, and his fears are borne out when a second corpse is discovered close to Striding Edge. Soon it appears that a ritualistic serial killer stalks Cumbria's fells. As the body count increases, Skelgill must determine the connection between the seemingly randomly ...

In 1950, a death occurs under the uniquely-banded cliffs in Hunstanton. It is soon realised that this is a case of murder, but the Norfolk police inspector runs into difficulties, and Scotland Yard DCI Philip Bryce finds himself back in the county for the second time in a matter of months. A local amateur detective with a considerable knowledge of murder cases (both real and fictional) is determined to help the police, and comes up with various suggestions. However, initially neither he nor the police seem to be able to pin all the usual key elements – means, motive, and opportunity – ...

A man is found dead, tied to a chair in the middle of the road, a stag’s antlers on his head. The gruesome scene stuns the town, especially when the victim is identified: Jim Tiernan, who ran the White Hart pub. Tiernan’s pub is at the center of village life and he knew everyone’s secrets. Detective Nicola Bridge grew up in Fleetcombe and has now returned, for the good of her family, from a life away in Liverpool. DC Harry Ward is ten years younger and, despite his newcomer status, determined to earn Nicola’s trust.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL....BUT VERY DANGEROUS Barrister-turned-private-eye Maggie Bainbridge and her ex-army sidekick Jimmy Stewart have landed their most high-profile case so far - to find out what happened to the attractive daughter of a prominent politician, two year after the failure of the original police investigation. Meanwhile Jimmy's brother, DI Frank Stewart of the Met, has been offered promotion to DCI - but there's catch. A secret government initiative is looking to smoke out corrupt public servants and coppers - and Frank's been put in charge of the toxic pilot operation. All roads lead...

Time to discover a brilliantly twisty mystery series. A tradesman is set alight in his vehicle on an isolated road. His daughter is missing. And time is running out. “I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t read fast enough.” “Totally riveting.” “Superb murder mystery and police procedural.” DI Fiona Williams is a driven detective juggling work with a family crisis and growing suspicions about her new boss. Her plan to take a break is shattered when she comes across a burning van while driving home late after visiting her father in hospital. It’s too late to help the ...

Christmas at a snowed in country house. You know what happens next… Not necessarily. Agatha Aston is invited to spend the weekend before Christmas with some old friends. Accompanied by her Machiavellian Basset hound, Talleyrand, Agatha encounters murder, ghosts and romance at a country house where nothing is as it seems. While Agatha has her hands full solving a murder, Talleyrand has his own problems in the shape of Bismarck, the hosts’ unfriendly German Shepherd. Expect fireworks. Containing a short ghost story within a story, The Christmas Murder Mystery is a twisty box of delights, ...

NEW FOR 2023 – STAND-ALONE, #21 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "A COMPELLING BRITISH CRIME MYSTERY." SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL ... A reality documentary crew is on the hunt for a victim. An unsolved murder from the 1970s that could leave the authorities red-faced. Celebrity criminologist Professor Simeon Freud plans to bask in the glory. Posing as a researcher, DS Jones joins the production team, but Skelgill must work in the shadows. His instincts rebel – not least that his protégé is prey to a narcissist on the one hand and a killer on ...

A highly rated mystery/thriller series takes a bone-chilling jaunt to Scotland. Book 8 in the award-winning Port Stirling series Port Stirling, Oregon, police chief Matt Horning and his special agent wife, Fern, finally get their well-deserved vacation on a getaway to Shetland and the Scottish Highlands. But their heart-warming holiday turns deadly in a pulse-pounding game of cat and mouse when they reach Edinburgh. Did this shocking, brazen crime originate back home in Port Stirling? Is it the fallout of one – or several – previous cases resolved by Matt and Fern? Matt must rely on his...

When Lady Abigail, the wife of the wealthy Baron of Cambridge, is found dead in her bed, Detective Inspector Henry Smith is called in to investigate. With a multitude of suspects, including the gruff and unfriendly Baron himself, Henry must use all his investigative skills to uncover the truth behind Lady Abigail's mysterious death. As he delves deeper into the case, secrets are uncovered and tensions rise, leading to a dramatic conclusion that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #14 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY."‘A KILLER IN OUR MIDST?’ cried a newspaper headline to commemorate the disappearance of Mary Wilson. It is two decades since Britain’s first mass DNA sweep failed to incriminate a single local male. Mary was listed merely as a missing person. Now archaeologists have unearthed human remains in Cummacatta Wood. The forensics match – age, sex, fragments of clothing... and dental records. But the murder hunt has only just begun when an outsider, a convicted...

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #7 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY."ONE WEEK AFTER THE DEATH of his 93-year-old twin brother, the reclusive Declan Thomas O’More is found murdered in his study at the ancestral family estate, rambling and isolated Crummock Hall. Suspicion immediately falls upon his five great nieces and nephews, who between them stand to inherit the considerable proceeds of their grandfather’s will - along with a valuable library of antiquarian books, a collection that is Declan’s lifetime work. And yet each...

A quirky, dark-edged mystery full of twists, turns and playful surprises Max Black, retired stock broker and single parent, is facing a crisis. His daughter has left for university, and despite the companionship of his faithful Cairn terrier Monty, he feels panicked, untethered and not very well. His doctor tells him to get out more, change his lifestyle and find himself a job. Could Duntisbourne Hall, a rundown stately home recruiting tour guides, be the answer to his empty-nest syndrome? Joining the team of eccentric retired professionals who shuffle the general public around on tour, he ...

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #6 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY."SUMMONED TO AN ISOLATED maximum-security hospital, DI Skelgill inadvertently catches the eye of a notorious female serial killer. Does she read his censorious thoughts? Is this the trigger that turns a routine investigation into a rollercoaster of murder, mayhem, escapes and hostage taking? And what of the establishment? Are these crises purely coincidental, or is some conspiracy afoot? Could it be blackmail, corruption, a power struggle ... or something ...

Was it an accident or a simple crime of opportunity? Sherisse Collins is dead. The body of the elderly woman is found by a friend, lying at the foot of the stairs in her gracious Linden Square home. Although Sherisse was in her 80s, she was no recluse. Her friends insist that she was strong and healthy, and that she was murdered. The Collins mansion is filled with antiques, original artwork and many valuables, so a theft motive is the first thing considered by DC Holly Towns and the CIU officers. But the old house is hiding secrets of its own. When Holly is doing a detailed search of the ...

A missing child. A half-baked ransom demand. Can a community cop sift through the clues and rescue the tot before teatime? Sergeant Keya Varma’s culinary dreams come true as she joyfully opens her own café. And attending her sister’s wedding is the cherry on the cake. But her excitement sinks like a souffle when a customer’s little boy disappears. Shaken as well as stirred into action, the part-time police officer joins the search, but she’s shattered when even a ransom payment doesn’t bring the rug rat back home. For Keya, justice is served with a side of scones, but can she ...

Murder is the last thing on the wedding itinerary… but in Merrivale, trouble is always on the guest list. Emma Sharpe is thrilled to host the wedding of the season at the Old Bell Inn. With her best friends—Lily the florist, Rose the baker, and wedding planner Kate—everything is in place for a perfect celebration. But when controversial developer Richard Sterling is found dead in the inn’s garden, the festivities come to a screeching halt. Richard’s plans to bulldoze Merrivale’s historic farmlands had already divided the village, igniting old feuds and unearthing long-buried ...

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #4 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL... "MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY."BY THE TIME Detective Inspector Skelgill becomes the tenth person to be stranded on secluded Grisholm (Pigs’ Isle in Old Norse) where a writers’ retreat is taking place, one of the assembled literati is already dead. Though natural causes may provide the explanation, a second ‘accidental’ death and a raft of curious experiences convince Skelgill that a cold and calculating killer is at large. But where is his evidence? Set around Derwentwater in the ...

Fire in the sky, a catastrophic explosion nearby, and a massive investigation follow a devastating plane crash at Port Alma’s Sky Field airport. Detective Constable Holly Towns is working on the fringes of the high-profile case, trying to find out who turned an old gravel pit into a meth lab, but she keeps getting drawn closer to the crash site and its secrets. Meanwhile, people connected with the lab are being murdered and the CIU officers are worried that a shakeup in the local drug trade will lead to more violence. And there’s one more problem. Holly is being accused of using ...

Mordecai Tremaine and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce are never pleased to have a promising game of chess interrupted - though when murder is the disrupting force, they are persuaded to make an exception. A quick stop at Scotland Yard to collect any detective's most trusted piece of equipment - the murder bag - the pair are spirited away to Bridgton. No sooner have they arrived than it becomes clear that the city harbors more than its fair share of passions and motives.