British Women Sleuths

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.

Jealousy, revenge and broken hearts are all possible motives for murder in this fast-paced cozy mystery Vintage clothing celebrity Polly is murdered in her store so special agents Abi and Jake from the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency (otherwise known as the CCIA) are sent to uncover who killed her. Could it be a jealous ex-boyfriend? Perhaps her estranged sister had something to do with it? Could Milly from the cupcake bakery next door to Polly’s Vintage Finds have had a hand in her demise? There are certainly suspects aplenty..., Join Abi and Jake on another sleuthing mission to ...

When Daniel Cosgrove is stabbed at the Greenward Isle Flower Farm it seems there are suspects aplenty. With the island locals sticking together and not helping matters, the atrocious weather hindering things further and a missing murder weapon in the mix, the investigation is not going to plan at all. As Abi and Jake uncover numerous untruths and a whole lot of mysteries on the tiny Greenward Isle, the case seems to be getting more complicated and the chances of successfully cracking the investigation less likely with every passing minute! Join Abi and Jake on another exciting sleuthing ...

A brilliant amateur sleuth – much like Miss Marple – falls to her death on the staircase of her old grand hotel. The police believe it was an accident. But her granddaughter is convinced: it was murder. After all, her grandmother was working on a dangerous case. Penny Küfer, still in training to become a licensed detective, is sent to uncover the truth – in the family's remote, crumbling grand hotel that hides more than just dust and cobwebs. A break-in at the dead woman’s archive, strange long-term guests, whispers of hidden diamonds … the case quickly spirals out of control. ...

August 1911. Emily Hardcastle and her inimitable lady’s maid Florence Armstrong are enjoying a fine summer until Harry, Lady H’s brother, turns up out of the blue with a mystery for them to solve. A routine parachute test at a local aeroplane factory has gone horribly wrong - with pilot Dickie Dupree plummeting to his death. Harry is certain there is more to this ‘tragic accident’ than meets the eye, having discovered that someone at the airfield is leaking top secret intelligence to foreign rivals.

Queen Elizabeth II is looking forward to a traditional Christmas gathering with her family in Sandringham when a shocking discovery interrupts holiday plans. A severed hand has been found—but even more unsettling, she recognizes the signet ring still attached to a finger. It belongs to a scion of the St Cyr family, her old friends from nearby Ladybridge Hall. Despite the personal connection, the Queen wants to leave the investigation to the police—that is, until newspapers drag her name into the matter.

Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances. She has spent the last twenty years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate—sent just days before his death—Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind.

A cosy mystery compilation perfect for fans of Sally Smith, Steve Higgs, LJ Ross, Robert Thorogood, and Richard Osman. When she relocates to Spain’s Costa del Sol, Karen McLaren turns her back on an unfaithful husband and a long teaching career. She arrives at the Club Britannia complex for the over-60s carrying many plans for her future… …finding herself investigating crimes along with an eccentric group of Spanish and expat friends isn’t one of them. But Karen discovers she has a real talent as an amateur sleuth. She’s aided by her sharp intellect, the expert lip-reading skills ...

Three dark and daunting mysteries for Police Constable Elizabeth West to solve. Can she do it when she is lumbered with a plodding police investigation. 1: On the floor of an old Mansion there is the body of a young girl killed by a poisoned dart. 2: In a village in the mountains a teacher dies from eating poisonous mushrooms - the original mushroom pie poisoning! 3: In an old mill town a young man, with connections to China Town, is found dead in his flat! 'Great mysteries.' 'Go Elizabeth West.'

Abi attends a murder mystery play and dinner at a local hotel with friends and family but the evening soon takes on a real sinister turn when one of the actors is found sprawled on the floor backstage. With a blizzard raging outside, it could take a while for the emergency services to battle through the weather to reach the hotel, so Abi dives into investigating what happened, why and who caused things to take such a deadly turn. As the snow falls and the story unfolds, Abi is soon unravelling a true mystery. With a bunch of convincing actors to question, will she be able to decipher who is...

Nestled between fast track Ft. Lauderdale and nouveau riche Boca Raton, the once sleepy beach town of Palmetto is plagued by progress. The latest news has Ocean Vista condo board president Stella Sajak and other residents in an uproar. Developers plan to raze the property and put up a glitzy resort. But when Stella says she’ll go to City Hall and fight this to the death, no one thinks to take her statement literally. And when Kate Kennedy begins to investigate the murder, she discovers that this little corner of the sunshine state is cursed with corruption, unsavory characters, and a very...

The year is 1933. Maisie Dobbs is contacted by an Indian gentleman who has come to England in the hopes of finding out who killed his sister two months ago. Scotland Yard failed to make any arrest in the case, and there is reason to believe they failed to conduct a thorough investigation. The case becomes even more challenging when another Indian woman is murdered just hours before a scheduled interview. Meanwhile, unfinished business from a previous case becomes a distraction, as does a new development in Maisie's personal life.

A Scottish castle, sleuthing to do and a murderer to catch! It’s New Year’s Eve and when you work for the Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agency there’s no such thing as getting to take the holidays off. Which is why special agent Abi Anderson is going to a Hogmanay party in a luxurious Scottish castle as a sleuth on a mission to catch criminals - and not, sadly, as a guest out to enjoy herself. Typical. Even worse, it’s a fancy dress party and when you have to find a costume at the very last minute in the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands you end up dressed as... well, why...

England, 1936. On a clear autumn day, Kitty and her mischievous spaniel Bertie take a drive to a nearby village. After a long walk in the rolling country hills and lunch in a pretty tearoom, what could be nicer than to buy a couple of bottles of local cider for her husband—and partner-in-crime solving—Matt? Instead, she finds a body in the orchard… Kitty is shocked to discover Titus Blake dead, crushed by his own cider press.

Jennie Jensen is touring Europe, already living her dream, when Prince Hugh of Wales—the future King of England—appears at a gig and requests his favorite song. He’s already smitten, and soon so is she. After a secretive, whirlwind romance, Hugh proposes, and when Jennie accepts, her world changes overnight. She’s still learning to navigate the minefield of constant scrutiny, barbed social interactions, and royal protocol (there are rules about pantyhose), as she learns that not everyone in England is excited about the prospect of an American princess.

The theft of a priceless emerald neckless leads to murder and Blythe, the Dowager Duchess of Ashby along with Bow Street Runner Owen Kennedy must rely on a lie to find the killer before they become the next victims.

England, 1865: Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb finds herself the subject of speculation when her latest article leads to an arrest in the murders plaguing London. The English believe women ought not to write about such vulgar things as crime, and a particularly attractive detective inspector is incensed that she's interfered with his investigation. To escape her sudden notoriety, Katherine heads to the country - only to witness a murder upon her arrival.

A new assignment for Penny Küfer! Has Niní Delight, the head of a luxury lingerie chain, really taken her own life with arsenic? The young woman had everything one could wish for: the villa of her dreams, professional success, a famous burlesque diva for a sister and, on top of that, a mysterious new lover. Who’d want to end such a life in this way? The police have ruled out foul play. But—as Penny will soon discover—nothing is what it seems in the world of silk, French lace, and glamour...

Revenge. Jealousy. Love. Money. Which is the perfect ingredient in a recipe for murder? Everybody loves the Queen of Baking, Cherry Bakewell, don’t they? Apparently not... because Cherry is found dead with a poisoned cupcake in her hand just before the Grand Bake Off competition is about to kick off. Wannabe baker and amateur sleuth Lizzie is horrified to hear of her baking heroine’s death but things quickly turn from bad to worse when she discovers Jack, the local private investigator and the man she’s dating, is being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police! As if her ...

Detective Sergeant Ashley McCoy is about to face her most challenging case yet, when her own brother is accused of the callous murder of a young woman. Though desperate to prove his innocence, Ashley is prevented from investigating the case. Instead, she is sent to solve a strikingly similar murder. As she struggles with the immense pressures of work, her own personal life starts to implode when her partner abandons her. Just as things can’t seem to get any worse, a past case comes back to haunt her. Sometimes it takes the pain of the past to uncover the mysteries of the present…