Crime Puzzles

DCI Jack Collier is slowly recovering from the pain and embarrassment of spending time locked up in Durham prison for a murder he did not commit whilst his team wait less than patiently for him to return to normal. But a call from pathologist Dr Gordon Crosby, inviting him and DS Oliver Cole to look into the suspicious death by poison of an elderly pensioner in the small village of New Hartley in Northumberland, sets the team on the hunt for a cold and calculating killer, brings matters crashing back to normality. The mystery of the death proves difficult to resolve and is further ...

When Lily Garrison agrees to host this month’s Turtle Cove book club, she never expects the night to end in murder. Former resident Eleanor Sterling returns to town to debut her latest poetry collection, a book filled with cryptic verses exposing the secrets of Turtle Cove’s residents. But as Eleanor begins her reading, she suddenly collapses and dies in front of a stunned audience. The suspect list grows as whispers swirl about her literary rival, Daphne Sinclair, and the townspeople who’d rather keep their skeletons in the closet. With her sister Grace and trusty beagle Rocky by her...

THE PENSION JOB, is a light and entertaining crime story full of suspense, adventure, and humour. Joan and Brian have been married for almost 40 years and have worked hard all their lives to save for a comfortable retirement. When they are presented with an exciting pension proposal that promises inflation-proof returns, they are immediately drawn in. But when their retirement date approaches and they contact the company to arrange for the pension payments, they hear nothing. After months of searching for their investments, they realise they have been duped and their choices are suddenly ...

MOUNTAIN SPRINGS COZY MYSTERY SERIES – Books 1-3 Book 1 – Missing, Presumed Unwed Book 2 – Curses, Fowled Again! Book 3 – Beasties and Butterscotch Pie Introduction Sharon Triplett’s life-change was to retreat to the majestic mountains, settle into her inherited family home with her two kids, plucky pet parakeet, Seymour, and try to recover from the tragic death of her husband, a hotshot, undercover, city detective. It was an elegant plan. It should have worked. But then, astoundingly, Seymour, began eerily communicating to her in her dead husband’s voice and Sharon’s life was...

A luxurious beach resort, a missing friend, and secrets to die for. Emily Parker, meticulous bookbinder and amateur sleuth, thought a getaway to Azure Bay Resort would be the perfect escape from solving mysteries. But paradise quickly turns perilous when her best friend, investigative journalist Jenny Walsh, vanishes without a trace, leaving behind only a treasured pen near the murdered resort owner, Blake Montgomery. Accompanied by her intuitive Maine Coon, Fitzgerald, Emily teams up with Josh Reynolds, a charming local artist whose gallery hides clues as expressive as his paintings. The ...

A short read cozy mystery with a twist... In Sweetheart Valley, Valentine’s Day is overshadowed by secrets and heartbreak. When Amanda Love, owner of the beloved Sweet Stuff bakery, collapses and dies at the annual Valentine’s Day Ball, chaos ensues. The police scramble to unravel the baffling crime scene, but it’s Detective Benjamin Hart who takes the lead. Meet the suspects: Oliver Roseville: The mysterious newcomer with a vintage bookstore on Valentine Lane. Candy Monet: The wealthy socialite known for her lavish Valentine’s Day parties. Jed Whitman: The retired police chief who ...

Detective Constable Oliver Cole has his period of annual leave interrupted when he finds out that Lancashire Police have requested that he travels to Lancashire to assist them with a difficult case. An actor had been murdered at The Midland Hotel in Morecambe in particularly mysterious circumstances having drank a glass of champagne laced with cyanide. The officer in charge, DCI Dominic Wilson, had previously received a warning that someone was about to die and that it would be the first of seven deaths, but the warning had been dismissed by him as a crank. The discovery of a second clue in...

“Watson, there is not a moment to lose. If you care to join the chase, pack your bag at once!” Likewise, enthusiasts of the greatest detective will not want to miss this opportunity to join Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in a whirlwind of exciting new adventures… A daring thief penetrates the defenses of the Tower of London in search of a secret treasure. A profligate young actor is accused of murdering his exemplary sibling. From the safe of a prominent London banker, a priceless heirloom is stolen. Upon a high cliff, a ghostly assassin commits an impossible murder. A kingpin of ...

Detective Constable Oliver Cole has returned home after helping Lancashire Police solve a series of murders in Morecambe to find that his reputation as a puzzle solver is growing. Under pressure from Superintendent Fox, Oliver agrees to stage a week-long puzzle solving course for final year Hendon College graduates, showing them how he looks at the types of clues he’s had to deal with and setting some puzzle solving problems for the class. But minutes before the first session is held, the body of a young woman is fished out of the River Tyne. Torn between the responsibility of running the...

"A harrowing and unforgettable FBI thriller." –BestThrillers.com Three fourteen-year-old boys are inextricably linked by abduction and murder. Two of them were just abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they'll end up like all the others... dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. A fourth boy, George Tokay, a Navajo, holds a key piece to this puzzle and doesn't realize it. Kelliher and his team have been on this case for two years. ...

"OH No! How could this happen?" Meggie gets off the phone with the Museum. "The heirloom has vanished without a trace." Meggie, owner of the Willow Inn, was thrilled when Ms. Wren of the Museum asked to display her family's cherished heirloom. But now this! "I don't understand?" Meggie thought out loud, just as she and her loyal beagle, Bentley, were gearing up for the Harvest Festival. Now, Meggie must navigate a tangled web of deceit, suspense, and intrigue to find her family's lost heirloom. Little does she know this heirloom holds the key to a puzzling mystery. As Willow Creek's past ...

In Willowbrook, an ancient artifact has been uncovered—one that could reshape the world. When the town's seamstress, Agnes, is mysteriously killed, her apprentice, Clara, finds herself entangled in a web of lies, magic, and a centuries-old conflict threatening Willowbrook. Guided by Agnes's ghost and her loyal cat Whiskers, Clara must unravel Willowbrook's occult past and confront a ruthless order seeking the artifact's power. As Clara digs deeper, she realizes the true danger may come from her own allies, testing her trust. With time running short, Clara must draw on her family's ...

On the muddy banks of the Calumet River, a body has been found posed next to a series of mysterious glyphs and bearing wounds from a ritualistic slaying. Chicago detective Addie Bisset knows only one man who can decipher the message left by the killer: her friend Dr. Evan Wilding. A brilliant forensic semiotician, Evan decodes the etchings as Viking Age runes. They suggest either human sacrifice or righteous punishment. But to what god? And for what sins? Only one thing is clear from the disturbing runic riddles: there are more victims to come.

The murderers have committed the crimes, now it's up to you to solve them. Using your powers of deduction, can you play detective and help put the killers behind bars? 5 Minute Murder features 100 logic and code-based murder-mystery puzzles, skillfully compiled by acclaimed psychological thriller writer Christopher J. Yates and puzzle expert Bruce Pitchers.

It's Spring, and Oliver Cole is still finding his feet as a recently promoted Detective Sergeant. But that’s not the most important thing on his mind right now, it’s making sure he’s on time for the wedding of his friend and colleague, Debbie Swan. But one important person does not make the wedding. Called away when a body is discovered in Seaton Delaval, a small village 10 miles north of Newcastle, DCI Jack Collier must start the investigation without Oliver by his side. Oliver eventually joins him, and the investigation starts into the murder of Paul Tate, a seemingly innocent ...

Sam Baron writing as SJ Blake "You're just a young woman. What makes you think you can bring down a cabal of some of the richest, most powerful men in the world?" "I have justice on my side." Your name is Dani McKay. Daughter of a famous, bestselling author. You've never been the same since your shocking abduction twelve years ago. When you spot your kidnapper at your mother’s book signing in Berlin, you're determined to get answers. But by going after him, you open a Pandora’s Box of shocking revelations about your family and put yourself and your mother’s life in peril! Because ...

DS Oliver Cole’s next case sees him delving into the world of paranormal and psychic phenomena when he is asked to investigate the murder of a celebrity from the1980’s. He and his friend and colleague, DC Debbie Swan, are called in to see DCI Jack Collier, and informed that the body of Julian Forrester has been found by his cleaning lady; he’d been tied to the chair in the study of his expensive mansion, both his wrists cut. Oliver is also told he will be the lead on this case as Jack has a small medical problem to deal with and will not be available. Short-handed due to the recent ...

Let Sleeping Bones Lie In the quiet seaside town of Turtle Cove the Garrison sisters' inn is the perfect getaway ---until Grace Garrison's curious beagle, Rocky, digs up a human bone in the garden. Grace, a former journalist, left her nosy days behind to run the inn with her twin sister, Lily. But when Detective Sam Carter warns her to steer clear of the case and the locals grow suspiciously tight-lipped. Grace can't resist following the trail. Haunted by her past, and with her ex-husband's cautionary voice lingering in her mind, Grace embarks on a dangerous quest to solve a mystery buried ...

Disappearing wasn’t going to be enough…they needed a plan…some answers…and a safe place so they could figure out what to do next and stop running in circles trying to stay one step ahead of the guys who seemed to want her dead. Simon Sullivan might not be who Ava always believed him to be, but along with his brother, he’d spent his life trying to protect her. That wasn’t going to change especially now when everything they’d planned for, hoping against hope it would never be needed, was playing out exactly as they’d feared. But he’s not alone. Harper Riley isn’t about to ...

In the deceptively charming town of Sweetville, dark secrets lurk beneath a sugary veneer. When a shocking murder rocks the town, Emily Hartman, owner of the enchanted candy shop Sugared Secrets, Must harness her arcane powers and razor-sharp intellect to unravel a sinister mystery. Joined by her enigmatic feline companion, Whiskers, and the alluring Detective Max Wilder, Emily plunges into a treacherous world of ancient magic and hidden agendas. As a shadowy cabal threatens to resurrect a malevolent force from Sweetville's past, Emily and Max must confront their deepest fears and uncover ...