He just wanted a quiet life. Something his mother was not going to allow. There again he never for one moment imagined he would have to look into the death of a 90-year-old lady who was gambling away her family fortune. The Hayden Detective Agency has no need of clients. The very existence of the Agency allows Martin Hayden to claim his large monthly allowance from the family fortune - without lifting a finger. Martin’s biggest problem is his interfering mother, who understands her idle son too well. She takes steps to find him not just clients but also a personal assistant to keep an eye on him. Under pressure from the women in his life, Martin agrees to take on his first client. How hard can it be to follow a 90-year-old woman who spends her time losing money at roulette tables? As it turns out harder than Martin ever thought possible, especially with the old lady dying in strange circumstances. Soon the Reluctant Detective is grappling with shady estate agents, an intellectual artist, missing charity money and an irritating Indian waiter. Luckily for Martin there is help in the form of Colin, a transvestite who, apart from having very good fashion sense, is an expert at breaking into houses.

    Its purpose is one of certitude with a little dash of homage thrown in for good measure. For some, it may just be seen as an extended or alternate ending. For others, it may be taken as Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse's final will and testament. Your choice...

    

    politics. From heady ideals to sexual blackmail, it makes one wonder—when do they have time to govern? The fine line between fact and fiction blurs so quickly, you may think you are reading today's headlines instead of one of the best new novels to break onto the political scene.You will get to know the characters in Robinson's novel so well; you will be surprised not to see their names on the ballot at the next election. The Maximum Contribution is fast paced, spellbinding and one you don’t want to miss.

    It’s a lie, of course. What I mean is, I remember so very little.’ Tom Haworth is struggling against the fragility of his own mind as it surrenders to what seems an increasingly hostile world. He begins to be haunted by vivid dreams that transport him into a different life and to a treeless forest, high in the stark moorland of industrial England around the time of the First World War. There he meets family he never knew existed and a girl called Clara, whom he recognises as the blueprint for every woman he has ever loved. Back in the present, he discovers he is losing days: vaguely remembered yesterdays in which he has acted out of character, as if someone were taking his place. Tom traces back through his family tree and discovers the characters in his dreams to be real and not just products of his unstable subconscious. Where are the ‘memories’ coming from? Has madness finally taken hold? And is Clara lost to him forever, or will she be his salvation? A story of redemption and rebirth that weaves compellingly between different times and different lives. Inspired by a gravestone in a remote Pennine cemetery, this story had been nagging at the author for over a decade. Eventually he gave in.

    But the women are also hiding a shameful secret…Present Day: When journalist Ally Niven escapes to the remote Scottish island of Battersay after a failed love affair, all she is looking for is a quiet life and a catering job for the summer. But from the outset someone is trying to scare her off and Ally soon discovers that the beautiful surroundings mask tensions among the people who are harbouring 'Birdwoman' - a feral young woman found on rocky Kulah. Ally is increasingly attracted to reclusive artist, John Balmain, who has also taken refuge on Battersay, but is elusive about his past. From John, Ally learns of a sinister prophecy which predicted the shipwreck and how Flora, the Flame-haired leader of the Kulah women, would wreak her revenge. Increasingly isolated and intimidated by bizarre attacks on her house and sightings of a lone woman in a blue headscarf that she cannot explain, Ally sets out to discover the truth behind the Kulah story and the secrets the broodingly handsome John is determined to keep from her; as the two stories converge in a shocking climax. This is MacLeod Trotter's second enthralling mystery.

     CALIBER DETECTIVE AGENCY - Box Set - Case Files 7-12 CASE FILE # 7 The Calibers tackle three new cases.A man believes someone is out to kill him in case one, while in case two, a worried father hires the detective agency to look into his daughter's shady fiancé.The third case is more of a favor, as the old man and Kelli travel to Texas to help out family.Blue Steele makes a cameo appearance. CASE FILE # 8 The old man and Blue Steele engage in a friendly shooting contest, but then the client arrives and Jake gets down to business. Chris and Velma reveal their true feelings for each other, despite knowing that they can never be together. CASE FILE # 9 As Jake learns more about Victor Jansen's inner circle, Chris and Velma set out to sting the target of their investigation.And in Texas, the old man investigates the disappearance of James Preston, and by doing so, he places himself and Kelli in jeopardy. CASE FILE # 10 The old man proves once again that he's the real deal and gets one step closer to solving the mystery of James Preston.Jake uncovers treachery within the Jansen inner circle and later saves his client's life.Meanwhile, Velma learns something meaningful about her husband's nurse. CASE FILE # 11 Chris and Velma run their sting operation on Remmi Harlow, and then later on, Velma makes a confession.Jake becomes jealous over Kelli's new boyfriend, but with help from a friend, he may just win her back.And after the old man visits Remmi Harlow in jail, he solves the mystery of James Preston. CASE FILE # 12 Jake and Kelli reunite, and later, Jake discovers where the illegal guns are coming from.After the old man verifies that his hunch is correct, he brings the hammer down on the man behind the disappearance of James Preston.Velma and Chris share an intimate moment as a fortunate turn of events takes place. COMING SOON! CALIBER DETECTIVE AGENCY - BOX SET - CASE FILES 13-18 Visit the Caliber Detective Agency website at: thecaliberdetectiveagency.com