Book picks similar to
Cumbria Murders by Paul Heslop


2-where-ebook
crime
true-crime
what-300-social-sciences

Gang Lords of London


T.J. Jackson - 2015
    Now he is dead and his sons are about to blow that lid off - with explosive consequences.

Another Forgotten Child: Free Sampler: Too Late to Help? A Shocking True Story of Abuse and Neglect


Cathy Glass - 2015
    Her five older siblings were taken into care many years ago. So no one can understand why she was left at home to suffer for so long. It seems Aimee was forgotten.The social services are looking for a very experienced foster carer to look after Aimee and, when she reads the referral, Cathy understands why. Despite her reservations, Cathy agrees to Aimee on – there is something about her that reminds Cathy of Jodie (the subject of ‘Damaged’ and the most disturbed child Cathy has cared for), and reading the report instantly tugs at her heart strings.When she arrives, Aimee is angry. And she has every right to be. She has spent the first eight years of her life living with her drug-dependent mother in a flat that the social worker described as ‘not fit for human habitation’. Aimee is so grateful as she snuggles into her bed at Cathy’s house on the first night that it brings Cathy to tears.Aimee’s aggressive mother is constantly causing trouble at contact, and makes sweeping allegations against Cathy and her family in front of her daughter as well. It is a trying time for Cathy, and it makes it difficult for Aimee to settle. But as Aimee begins to trust Cathy, she starts to open up. And the more Cathy learns about Aimee’s life before she came into care, the more horrified she becomes.It’s clear that Aimee should have been rescued much sooner and as her journey seems to be coming to a happy end, Cathy can’t help but reflect on all the other ‘forgotten children’ that are still suffering…

The West Leigh Murder


S.R. Lobban - 2011
    An eight year girl is reported missing. Being the daughter of one of the estate's most notorious families, means there is little interest until the grisly discovery of a body. George Finney is called in to lead the investigation. He is not your usual detective. He is happily married, doesn't drink and collects fine china. But despite appearances, you wouldn't want to upset him. As his team of detectives go to work, they find themselves in the media spotlight. But will the 24 hour rolling News Channels help them with their search?This is the first of three DI Finney stories. The latest (Burden) is available through Amazon from March 24th 2018

Blood & Marriage: Chris Watts: With these hands


Kathleen McKenna Hewtson - 2021
    

The DI Bliss Series


Tony J. Forder - 2018
    DI James Bliss, together with DC Penny Chandler, investigate the case and discover that the young, female victim had been relocated from its original burial site.A witness is convinced that a young female was struck by a vehicle back in the summer of 1990, and that police attended the scene. However, no record exists of either the accident or the reported victim. As the case develops, two retired police officers are murdered. The two are linked with others who were on duty at the time a road accident was reported.As Bliss and Chandler delve deeper into the investigation, they start to question whether senior officers may have been involved in the murder of the young women who was buried in the woods.As each link in the chain is put under duress, so is Bliss who clashes with superiors and the media.When his team receives targeted warnings, Bliss will need to decide whether to drop the case or to pursue those responsible.Will Bliss walk away in order to keep his career intact or will he fight no matter what the cost? And is it possible the killer is much closer than they imagined? The Scent of Guilt: Twelve years after he left Peterborough under a cloud, DI Bliss returns to the city and the major crimes team. Having spent years policing organised crime, Bliss is plunged straight into the heart of a serial murder investigation.Meanwhile, Penny Chandler has been promoted to DS and has been working inLondon on the Met’s sexual crimes team. But when two rapes are reported on her old patch in Peterborough, Chandler volunteers to interview the victims.Chandler joins the hunt for the attacker and soon notices a possible link between the rapes and Bliss’s murder investigation. Could the same man be responsible?Just as both cases seem to stall, a call comes in from an ex-policeman who knows of unsolved cases in the USA with a similar MO. Bliss finds himself travelling to California to hunt for a killer whose reach may have stretched further than anyone could possibly imagine.But in order to catch the murderer, Bliss must discover the killer’s motive. A motive which should have remained buried in the past… If Fear Wins: When a torched body is found in a country lane, DI Bliss and Chandler are called in to investigate. The detectives are drawn towards recent missing person reports and believe their victim will prove to be one of them. Bliss thinks he knows which, and fears the outcome if he is proven right.Soon the body is identified, and Bliss and Chandler discover evidence suggesting this murder might be a terrorist attack.Meanwhile, someone from Bliss’s past needs his help, and soon he is juggling his personal life with the demanding case. To make matters more complicated, MI5 and the Counter-Terrorist Unit are called in to help solve the case. But are they on the right track?Bliss and Chandler soon find themselves in a race against time, and this might just be their most challenging case yet… Tony J. Forder is also the best-selling author of Degrees of Darkness and Scream Blue Murder.

Jack's Back: Murder returns to Whitechapel (Jack Tyler, #1)


Mark Romain - 2018
    This is only the start. Jack’s Back…’The chilling message, left by the killer on a wall near the body, and written in the victim’s own blood, catapults the detectives into a race against time as they strive to discover the New Ripper’s identity and stop him from striking again.With his every move being closely monitored by the media, and the top brass at the Yard breathing down his neck to get a quick result, Tyler begins to worry that if he doesn’t catch the elusive killer soon, the case will be taken away from him and his career will be left in tatters.The investigation isn’t helped by the interference of rookie reporter, Terri Miller. When fate throws her a lead, all she sees an opportunity to scoop the opposition and bag herself a major exclusive, but by following the tantalising clues that the sadistic killer has taken to leaving her, is she merely playing into his hands?Jack’s Back is a gritty, fast paced roller-coaster of a crime thriller with an explosive finale. Full of twists and turns, it will keep you eagerly turning the pages until the very end.What readers are saying: Only an ex-murder detective could have written with the kind of passion and detail that I found in these pages. I could not put it down! Amazon.co.uk reviewer. A fantastic read from beginning to end! Well written, gripping plot, brilliantly intriguing 5/5. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Brilliant book, really good police procedural, probably the best I’ve read and I’ve read hundreds. Can’t wait till the next in the series. Amazon.co.uk reviewer. Fantastic read, what a thrill ride. Loved the depth of the characters. Amazon.com reviewer.Tyler’s adversary is a ruthless serial killer with a fascination for black magic; a cunning psychopath who is convinced the original Ripper murders were a series of sacrificial rituals designed to bring power and influence. Just like his namesake, the man the media soon dubs ‘The New Ripper’ plans to kill five women and then disappear. Can Tyler stop him, or will the other women who have been earmarked for death suffer the same gruesome fate as the first victim?Grab a copy of Jack’s Back and start enjoying Mark Romain’s page turning debut today. But be warned, this is not a book for the squeamish!

His Hopeful Bride


Bella Brown - 2021
    

The Search


Vishal Anand - 2021
    ACP Rathore is investigating the homicide. As the events begin to unleash Rathore digs upon secrets too dark and dangerous. As he proceeds, the question becomes more and more haunting - Who Killed Roger? Michael Rodriques, the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa? Shirley Fernandes, Roger's wife? One or more of the other artists? Or, an individual for whom Roger refused to perform? The Search is the most astonishingly impudent, ingenious and altogether a fast-paced murder mystery ever written by an Indian author.Note: This is an expanded version of the short story Who Killed Roger.

Unravelling: A Damaged Mind can be Dangerous (Anglesey Mysteries #3)


Conrad Jones - 2021
    Beautifully crafted into a warped and gripping story that I didn't want to end.★★★★★ Unravelling is a standalone novel that will shake you to the core.A gripping tale of betrayal and brutal revenge. Sergeant Ernie Metcalfe is a family man, changed by his experiences in Afghanistan. He has a wife, Naomi and three beautiful daughters, aged 7, 8 and 10. When he finds out his wife is having an affair with a fellow officer, his mind begins to unravel. His life begins to spiral out of his control and he can't allow that to happen. Detective Inspector Alan Williams and his team are already struggling to cope with a series of attacks on a group of men accused of historical abuse. The attacks appear to be connected to a recent case but all is not what it seems. Damaged minds are dangerous and revenge can be brutal.★★★★★ What an edition to the series! One of the best series you will read..If you like gripping and violent, the Anglesey books will enthrall you.★★★★★ One word for this. Outstanding!★★★★★ A powerful and gritty read, not for the faint hearted. This author will drag you into the story and rattle your very being until the last page.

Tragedy in the North Woods: The Murders of James Hicks (True Crime)


Trudy Scee - 2009
      Jennie Cyr disappeared in 1977. Jerilyn Towers vanished in 1982. Lynn Willette never came home on a night in 1994. Each woman had a relationship with James Hicks, who in 2000 confessed to murdering them, dismembering their bodies and burying the remains alongside rural roads in Aroostook County. This is their story. Trudy Irene Scee follows Hicks from the North Woods to west Texas, detailing three decades of evasion, investigation and prosecution. She interviews police officers and victims’ families—and meets Hicks at the state prison in Thomaston, where he remains remorseless as he lives out his days behind bars. Thoroughly researched and carefully documented, Tragedy in the North Woods is the definitive history of one of Maine's most ruthless killers.   Includes photos!

Under Siege


Belinda Neil - 2014
    She loved her roles as a homicide investigator and hostage negotiator with the NSW police force, but she never knew what her work day might bring. She might be investigating a crime scene; talking a suicidal woman down from a cliff; or trying to convince a deranged man not to slit the throat of his wife and children.As a negotiator, Belinda often found herself on cliff edges, waiting in doorways or out amongst the elements, persuading the murderous and suicidal to drop their weapons, stop terrorising their families, step back from the ledge.Belinda was so physically slight she needed help lifting on her ballistics vest, but her team never doubted her physical or mental courage. She was put forward for a bravery award and promoted to inspector but every time she stepped into a negotiation, her life was in danger, and over time the horrors she saw and her punishing schedule began to take their toll. After years of broken sleep, traumatic crime scenes and death, a series of disastrous events one weekend brought everything to a head.The next morning when she awoke, Belinda found she was shaking so badly she could not get out of bed. Unsure what was happening to her, she sought counselling but one day, shortly after, she saw the name of an old hostage-taking adversary in the paper; he had killed his ex-girlfriend. It was too much and as the continued stress took its toll, Belinda found herself contemplating jumping off a cliff in the Moreton Bay National Park. She had even written the suicide note.Under Siege shows us the remarkable job homicide investigators and hostage negotiators perform, and their endurance and courage in impossible circumstances. More than that, this courageous memoir reveals how the daily trauma and stress affected Belinda's roles as wife and mother, how she fought against the terrifying post-traumatic stress disorder that resulted to come back from a very dark place.'Her extraordinary journey juggling the roles of police negotiator, homicide investigator, wife and mother shines a light on this little-understood limb of law enforcement.' Mark Whittaker, Fairfax newspapers

Detective Nikki Galena #7-9


Joy Ellis - 2020
    FROM A GLOBALLY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR WHO HAS SOLD OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS. YOU GET THREE ENTHRALLING MYSTERIES IN THIS BOX SET These are books 7-9 of the Nikki Galena series. All of them are #1 best sellers. BURIED ON THE FENS A skeleton is found in a shallow grave in the churchyard. But this was not an official burial. The victim was murdered decades ago. At the same time, Detective Nikki Galena and her team are investigating the brutal slaying of local businesswoman Madeline Prospero. She was a member of an exclusive and secretive drinking club called The Briar Patch. But they’ve got no suspects and no one is telling them the truth. THIEVES ON THE FENS DI Nikki Galena gets a series of anonymous calls. She is told the place, time, and who will die. But the messages are in a secret language used only by villains. Nikki and her team must decode the riddles and work out where the threats are coming from. Meanwhile, the fens have been hit by a series of “designer burglaries.” It appears that a new gang of thieves are stealing to order. And things get very close to home when a friend of Nikki’s mother dies suddenly and perhaps suspiciously. CAPTIVE ON THE FENS The fens are burning and Detective Nikki Galena faces a cat-and-mouse battle with a killer arsonist. Someone is lighting fires. First they target homes and businesses, but then a body is found at one of the crime scenes. More fires are lit. And at each one a single person dies. But the victims have led spotless lives and apparently there’s no connection between them. Meanwhile, the town is facing a very peculiar threat from a group of sinister Satanists led by a charismatic businessman. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell. DISCOVER ONE OF THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE DETECTIVES THE DETECTIVE DI Nikki Galena: A police detective with nothing left to lose, she’s seen a girl die in her arms, and her daughter will never leave the hospital again. She’s got tough on the criminals she believes did this to her. THE SETTING The Lincolnshire Fens: great open skies brood over marshes, farmland, and nature reserves. It is not easy terrain for the Fenland Constabulary to police, due to the distances between some of the remote Fen villages, the dangerous and often misty lanes, and the poor telephone coverage. There are still villages where the oldest residents have never set foot outside their own farmland and a visit to the nearest town is a major event. But it has a strange airy beauty to it, and above it all are the biggest skies you’ve ever seen. What readers are saying about Joy’s books “As is usual with Joy's books, it is impossible to put them down, so if you have an appointment or you have work to do, don't pick one up!” Jo “They just keep getting better every time.” Scotia Woman “An excellent unstoppable rollercoaster of a read.” Roscoe “It is fast paced, completely believable, the characters have private lives and problems as well as their public and official duties.

A Summer's Grass


J.J. Salkeld - 2017
    Lakeland shepherd-detective Owen Irvine strives to prove that a young man he helped escape the criminal life is not guilty of a hotel burglary - despite the fact that much of the stolen property is discovered at his home, that he has no alibi, and that he has a previous conviction for an almost identical offence. So will Irvine merely prove that he's no more than a naive amateur sleuth, or does he - for once - really know something that DI Andy Hall does not?

The Money That Never Was


David Luddington - 2011
    After a long career spent rescuing prisoners from the KGB or helping defectors across the Berlin Wall the world has changed. The Wall has gone and no longer is there a need for a Russian speaking, ice-cold killer. The bad guys now all speak Arabic and state secrets are transmitted via satellite using blowfish algorithms impenetrable to anybody over the age of twelve. Counting down the days to his retirement by babysitting drunken visiting politicos he is seconded by MI6 for one last case. £250,000,000 of government money destined as a payoff for the dictator of a strategic African nation goes missing on its way to a remote Cornish airfield. Tremayne is dispatched to retrieve the money and nothing is going to stand in his way. Armed with an IQ of 165 and a bewildering array of weaponry and gadgets he is not about to be outmanoeuvred by the inhabitants of a small Cornish fishing village. Or is he? The Money That Never Was is a hilarious new novel by the author of the best selling "Return of The Hippy". Combining the innocent humour of the old Ealing Comedies with themes of alienation and belonging David Luddington manages to weave an engaging tale of one man's personal struggle with a world gone mad. It just happens that the man who is struggling is a trained MI6 agent, ruthless and efficient and the world with which is is struggling consists of fish & chips, cider and fudge. Not to mention the bungling Barry Penwrith desperate to hang on to his windfall.

True Colours (The Beatrice Stubbs Series Book 13)


JJ Marsh - 2021