Whispers Beneath the Pines


Carla Kovach - 2014
    The group plan to have one last adventure before they have to finally succumb to adulthood. What they think will be a week of sun, parties and romance soon becomes more sinister when they take a trip to the mountainous province of Mügla for the day. Eve soon realises that things are not what they seem. She sees that something isn’t right but her friends are oblivious. Can she convince them all before it’s too late? Suitable for adults only.

The Mersey Angels: The brand new historical Liverpool saga from Sheila Riley for 2021


Sheila Riley - 2021
    

Murder at the Lighthouse


Frances Evesham - 2015
     The body on the beach throws Libby Forest's new life into turmoil. Everyone in town knows the dead woman under the lighthouse, but no one seems to care how or why she died. Only Libby believes someone murdered the ageing rock-star. A woman talks to Libby. Then she, too, dies... Discover how Exham on Sea's first female sleuth, helped by an enormous dog called Bear and an aloof marmalade cat, unpicks the clues to solve the mystery. Amateur female sleuth Libby Forest arrives in the small town after years in a disastrous marriage, determined to build a new life making cakes and chocolates in Exham on Sea. She joins forces with the attractive but secretive Max Ramshore and risks the wrath of the townspeople as she pieces together the jigsaw to solve the mystery of Susie Bennett's death. The first short read in the series, set in the coastal resort of Exham on Sea, Murder at the Lighthouse introduces a cast of colourful local characters, including Mandy the teenage Goth, Frank the baker and Detective Sergeant Joe Ramshore, Max's estranged son. The green fields, rolling hills and sandy beaches of the West Country provide a perfect setting for crime, intrigue and mystery. For lovers of Agatha Christie novels, Midsomer Murders, lovable pets and cake, the series offers a continuing supply of quick crime stories to read in one sitting, as Libby solves a mixture of intriguing mysteries and uncovers the secrets of the small town's past.

Man Found Dead in Park


Margaret Coel - 2017
    I love Margaret Coel’s writing because there’s never a misplaced step. She balances two opposing cultures with little room for compromise, which is good because this chick works without a safety net. It’s human nature, or certainly the nature of writers, to analyze another’s work when reading it, in an attempt to take the story apart like an acrobatic trick—kick off your shoes and try it out. Every once in a while you second guess them and follow them out onto that tightrope just to find where they might’ve slipped up, but Margaret never does and just when you think she has she’ll turn and wink, so keep reading. Like Catherine McLeod, the reporter protagonist of Man Found Dead in Park, Margaret embraces both the mainstream and native cultures, all the while maintaining the aspect of her writing that transcends the genre with a deep understanding of human nature. When a man is found dead in an Indian section of Denver where no one is talking, McLeod finds herself in conflict with Mexican drug cartels and an investigation that leads north into Wyoming's Wind River Reservation and what turns out to be her roots. Transformative for both McLeod and the reader, the width and breath of the story is easy to miss, because Coel’s writing has a heady narrative that holds a sense of wonder and romance—a place that a lot of other writers fear to tread. I sometimes wonder if she knows how good she is, but I think probably not. The humility of a few artists is what keeps them grounded, and even when she’s out there flying high, I’m pretty sure she has her head up but is feeling every twitch of the story through the soles of her feet. Navigating with the finesse of a Flying Wallenda, Coel never misses a thing, because the devil is in the details, and like her character, Detective Nick Bustamante, Margaret knows that these indiscernible little slights of hand are the thing that makes for great drama under the Big Top. So join Margaret Coel out onto that high wire where she works without a safety net. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out there will be moments of insecurity, thoughts that will disconcert, and you might be tempted to look down, but don’t. If things get too hairy just reach out and take this daredevil performer’s hand, and she’ll grin that signature smile and make sure you make it back to safety. --Craig Johnson

The Consortium: Crime fiction from the heart of Wales (The Welsh crime mysteries Book 2)


Nicola Clifford - 2021
    

Salford Lads: The Rise and Fall of Paul Massey


Bernard O'Mahoney - 2021
    Contained within these pages, is his story. It is a story that will horrify the non criminal mind and lay bare, how Massey unwittingly became the architect of his own demise. Massey was not the only casualty of a toxic feud that had ignited between two Salford gangs following the most trivial of disputes. John Kinsella, a close friend of Massey's, was gunned down in front of his pregnant partner. A seven-year-old boy and his mother were shot, a hand grenade was hurled through the front window of a family home, an attempt was made to behead a man with a machete and an orgy of beatings, stabbings, kidnappings and shootings were carried out in the name of respect. In today's underworld, the old school criminal code has been confined to the bin. Being known as a hard man, once demanded respect, but no more. Guns, and having the mindset to use one, often for little or no reason, has become the norm. Drugs are the currency and death often the penalty for a discrepancy or misdemeanour. It is an unforgiving world that Paul Massey helped to create and a world, that ultimately resulted in his death.

Close to Her (Detective Sarah Burke #1)


Elizabeth Gunn - 2021
    Eighty miles from the Mexican border. The last week of September. It’s sizzling by noon.Detective Sarah Burke is a homicide cop with a lot on her plate. Her boss has a grudge against her, her sister is just out of rehab, her ex-husband is taking her for all she’s worth in the divorce, and her new man is keeping secrets from her.One sweltering early Arizona morning, Sarah is called out to a body in a parking lot. The dead man has the hands of a street fighter, but he’s wearing expensive clothes and looks too clean cut. What did he do to get himself stabbed to death?Sarah gets home to see her ten-year-old niece on the news. Denny was left in the car while her mom went to the grocery store for beer. The carjacker didn’t see the little girl asleep in the back.Detective Sarah Burke must race against time to stop a killer — and a kidnapper.WHEN THE PEOPLE SHE LOVES ARE IN DANGER, SHE’LL STOP AT NOTHING TO PROTECT THEM.

Weep Willow, Weep: A DI Stella Cole short story


Andy Maslen - 2020
    and newly promoted Detective Inspector Stella Cole catches her first murder. An intruder has murdered the husband of a glamorous older lady who turns out to have an interesting past.As Stella investigates, pieces of the puzzle come together but then fly apart and she’s left wondering how she’s going to solve the case.Her boss is putting her under pressure to clear it ‘for the statistics’ and steering her towards the burglar-disturbed-in-the-act story.But then, as she grabs some time with her husband, a shocking revelation shows her what might have really happened.

Blackfriars Gate: A DCI Shaftoe Mystery


J.J. Thomas - 2019
    A stabbing . A cloaked figure. A hit and run. On a blustery Autumn night, a middle-aged man leaves Newcastle’s Chinatown to go to his car. Later he is found dead at Blackfriars Gate. There appears to be no obvious reason for his murder, unless he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then a middle-aged woman is killed in a hit and run on a quiet country road, early in the morning, in north Northumberland. Detective Chief Inspector Alex Shaftoe, a history and archaeology buff, is considering retirement as she walks into Chinatown to resolve a gang fight. But soon the grizzly murder at Blackfriars Gate which adjoins Chinatown is discovered. As the stakes are raised, can she join the dots in a thirty-year old past which connects these events, before there is another death. Set in Newcastle upon Tyne and the wild beauty of Northumberland, this is a fast-paced British detective mystery. A whodunnit with a hint of mid-life romance and humour. The twists and turns and suspense will keep you guessing until the end.

The Disappearance Of A Fearless Hero: A Historical Western Adventure Book


Henry McConley - 2021
    

Body out of Place


Diane M. Dickson - 2021
    The death is indeed suspicious, and a murder book is opened. The race is on to identify the victim and get to the bottom of this bizarre case.But DI Jordan Carr and his small team struggle to get a breakthrough. His boss is displeased and on the verge of reassigning the inquiry until they discover it has happened before.With the pressure mounting, and a clear link between the victims less than forthcoming, will Carr keep his cool head in the face of a calculating killer?BODY OUT OF PLACE is the third book in the DI Jordan Carr series of mysteries based in Liverpool. Look out for the other books, BODY ON THE SHORE and BODY BY THE DOCKS, also free with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback.

Concrete Alibi (A Glasgow Murder Mystery)


M. Macgregor - 2016
     Includes a bit of humour, no bad language or gratuitous violence. (Cover image: The Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew St)

The Passing of Morse


Susan Masters - 2012
    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...

The Girl at My Door


Rebecca Griffiths - 2021
    As Queenie approached the door, her heart was racing. She knew that he could help her. So why did she feel so afraid?London, 1949: Beautiful, young Queenie Osbourne has worked so hard for her new life, moving to the big city, singing in front of growing crowds at little restaurants and smoky bars. As she applies bright red lipstick, excited for her best friend’s engagement party, she has no idea of the mistake she’s about to make.The night is perfect: laughter, wine, dancing. But then a spark of attraction becomes impossible to ignore, and in a split second, Queenie’s life is changed forever.Like countless young women of her time, Queenie finds herself desperate and alone, facing an impossible choice. She turns to a familiar face from her work. The only person who can help her: the quiet, ex-soldier John Reginald Christie.It will be a relief to be in Reg’s capable hands. A relief to discover there is the possibility of a fresh start. But as Queenie stands outside the door of 10 Rillington Place, she starts to ask herself: what if she has put her trust in the wrong man?An unputdownable mystery thriller based on the true crime story of the Rillington Place murders. Completely addictive, this will keep you reading long into the night and is perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Catherine Ryan Howard and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.This novel was previously published as The Rope Chair.lace, she feels instantly threatened.On the other side of the door, Reg Christie is waiting. Queenie doesn’t know that he has been watching her for a long time. To Reg she is perfect in every way. Now, all she has to do is knock…Inspired by the true crime story of the Rillington Place killer John Reginald Christie, this is a chilling mystery based on a fictional cast of characters. Fans of Gregg Olsen, Louise Douglas and Jess Lourey will be hooked.This novel was previously published as The Rope Chair.