During and after dinner he had nothing to excite him save the receipt of a letter which somewhat annoyed him, and that his wife consumed rather more wine than he considered to be good for her health. Immediately after retiring to his room he was seized with symptoms of irritant poisoning, and despite every effort made on his behalf, he succumbed to its effects. An inquest was held, which vexed the minds of the Coroner’s jury to a degree without precedent in Coroners’ Inquest Law, and an open verdict was returned. However, the matter will not rest there, for after questions in Parliament, a second inquest has been called under suspicion that Mr Charles Petrie was murdered. * * * Who poisoned Charles Petrie? Dr James Collymore, a man familiar with poisons, a man harbouring a dark secret that, if exposed, would ruin his career; Florrie, the maid who supplied Charles with his bedtime drink; Bert Kemp, a disgruntled groom, who used poisons in his work, who four months previously had predicted Charles’ dying day; Mrs Jennet Quinn, a lady’s companion with a deep knowledge of poisons, and a deep fear of dismissal; or Grace Petrie, Charles’ wife of four months, a woman with a scandalous past, a woman shunned by polite society. With crowds flocking to the courtroom and the shadow of suspicion falling upon Grace in the shape of the hangman’s noose, could dashing young advocate, Daniel Morgan, save her?

    For Rose Bennett, banking consultant turned private investigator, the event shouldn’t be more than a headline in a newspaper. Except that Rose is investigating a bank fraud at the East & Northern Bank, and Pandora Mitchell’s evidence is the key to her enquiries. As Rose begins to uncover evidence of Pandora’s involvement in the fraud, her colleagues at the bank begin to close ranks. Soon old acquaintances from the past begin to look more like enemies than friends, and as word spreads that Rose is assisting DI George Mulligan to investigate Pandora’s disappearance, someone makes it pretty clear that her presence in the town isn’t welcome.But as the days pass, and fears for the missing girl grow, there’s more at stake than a bank’s reputation, and Rose doesn’t scare that easily …*Previously published under the title Collusion

    Paying her aunt, Mira Lloyd, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lloyd, renowned historical romance author, a long overdue visit, she plans on spending a month on Rock-Maine Island lounging around and plotting the launch of her new life. Her ex-husband, however, has other ideas. As for her aunt… she’s gone missing. And now there’s a dead body to contend with and a murder weapon with her fingerprints on it. A mantle of suspicion hangs over Eve and everyone she encounters has a reason to want her out of the way. Unwilling to leave matters in the hands of swoon worthy Detective Jack Bradford… only because it’s her civic duty to provide a new perspective, Eve Lloyd engages the assistance of her new friend and fellow suspect, Jill Saunders. They both stumble their way through a long list of possible motives and suspects in a race to find the killer before either one turns into the next victim. Snuffed Out Eve Lloyd, a death knell? Eve refuses to believe her choice of words had something to do with inviting a killer to the island, but just to be on the safe side, she agrees to avoid all use of any and all words related to killing. However, it might already be too late… Her run in with a local artist, Reginald Bryant Burns, has put her in an awkward position. Trying to make amends, Eve resorts to bribery, but that only makes matters worse and now…She’s a prime suspect in a murder investigation. The timing couldn’t be worse. She has a date with Detective Jack Bradford and the killer is threatening to ruin it for her. All Tied Up It’s no accident. Eve Lloyd is a magnet for trouble. On the brink of settling into an uneventful existence, Eve Lloyd turns her attention to a new venture. She’s going to open an inn and she thinks she’s found the perfect house. It should all be smooth sailing from there, but she’s developed a knack for landing right in the thick of it. This time, she stumbles on a body in the least likely place and her fingerprints are all over the handcuffs found on the murder victim. As the suspects list grows, and the dream of running an inn evaporates, she becomes a target of the killer’s rage.Despite trying to keep her nose out of other people’s business, it seems the only way she can get her life back on track is if she sets a trap for the killer. The Last Bite Eve Lloyd’s childhood nemesis, Charlotte McLain, is getting married. Nothing will induce Eve to attend. Nothing except… blackmail.From the start, everything about this wedding rings alarm bells for Eve. The location, the groom, the guests. The bride. But that’s nothing unusual. The odds of everything going right are stacked in the bride’s favor. There have already been several deaths on the island. Lighting surely wouldn’t strike again…When the groom suddenly dies, all fingers of blame are pointed directly at Eve. After all, she had opportunity and plenty of motives.She’s been framed and despite trying to keep her nose out of trouble, she’s now been dragged right back into the thick of it. The list of suspects is extensive, but she’s sure she can narrow it down to… at least a half dozen people. The Final Cut “…What sort of business person would I be if I start killing off my guests?” Eve Lloyd has settled into her new life in Rock-Maine Island and is about to open up an inn - a costly venture now that she has her heart set on getting an expensive custom made stove.