Book picks similar to
Letter From The Dead by Jack Gatland


mystery
thriller
fiction
police-procedural

Spoken Bones


N.C. Lewis - 2021
    When the body of a retired artist is discovered atop the blackened embers of the town bonfire, the community is rocked to the core.It falls to DI Fenella Sallow and her team to find out how she came to be there. In her fifties, the veteran detective inspector thought she had seen it all. But behind the curtained windows and closed doors of the idyllic Cumbria coastal setting lurks pure evil.Fenella must confront her dark past. Haunted by the unsolved case of a missing girl, she knows it is a race against time. Can she stop this death from slipping through her fingers, too?Before long, it becomes disturbingly clear that the killer is playing a twisted game and will do anything to conceal the terrible truth of what happened on the beach on Bonfire Night.Set against the backdrop of beautiful coastal Cumbria, an ancient land of legend, folklore and myth, Spoken Bones is the first book in the Detective Inspector Fenella Sallow series.This page-turning crime thriller will keep you hooked until the very end. If you like police procedurals with psychologically complex characters and shocking twists, then you’ll love Spoken Bones.Perfect for fans of L. J. Ross, JD. Kirk, Simon McCleave, Stuart MacBride, Matt Brolly, Angela Marsons, Alex Smith, JM. Dalgliesh, JE. Mayhew, David J. Gatward, TG Reid, Jack Gatland, Robert F Barker and JR. Ellis.

The Sedleigh Hall Murder


Roy Lewis - 1980
    Enjoy a beautifully told story from a time before smart phones and DNA testing. Full of twists and turns, this will have you gripped from start to finish. Please note this book was first published as “A Certain Blindness” “Jolly good reading with a protagonist you’ll like” Chicago Tribune “Lewis skillfully ties up everything . . . smoothly written. Compassionate yet with plenty of force” New York Times “Well devised and moving. Lewis excels with a certain type of anti-hero, beset with problems, no longer young” Financial Times “Legal shenanigans explicable, whodunit finely spun . . . A nice piece of work, in fact” Oxford Mail “Lewis at his well-rooted best in this drama of bent solicitors and corrupt businessmen living high in the North East. Well worked out investigation, excellent characterisation and a tense climax against Northumbrian scenery. Highly recommended” Sunday Telegraph A SUSPICIOUS DEATH AND A LARGE INHERITANCE WITHOUT ANYONE TO RECEIVE IT. Eric Ward thinks there is something odd about Arthur Egan's life and death. But Ward is a former police inspector, and trained to be suspicious. Egan left a large sum. But Ward makes no progress tracing the dead man's offspring. A photograph of an unknown tombstone is his only clue. He discovers Egan served a term for manslaughter, and that the evidence against him may have been planted. Why had he accepted his fate so meekly? Despite warnings that he is wasting the firm's time, Ward persists in his investigations. AND HIS PERSISTENCE LEADS TO MURDER. And by the time he realizes why, he finds his life and career are both at risk. AND WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO LORD MORCOMB AT SEDLEIGH HALL? This fast-paced mystery will have you enthralled from the start. Set in England in the late 1970s, this is the first book to feature Eric Ward. More coming soon. DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MYSTERY WRITER Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James and Peter Robinson. THE DETECTIVE Eric Ward is forced to retire from the police when he discovers he suffers from glaucoma but qualifies as a solicitor (lawyer) and sets up his practice on the Quayside in Newcastle, where he deals with the seamier side of the law. When he marries a wealthy young woman she attempts to persuade him to settle in Northumberland and work with wealthier clients but he stubbornly refuses to give up his criminal practice in Newcastle. Although she draws him into the world of high finance he still insists on continuing at the Quayside—which causes tensions within his marriage, and lead to fatal consequences. Roy Lewis is one of the most critically acclaimed crime writers of his generation. ERIC WARD BOOKS Book 1: THE SEDLEIGH HALL MURDER INSPECTOR CROW BOOKS Book 1: A LOVER TOO MANY Book 2: ERROR OF JUDGMENT Book 3: THE WOODS MURDER Book 4: MURDER FOR MONEY Book 5: MURDER IN THE MINE Book 6: A COTSWOLDS MURDER Book

The Conspiracy: Episode 1


Jack Probyn - 2020
    A small jewellers is raided in Guildford High Street and leaves police chasing their tails. Reports suggest that it's The Crimsons, an organised crime group the police have been hunting for years. The device wrapped around her neck is suffocating her, crushing her chest.But for rookie detective, Jake Tanner, something doesn't seem right. The heist doesn’t fit any of their previous patterns. And the last time Jake met them, he was staring down the barrel of their gun, bargaining for his life. The men who put it there have left her to die.When the shop owner is kidnapped and a collar bomb is attached to her neck, Jake learns one of his own is involved – a police officer. Her life now rests in Jake Tanner’s hands. As Jake follows the group on a wild goose chase, he questions everything he knows about his team. Who can he trust? And is he prepared to find out?

Vengeance List (Foley & Rose Book 1)


Gary Gregor - 2019
    But after his best friend is murdered and his newfound love kidnapped, Sam has to race against time to not only save his own life, but the life of the woman he loves.Can Russell and Sam put their past differences aside, and catch the killer before he claims another victim?

In The Silence


M.R. Mackenzie - 2018
    Convinced that Foley was deliberately targeted rather than the victim of a random attack, Anna begins her own investigation, and in so doing unearths a trail of long-buried secrets, leading back to a crime committed over a decade ago.A crime so unspeakable its perpetrators are prepared to take their silence to the grave.In the Silence is a fast-paced, compelling crime mystery which will appeal to fans of authors like Mark Billingham, Stuart MacBride and Mark Edwards.NOTE: This new edition has been revised to include material not present in the initial publication.

A Wicked Mercy (Harriet Quinn Crime Thriller, #1)


Bilinda P. Sheehan - 2019
    Although the police are convinced that these are open and shut cases, Forensic psychologist Harriet Quinn is certain the deaths are due to foul play. Her suspicions deepen when her own friend becomes one of the victims.Fighting the police’s indifference, she sets out to prove that a murderer stalks the village. A murderer that her training tells her might be hiding in plain sight.  Book One of the Harriet Quinn series is an explosive crime fiction series debut where murder and mystery take centre stage in this dark thriller. For fans of LJ Ross, Val McDermid, JD Kirk, Chris Carter, Joy Ellis, Angela Marsons, and Sally Rigby

Collateral Damage (Iris Reid Mystery #4)


Susan Cory - 2020
    Her client becomes the prime suspect and Iris sets out to find the real killer. Things go from bad to worse when Iris' boyfriend reconnects with an old flame, bringing up buried secrets and unintended consequences that threaten to change Iris' life forever.“Mystery and distinctive characters hone this remarkable tale.”Kirkus ReviewsCory teases out her twisty plot at the perfect pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Her multilayered characters are working at cross purposes, and even the most astute mystery reader won’t see where everything is headed until the final thread is unknotted. Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending guaranteed to satisfy.P.M. Steffen, best-selling author of The Profiler’s Daughter and Killing Ulysses.

Death's Disciple


James Whitworth - 2013
    Mabel Downing has been brutally murdered.She has been strangled -- and her mouth filled with cassette tape and a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been left next to her body.There is one obvious suspect - Charlotte Sanderson who discovered the body.But Miller has been having a relationship with Charlotte - and refuses to believe she could be guilty of such a terrible crime. But if not her, who is the killer?Is Miller allowing his personal life to interfere with the investigation?What is the connection to Dracula - the Victorian gothic masterpiece partly set in the Yorkshire coastal town? And will the murderer strike again?Miller has to find out - before it is too late. 'Death’s Disciple' is a gripping contemporary crime novel set in the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. It is the first in a series featuring Detective Inspector Miller and is perfect for fans of Peter James and Ian Rankin. "An intricate, compelling crime story that kept me turning the pages." - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade-Off'. "You can taste the salt in the air...and the fear." - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'. James Whitworth is a writer and cartoonist, Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

Lethal Dose


Robert McCracken - 2016
    Terry Lawler had exposed the secrets of powerful people and apparently got his comeuppance.But when DI Tara Grogan digs further, she makes a startling discovery. Within the victim’s home are details about dozens of missing women. Details that might only be known to the last person who saw them.Just what was his connection to these disappearances in Belfast and Liverpool? Has Grogan stumbled upon evidence of a serial killer who someone else has got to first?In which case, exactly who is Grogan hunting for? And does she really want to find them?

Burying Ben


Ellen Kirschman - 2013
    Overnight, her promising new start becomes a nightmare. At stake is her job, her reputation, her license to practice, and her already battered sense of self-worth.Dot resolves to find out not just what led Ben to kill himself, but why her psychologist ex-husband, the man she most wants to avoid, recommended that Ben be hired in the first place. Ben’s surviving family and everyone else connected to him are determined to keep Ben’s story a secret, by any means necessary. Even Ben, from the grave, has secrets to keep.Right from the start, Dot’s investigation efforts get her into trouble. First she alienates Ben’s training officer, who is barely managing to hold onto his own job. With the police chief watching over her shoulder, she tries to help the officer with disastrous consequences. After reaching out to console Ben’s pregnant—and slightly sociopathic—widow, Dot winds up embroiled in the affairs of her incredibly dysfunctional family. Dot’s troubles are compounded by a post-divorceromance, the ex who still has a hold over her, and an unwelcome visit from his new wife. By the time she uncovers the real reasons behind Ben’s suicide and brings the people responsible to justice, Dot has not only resurrected belief in herself, she has also acquired some surprisingly useful new skills: impersonating a public official, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon.

Blues of Autumn


Richard Adamson - 2020
    He came to the Adirondacks because he heard small-town cops spend their days helping kittens cross the road and rescuing little old ladies out of trees. Or something like that. And so far, things have been quiet as promised.Paul Briar is not so happy. He came to these mountains to spark some romance in his marriage. Now his wife is missing and presumed drowned.And poor Dr. Simon Reesor is downright devastated. He came here to practice medicine in a small hospital. Last night his wife was brutally murdered, blown up in her car.Police Chief Norris Tanager came to these beautiful mountains to escape the ugliness of the big city. Too bad. Seems like ugly just follows some cops around.

The Judge: Part One


Ian R.B. Morris - 2018
    Bobby has been brutally murdered, and someone had tried to cover it up. But who, and why? Peter cannot rest until he knows the truth. And so begins a rollercoaster ride for him and his on-off girlfriend Naomi, that will see him pitted against some powerful enemies, and everyone he ever knew or cared for in mortal danger. Set in 1990’s London at the peak of Blair Brittania, Peter is forced to turn detective in order to find Bobby Black’s killer, and he has to break all the rules to do it. Forced to go on the run, a desperate Peter plays a terrifying game of cat and mouse to the bitter and surprising end.

Taking on Water


David Rawding - 2015
    To learn more about Kevin’s home life, he gets to know the boy’s father, Tucker, who’s a lobsterman. James is able to put his suspicions to rest, and the two families begin to form a friendship. When a kid at the local recreation center dies of an overdose, Detective Maya Morrow adds the case to the long list related to the drug problem plaguing the small New Hampshire coastal town of Newborough. But her investigation gets her much too close to the dangerous players. Both the Morrows and the Flynns are holding dark secrets, and when their lives collide, tragedy is inevitable."A harrowing tale of abuse and addiction, told in a beautiful way that will touch your heart. This book was very emotional, very driven..." Kelly Smith Reviews "I was not expecting the level of emotional intensity that this novel achieves. Taking on Water is a horrific theater of human nature. And it begins with James." The Coffee Pot Review

Trust No One


Debra Webb - 2020
    She’s locked in a bitter struggle with her ex-husband and teenage daughter, and her reckless new partner is anything but trustworthy.Still, she has a job to do: there’s a killer at large, and a pregnant woman has gone missing. Once Devlin and her partner get to work, they quickly unearth secrets involving Birmingham’s most esteemed citizens. Each new layer of the investigation brings Devlin closer to the killer and the missing woman, who starts looking more like a suspect than a victim.But just as answers come into view, the case twists, expands, and slithers into Devlin’s personal life. There’s a much more sinister game at work, one she doesn’t even know she’s playing—and she must unravel the truth once and for all to stop the killer before she loses everything.

The Hour of Her Death


Rebecca Rane - 2020
    But the horrific crime has gone unsolved for thirty years when a mysterious stranger begs a true crime podcaster to investigate.Kendra Dillon hosts The Cold Trail Podcast. She’s made it her mission to uncover new clues in old mysteries. She’s shocked that this brutal display of evil against an innocent nun has gone unchecked for decades. No suspects. No arrests. No justice.With police and church officials refusing to reopen the investigation, Kendra believes someone’s hiding a vile conspiracy. But right as Kendra gets close to the disturbing truth, another shocking crime derails her investigation. The Cold Trail may be leading Kendra straight into the path of a serial killer. With every podcast episode, Kendra gets closer to waking an evil that’s been lying in wait.And Kendra isn’t alone. A stalker is following her every move, ready to ensnare her in his own twisted fantasy.Can Kendra catch the culprit and serve up justice before she’s silenced forever?The Hour Of Her Death is the first book in the suspenseful Kendra Dillon Cold Case Thriller series. If you like engaging female sleuths, unexpected twists, and cold case crime podcasts, then you’ll love Rebecca Rane’s pulse-pounding tale.Enter the world of a true crime podcaster on the hunt for a serial killer!