January 2023
The Askham Accusation is by Rebecca Tope. Set in the picturesque town of Askham, near Ullswater, the story opens with the funeral of Humphrey Craig, the builder who converted Simmy’s new house in Hartsop. The following day, when Simmy goes back to look at the grave and the flowers on it, she meets two women, Lindsay Wilson, an academic in her late twenties who is writing a thesis on Charles Dickens’ Dombey and Son, and Pauline Parsons, a local matriarch aged 90. Just 24 hours later, Mrs Parsons is found dead on Askham Fell and Simmy is summoned to Penrith police station. She is told that she has been identified as the prime suspect … will DI Moxon be able to help Simmy out of this unscathed?
When Juno Browne returns to the gorgeous town of Ashburton after a brief holiday with her cousin Brian, she’s relieved to find that no one has been murdered in her absence. But it’s not long before Sandy Thomas, the local reporter, is brutally slain. And Olly, Juno’s young friend, has accidentally caught the killing on camera. Property developer Alastair Dunston, with whom the victim had been having an affair, is an obvious suspect. But the police investigation cannot link him to her murder … it seems that Juno’s amateur sleuthing services will be called upon once again. Death Comes to Dartmouth is by Stephanie Austin.
February 2023
Ireland, 1939. The Second World War looms ever closer. Blind war veteran, Frederick Rowlands, seeks refuge in the neutral grounds of Ireland under the orders of Lady Celia Swift, whose husband, Lord Castleford, has been receiving mysterious death threats . When a body is discovered, Castleford finds himself being accused of a murder he did not commit. As Castleford's trial begins, Fred must fight for his friend's innocence and to save his reputation. Will Fred identify the true killer in time, or will it be too late? Murder in Dublin is by Christina Koning.
Blind Eye is by Aline Templeton. DCI Kelso Strang is led to believe that something very odd is going on around the prosperous fishing port of Tarleton. A young doctor is seen throwing herself off a cliff, a local farmer meets a grisly end and accusations of extortion unsettle the local community. Strang finds himself so caught in a spider’s web of criminality that he is entirely unprepared when he is struck by the worst tragedy of his career.
March 2023
When a night-time firebomb attack at a Brighton travellers’ site kills women and children, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe has strong reason to believe the new, dubiously elected, far-right council leader is behind the murders. Against the direct orders of her chief constable, Jo digs deep into the killings secretly briefing the senior investigating officer of her suspicions. As she delves further, Jo uncovers an underworld of human trafficking and euthanasia all leading to a devastating plot which threatens thousands of lives and from which the murderous politician looks sure to walk scot-free. Having narrowly survived a plot to kill her, where another was not so lucky, she realises that only by facing near-certain death once more can she thwart this terrorist outrage. Force of Hate is by Graham Bartlett.
The White Lady is by Jacqueline Winspear.1947. Miss Elinor White, known locally as ‘the White lady’, is living a quiet life in a grace and favour cottage, keeping herself to herself. Unbeknownst to her neighbours, she is the veteran of two world wars, a trained killer and an ex-spy. But this private and seemingly tranquil life conceals past trauma and Elinor finds herself drawn into the predicament of a local man entangled with one of the most dangerous crime families in London. A treacherous path lies ahead, but it may be one that ultimately leads Elinor to a future unshackled from her own painful history.
April 2023
Death at the Terminus is by Edward Marston. York, 1865. A passenger train stands in the station. Jack Follis, the guard, patrols the platform to make sure that everyone is safely aboard. He returns to the brake van to load a box into it. Before the train can depart, Follis is alarmed by a smell of burning. Before he can find out the cause, there is an explosion and the whole van is engulfed in flames. In response to a summons from the North Eastern Railway, Robert Colbeck and Victor Leeming are sent to investigate. Leeming is not convinced that a crime has taken place, but Colbeck disagrees. Although the information they received was scant, he is convinced that it is a murder case. The longer the investigation goes on, the more complex it becomes. Guilt shifts to and fro at a bewildering speed. It takes the combined skills of the detectives to identify and catch the person responsible for causing murder and mayhem.
May 2023
April, 1145. Thorgar the Ploughman is found by the bloodied body of Father Edmund, a village priest in Ripple, and is summarily hanged for being caught in the act, despite his insistence that he is innocent. His sister goes to Worcester to seek justice for her brother, and the lord Sheriff sends Hugh Bradecote, with Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin to discover the truth. They soon find that the ploughman was indeed blameless, but uncover strong motives for the killing and some unpleasant secrets in Ripple. Was it the priest’s own wrongdoing that led to his death, or a whisper of treasure long lost and now re-discovered? Too Good To Hang is by Sarah Hawkswood.
Retired actress Guinevere 'Gwinny' Tuffel is finding life hard after inheriting her late father's run-down house and discovering she's broke. But Gwinny is delighted to be at Hayburn Stead for her best friend Tina's wedding to a handsome Italian business magnate. However, before they get the chance to declare "till death do us part" the husband to be is found dead in the library and Tina is accused of the murder. Convinced of her friend's innocence, Gwinny must uncover the real killer from a pool of larger-than-life suspects while also finding herself suddenly looking after Tina's expensive and demanding saluki dogs.The Dog Sitter Detective is by Antony Johnston.
June 2023
Constable Country is by Catherine Aird. When Mike Wakefield's business partner absconded with all the firm's money, Mike and his wife Stephanie feared bankruptcy. Detective Inspector Sloan is at first tasked with what appears to be a cut-and-dry case of embezzlement, but that is before unsettling events, tyres slashed, bricks through windows, make it clear that someone is gunning for the printing firm. Mike Wakefield was determined to finish a job that had been in hand for a while in time for a launch party at the grand surroundings of Ornum House. All went according to plan until one of Mike's employees was found dead. And he wasn't the only casualty. Can DI Sloan and DC Crosby get to the bottom of the mysterious death?
July 2023
Murder at the Tower of London is by Jim Eldridge. London, 1899. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, the museum detectives, are called upon to investigate a bizarre murder at the White Tower, the heart of the Tower of London. The dead body of a Yeoman is found inside a suit of armour belonging to Henry VIII, having been run through with a sword. When details of this suspicious outrage are reported to the Prince of Wales, he fears this may be an expression of Republican unrest and calls upon Wilson and Fenton to investigate further. As their inquiries proceed, Wilson and Fenton learn about the long and bloody history of the Tower of London, unlocking hidden secrets at the heart of the mysterious deaths .
October 2023
March 1918. Detective Inspector Harvey Marmion and Detective Sergeant Joe Keedy hear about a sinister siege involving three burglars. They rush to the scene and learn that a policeman was shot dead during the burglary. Attempts at talking the men in the house into surrender are met with stony silence. When the door is battered down, Keedy bravely leads the way in. A gunshot is heard. Keedy has been hit. The burglary is only the latest of a series carried out by the men. Marmion has to investigate each one. As he does so, startling revelations emerge. Keedy is slowly recovering in hospital but it is no place of safety. One of the burglars has vowed to kill him. Keedy feels defenceless. Danger of Defeat is by Edward Marston.
November 2023
Murder at Down Street Station is by Jim Eldridge. December 1940. Down Street underground station, in the heart of London's Mayfair, is now a secret retreat for Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his cabinet from the relentless air raids overhead. In this supposedly secure location, the body of a woman is found, stabbed in the heart. The victim, fortune-teller Lady Za Za, did not see this one coming. Chief Inspector Coburg and Sergeant Lampson are called to investigate but whispers of treason and corruption succeed in muddying the waters of the case. As the pressure rises and more victims come to light, Coburg and Lampson are on dangerous ground, with a devious killer on the loose.
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