Forthcoming Books from HQ Fiction

January 2025

Murder on the Marlow Belle is by Robert Thorogood. Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him – it’s time for the Marlow Murder Club to leap into action. Oliver was, by all accounts, a rather complicated chap with a reputation for bullying children during nativity play rehearsals, and he wasn’t short of enemies. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are convinced they’ll find his killer in no time. But things are not as they seem in the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, and this case is not so clear-cut after all. The gang will need to keep their wits about them to solve this case, otherwise a killer will walk free …

1994: When Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are called out to a sleepy housing estate in Cork to investigate a noise complaint, they are entirely unprepared for what they find. What happens next will haunt Julia for the rest of her days, leaving her plagued with nightmares and terrified of the dark. There is a serial killer at work in Cork, one as clever as he is deadly. Julia may not be a detective yet, but after the harrowing events of that night, she is determined to be the one to catch him… 2024: Julia Harte has chosen just the right place to disappear. Now a retired detective with an illustrious career behind her, she has moved to a tiny cottage in a remote part of Ireland where she hopes to find peace. But then she receives a phone call from her old Superintendent – two women have been murdered, their bodies marked and staged, just like in ’94. It’s happening again. Only this time, the stakes are even higher. Julia must return to Cork to face down a vicious killer and the memories that haunt her still. Yet Julia is no longer a naïve junior officer but a seasoned, tough professional who proves more than a match for any murderer… The Dark Hours is by Amy Jordan. 

I Bet You Look Good in a Coffin is by Katy Brent. Our favourite anti-heroine, Kitty Collins, is back! Expect more wit, sass, and, of course, murder… My name is Kitty Collins and I’m a serial killer. I don’t want to kill. It’s just so hard to resist. Some men really, really deserve it. Men like Blaze Bundy, an anonymous influencer spreading misogyny online. He’s making it very hard for me to control my murderous urges. Meanwhile I’m in the South of France to watch my mother marry a man I’ve never met. I should be drinking cocktails and focusing on my tan, not plotting a murder. But a woman’s work is never done. Surely one more teensy little kill wouldn’t hurt, would it?

One of these guests has a date with death… Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift arrives at Dashwood House, a glamorously modern hotel in the up-and-coming resort of Galton-next-the-Sea, but all plans for a relaxing stay are scuppered when one of the guests is found dead. The body is found in the writing room, the victim part of a set visiting the seaside town for an engagement party, which happens to include Arbie’s old friend, Val. Familiar with Val and Arbie’s previous experience in solving puzzling crimes, the bride asks the pair to investigate. They quickly discover that the victim had no shortage of enemies, and many of the guests are up to no good. But who is simply hiding a secret, and who is hiding murder? The Last Word is Death is by Faith Martin.

February 2025

The Forgotten Cottage is by Helen Philfer. Things finally seem to be looking up for police officer Annie Graham. After a tumultuous couple of years, she is settling into a normal, happy life. Her wedding is fast approaching, and her fiancé Will has found a forgotten but beautiful little cottage for them to make their own. But as Annie begins to have increasingly vivid nightmares, she realises their new home may not be as unoccupied as it first seemed. Her arrival has stirred up the ghosts of a tragic past, and she needs to put them to rest once and for all. But while Annie’s distracted, another threat is emerging from the shadows. And if she doesn’t act fast, her days may be numbered…

March 2025

The Crime Writer is by Diane Jeffrey. 2019. Leona Walsh, a 34-year-old wife and mother vanishes on a bitterly cold afternoon while out jogging on the edge of Exmoor. It’s a mystery which captures public interest and ignites wild speculation. The police have a prime suspect: Leona’s husband, Matthew, a renowned crime writer. He can plot the perfect crime. But is he capable of committing the perfect murder? Despite extensive searches, the police find no trace of Leona and her disappearance remains shrouded in mystery. As public interest dwindles, Matthew returns to raising their two daughters, aware the cloud of suspicion is never far away. 2024. Some human bones are discovered in a garden. Could they be Leona’s remains? And if so, is there enough evidence to find out what really happened five years ago? Journalist Gabriela Conti covered the news story back in 2019. The police may have stopped watching Matthew, but Gabriela hasn’t forgotten him. And she is determined this case will define her career… even if that means getting close to a murderer.

When Shadows Fall is by Neil Lancaster. A tragic death. When the body of Leanne Wilson is found at the bottom of a Scottish mountain, it is classified as a tragic accident. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise. A rising body count. Then DS Max Craigie discovers that five other women in the last year have died by falling off mountains, and something feels very wrong. They were all experienced climbers and alone when they died. This can only mean one thing: there’s a killer on the loose. A killer on the shadows. The more Max investigates, the more he believes that they are dealing with something much bigger than a lone serial killer. With five victims and conflicting clues, how do you catch someone committing the perfect crime?

April 2025

Abigail uprooted her life to move to Soap Lake, Washington. A once-popular tourist destination, the town is now home to a dwindling population and the menacing shadow of an urban legend. With her husband away on a work trip, Abigail is alone when a young boy emerges from the desert scrub, catatonic and covered in blood. His mother, Esme, lies stabbed to death in a nearby car. When Abigail discovers Esme was a local woman who moved away after a series of tragedies, she is compelled to find answers. Esme’s is not the only mysterious death this town has witnessed. But her search attracts unwanted and dangerous attention. Drawn into a complex web of conspiracies and violence, Abigail will learn that the smallest towns can hide the biggest secrets. Midnight in Soap Lake is by Matthew Sullivan.

A missing maid. A murder most foul. A highly impudent adventure. Only her fine eyes can discover the truth. Two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Miss Caroline Bingley is staying at her brother's country estate within an easy ride of Mr and Mrs Darcy's home, Pemberley, and wondering if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbours. So when Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani, vanishes – and worse, Georgiana disappears in search of her – Caroline races to London to find them both, and quickly discovers a shocking, cold-blooded murder. Soon Caroline and Georgiana are careering through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, and demanding answers of shady characters, police magistrates and mysterious East India Company-men to discover the killer. Along the way they uncover the cost of Empire on India and its people … and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation. As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve – even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy. Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kaur.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is by Jesse Sutanto. Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective? Vera Wong is perfectly content as a teashop owner. She is definitely not seeking opportunities for amateur sleuthing. But what else is she to do when a distressed woman called Millie asks for her help? Okay, perhaps Vera wheedled the story out of her. And maybe the case file for Millie’s missing friend Thomas didn’t exactly fall into her lap. Everyone knows a locked briefcase is just asking to be opened by someone handy with a hairpin. Not even the aroma of chrysanthemum tea can stop Vera from catching the scent of this mystery. However dangerous it is, Vera intends to uncover the truth in the only way that this Chinese mother knows how: by spilling the tea.

The Abbotts’ new lodger Luke hasn’t told them much about himself, but they can’t expect to know everything about a stranger who’s just moved in. But Luke keeps asking about their family photos and looking through their things. Why does he want to know everything about them? And why does daughter Jen think someone is watching her? Then, suddenly, Mum Mel texts the family to say she needs a break. But Mel has never gone away alone before. And now it’s been days, and no one has heard from her. The Abbotts’ house is full of secrets. They say people never tell the whole truth. The Liar is by Louise Jensen.

Murder on Bluebell Hill is by Jane Bettany. In a quaint village in the Peak District, murder is brewing… Violet Brewster is settling into the quiet life in Merrywell. The last thing she needs is to get mixed up in a police investigation… When a snazzy tearoom opens at the local garden centre on Bluebell Hill, residents flock to visit the establishment. But not everyone is happy about the new business venture… Matters escalate when the owner of the tearoom is found dead on the premises. As Violet unwittingly finds herself at the centre of another murder mystery, can she shift suspicion away from those closest to her and find the true culprit?

A serial killer on the loose. A mystery that must be solved before time runs out. Elderly Martha Beckett is a prisoner in her own home, and has been ever since her older brother disappeared at just nine years old. Six months on from her last brush with the paranormal, police officer Annie Graham, now Annie Ashworth, dreams of settling down and starting a family. But now that serial killer Henry Smith has escaped, she knows that trouble is coming. She thwarted him once, and he’s out for revenge. When a local man vanishes in mysterious circumstances, Annie realises there may be darker forces at work. And when she takes a glimpse of a monster with a thirst for blood, her worst fears are confirmed. With a serial killer on the loose and an unknown horror stalking the sewers, Annie is in a race against time to stop them before they kill again. But will she be able to save herself from their clutches? The Lake House is by Helen Phifer.

No Mercy is by Max Connor. The old unit will reunite to complete one last mission in honour of their fallen comrade. But all she wants is revenge …  When their old comrade, retired veteran and decorated Royal Marine Frankie Chapman, dies during a home invasion, the 11/06 club come back together to recover his stolen military medals. After they find out the medals have fallen into the hands of a wealthy billionaire who dabbles in human trafficking, they form a plan to steal the medals back – and Frankie’s daughter, Josie, wants in on the action. But Josie wants more than just her father’s medals returned. She wants retribution, and she’s out for blood …

May 2025

The Chemist is by AA Dhand. Local pharmacist and pillar of the community, Idris Khan, spends his days doling out methadone to the hundreds of addicts in his care. They trust Idris with their secrets, and so he knows more than his mild manner suggests. So when his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca, doesn't turn up for her daily methadone dose, Idris is worried. Worried enough to go looking for her in the most deprived area of Leeds, alone. The mess Idris finds catapults him into the middle of a turf war between the two most powerful drug cartels in Yorkshire. Now, he must use every bit of intelligence and cunning he has to keep those he loves safe. Because a war is on the way. And when Idris goes after his enemies, they won't see him coming.

What’s the one thing you need to do to stay married? A propulsive domestic thriller with an urgent message for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jessica Knoll that asks, What’s the one thing you need to do to stay married? and blows apart the uncomfortable answers. Elle never dreamed she’d end up with a man like Dom. He’s handsome, successful, the perfect father to their baby girl. But Elle doesn’t feel the joy she knows she should. She's struggling with being a mum, failing at work, even her post-baby body doesn’t feel like her own. Not that Dom cares. He worships Elle and craves intimacy as deeply as troubled Elle wants to shy away from it. Elle starts relying on red wine and the attention of new colleague Gabriel to get through her day. But the morning after a team away day, a bewildered and hungover Elle wakes up with a lifeless body in her bed. She knows devoted Dom is the only person who’ll give her any chance of getting out of there a free woman. Elle would never have ended up in such danger if she’d followed the Marriage Rule, the one thing she’s been told a wife needs to do, even if it breaks her… The Marriage Rule is by Helen Monks Takhar.

No Turning Back is by Steve Frech. Lucas and Julia are about to become parents, but there’s something Lucas hasn’t told his wife. Two months ago, he lost his job and has been secretly working as a rideshare driver in a desperate attempt to make ends meet. But that’s about the be the least of his problems. One evening he picks up a passenger in the Hollywood Hills. The man, Damon, puts a gun to Lucas’s head, and tells him to drive. Because Damon has a list of men he intends to kill, and he needs Lucas’s help. If Lucas complies, his family will be safe, but others will suffer. If he fights back, Damon will target his wife and daughter. It’s an impossible choice, but what’s clear is that Lucas’s life is about to change forever. If he survives the night.

June 2025

Don’t go into the woods. Because you’re in for a big surprise… Annie Ashworth is currently off duty. With her baby bump growing fast, she is under strict instructions to stay away from police work and look after herself, especially as she has a history of leading danger right to her door. So when her police officer husband, Will, is called to the discovery of a skeleton buried out in the local woods, Annie tries to keep out of the investigation. But as another body is discovered and her own niece suddenly goes missing, staying away just isn’t an option. As Annie is soon to discover, a picture really does tell a thousand stories. But which one leads to a killer? The Girls in the Wood is by Helen Phifer.

What Happens in the Dark is by Kia Abdullah. Lily and Safa were best friends growing up. Now, Lily is the nation’s favourite breakfast TV presenter and Safa, once a renowned journalist, is reeling from a recent fall from grace. When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, Safa attempts to rekindle their old friendship. But Lily claims the bruises are nothing to worry about. And then one night the police are called to Lily’s home. Lily is strangely calm – and a body lies dead at her feet. Lily pleads not guilty, and then says nothing more. Driven by her desire to give a voice to all victims, Safa begins her own investigation into what happened that night. But Safa is not prepared for what her quest for justice will uncover …

Someone in the Water is by Sarah Clarke. For the same two weeks every year, Frankie leaves her daughter Lola to go on a yoga retreat. But the truth is, there is no retreat. Just a remote cottage and enough pills to deceive her natural body clock into staying awake whenever it’s dark outside. As long as she stays awake, the nightmare won’t come. But it always does. A nightmare that began decades earlier when she spent the summer working in Corsica, and was witness to something terrible. Frankie has no idea that Lola has plans of her own this summer. She’s going to Corsica, and the truth from all those years ago is about to come out.

Rayna Dumont is getting a fresh start in Amsterdam. Following a nasty divorce, she takes a jet-setting new job and embraces the single life. All seems to be going well until she wakes up in the bed of Xander van der Vos, her one-night stand from the night before, only to find him brutally murdered in the room next door. To make matters worse, millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds are missing from his safe. Quickly, Rayna becomes the prime suspect and is thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse with forces beyond her wildest imagination. From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is enraptured by the case. The wife of Thomas Prins, CEO of the House of Prins and Xander’s former boss, Willow is too familiar with what it’s like to be the outsider in the elite world of luxury goods. But as the House comes under scrutiny, tensions rise in her already strained marriage and Willow starts to wonder if Rayna might be the solution she’s been looking for. As both women dive into the dark underbelly of the diamond industry, their hope for survival hinges on navigating a web of power and revenge. And as Rayna fights to clear her name, will she unravel the truth or find herself another victim? The Expat Affair is by Kimberley Belle.

Faith Martin on her journey to writing a classic whodunnit.

Sometimes, writing the book that you always wanted to write isn’t that straightforward.

I was about fourteen when I discovered the crime novels of our wonderful Golden Age authors. Children’s books had lost their appeal and I wanted something more challenging which also entertained me – and in the traditional whodunnit I quickly found my life-long reading obsession.

This literature had it all as far as I was concerned.   Baffling murders, clues, red herrings and memorable characters, all wrapped up in a bygone age that I knew nothing about, but which seemed to me to be filled with charm, atmosphere, elegance and witty humour.

So when I first decided to try my hand at writing a novel of my own, my choice of what kind of book to write should have been obvious, no?

Well…. no.

When I was eighteen my parents were involved in an horrific car accident, and I made the decision to stay at home and become a full-time carer.  This meant that I had the time to write, but also left me feeling ill-equipped to do so.  I would read the ‘about-the-author-blurb’ in the books I was reading, and it seemed to me that nearly all of the writers I admired had been to university and taken degrees (usually in English Literature.)

But I had only my own desire to write and years of reading other author’s works to guide me, and I instinctively felt that trying to write something as complicated as a densely plotted ‘proper whodunnit’ was beyond me. 

So instead I decided to write modern romances which - being the early 1990’s – tended to be about rich and glamorous people, in exotic settings, getting up to no good.   My thinking was, if it turned out that I had no talent and no chance of getting published, at least I’d have a whale of a time and enjoy the process of writing if nothing else!  As I did.  And with the help of a literary agent and after plenty of practise, my first novel, ‘Stolen Fire’ was published in 1993 under the pen name of Maxine Barry.

And after some years producing these, I felt confident enough to try something new. 

So now I was going to write a classic whodunnit, yes? 

Er…. No.

I still wasn’t sure I could measure up to my heroes.   Instead, I decided on staying contemporary and writing police procedural stories about a female detective who lived on a narrowboat and worked out of Thames Valley HQ, by the name of DI Hillary Greene.  These I wrote under the new pen name of Faith Martin.

Yet again I had no high hopes that any publisher would find them good enough, but Robert Hale took them on, and over the next ten years or so produced over 15 in this series.  These originally came out in hardback and were mainly purchased by libraries, and like many authors, I wasn’t well-known, nor was I troubling any bestseller lists.  And after 25 years of anonymity, I never expected things to change. 

But then the Hillary Greene series was published as ebooks by Joffe Books, and suddenly Hillary Greene was finding a wider audience.   And it seemed that readers liked her!

Thus emboldened, I decided to dab a tentative toe into ‘historical’ crime and produced the Ryder & Loveday books, published by Harper Collins, which were set in the 1960’s.  And again, they were well received.

Thus, after nearly 30 years of writing, I finally plucked up the nerve to write something that I had always wanted to write – a classic-style country house whodunnit, set in the golden age of the 1920’s and featuring a traditional locked room mystery.  And created a duo of amateur sleuths to solve the case.

Since I began this process during the doom and gloom days of the lockdowns, I was determined to make it light, entertaining and humorous, and MURDER BY CANDLELIGHT was the result.   Published in January next year, it tells the story of an old lady found dead in her bed, with all the doors and windows locked.  Clues and suspects abound – including the family ghost!  And it’s up to the lazy but amiable Arbie Swift, author of ‘The Gentlemen’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting’ and local vicar’s daughter Val, to sort out the red-herrings from the real clues and uncover the killer.

I only hope my readers are happy with the result.  But for all DI Hillary Greene fans, don’t worry. I’ve just finished writing her latest case also!

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin (HarperCollins Publisher)

One suspicious death. Two amateur sleuths. And an utterly impossible crime. The Cotswolds, 1924. At the Old Forge in the quiet village of Maybury-in-the-Marsh a cry of anguish rings out: lady of the house Amy Phelps has been discovered dead. But with all the windows and doors to her room locked from inside, how – and by whom – was she killed? Arbuthnot ‘Arbie’ Swift finds himself in the unlikely position of detective. The celebrated author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Ghost-Hunting is staying at the Old Forge to investigate a suspected spectre, but now the more pressing matter of Amy’s murder falls to him too. With old friend Val, he soon uncovers a sorry tale of altered wills, secret love affairs and tragic losses – and plenty of motives for murder. When events take another sinister turn, Arbie must find the killer, fast. And to do so will mean cracking a most perfectly plotted crime…

More information about the author and her books can be found on her website. You can also find her on X @FaithMartin_Nov and on Facebook.

Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin will publish in hardback on 4th January 2024 (£16.99).

Why 1960s Oxford is the perfect setting for crime by Faith Martin

Many people have asked me why I decided to write a crime series set in the 1960’s, after writing contemporary fiction for over 30 years.  And the simple answer is – I wanted to!

I’ve always loved the 1960’s era (not that I admit to remembering much of it, mind) and it’s always struck me that the ‘golden age’ of crime ended too soon to properly embrace all that that iconic decade had to offer.  And since I grew up (like many people) reading Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, etc., I’ve always had a soft spot for what my Mum used to call ‘proper’ crime!  By which, of course, I mean the classic locked-room mystery, the prerequisite six or so suspects, the red herrings, the hidden clues and, of course, a larger-than-life private sleuth to make the all-important dénouement of the killer’s identity in the final pages.  All of which made me yearn to write something that combined the elements of the golden age, with that 1960’s vibe.

So having decided what period I wanted for my new series, I needed to decide on a location.  And Oxford was the only (or perhaps I should more honestly say, easy) choice as it’s the only city I know!  It’s also a place that really lends itself to fictional crime, with it’s fabulous and world-renowned ‘dreaming spires’ architecture and eclectic mix of students, dons, town-versus-gown rivalries and all sorts of other atmospheric goodies.

Now, whenever I start a new series, I always want to try and write something different from what I’ve done before.  Not only because I think I owe it to my readers to give them something new to get their teeth into, but because I think, as a writer, its important that I challenge myself to try fresh things – even if it does take me out of my comfort zone.  And here, I have to admit, there is something very seductive about writing a long-running series, as you get to know both your main character, your readership and the ‘voice’ of that series so well, that it becomes much easier to produce a novel (or two!) a year.  Alas, the downside to this is that you’re constantly having to stop yourself from getting lazy!  Or that might be just me……  (If any of my fellow crime writers are reading this and muttering that I should speak for myself, my apologies.)

Anyway, when contemplating my new project, it gradually dawned on me that, until now, I’d never even considered writing a book that wasn’t lead by a solo protagonist.  And since, on the whole, there are relatively few crime-solving duos in the crime pantheon (Holmes & Watson being by far the most famous, of course) I had a mental light bulb moment and decided to add to the list and create my own pair of sleuths.  (After all, how hard could it be, I thought.  As you do.  If you’re not the brightest of sparks….)  

So, having decided on the direction I wanted to go, I naturally had to think long and hard about what sort of dynamic that I wanted to exist between them.   Would one be more dominant, and the other a definite ‘sidekick’.  Or would they form a strictly fifty-fifty partnership, which might be slightly harder to arrange, but might prove much more interesting?  One thing was certain – each would need their own specific place in the story lines in which to shine.  And since in the 1960’s, social divisions were very prominent, it made sense to have a working class character working off someone who enjoyed a higher social status.  I’m also very aware of the fact that I have both a large male and female readership, and I always strive to write something that would appeal to both!  So, after much head-scratching, pacing about, ranting and swearing (my dog almost disowned me) finally came to a conclusion.  Namely, that the teaming of a young WPC, who was very green and with a steep and difficult learning curve ahead of her with an experienced, older man nearing the end of his own very successful career seemed ideal.  Hence Ryder & Loveday were born.

Luckily, this unusual marriage of 1960’s Oxford and a disparate pair of detectives, seems to have caught my readership’s imagination, but I have to admit to being genuinely astonished when their very first outing A Fatal Obsession went straight to the No1 spot in the Bookseller’s e-book listings.  For which I can only say a very heartfelt “thank you” to all my readers.    

A Fatal Truth by Faith Martin (HarperCollins) Published 11 June 2020

As the Hughes family celebrate bonfire night, a terrible accident leaves the garden shed in flames - and father and grandfather Thomas trapped inside. Tragic though it is, Thomas's death passes without suspicion - until a local journalist makes accusations of a police cover-up in the press. WPC Trudy Loveday is sent to investigate, and asks coroner Clement Ryder to help.But the more questions the two ask the less clear the case seems. There's no evidence   of foul play, and yet the dead man's family are obviously hiding something. Then there are Thomas's dubious business practices - was someone out for revenge?  All Trudy and Clement know for sure is that everyone is lying - and that they must find the truth...