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Why I Wrote No Accident
When you set out, you never quite know how things will turn out. I wanted to create something new, something different and exciting to entertain murder mystery readers. No Accident, the first book in the Downland Murder Mystery series, was actually the third book I wrote, featuring my sleuth Kent Fisher. The first novel wasn’t quite good enough. It led to a second, No Bodies, which was intended to be the first book in the series, but couldn’t be. Picture the scene. Kent Fisher is approached by an old family friend, whose wife has been missing for a year. When asked to investigate, he responds by saying, “Who you think…
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You are Mine by Diana Wilkinson
I’m not a fan of psychological thrillers, as they’re usually more suspense than thrills. But I spotted this, read the first few pages and found myself drawn to the characters and their lives. I continued to read, being pulled into their relationships and the fracture points where their behaviour could overstep the mark. It’s a story of lost love between five people, who’s lives are linked by friendship, love and jealousy. For Rebecca, who lost Mitch ten years earlier, it’s a case of no one else will do. Which isn’t quite how Arthur thought things would go. Throw in a jealous friend, Oliver, who lies, cheats and much more. Then…
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Vicious Crimes by Michael Hambling
It’s been a while since the last book in the series, so I was looking forward to reading this latest instalment. The team are back, led by DCS Sophie Allen, who’s more of a manager than an officer out in the field. Not that she misses a chance to get out there and lead from the front. The investigation begins with a body found in the harbour by a Special Constable. The victim was beaten before being dumped in the tidal river. It looks like he was dumped upstream, but where? The second victim, an artist, lived a life of solitude in a remote house in Exmoor. The team struggle…
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Why do I write murder mystery novels?
The easy answer would be to say I love Agatha Christie, crime dramas and complex puzzles. I was huge fan of the Famous Five by Enid Blyton when I was a child. I was an even bigger fan of Scooby Doo when it came on the TV in the early 70s. To me it was a US version of the Famous Five, updated and made funny by that lovable dog and his Scooby snacks. I was 12 or 13 when I read Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Seventeen when I tackled Murder on the Orient Express. After that, crime didn’t feature in my reading until the 1980s, when I discovered Sue…
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Where the Silent Screams are Loudest by John Pye
When a story grabs you from the first page and refuses to loosen its grip until the last, you know you’ve read something special. This is a police procedural with a difference. Written by a former detective, everything about it has an authentic ring. You feel you are there in the briefing room, or in pursuit of the killer. The level of detail makes all the difference. Nothing is skimped as DS Brennan is tasked with finding whether missing Poppy Hunt is still alive. The review of the case is prompted by eight year old Jason, who bears a striking resemblance to her. He was abandoned as a baby, only…
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Death Sentence by Damien Boyd
Another original and complex murder investigation begins when the body of a Falklands War veteran is found in a pillbox beside a local canal. DI Nick Dixon is soon on the case, but the lack of clues, evidence and motive stifles his inquiries. It’s a slow slog that eventually bears fruit as the death is linked to others, who share a common thread, linking back to the war. From here, Dixon and his team are in a race against time before the killer strikes again. It’s an intriguing mystery, based around events in the Falklands War in 1982. As with previous books in the series, the plot is intricate and…
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The Hollow by Agatha Christie
In another complex case, Hercule Poirot is faced with a murder where all the clues and evidence seem to lead nowhere. John Christow, a Harley St doctor, is found dead at the side of a swimming pool at the countryside home of the Angkatells. His wife, Gerda, stands a few feet away, a pistol in her hand. Yet Christow’s final word is ‘Henrietta’, referring to a lover of his, also at the house. It soon becomes clear that all the people at the house have a motive to either dislike or kill Christow. Even the next door neighbour is an actress, who was in a relationship with him fifteen years…
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On Cold Ground by DS Butler
Is there a serial killer on the loose in Lincoln? When a body is found by DS Karen Hart in the cathedral, there’s a cross carved into the forehead. Then DI Morgan receives a threatening note before another body is found, bearing the killer’s hallmark. Another note suggests the killer is taunting the police. But is it that straightforward? DS Hart is already convinced corrupt officers remain in the force, despite the suspension of one detective inspector. An internal investigation is making slow progress. Karen has suspicions about the new DI, drafted in take control of the murder inquiry. His attitude towards her is abrasive and derogatory. The running corruption…
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Mystery at Lovelace Manor by Clare Chase
In another enthralling and colourful mystery, obituary writer Eve Mallow is once again on the trail of a murderer. Adventurer and celebrity, Cammie Harington, takes off in a hot air balloon as a climax to the open day at Lovelace Manor. But a fire in the basket of the balloon leads to an explosion and her death. It all looks like a tragic accident until evidence reveals foul play. Determined to uncover the truth, Eve starts to piece together a number of minor and seemingly unconnected events that reveal secrets, affairs and arguments among the well-heeled of Lovelace Manor and those connected with the estate. Narrowing down the list of…
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An Accidental Detective
How do you create something familiar, but different and less formulaic? Do you go for something original and distinctive – unique even? Perhaps, but you run the risk of alienating the readers you want to attract. They read certain books because they know what they want and what to expect. They might not take to kindly to you messing around with this. Murder mystery readers are pretty savvy when it comes to the classic whodunit. But they still want you to give them something they’ll enjoy and remember. For me, the desire to create a murder mystery readers would love held me in a vice-like grip. I had to start…
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Rise to the Fly by Cheryl Rees-Price
A couple of ramblers are found dead in woodland near the Usk Reservoir in Wales. While their deaths make little sense initially, the family that owns the woodland soon becomes the focus of police inquiries in the 6th novel of the Winter Meadows series. The murder of Madog, a popular and much loved family member, is linked to the other murders when fishing flies are found in the mouths of all three. With an annual fishing competition and fish farm nearby, police have a lot of potential suspects to interview. Yet it’s family issues that become the primary focus when a will and codicil go missing, followed by more murders.…
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K is for Killer by Sue Grafton
In her 11th outing in the series, Kinsey Millhone is asked to investigate the death of Lorna Kepler by her mother. While a thorough police investigation was carried out at the time, the mother believes Lorna was murdered. After a few initial inquiries to find her bearings, Kinsey is intrigued enough to take on the case. Slowly, she learns that Lorna was a feisty loner with quite a few secrets. Smart, intelligent and beautiful, she kept to herself, chose her few friends carefully and enjoyed life to the full. The trail takes Kinsey to San Francisco, a water treatment plant where she worked and various clubs and hotels as she…