British Detectives Thrillers

Marchfield Square was meant to be a haven from the outside world. A place for those who need somewhere safe from their pasts, or who could otherwise not afford to stay in the city they call home. That was Celeste Van Duren's plan. One of her tenants being murdered in his own kitchen, and the police trying to pin it on his long-suffering wife, was not. So Celeste does what anyone with a lot of money, a strong sense of justice and a bad hip would do: she recruits some help to track down the real murderer.

With his partner away on a honeymoon, Yorkshire detective Andrew Dalziel tries to beat the blues by taking a vacation of his own. But after getting caught in a torrential rain and running into a funeral procession, he winds up accompanying a crowd of upper-class mourners to a crumbling country house. Dalziel isn't known for his elegant manners, but he has bigger problems than not fitting in: The owner of the home has died under unusual circumstances, and soon more bodies are turning up.

IN BELFAST’S SHADOWS, SECRETS BREED The intricate world of Detective Superintendent Wilson and the indomitable Belfast Murder Squad takes center stage once again in a gripping tale of murder, betrayal, and relentless pursuit. Their latest investigation plunges them into the harrowing depths of a homicide case that strikes too close to home. The victim, a former PSNI drugs squad officer, was not just a casualty of crime; he was one of their own, leaving Wilson and his team with a profound sense of duty to seek justice. But as they wade deeper into the murky waters of the case, the ...

SOLVING A COLD CASE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER, OR THE WORSE Detective Superintendent Ian Wilson's life appears to be spiraling uncontrollably into the abyss. The absence of his once steadfast partner has left a void that feels impossible to fill, and the job he was once passionate about has slipped through his fingers. The relentless weight of despair presses down upon him until, out of the blue, a flicker of opportunity presents itself in the most unexpected form. A 42-year-old murder case, long buried beneath layers of obscurity, is placed squarely on Wilson's plate. This case ...

IN THE HEART OF DANGER, SECRETS UNRAVEL AND DESTINIES COLLIDE Detective Superintendent Ian Wilson finds himself the target of a deadly vendetta. As he grapples with the looming threat to his life, the unsettling backdrop of Belfast sees the sudden disappearance of two gay men, a chilling mystery that sets the stage for a series of events with far-reaching consequences. Meanwhile, Detective Rory Browne, driven by a personal connection to the case of the missing men, becomes entangled in a perilous web that could make him the next victim of a cunning serial killer. With each step into the ...

Join ace crime reporter Colin Crampton and his feisty Australian girlfriend Shirley Goldsmith as they embark on a new adventure. It all starts when Colin spends a lazy afternoon by the beach with Shirley. But when a daring robbery takes place, Colin reckons he's on the trail of a big story. But nothing about the robbery is what it seems. Colin and Shirley are drawn deeper into danger. Colin encounters a motorcycle rocker with bad teeth, a dyslexic tattooist, and a seller of novelty toilet roll holders as he chases down his story.

IT'S NEVER THE CRIME, IT'S THE COVER UP In a small church just outside Belfast, a priest is brutally stabbed and set on fire, sending shockwaves through the community. DCI Ian Wilson and his colleagues from the Belfast Murder Squad suspect a sectarian motive behind this gruesome murder. As Wilson delves into the investigation, he finds himself ensnared in a web of lies and deceit. The Catholic Church and his own superiors seem determined to obstruct his progress at every turn. But Wilson's troubles don't end there. An internal inquiry jeopardizes his career as a PSNI officer, adding to his ...

One moment, Selena Cole is at the playground with her children...the next, she has vanished without a trace. The body of Dominic Newell is found on a remote mountain road, blood oozing from the stab wound in his neck. In the sleepy borderland between England and Wales, sheep outnumber people and serious crimes are rare. Which makes this Tuesday morning, with two calls coming in to the local police station, even more remarkable. Detective Constable Leah Mackay and her brother, Detective Sergeant Finn Hale, begin their respective investigations, but soon find them inextricably linked.

They were meant to be safe on Fleet Ward: psychiatric patients monitored, treated, cared for. But now one of their number is found murdered, and the accusations begin to fly. Was it one of his fellow patients? A member of staff? Or did someone come in from the outside? DC Alice Armitage is methodical, tireless, and she's quickly on the trail of the killer. The only problem is, Alice is a patient too.

Nine-year-old Samuel lives alone in a once-great estate in Surrey with the family’s housekeeper, Ruth. His father is dead, and his mother has been abroad for months, purportedly tending to her late husband’s faltering business. She left one night while Samuel was sleeping. Beyond her sporadic postcards, Samuel hears nothing from his mother. Samuel’s life is otherwise regulated by Ruth, who runs the house with an iron fist. As rumors in town begin to swirl, Samuel wonders whether something more sinister is afoot. Perhaps his mother did not leave but was murdered - by Ruth.

A Dedicated Man is the second novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from Gallows View. Near the village of Helmthorpe, Swainsdale, the body of a well-liked local historian is found half-buried under a dry stone wall. Harry Steadman has been brutally murdered. But who would want to kill such a thoughtful, dedicated man? Chief Inspector Alan Banks is called in to investigate and soon discovers that disturbing secrets lie behind the apparently bucolic facade.

A faceless corpse is discovered in a tranquil, hidden valley below the village of Swainshead. And when Chief Inspector Alan Banks arrives, he finds that no-one is willing to talk. Banks's frustration only grows when the identity of the body is revealed. For it seems that his latest case may be connected with an unsolved murder in the same area five years ago. Among the silent suspects are the Collier brothers, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the area.

When a bloody corpse is discovered in a North London park, Detective Inspector Daniel Graves is the man tasked with finding the killer. However, with no clues and no suspects, the case seems like a dead end. Then another body turns up—and this time, it looks like it could be Graves’s fault. Has his investigation caused the murderer to strike again? As the case gets ever more complicated, a report comes in of another suspicious death—but this is nothing like any other Graves has dealt with. All involved are convinced that something supernatural is to blame: a demon.

It was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7, 1915. The Lusitania had been struck by two torpedoes in succession and was sinking rapidly, while life-saving boats were being launched with all possible speed. The women and children were being lined up awaiting their turn. Some still clung desperately to husbands and fathers; others clutched their children closely to their breasts. One girl stood alone, slightly apart from the rest. She was quite young, not more than eighteen. She did not seem afraid.

No CompassionA vicious rape, a woman left traumatised. A previous victim is quickly identified. Then more come forward.A serial rapist is attacking the women of Exeter in their beds at night. There are fingerprints and DNA but no matches, CCTV but no identification. With the press clamouring for answers DS Pete Gayle and his team must work through a maze of conflicting evidence to identify and arrest the offender before he can commit another brutal attack.

Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.

Three killers. One terrified witness. And she’s done running Molly has spent years surviving the streets, caught in a life she never chose. Vulnerable and invisible, she’s learned how to disappear. But when she witnesses a savage murder, she becomes the one thing she can’t afford to be—a target. Now, three ruthless killers are hunting her down, and her chances of survival are running out. Detective Karen Pearce is under pressure to crack the case that could bring a notorious drug gang to its knees. But to do that, she needs Molly alive. As the city closes in around them, Karen races...

Fifty years ago, a group of teenagers spent a weekend on Holy Island, forging a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Now, they still return every five years to celebrate their friendship and remember the friend they lost to the rising waters of the causeway at the first reunion. Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now.

A series of disappearances are linked by one vital clue, and when a grave is uncovered in the woods, the sins of the past return with deadly consequences. A local community is devastated when dark secrets are revealed, and no one knows who to trust. Harriet Quinn will need all of her expertise to find a killer who hides in plain sight.

DCI Suzanna McLeod is a fighting fit and highly intelligent detective with brilliant analytical talents, who’s been favourably compared to Sherlock Holmes. Her Edinburgh-based team is legendary for being the UK’s best, so she has a reputation to live up to and a team to lead. Suzanna’s under pressure to catch the armed robbers before their success tempts them to more ambitious and dangerous missions. But she has to juggle two investigations when her magnifying glass is stolen. The Glass is a cherished heirloom entrusted to her care by her late great-great-uncle.