A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Man by the Sea by Jack Benton. "An absolute feast for noir and paranormal thriller fans alike. Highly recommended." ~~ bestthrillers.com John "Slim" Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud. His wife thinks he's having an affair. Slim thinks he's insane. The truth is more incredible than either could imagine. The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Clockmaker's Secret. Currently FREE for a limited time only! A buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case. As Slim begins to ask questions of the tiny Cornish village of Penleven, he is drawn into a world of lies, rumours, and secrets, some of which the residents would prefer to stay buried. Twenty-three years ago, a reclusive clockmaker left his workshop and walked out onto Bodmin Moor, taking his last, unfinished clock with him. He disappeared. Slim is determined to find out why. The Clockmaker’s Secret is the stunning sequel to Jack Benton’s acclaimed debut, The Man by the Sea. #freeebook #freemystery #classicmystery #britishmystery #privateinvestigator #lockedroom #traditionalbritish #theclockmakerssecret #doomedlove #secretsandlies

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Games Keeper Having fallen on hard times, disgraced soldier turned private investigator John “Slim” Hardy is hired by rich and enigmatic land owner Oliver Ozgood to uncover the identity of a mysterious blackmailer. The man is demanding a fortune in exchange for his silence. He claims to be Dennis Sharp, a former employee of Ozgood, and threatens to reveal secrets that will soil Ozgood’s family name and send the patriarch to prison. There’s only one problem. Dennis Sharp is dead, killed by Ozgood himself. In search of answers, Slim moves to the remote rural hamlet of Scuttleworth in the Devonshire countryside, where he will confront demons both from within and without in his most challenging case yet. The Games Keeper is the third book in the Slim Hardy Mystery series. While the stories follow a rough sequence, they can be read in any order. Other titles available: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret Slow Train The Angler's Tale

Eight Days: A thrilling British mystery from master of the genre Jack Benton and featuring private investigator John 'Slim' Hardy in an adventure with twists up to the last page. After nearly a year out of the game, former soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy takes what he hopes will be an easy comeback case in the quiet Devonshire town of Launceston. The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. Eight days later, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. Two years later, as her relationship with her daughter falls apart, Emily’s desperate mother Gloria turns to Slim, wanting answers. Her eight days missing has changed Emily, so much so that Gloria is unsure the girl is even her daughter at all … From the author of The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret, comes another stunning mystery, one which will keep you guessing to the last page.

The fourteenth novel in the acclaimed and bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries. Ruth and Nelson are on the hunt for a murderer when Covid-19 rears its ugly head. But can they find the killer despite lockdown? 'GALLOWAY NOW SEEMS AS REAL AS MARPLE AND MORSE' The Times 'SET IN DIVINE NORTH NORFOLK. INTENSELY ATMOSPHERIC AND GREAT' India Knight Ruth is in London clearing out her mother's belongings when she makes a surprising discovery: a photograph of her Norfolk cottage taken before Ruth lived there. Her mother always hated the cottage, so why does she have a picture of the place? As she died three years ago, Ruth can't exactly ask her, and her father denies all knowledge of the picture. The only clue is written on the back of the photo: Dawn, 1969. Ruth returns to Norfolk determined to solve the mystery, but then Covid-19 rears its ugly head. Ruth and her daughter are locked down in their cottage, attempting to continue with work and lessons, but, in reality, becoming lonely and frustrated. Happily the house next door is rented by a nice woman called Sally, who they become friendly with while standing on their doorstep clapping for carers. Nelson, meanwhile, has no time to be bored. He's investigating a series of suicides that could be the work of a serial killer. It's only when he links them to an archaeological discovery that he thinks of Ruth. He breaks curfew to visit the cottage to find Ruth chatting to her neighbour, whom he remembers as Dawn Lancaster, a carer who was once tried for murdering her employer. When the deaths continue, Nelson vows to take Ruth and Kate to live with him. But they, and Dawn, have vanished.

If you like Agatha Christie, then you'll love Robert Thorogood. Seconded from rainy London to the sweltering heat of the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, DI Richard Poole would rather be having a pint at his local pub. But when a body is discovered at the Beaumont plantation, DI Poole must put aside his woes and solve the murder. Despite the fact the victim was found in a locked room holding a smoking gun, Poole is convinced this is not a suicide. When another body turns up the hunt is on for the killer, and the evasive Beaumont family are – rather suspiciously – no help at all... The third novel in the Death in Paradise Mysteries is perfect for fans of T. E. Kinsey, Heron Carvic and Caroline Graham. Praise for Robert Thorogood ‘Death in Paradise feels like a ray of sunshine’ Mirror ‘Plenty of red herrings and twists to keep readers guessing’ Daily Express ‘A treat’ Radio Times

Nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel! In 19th century Bombay, Captain Jim Agnihotri channels his idol, Sherlock Holmes, in Nev March’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut. In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims — his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide — Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either. Based on a true story, and set against the vibrant backdrop of colonial India, Nev March's Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning lyrical debut, Murder in Old Bombay, brings this tumultuous historical age to life.