Showing results by publisher "QUEST from W. F. Howes Ltd" in Crime Fiction

Detective Inspector Jack Dawes and his bride, Corrie, join eight other holidaymakers bound for a tiny Greek island, ready for a bit of sun, sea and sand. Mayhem ensues when a storm destroys the island’s primitive communications, cutting it off from civilisation. It’s a perfect opportunity for murder. First one victim is poisoned, followed swiftly by another. Then a woman is found badly beaten in a quiet cove and a body is found in a grotto to St. Sophia, the island’s patron saint. The island’s visitors are being picked off one by one.

The call comes early in the morning. David and Helen Tremaine have discovered a body buried in the grounds of their large Victorian manor house, Llys Faen Hall, just north of Cardiff. DI Jemima Huxley and her partner, DS Dan Broadbent, race to the scene to discover that a second body has been unearthed in a shallow woodland grave. And the forensic team working the site believe this is just the start. Jemima knows this is the biggest case of her career. But it couldn't have come at a worse time.

When the chief suspect in the notorious Peek-a-boo cop killer case blew himself up, almost taking lead investigator DCI Duncan Bone with him, the psychologically damaged detective thought his days on the force were over. But when another PC is abducted and murdered in the same deranged Peek-a-boo fashion, Bone is persuaded to return to lead the new investigation. But as Bone and his team hunt a copycat killer, and with time running out before yet another cop is slain, Bone’s terrifying past returns to tear open old wounds and push him to very edge of the abyss.

In the peaceful Cotswolds village of Maybridge, you wouldn't expect to find a dead body in the rose garden. And certainly not two. Abby is horrified to discover the bones of a baby buried under a rose bush. It's in the garden of her soon-to-be ex-husband Howard's family home. She immediately calls the police. But she can't get hold of Howard. He's off on a jolly with the woman he's got pregnant. And then, just two days later, Abby finds Howard himself.

Tom Novak is a troubled soul with a dark and bloody past. A former refugee, Royal Marine and member of the elite Special Reconnaissance Regiment, he now finds himself struggling with the deadening routine of day-to-day policing. When he is deployed undercover to infiltrate a gang of people traffickers, things go badly wrong. Faced with an impossible choice, his cover is blown, and he finds himself on the run from the Serbian mafia and even his fellow police colleagues.

DI Clare Mackay will be pushed to her limits as the bodies begin to pile up... A body is hauled out of St Andrews harbour. The cause of death a blow to the back of the head. DI Clare Mackay and her team are immediately suspicious. This was no accident. Local Dennis Gibb was murdered. Meanwhile a...

John Milton was just passing through. But when a chance glimpse of an old friend drags him off course, he finds himself in Clearwater Springs—a forgotten town poisoned by corporate greed and held hostage by fear. Caterina Moreno was supposed to disappear. Years ago, Milton risked everything to help her escape Mexico and a cartel death sentence. Now she’s resurfaced under a new name, fighting a different kind of war. She’s taking on the powerful fracking company that’s been making people sick and silencing anyone who dares speak out.

When the dismembered body of a notorious banker washes up on the beach at Luss, DCI John Lomond finds a sinister message carved into the dead man's forehead. And the same message has just been found on a tortured businessman in Gullane on the east coast. With a twisted vigilante on the loose, and a brewing scandal threatening to pull his Major Investigations Team apart, they and Lomond must join forces with a team from Edinburgh – led by Lomond's ex.

A pretty French student is found dead in her room at an exclusive Oxford college. Everyone thinks it is another tragic case of accidental drug overdose. But Detective Hillary Greene has a nose for the truth. She quickly discovers that the student was involved in some very unusual activities. With a shocking cause of death found, the case becomes a high-profile murder investigation. Adding to the pressure, Hillary’s nemesis is transferred to work with her at the station.

Felix Olliphant was found stabbed to death at a New Year's Eve costume party for the turn of the millennium. Seemingly liked by everyone, motives for his murder are hard to find. There was one suspect, but no evidence. Hillary struggles to solve this baffling case. And she has to contend with a new colleague, Jake Barnes. Young and rich, he says he wants to give something back to the community, but Hillary has her doubts. Will Hillary finally be defeated by this cold case and will she lose her boss and love interest to a new job?

A peaceful Sunday morning in Rutland is shattered when a dead body is discovered on the rocks at Normanton Church. The victim has been laid out in a crucifixion pose, facing the altar. DI Caroline Hills is certain there’s a religious connection - one which threatens the tranquillity of life in the area. The killer has gone to extraordinary lengths to make the symbolism clear. And the deaths will continue until Caroline and DS Dexter Antoine uncover the truth behind the dark secret - and what lies beneath.

Criminologist Martin Knight lives a gilded life and is a thorn in the side of the police. But then his wife, Liz, goes missing. There is no good explanation and no sign of Martin.... To make things worse, Liz is the ex-girlfriend of DCI Craig Gillard who is drawn into the investigation. Is it just a missing person or something worse? And what relevance do the events around the shocking Girl F case, so taken up by Knight, have to do with the present? The truth is darker than you could ever have imagined.

On a midsummer's night, a stolen car packed with teenagers crashes at high speed on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. DI Jan Talantire arrives at the scene to find the victims of the crash. It appears to be a tragic accident until a worried mother turns up at the scene of the accident. Her daughter, Rhiannon, a friend of the joyriders, hasn't been seen since the previous night. The account dovetails with the statement of the householder who claimed to see a girl running near the crashed vehicle the moment he emerged.

Nellie Murphy wants out of her family’s shadow–and an empire of her own. So when smooth-talking ex-con Radley Barratt offers her fast money and a chance to finally become someone, she takes it. But Radley isn’t what he seems. He’s married to Lisa, who runs a brothel and believes his promises of a fresh start. But he lied. . . He’s playing his own game–with Kenny Ruck and a ruthless crew of Russians. Then came the wildcard–a reckless woman with a score to settle.

Five years ago, DCI John Lomond led the search for notorious Glasgow child-killer ‘The Sandman', until personal tragedy forced him off the case. In Lomond's absence, the killer was never found. Now, with nothing but work left in his life, Lomond remains obsessed with the case–despite the nightmares it brings. When a child is abducted in similar Sandman fashion from an affluent Glasgow suburb, Lomond is brought in to find them before it's too late.

When legendary crime novelist William MacRae is found dead in suspicious circumstances at his Glasgow home, Police Scotland's premier investigator DCI John Lomond is put on the case. After discovering a list of seven bestselling authors–all old friends of MacRae's–Lomond and his team head north to the Ullapool Book Festival, where the seven are gathering to remember their fallen friend. But a vicious storm is closing in. And not everyone, it seems, has fond memories of MacRae. Or each other.

DI Jan Talantire is called to a cottage in Ilfracombe, where the female occupant is found dead, impaled with a crucifix. The woman, who had been renting the house for a few months, is well known locally, but the documents at the house indicate her real name is Ruth Lyle. The name means nothing to the young PC who found her, DI Talantire knows this cannot be the body of Ruth Lyle.

Tom Novak is back. When a spate of deadly terrorist attacks hit the streets of London, Tom finds himself thrust into the middle of a fight for the survival of all he holds dear. When the attackers hit closer to home than he could ever imagine, Tom is forced to make a choice between his duty or his conscience. In doing so, he enters a series of increasingly dangerous worlds, in the darkest corners of humanity. Can Tom and his colleagues get to the bottom of a plot which threatens the very fabric of society? Will they stop the terrorists before it’s too late?

When Victoria Davies was pushed off her stately home's roof in 2001, all evidence pointed to her husband, Michael. But now, 20 years later, a letter has appeared, written by Victoria before her death; a letter that was never received and a letter that brings new suspects into the fray - three Labour MPs. Detective Inspector Declan Walsh must navigate a minefield filled with political intrigue, adulterous affairs, social activist aristocrats and brutal, bloody murder.

Detective Rob Loxley has had to fight for everything in his career. The shadows of his past lead many to view him with suspicion. He's isolated and ostracised, despite his dedication to the job. In Sherwood Forest, a sadistic archer plays a deadly game. Victims are kidnapped, stripped, and become living targets for a relentless hunter. It's a cruel game of cat and mouse with fatal consequences.