Showing results by author "Leigh Russell" in All Categories

An inoffensive man is murdered in a seemingly motiveless attack. Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and her team are baffled, until DNA from an apparent stranger is discovered on the victim's body. Geraldine is not convinced the suspect is guilty. When a witness comes forward to offer the suspect an alibi, Geraldine lets him go. That night, a second murder is committed. The evidence points to the suspect who has just been released. As Geraldine attempts to make sense of the suspect's complex history, he goes on the run. Even his wife appears to condemn him.

When three dead bodies are discovered in quick succession on his home patch in Kent, DI Ian Peterson becomes too embroiled in a complex murder investigation to worry about his forthcoming promotion or the state of his marriage. The first victim is a middle class housewife, stabbed to death in a park. Her husband is in the clear until the prostitute who provided him with an alibi is murdered. While the police are busy gathering evidence, a second prostitute is killed.

DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time; sometimes because they don't want to be found. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his football-buddy's girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there's no need for concern. Until she's called to a suspected murder, and all her instincts tell her she's right about the identity of the victim. The young woman has earth and leaf mould and fragments of twigs in her long fair hair, her nose, her mouth, under her finger nails, clinging to her clothes. It's as if she'd been completely encased in earth.

From the best-selling author of The Geraldine Steel series comes The Adulterer's Wife. A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of domestic noir. Julie is devastated to learn that her husband, Paul, is having an affair. It seems her life can’t get any worse - until she comes home to find his dead body in their bed. When the police establish he was murdered, Julie is the obvious suspect. To protect her son from the terrible situation, Julie sends the teenage boy to his grandparents in Edinburgh while she fights to prove her innocence.

Emily has settled in the picturesque village of Ashton Mead where she lives with her puppy, Poppy. Life is finally going well for Emily. She has a cottage of her own, a job she likes and friends. Then she stumbles on the body of a woman who apparently drowned in the river. The other villagers suspect foul play and are quick to blame Richard, Emily's next-door neighbour and a newcomer to the village. Emily finds it hard to believe her friendly neighbour could be a cold-hearted murderer. When she meets his attractive son, Adam, her feelings become more complicated.

The fair is in town in Ashton Mead and everyone is keen to join in the fun—that is until a young woman falls from the Ferris wheel and all fingers point to Emily's new friend, Dana. With her outsider status, mysterious past, and penchant for stretching the truth, who else could it be? As the villagers grow increasingly suspicious of the fairground people and tensions start to bubble, Emily vows to clear Dana's name and protect her friend, much to the dismay of those closest to her. But can Emily and her dog Poppy find the real culprit before the town erupts?

A man is found dead, lying at the bottom of the stairs to his flat, his body blocking the door of the elderly woman who lives downstairs. The worried landlord who finds the body seeks advice from his friend's wife—now Detective Inspector Ariadne Moralis. Something in his demeanour hints at a hidden secret. When it becomes apparent that the body has been moved, it is clear the man's death was not an accident.

The body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in the river, but this was no accidental drowning. He was shot before his body entered the water. The police question the dead man's young girlfriend and his two adult children, all of whom are hoping to inherit his fortune. Before the killer is found, the dead man's girlfriend is murdered, and pressure mounts for Geraldine and her team to solve the case. Geraldine's partner is called away to work undercover. Soon after he leaves, their baby vanishes along with the child minder.

When Peter Selby vanishes after reporting a suspicious encounter, few take notice—until a man is found brutally stabbed in a quiet York suburb. Detectives Geraldine Steel and Ariadne Croft begin to investigate, but what looks like a random act of violence soon unravels into a dark and deeply personal mystery. As they dig into the lives of the victims, the emotional landscape grows increasingly fractured.

When Emily's boyfriend walks out, she is devastated. As she is puzzling over what to do with the rest of her life, she is surprised to learn that her great aunt has died, leaving Emily her cottage in the picturesque Wiltshire village of Ashton Mead. This inheritance comes with a condition – Emily must take care of her great aunt's pet. Not knowing what to expect, Emily sets off for the village. In the village, she soon makes friends with and meets other residents of the village where she decides to settle. All is going well...until her unknown pet arrives.

When soldiers attack the inhabitants of a Jewish ghetto in sixteenth-century Lithuania, Abigail manages to escape both the attack and her abusive husband, Reuven. She travels over land and sea to Venice, where she settles in another ghetto. Believing Reuven is dead, Abigail falls in love with her widowed neighbor, Daniel. But before Abigail and Daniel announce their betrothal, her violent husband reappears.

Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel hat in ihrer Dienstzeit schon viele furchtbare Dinge gesehen. Doch als die Leiche der Schulleiterin Abigail Kirby in einem Park gefunden wird, ist selbst die erfahrene Ermittlerin entsetzt. Denn die Frau wurde nicht einfach nur getötet - ihr wurde die Zunge herausgeschnitten, während sie im Sterben lag. Geraldine und ihre Kollegen stehen vor einem Rätsel - und bald vor der nächsten verstümmelten Leiche, einem Mann, dem vor seinem Tod die Augen entfernt wurden.

After a year in Paris working as an investigative reporter, Lucy Hall is ready for her next big scoop. While researching a spate of missing persons, she learns of the mysterious disappearance of a young man, Dominique. The case is cold in the city of lights, but there's another lead: in Rome.

Lucy Hall's first summer in Paris promises to be idyllic. She's fallen in love with the city and enjoys her new job as an investigative reporter. When her friend Nina comes to stay, the girls look forward to a wonderful summer. But Paris is a city of contrasts and Lucy is about to experience its dangerous side.

Happily married to the charismatic headmaster of a prestigious boarding school, Louise thinks her life is perfect. But after hearing that her husband is having an affair, Louise must decide how far she is prepared to go to save her marriage. Confident in her IT skills, Louise cyber bullies her rival. When the police become involved, Louise realises she has made a dangerous choice as first one woman, then another, is found murdered.

When Alice Lewis is found murdered, the case becomes personal for DI Steel, as Alice was the niece of her childminder, Lisa. Despite Lisa's earlier pleas for help, Geraldine hadn't acted in time to save Alice. Now, driven by guilt and a thirst for justice, Geraldine dives headfirst into the case. But the deeper she digs, the more layers of secrets and lies she uncovers about Alice's life, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew. With an elusive killer watching her every move, Geraldine finds herself caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

A French patisserie opens in the village of Ashton Mead in time for Christmas. Local residents are pleased, but Hannah, owner of the Sunshine Tea Shoppe, feels threatened by the competition. When the owner of the patisserie is killed, Hannah is suspected of murdering her business rival. Her friend, Emily, is determined to clear Hannah's name. She seems to be facing an impossible task… until her little dog Poppy makes a surprising discovery.