Showing results by author "Helen H. Durrant" in All Categories

The body of a blonde young man found in the canal is discovered to be that of a journalist who had been claiming he was onto the story of a lifetime. The area where he was murdered turns out to be subject to a land dispute. A young woman is adamant she remembers a childhood twin brother, but her father swears she’s an only child. And now a second young blonde is missing. Rachel King and her East Manchester CID team must determine what links this all together - or are they being led to draw connections which aren’t there? And if so, who is pulling their strings?

A girl’s body is found in a dustbin. 'Dead Meat' is written on a note found with her. The girl was part of a group of bullies from the local school. But DI Calladine recognises the MO of Craig Donnelly, a killer he thought he’d put away forever. And coincidentally Donnelly has just been released from prison. But when Detective Calladine charges in, he finds out that Donnelly has a watertight alibi and is under the protection of the local vicar, who thinks Donnelly is a changed man. When another girl goes missing from the same group of friends, Calladine must look elsewhere....

A man is found dead in his bed, suffocated, covered in confetti and with his ring finger missing. Detective Rachel King informs his daughter and takes her to identify the body. But she's never seen the man before in her life. What if you don't even know who the killer really wanted to murder? Then a second murder. This time a woman, Alison, also suffocated and with her finger severed and confetti strewn over her body. The team desperately search for a link before anyone else dies. Meanwhile, someone has been running a property scam, selling dream houses that will never be built.

Annie Naden and her husband buy a remote country cottage at auction. It’s the home of their own that they always wanted, but as they begin renovations, Annie discovers a satchel in a dusty old hidden cupboard. Inside are the usual schoolbooks, now over 40 years old, and a girl’s diary. Among the record of day-to-day crushes and pop concerts is a secret whose terrible consequences are still resonating to this day.

A teenage girl’s body is found in the back of a car on the notorious Hobfield housing estate. No one had reported her missing, but she’s been dead for a week. Meanwhile, an old jar is brought into the station. It was found carefully wrapped in a blanket, with a child’s pink hairclip. The jar contains ashes and bone fragments. Seventeen years ago, Detective Tom Calladine had been part of a team investigating the disappearance of Jessica Wilkins. Her mother had taken her to Leesdon Park one summer afternoon. She went to get the child an ice cream, and when she returned her daughter was gone.

A two-month-old baby is missing. James’s parents left him with a babysitter while they went out for dinner. But when they get home, there’s no sign of baby or sitter. This is the last thing DCI Rachel King wants to hear on her last night of maternity leave. But worse is to come. The missing infant belongs to Scott Agnew, alleged member of Manchester drug-dealing ring, the Trio. Then the elderly mother of another Trio boss disappears. Rachel knows that if these are retaliation kidnappings, things will only go from bad to terrible. And guess who everyone thinks is behind all of this?

The invitation is anonymous. It doesn’t say whose funeral I must attend, only that I can’t afford to miss it. I’m sure it’s a mistake, but when I arrive, I know immediately it isn’t. The name on the gravestone stops me in my tracks: Alice Anderson. That’s my name. Or at least it was. I want to run from this crowd of slick designer clothes and sunglasses hiding prying eyes. But I can’t show my fear. I have no choice other than to stay and find out who sent the invitation. Someone here knows the secret I’d kill to keep.

Two young men break into an expensive house in Cheshire. They take money and jewellery—and a large amount of heroin. Within twenty-four hours they are found brutally murdered. The killings have all the hallmarks of a local drug baron. The two victims were also “angels” helping in a community project which seems to have been lowering the crime rate in the area. But not everything is as it seems. Who is the mysterious ice-cold blonde woman who seems to be at the heart of the case?

A woman is murdered in an empty house. Within 24 hours there is another horrific murder using the same method. The detectives soon deduce that the victims are random, but the locations are not. The killer looks for the right house - somewhere he won't be disturbed. When a man confesses, it looks like the case is closed, but Detective Stephen Greco is unconvinced. Can he keep control when things get personal?

A man is shot dead, and his body is dumped on the moors. His arm is stamped with the Chinese symbol for 'sorry'. There have been five unsolved murders with the same hallmark. The police can’t find any motive or connection between the victims. Bella Richards was close to the murdered man. She lives with her five-year-old son and has begun a new life in the local area. But although clearly grief-stricken, she is not telling the police everything she knows.

A teenager is found dead, stabbed through the heart by a professional killer. Detective Stephen Greco and his team must find out who the victim was and work to piece together the backstory. Then 'The Knifeman' strikes again, leading DCI Greco into a depraved world of exploitation. How is drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? What is the connection with a private clinic that provides plastic surgery for the elite?