Book Description

Two detectives made into scapegoats for other people’s failings get one last chance in a small Hampshire town. But no matter how tough things get, they never lose their sense of humour . . .Six gripping British mysteries with a touch of quirky humour. Get ready for one unbeatable partnership! — they love solving murders, but hate the paperwork that comes with it . . .Book 1: Death of a TemptressRuth Thornhill went missing six months ago. According to the evidence, she ran off with another man, so the Met closed the case. However, Slater’s enquiries soon find inconsistencies in the original investigation, and after a near-fatal encounter with a London bus, he realises the stakes are far higher than he imagined.An unlikely ally, in the form of fellow scapegoat DS Norman Norman, helps him uncover disturbing connections between the missing woman, a Chinese businessman, a glossy magazine, an online escort agency, a top London banker and senior officers from London’s Serious Crime Unit. The two uncover a mire of corruption, blackmail, deception and possibly the most cunning murder ever seen. The evidence stacks up against one particular suspect and Slater and Norman close in, but as with most things in Slater’s life, nothing is ever simple.Book 2: Just a CoincidenceIn the sleepy Hampshire town of Tinton, major crime is rare, and DS Slater and colleague Norman Norman find themselves with nothing to investigate except a flasher and an illiterate counterfeiter. Things are so quiet Slater even arranges to go on his long-awaited date with bombshell waitress Jelena.But things can change in a matter of seconds, and a dog walker’s discovery of a battered body near a local woodland sends Slater and Norman hurrying to the scene. Before they know it, they have three dead bodies on their hands, and the victims are all related. But with 15 years between the murders, is this just a bizarre coincidence, or could the murders be linked? With tensions rising within their close-knit team, can Slater and Norman keep it together to solve their latest mystery?Book 3: FlorenceWhen a little old man is found dead in his home, DS Dave Slater assumes he was simply the victim of a tragic accident. He lived alone, after all, and didn’t seem to have any living relatives. But after some strange occurrences at the old man’s home, Slater finds himself probing deeper. He soon discovers that someone seems to be looking for something, but what was the lonely old man hiding, and why is someone so desperate to find it?And then there’s Florence, a ghost-like figure who is occasionally spotted around town in the early hours of the morning. Slater can’t shake off the feeling she is linked, somehow. But how, and why?Book 4: The Wrong Man When Diana Woods is found stabbed to death in her kitchen, DS Slater and DS Norman Norman are plunged into another major investigation. The finger of suspicion quickly points at Diana’s estranged husband, Ian, a bully who regularly abused his wife. But as Slater learns more, he begins to wonder if everything is as it seems. When a new suspect appears on the scene, it seems that Slater’s instincts were right. But the evidence seems just a bit too convenient, and Slater and Norman have to face the possibility that their suspect is being framed, and they could be back to square one.Book 5: The Red Telephone BoxWhen DS Dave Slater is called from his bed in the middle of the night, he is horrified to find that the flat belonging to his colleague, DS Norman Norman, has been set alight. His relief at being told Norman wasn’t inside at the time quickly turns to concern, as no trace of the missing officer can be found. As the minutes stretch into hours, and DS Slater starts to dig into the circumstances surrounding Norman’s disappearance, he discovers that the involvement of a mysterious Russian man could mean Norman is in an even more dangerous situation than first feared. With a new DI in charge (who just so happens to be a woman) and more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, DS Slater faces a race against time to find Norman before it’s too late.Detective Sergeant Dave Slater is fed up. His girlfriend is off travelling the world, his trusty partner Norman could be retiring, and to top it all off, his boss has assigned him a rookie to babysit. He finds himself wondering if being a police officer is for him anymore. And then he picks up the phone to find the case that no police officer ever wants to deal with, a missing eight-year-old girl. When little Chrissy’s body is found curled-up in nearby woodlands, DS Slater and the rest of the team are plunged into an investigation that sees them delve back into history in a bid to solve the mystery of Wild Boar Woods. Can they find Chrissy’s killer? And could they uncover an even larger crime in the process? Slater only knows one thing; it’s up to him to find the truth.MEET YOUR DETECTIVESDS David Slater is a youngish (not quite forty, thank you!) copper who knows his quiet corner of Hampshire like the back of his hand. With a brooding charm and a penchant for breaking the rules, Slater’s quick with a quip and quicker with a punch, and he’s never met a problem he couldn’t confront head-on . . . even if it means stepping on a few toes. A botched police operation and subsequent suspension haven’t slowed him down — he's itching to get back in the game. But when he's handed a cold case, he quickly realizes that things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.Enter DS Norman Norman — so good they named him twice. A bit shabby and not one for the gym, Norman is no one’s idea of a ‘top cop’. But what he lacks in fitness, he more than makes up for with hard-won experience and crime-solving nous. Norman is assigned to Slater to give them both a fresh start. He's the brains to Slater’s brawn, the calm to his storm, and the steady hand that keeps their investigations on track. Always thinking three moves ahead, if anyone can drag Slater from the edge, it’s Norman.It’s a partnership Slater never saw coming — but weirdly, it works.Prepare for a crime-fighting duo who dive headfirst into chaotic cases full of shocking twists, where every clue could blow up in their faces, and the truth is just as messy as Slater’s hair.