English Private Detectives

One night, the body of a young woman is found, naked but for a necklace, tied to a statue outside a block of luxury flats. There should be an outcry. But the police rule it a suicide, and move on. Private investigators Lee and Jo, owners of No Stone Unturned detective agency in Leeds, are tasked with looking into the case. Who was the woman? Did she really kill herself? As they investigate, Lee and Jo uncover shocking secrets. And when they see links between this case and another they are working on, they are forced to question – is any woman ever truly safe in this world?

Shortly after private eye Howard Moon Deer decides to settle down with his latest lady love, he accepts a new case that takes him away from the home front and introduces him to the dangerous passions that drive San Geronimo's thriving art scene. Howard and ex-police commander Jack Wilder have been hired to investigate Sherman Stone, a man notorious for his torrid liaisons and low-life friends. Rumor has it that he's planning to have his wealthy wife killed. But before Howard can separate fact from fiction, a local hobo is murdered, and then Sherman himself meets an untimely end.

Under a starless winter night in rural Cornwall, four killers dressed in bizarre folkloric garb brutally invade the home of the wealthy West family. They destroy the posh house and kill the terrified family. All but one: Traumatized 17-year-old Simon manages to escape, fleeing through snowy woods. Later, fears that he’s an active target of madmen or criminals lead the police to once more come knocking on Tom Killgannon’s door: Will he watch over Simon until a more secure place is found for the boy?

Al Harris’s actions haven’t gone unnoticed, and not all that attention is good. After being questioned by a couple of mysterious men, Harris comes back to find his office in ruins and Judy attacked - and all his case files stolen. What is it about those cases that is so important? The resulting investigation will take Harris back to the city of Chicago. The famous days of Al Capone and the Untouchables might be over, but the mafia still rules Chicago in its own way, and Harris is about to find out for himself just how alive and kicking they still are.

Striking a balance between the pros and cons of his job isn’t going to be easy, especially now that his reputation is growing. Harris has helped to solve a few more high-profile cases, and some people aren’t too happy about that. He thought that it would help get him more clients, and he’s getting noticed all right - by the wrong kind of people.

When Harris starts to investigate the disappearance of a young boy 20 years ago, he thinks that it’s going to be a sad but open-and-shut case. But then, he starts to discover signs that this wasn’t an isolated incident, that multiple boys were taken over the years, and that there might still be danger in the present day. His new independence gives Harris purpose and motivation, but without the police department behind him, and perhaps even against him, will he be able to close this case and prevent the past from becoming the present once again?

Al Harris is not, and was not ever, an art connoisseur. But when a desperate young Jewish woman comes to him, convinced that her family’s stolen art is hidden somewhere in Woodlawn, Al is persuaded to take the case, as unlikely as it is that priceless European art has ended up in this small town.

Hot on the heels of Best Cases of the Continental Op comes Honest Gain: Dicey Cases of the Continental Op, another original compilation from Skyboat Media. The Continental Op is back on the case, tracking down thieves and murderers from the steep streets of San Francisco to the rough and tumble Wild West in Arizona. These six stories featuring the Continental Op show that this private eye is not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to get the job done right, or get himself hurt in the process.

Pain and Agony are two madcap masters of mayhem, but even they need friends. What are friends for? Companionship, support, and a helping hand when your luck is down. But the cost of friendship becomes something altogether different during their latest escapade. If you aren't going to help when things get rough, then what are you but a traitor? When longtime allies are at odds, and enemies new and old close in, the answer has lethal consequences.

Private investigator Delanie Fitzgerald and her computer-hacker partner Duncan Reynolds are back for more sleuthing in Glitter, Glam and Contraband. In this fast-paced mystery, the Falcon Investigations team is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show. Delanie gets more than she bargains for and a few makeup tips in the process. Meanwhile, a mysterious sound in the ceiling of her office vexes Delanie. She uses her sleuthing skills to track down the source and uncover a creepy contraband operation.

It’s been three days and now everyone in Brighton is looking for her. There is an army of police searching, her picture is on every front page, and the public can’t get enough of it. Gangs of good citizens are going door to door, turning their neighbors’ houses upside down, but still no one can find her. For Brighton’s No.1 Private Detective, Joe Grabarz, it brings back too many memories of his first case, another missing girl, when he learnt too many lessons the hard way.

Quick-witted detective Stone is capable of making decisions from a pair of muddy shoes and other seemingly unimportant clues. It’s almost like a performing magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. He once remarked that “One never knows what difference anything will make until the difference is made.” Publication time of books featuring Stone are unknown so just watch for them for ordering. Even very astute listeners will often be surprised at his amazing solutions.

Working with the cops has always been a challenge for Charity Deacon. Too many rules get in the way of catching the bad guys. Now she’s been hired by the RCMP to help get an out-of-control mob boss off the streets.

Taking a break from his holiday visiting his nephew, Jim, Athelstan Digby agrees to look after the old bookshop of Keldstone so that his hosts, the Lavenders, can attend their cousin's funeral. On the first day of his tenure, three suspicious characters enquire after a copy of The Life and Times of Mr Badman by John Bunyan.

An unsolved case from DCI Battle's past returns to haunt him when it seems that a killer from over a decade ago has struck again. Daisy Riddle went missing fifteen years ago and Battle failed to keep his promise to bring her home. Now, her dead body has been discovered. What happened to her, and where has she been all this time? Battle must overcome his guilt in order to catch Daisy's killer, a task that becomes desperate when another girl is taken.

Charity Deacon, private investigator, agrees to follow a client’s husband. Prove if he’s cheating or not, that’s the gig. It’s the "or not" that puts her on a collision course with the dangerous world of gangsters and human trafficking. To protect her client and the woman’s child safe, Charity must face down the biggest mob in Vancouver.

No longer a chief inspector, Chen Cao finds himself as director of the Shanghai Judicial System Reform Office. To outsiders, it’s a promotion, but Chen knows he’s being removed from the spotlight as he’s immediately placed on involuntary "convalescence leave" to stop him interfering with any cases. However, with various high-profile crimes making headlines and fears escalating over vigilante reprisals, Chen’s superiors know he must at least appear active.

Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow is doing his best to ignore the madness of York's annual Viking Festival when duty calls. The body of a wealthy businessman, who was playing the role of the Viking king, is found slain by his own ancient sword. The murder scene looks staged, but before Shadow can compile a list of people to question a second body is found. Shadow doesn't have to look far for suspects-the victims were by no means model citizens.

Jess Thornton, private eye, is a young man from the small city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, who nevertheless manages to find himself in strange and often supernatural situations as he tries to solve crimes. From traveling through time to fighting witches, he could only survive with the help of his preternaturally gifted warrior friend, Alexander Blackdeer. The two of them together, in this box set of four tales, manage to meet Elvis, King Arthur, and even Nathan Hixon of early La Crosse historic fame. He attacks crime where he finds it, with Alexander the mighty warrior beside him.

At Sir Gerald's medieval festival, the castle is authentic, the jousting is rousing, and the wenches are the sauciest in the land. The only thing missing is decent food. And so Sir Gerald calls in London's gourmet detective, an expert food finder, whose specialties include locating rare ingredients, designing historically accurate menus, and solving the occasional murder. And all three skills will be tested if he is to escape the age of chivalry alive. After the day's first joust, the winning knight falls to the ground, poisoned.