English Private Detectives

Meet Kyle King - a 30-something cop who has already accumulated the bitterness of a retiree and spends most shifts lapping the streets of Fullerton, California, with 90s hip hop as his siren song. Sick of having his own hands cuffed by the rigidness of traditional law enforcement, Kyle yearns to pursue the next generation of criminals who are making a mockery of the police force and running amok in cyberspace. The keyboard warriors have had free rein of the virtual world for too long without any accountability - until now.

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully abridged versions are shorter with the language targeted at learners of English.

After Parker and the Avery Detective Agency leave Kansas, they are contracted to work in conjunction with the ATF and FBI on solving the mysterious oil-trafficking case that is plaguing the area. The group is sent to Chicago in an attempt to get to the bottom of the crime ring that is terrorizing local farmers by confiscating oil from their land, but as they dive deeper into the case, figures from the past emerge, and the group might find that the culprit behind the whole thing is right under their nose.

Detectives Alexandra Winter and Jack Daniels have been close friends and partners ever since they started working at the San Diego Police Department. In fact, on their latest case there's only one thing separating them: the fact that Alexandra's been murdered by their main suspect. But that doesn't mean either of them have stopped in their hunt for the killer...

Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury. Now, the judge's wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Silvius is the one responsible for a series of threatening letters her husband has recently received. Eager to avoid the scandal that involving the local police would entail, Lady Elspeth seeks out retired stage magician Joseph Spector, whose discreet involvement in a case Sir Giles recently presided over greatly impressed her.

Inspector Lestrade asks for Holmes's help after Charles McCarthy is murdered, and his son, James, is implicated. McCarthy, and another local landowner, John Turner, are both Australian expatriates, and Lestrade was originally engaged by Turner's daughter, Alice, who believes James is innocent. Holmes interviews James, and then inspects the scene of the murder, deducing a third man was present. Realising Holmes has solved the case, Turner confesses to the crime, revealing that McCarthy was blackmailing him due to Turner's criminal past.

Jabez Wilson, a pawnbroker, consults Holmes about a job, gained only because of his red hair, which took him away from his shop for long periods each day; the job for to simply copy the Encyclopædia Britannica. After eight weeks, he was suddenly informed that the job ended. After some investigation at Wilson's shop, Holmes contacts a police inspector and the manager of a nearby bank. With Watson, they hide in the bank vault and catch two thieves who had dug a tunnel from the shop while Wilson was at the decoy copying job.

The King of Bohemia engages Holmes to recover an indiscreet photograph showing him with the renowned beauty, adventuress and opera singer Irene Adler – the revelation of which would derail his marriage to a daughter of the King of Scandinavia. In disguise, Holmes witnesses Adler marry the man she truly loves, then by means of an elaborate stratagem discovers the photograph's hiding place. But when Holmes and the king return to retrieve the photo, they find Adler has fled the country with it, leaving behind a letter for Holmes and a portrait of herself for the King. The king allows Holmes to retain the portrait as a souvenir.

Neville St. Clair, a respectable businessman, has disappeared and his wife claims she saw him at the upper window of an opium den. Rushing upstairs to the room she found only a beggar who denied any knowledge of St. Clair – whose clothes are later found in the room, and his coat, laden with coins, in the River Thames outside the window. The beggar is arrested, but a few days later St. Clair's wife receives a letter from her husband. Holmes concludes, then proves, that the beggar is actually St. Clair in disguise; he confesses that he has been leading a double life as a beggar, making more money that way than in his nominal work.

Against the wishes of her stepfather, Mary Sutherland has become engaged to Hosmer Angel. On the morning of their wedding Hosmer elicits a promise that Mary will remain faithful to him "even if something quite unforeseen" occurs, then mysteriously disappears en route to the church. Holmes deduces that Hosmer was Mary's stepfather in disguise, the charade a bid to keep Mary a spinster and thus maintain access to her inheritance. Holmes does not reveal the truth to Mary because "There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman".

John Openshaw tells Holmes that in 1883 his uncle died two months after receiving a letter inscribed "K.K.K." with five orange pips enclosed, and that in 1885 his father died soon after receiving a similar letter; now Openshaw himself has received such a letter. Holmes tells him to do as the letter asks and leave a diary page, which Holmes deduces is connected to the Ku Klux Klan, on the garden sundial. Openshaw is killed before he can do so, but Holmes discovers the killers have been travelling on a sailing ship, and sends the captain a letter with five orange pips. The ship is lost at sea.

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.

When a boy is found dead with the skin of a hare’s head in his hand, everyone knows who killed him—Willis Newland, just released from prison after serving twenty years for an identical murder. But what if everyone’s wrong? Detective Colly Newland reluctantly agrees to investigate a case that seems to involve the whole town, including her dead husband’s extended family. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets she unearths.

Sherlock Holmes reappears in London after a three-year absence, shocking Dr. Watson, who believed his good friend had been killed in a confrontation with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls. Holmes is compelled to outwit the “second most dangerous man in London” who has a good reason to hope for Holmes’ demise.

PI Jarvis Mann was captivated by the sultry tones of his female client.... Emily White with girl next door looks and shimmering eyes that begged for help…. She is being stalked but isn’t certain by whom…and this wasn’t the first time.

There's no place like home for the holidays - or for having you darkest secrets revealed! Can Rafael Jones manage to find the missing girl, build on his romance with agent Clara Thomas, and still keep his parents thinking he's living a normal life instead of being living dead? And will working for the forces of Heaven strengthen Rafael's faith or shake it? Wizards, witches, angels, and pixie dust bring their own surprises for Rafael's Christmas.

Who knew a watch could cause so much trouble? Lucy certainly didn't think so. But now she's found herself thrust into a mystery far bigger than she thought she'd have to. Which should be what every PI wants. But not this one. She has enough going on without ending up in life-or-death situations.

Sebastian Westfield, the grandson of Connor Westfield, is living life in style with the hefty allowance given to him monthly by his grandfather. The problem is, one night started like all the rest, with his arrival at Sid’s Cabaret in Portland, the home of famed theater star Valentina Clemente. When the evening first started, he could remember everything. However, the next instant, his mind goes blank. He can’t remember what happened the rest of the night.

Rafael Jones is always a little out of his depth in rural settings, but he's not just a detective, he's also undead. He can't ignore the call from the Saratoga County coroner when she mentions the bite marks found on several drowning victims during the spring and summer of 1947. However, he knows his weaknesses (sunlight, running water, and a woeful lack of country manners), so he isn't working alone. His slowly developing powers and quick wits may not be a match for something old, strong in magic, and completely cursed.

There was only one case out of hundreds of cold cases that Vincent James Gideon never wholly solved, Rosenthall. If that should happen in Volume 2 of the Case of the Ace of Spades, his son could walk down that lonely hallway to the electric chair. Watching her take a sip, it took the assassin every urge not to swat the glass away, but he knew it was the only way to save his life. He stared at the beautiful woman and wondered how long it would take to go into effect.