Catherine Aird Books

When Mike Wakefield's business partner absconded with their printing firm's money, Mike and his wife Stephanie feared bankruptcy. Detective Inspector Sloan is at first tasked with what appears to be a cut-and-dry case of embezzlement, but that is before unsettling events - tyres slashed, bricks through windows - make it clear that someone is really gunning for him. However, Mike Wakefield was determined to finish a print job that had been in hand for a while in time for a launch party at the grand setting of Ornum House. All goes according to plan until one of Mike's employees was found dead . And he wasn't the only casualty. DI Sloan and DC Crosby have a tangled set of motives and some devious chicanery to unpick to discover a killer.

Much-loved Calleshire research chemist Derek Tridgell has been ill for some time. On his deathbed, his incessant, but unintelligible mutterings culminate in a very clear cry of foul murder. Sloan and Crosby are brought in to investigate whether these are just the ramblings of a man at death's door, or a real confession at the final hour.

When Jack Haines reports a break-in at his greenhouse, the motive of the intruder is unclear. Other than the destruction of some expensive orchids, no damage has been done and nothing seems to be missing. But Detectives Sloan and Crosby sense something sinister, and soon their suspicions are confirmed.

The dramatic theft of an 18th Century painting is discovered just moments before the old manor house uniquely depicted in the background of the portrait is set alight, coincidence? Does the reputation of the Baronet, the subject of the painting, as a hell-raiser and member of the Crustacean club have any connection to the fire?

Three Sloan and Crosby titles:His Burial TooLast RespectsHarm's Way

Twenty-two brand new short stories which are guaranteed to delight fans and win the author many more. The indefatigable detective Inspector Sloan reappears in many of these stories with his sidekick Crosby. But there are also new characters to be met, such as the mysterious Malcolm Venables of the Secret Service. Full of delicious twists and turns, Last Writes is a collection to curl up with and savour.

Set against the backdrop of a village scarred by wartime bombing, the discovery of a pregnant girl's skeleton during redevelopment ignites a chilling investigation. With a bullet still lodged in her spine, the case presents a haunting mystery for detective C. D. Sloan, who must unravel the secrets of the past in a search for answers. As the investigation unfolds, the dark history of Lamb Lane resurfaces, revealing the intertwined fates of its inhabitants.

Four strangers learn that they - along with a missing man - are descendants of an inventor and each entitled to part of his fortune. But first, the missing man must be found. They begin their search, but then Detective Sloan receives a call that one of the legatees had died. Was it really food poisoning, or is something more sinister afoot?