Badger's Drift - a tranquil English village, home to Miss Emily Simpson, a kindly, well-liked spinster. But when poor Miss Simpson takes a gentle stroll in the woods near her home one day and sees something among the trees that she was never meant to see, her peaceful existence is brought to an abrupt end. To most, Miss Simpson's death looks natural enough, but her old friend Miss Lucy Bellringer is unconvinced and calls on Chief Inspector Barnaby for help. Sure enough, as he investigates, a previously unseen seamy side to Badger's Drift is revealed - one where old rivalries, old loves and new scandals are rife. And then there's a second, horrifically gruesome killing...
Chief Inspector Barnaby Series
This series transports you to the picturesque yet deadly English countryside. Follow a sharp-witted police inspector as he unravels a series of mysterious murders plaguing seemingly tranquil villages. Each case delves into dark secrets and complex relationships hidden beneath the surface of idyllic communities. Prepare for captivating detective stories filled with surprising twists and memorable characters.
Recommended Reading Order
A Chief Inspector Barnaby Mystery: Death of a Hollow Man
- 322 pages
- 12 hours of reading
Actors do love their dramas, and the members of the Causton Amateur Dramatic Society are no exception. Passionate love scenes, fits of ego, jealous rages, operatic reconciliations--put together, they’re better than a paycheck, which is good thing, because no one in this production of Amadeus is getting one. However, even the most theatrically minded have to admit that murdering the leading man in full view of the audience is a bit over the top. Luckily, Inspector Tom Barnaby is in that audience, and while he may lack certain skills as a theater critic, he’s just the man to figure out who removed the tape from the “prop” straight-razor, causing the star to slit his own throat downstage-center. With so many dramas playing out, there’s no shortage of motives or suspects, including the star’s embittered ex-wife and faithless widow, plus secret lovers and jealous understudies galore. Ms. Graham, a former actress, tweaks her collection of community-theater artistes and small-town drama queens with merciless delight, and the reader’s only regret will be that, eventually, the curtain must come down on the final page. The 2nd Inspector Barnaby Mystery
Midsomer Murders - Featuring Inspector Barnaby - 3: Death in Disguise
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
When the death up at the big house is announced to the village of Compton Dando, few are surprised. Given that it's the home of an unlikely bunch of New Age oddballs, perhaps it was a only a matter of time before one of them came to a bad end. The verdict: an accident. But only weeks later, another death is reported, and this time there's no doubt about it - it's murder. To Chief Inspector Barnaby, hurriedly summoned to the scene, it is immediately apparent that the case is far from straightforward, the suspects being among the most bizarre he has ever encountered...
Midsomer Murders - 4: Written in Blood
- 467 pages
- 17 hours of reading
It's clear to most members of Midsomer Worthy's Writers' Circle that asking bestselling author Max Jennings to talk to them is a little ambitious. Less clear are the reasons for secretary Gerald Hadleigh's fierce objections to seeing the man - a face from his past - again. Astonishingly, Jennings accepts the invitation but, before the night is out, Gerald is dead. Summoned to investigate, Chief Inspector Barnaby finds that Gerald's life is as much of a mystery to his neighbours as his violent death. The key is surely their illustrious guest speaker - but where is he now?
Discover the original novels behind ITV's Midsomer Murders, featuring favourite characters Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy. Now includes a brand-new foreword by John Nettles, star of the ITV drama.
Midsomer Murders Mystery - 6: A Place of Safety
- 377 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Tucked away in the charming English village of Ferne Basset, the local rectory is supposed to be a place of safety, not danger. So when ex-vicar Lionel Lawrence opens the rectory to help young offenders he has no way of predicting the consequences--least of all that they will include blackmail and murder. The mysterious disappearance of the wild Carlotta, his most recent charge, seems to involve both. And not only has Carlotta vanished, but village resident Charlie Leathers is found dead. Although Charlie was not the most popular man in town, few people seemed to hate him enough to murder him. Inspector Barnaby comes to the scene as the small town buzzes with theories about the unfortunate events. It's not long before Barnaby has ideas of his own--Ferne Basset offers a wide variety of plausible suspects. However, what Barnaby doesn't know is that before his death Charlie witnessed what might have been Carlotta's suicide--or murder. A man is dead, a girl is missing, and a town is in chaos as long-kept secrets begin to unravel, with deadly repercussions.
"Barnaby and Troy are experts at uncovering the sordid details of the lives of the English countryside's most secretive residents, and they soon go to work at Forbes Abbot. Was Dennis Brinkley done in by crooked business partners, a teenage seductress, or a couple of would-be publishers who've just inherited - and then lost - millions? Or perhaps it was tired, timid little Benny Fraye, who wouldn't hurt a fly - would she? Barnaby and Troy will soon find out just who set in motion the gruesome machine that crushed the unfortunate victim."--BOOK JACKET.
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Zwei Fälle für Inspector Barnaby in einem Band Die Rätsel von Badger's Drift Badger's Drift ist ein verschlafenes Dorf zwischen sanften grünen Hügeln. Dort wird Miss Emily Simpson Zeugin eines Vorfalls, der von ihr besser unentdeckt geblieben wäre, denn kurz darauf ist die freundliche alte Dame tot. Als Chief Inspector Barnaby sich des Falles annimmt, kommt er langjährigen Rivalitäten, Skandalen und Affären auf die Spur. Requiem für einen Mörder Gebannt verfolgen die Theaterbesucher den Selbstmord von Salieri in einer Aufführung von „Amadeus“. Aber der Darsteller stirbt tatsächlich – jemand muss ihm ein echtes Messer untergeschoben haben. Inspector Barnaby stellt fest, dass fast alle Darsteller als Täter in Frage kommen...
