The Flower Presser

A half-mutilated torso is found in the river Spree, meanwhile tango music drifts over from Monbijou Park where people are dancing outside. The two faces of Berlin are now in stark contrast. Warren Fischer and Judith Hellwig wonder if the third corpse is the work of a serial killer and they fear for a fourth victim. The motive is still unclear, but one thing is certain: the victims are men. The only common factor is that they were found in the same quadrant of Berlin.

During their investigation, it becomes certain that the killer is honing the art of torture and one member of the team is pushed past their limit. The motive becomes clear as the team investigates past relationships. A silent witness provides the last piece of evidence, which confirms the killer, but time is running out. The question remains, what triggered the person to start the slaughter?

The Green Spiral

The future for all life on Planet Earth is bleak, and human activities are largely responsible. 

This is a story that travels with breakneck speed and excitement, travelling back and forth through various time zones, reality and fantasy, while giving an insight into the mysteries of wild nature and providing possible solutions to help avert species extinction.

The Lost Love

When a young mother and her daughter are found trapped late at night in a crashed car, DI Helen Jennings has officers at the scene and DI Tom Curtis is assigned to the case.

At first sight it appears a straightforward accident but following the report that the child is dead there are more questions than answers…

Who or what is to blame?

The Oblivious Pool

Most murders don’t require a memory inspection of every passenger on board a train. But then most murders don’t happen aboard the Manchester to London express. When Marshall Sullivan finds himself investigating the killing of a high-profile criminal, it’s clear not all those on-board are who they claim to be.

A businessman with investments in memory tech, a Frenchwoman and a fellow officer do nothing to sooth his nerves. But when even his own memories are foggy, Sullivan begins to wonder if he’s not the one being investigated.

But then Cathy is a young journalist with enough money troubles to go after any story, no matter how costly. Animal abuse isn’t something London Bobbies take lightly, but if a plucky journalist can get the scoop before they show up, then what’s the harm in that?

Three Times a Killer

A virus is in circulation in sub-Saharan Africa that has the potential to become a pandemic wreaking havoc on healthcare systems and economies worldwide. Millions will die.

The scientific community and governments work at speed to find a vaccine, but progress is slow. Research labs around the world turn their attention to this latest viral strain in an attempt to find a formula that can be manufactured in volume for global distribution. It’s a race against time.

Dr Dan Thomas was a research scientist working in such a lab to find such a vaccine, but unlike his peers, he was not content to use his talent and intellect to better the world. He had witnessed friends fast-track their careers and accumulate wealth, and he was envious. He was highly intelligent, but a flawed individual addicted to hard drugs and alcohol which affected his judgement. 

Dan’s role in the lab was pivotal. He had responsibility for workflow, monitoring and managing the progress of the lab’s research. A chance encounter with a venture capitalist at a party gave him the idea that he could prosper from stealing the intellectual rights of his employer’s vaccine research, making him a wealthy man, only to encounter challenges he hadn’t anticipated.

This tense and exciting story of one man’s quest for wealth and power reveals the lengths some are prepared to go to in an attempt to achieve their misguided ambitions. Lives are destroyed and people die.

Through the Gate of Horns

Having picked up her friend, Josie, at the station, Lorne hopes for an uneventful drive to Waydon where they will link up with five friends for a reunion weekend. While living in Brasilia, they had become a close group.

During a stop on their journey, a chance meeting with a smart young woman almost makes Josie faint from shock. This leads the woman to introduce herself as Arina Aubel and she insists that Josie and Lorne join her for tea to allow Josie to recover.

Back in the car, Josie tells Lorne that the woman’s face was identical to that of a woman she saw in a recurring dream, though its scene was some two hundred years before. Could the dream be a prophecy and if so, was Arina in danger? When later they see Arina accosted by an angry man, Josie becomes convinced that her dream has a purpose. This belief strengthens as a result of a local rumour heard about the premises Arina is directed to and the man’s quick exit after guiding her there.

As a result of all they have witnessed, Josie persuades Lorne that they have to become amateur sleuths. They stumbled upon organised criminal activity, but had those involved murdered Arina? How close the events will prove to be a re-enactment of the dream? Was it a prophecy?

Following Digital Footprints

Following digital footprints is a detective story with a difference. Different sections of a police force are investigating cases of hire car theft, credit card fraud and identity theft using traditional methods supported by ever more sophisticated IT systems. The criminals, meanwhile, become increasingly greedy but appear to be committing their crimes under the radar. The suspense builds, as the police build their case methodically and with the occasional element of luck. There are several twists and turns as the plot races towards a conclusion, and the reader can only wait and see whether the police or the criminals will succeed.David McCaddon has written an enthralling whodunnit by drawing on his many years of experience in law enforcement systems development working with police forces worldwide. The technical details are described with a light touch and this adds to the enjoyment of the novel. A satisfying read.

The Magician

Step into the bustling heart of 1980s London, where the relentless pulse of finance dictates the rhythm of the city. The Magician unveils the high-octane world of bankers, stockbrokers, and the money moguls who reigned over The City with a cocktail in one hand and destiny in the other.Immerse yourself in the lives of sharply dressed financiers and glamorous women, all entangled in a whirlwind of ambition and allure. As luxury cars line the streets and champagne flows freely in bustling wine bars, the air vibrates with the era’s hit music, accompanying the fortunes made and lost before the closing bell.At the centre of this opulent tale are characters embodying the essence of a time where excess knew no bounds. When the paths of two such individuals intersect, a story of danger and desire unfolds, hinting at a life both thrilling and perilous.The Magician extends an invitation to a bygone epoch, unravelling the allure and perils that danced hand in hand with the pursuit of wealth and status. Through the lives of its entrancing characters, the reader is granted a front-row seat to the spectacle of extravagance and the enigmatic game of chance that was the financial world in 1980s London.

Settling Accounts

Two daughters of a prominent Swedish politician head to Alanya on the Turkish Riviera for a holiday, accompanied by the elder daughter’s boyfriend. In the picturesque resort, they befriend a charming young man who takes a special interest in the younger sister. But idyllic vacations never last. The elder sister and her boyfriend mysteriously vanish, and days later, their bodies are discovered.

The murder of a politician’s daughter and her partner shocks the nation, but the crime goes unsolved for years. That is, until the younger sister comes face-to-face with the killer. Meanwhile, their father – a well-known Swedish figure – refuses to wait for justice. Investigators Klaudia Jassem and Erik Lindberg are drawn into a complex case that unfolds into not just a double, but a quadruple murder.

Blending political intrigue, social commentary on contemporary Sweden, and a gripping romantic subplot, this thriller will captivate readers from start to finish. How far would you go to protect your family? With twists that linger long after the final page, this novel promises to ignite discussion and leave a lasting impression.

Psychopath in Town!

Skeletal remains are found under the town’s sports ground goalpost. Young Wallis Brown, who is the daughter of a police sergeant now deceased, meets Sergeant Sam Watson. He tells Wallis of a psychopath in town. Her long-time friend Cherie Winters is bashed by her husband Neil Winters, who blames Wallis for his job loss and marriage break-down. Wallis discovers a man’s body: Sam says “Stay home at night!” Police hunt to arrest Neil for murder. Wallis, now fearful for her life, runs the short way home through the dimly lit laneway. A man wearing a cap is running after her with a knife! She screams and then falls into oblivion.

Redemption

When cyber security expert Jack Neild goes missing in London it appears to be a straightforward missing person’s case. As the situation unfolds, Justin Kell’s sighting of an adversary from his past makes it clear that kidnap and organised crime are involved. 

With the authorities struggling to make progress in finding Neild and suspicion of a critical event with a global implication increasing, Kell puts his relationship with his longstanding girlfriend on the line as he becomes central to the investigation. 

When information from an unexpected source changes the dynamic of the operation, and with the body count increasing, the security services make their move, but will it be too late?

Secrets in the Attic

Dame Henrietta Copeland in her new role as private investigator finds herself outsmarted by thieves at the local garage sale, when she attends incognito, is wrapped up in a curtain and delivered to a cliff edge, left to perish.

And while it seems like a wild goose chase, she is stalked by an associate of a suspected murdered/suicide victim, who seems to be getting hot under the collar with Henrietta’s enquiries.

She is constantly reprimanded by the magistrate for overstepping the boundaries of the law, while solving cases.

Her devoted family are appalled to find she is befriending an ex-prisoner, the very person who forced her to sell her beloved paddle wheeler after being disgraced for wildlife poaching on the Mighty River Murray.

Undeterred by adversity Henrietta travels to Perth in Western Australia, to assist her prisoned nephew and unwittingly discovers a diamond heist and to Mount Gambier in the Southeast of South Australia seeking a stolen herbal rose formula and inadvertently while sipping tea on her way back to Goolwa, through the Coorong, uncovers a love nest, the cause of an infidelity which she had refused to uncover at the beginning of her new career. There is personal tragedy when news breaks out of the sinking of the paddle wheeler Beatrice Lonsdale, formerly Laurel Wreath which had been moored at Pier 15 on the Goolwa wharf.

There are surprises and disappointments as Henrietta strives to make a living keeping secrets in the attic.