Mystery & Suspense Books
Wherever the Colonel went, the cold, raw fear of his presence cut deep into the minds of those who understood that he was a man with the power to cripple and the power to kill – a man who, in Stalin’s time, had reputedly decided with the roll of a dice whether an underling who had annoyed him should live, or whether he should die. Some said that when he talked of the devil, he spoke of himself. When he appeared in London, at the height of the Cold War, MI5 found it had a major problem on its hands. Experienced master spy Gus Benedict was lured out of semi-retirement in his private detective agency and sent in pursuit of the elusive KGB agent as he engaged British Counter Intelligence in a series of deadly cat and mouse games. Not all of the players would make it to the finishing line …
This is a taut and thoughtful Cold War spy thriller and is book two in the Augustus Benedict series. Commenting on the first book, ‘The Spy with an Angel’s Eyes’, A.B., a former book editor and previously of the Financial Times, said, “The characters spring embodied from the page, even those with bit parts … and the turns of plot are satisfyingly unexpected.”
Available both as a paperback from Amazon (and Waterstones and other good book stores in the UK) or as an e-book from Amazon only. Click here to see an example.
.png)
A series of unexplained killings of British and Russian spies in and around Cold War London draws the CIA, the British intelligence services and the KGB into a dangerous blame game that could spin out of control at any moment. In order to get to the truth of what is going on the CIA recalls Jennifer Marquis, one of its top operatives, to London while the British lure Augustus Benedict into the investigation. Benedict had been their most formidable wartime intelligence officer before leaving the service to set up a private detective’s agency in Mayfair. He is also the former lover of Marquis. When the two are reunited in the race to find who is behind the killings, the sparks begin to fly in every sense of the word. Mixed in with everything else are the most dangerous men in the British criminal underworld and they are in no mood to take any prisoners. Not everyone who begins the investigation will live to see its end …
​
Available to order as a paperback from Amazon and most good UK bookstores and as an e-book from Amazon only. To view a book sample on Amazon click here.
“Well, what can I say – what a creation. … It’s like walking across Morecambe Bay without a guide: put a foot wrong and you don’t know what you’ll step into. Evil is to the side, at the front, behind, below, above …” A.B., a former book editor and previously of the Financial Times.
This is an unusual book, a cross between a supernatural mystery and a psychological thriller. It is also a book of tales within a tale, with traditional-style ghost stories blending seamlessly into the overall narrative. The central protagonist, Christine O’Donnell, a storyteller and modern-day governess, finds herself manoeuvred into a situation whereby she is being used to further the corrupt interests of the quietly menacing ‘Mr. Green’. He is a man so deeply and subtly evil that she fears he may be the devil himself. The children she is responsible for become Green’s pawns in his struggle to prevent her from escaping his controlling influence. Ultimately, both her and their lives seem to depend upon the success or failure of her efforts. This is a slow building potboiler with a devastating finale.
Available both as a paperback from Amazon (and Waterstones and other good book stores in the UK) or as an e-book from Amazon only. Click here to see an example.
​
Luring his prey into the ultimate lockdown in a quiet English country house, a manipulative assassin recreates a 1930s-style murder mystery around them. With no escape, they are forced to play the killer’s game and try and unmask them before the body count runs out of control. A fond tribute to the whodunnits of the past, in which high-tech criminality and low-tech cunning, vicious class warfare and savagely satirical wit, all play their part. Few are who they seem and only the unexpected should be expected …
​
"An intriguing mystery, which I vey much enjoyed," The Mystery Lady, on Amazon.
​
Available to order as a paperback from Amazon and most good UK bookstores and as an e-book or hardback from Amazon only. Click here to see an example.