Mysteries

Gene Hawkins, investigator by trade, was expert at arranging events so that they appeared accidental to all involved. Therefore, when he himself witnessed an 'accident' his curiosity flared up bright, and he insisted on looking into what he regarded as a work of art. A quarter of a million pounds worth of Derby-winning stallion had vanished into the Blue Grass of Kentucky... and a young man and a girl spent a dangerous afternoon in a punt on the River Thames.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the deceptively mild spinster sleuth. Wealthy businessman Rex Fortescue is found dead with rye grain in his pocket. His death is followed in quick succession by a woman dying while eating bread and honey, and a maid in her garden. Inspector Neele, in charge of investigating the spate of murders, consults with Miss Marple, who has an interesting and surprising theory to offer.

Technology has advanced in 2060 New York City, but childbirth has been the same since the beginning of time. And despite the brutal double homicide on Lieutenant Eve Dallas' caseload, she has to be there for her pregnant friend, Mavis, even if it means throwing the dreaded baby shower. But Mavis needs an even bigger favor now. Tandy Willowby, one of the moms-to-be in her class, has gone missing, just days before her due date.

In this collection of 12 ingenious and baffling tales, the author demonstrates her mastery of the short, sharp mystery story. Lord Peter Winsey appears in several of the stories, as does Monague Egg, the travelling salesman extraordinaire.

Arlette Van der Valk finds herself widowed from a man who left an indelible mark on the world of crime investigation. After her initial grief, Arlette is at a loose end - Piet was her life, but Van der Valk soon finds that making decisions help ease the pain. After remarrying, she sets up an advisory agency but things don't always run smoothly as this ingenious story shows. Not only dealing with her clients' problems, Arlette must also deal with threats to her life.

Detective Gunnhildur sets to investigate two seemingly separate cases, but uncovers some disturbing links. Top class crime writing set in Icleand. Following her promotion and working now from Reykjavik, Gunnhildur is given responsibility for two cases - the first in tracking down an escaped convict who's keen to settle old scores, and the other, the murder of a TV fitness presenter in her city centre apartment.

When the body of journalist Duncan Brown is found in the back of a rubbish truck, Inspector John Carlyle is thrown into the middle of a scandal that threatens to expose the corrupt links between the police, the political establishment, and the hugely powerful Zenger media group. Hunting down Brown's killer, Carlyle finds himself going head to head with his nemesis, Trevor Miller. A former police officer turned security adviser to the Prime Minister, Miller has dirty money in his pockets and other people's blood on his hands. Untouchable until now, he is prepared to kill again to protect his position.

Running a one-woman agency in Strasbourg, Arlette Van der Valk sets out to uncover an illegal fur-trader's activities and ends up in the Argentine searching for a runaway. What ensues is a chilling warning from a mysterious voice on the telephone. It seems that one of her murdered husband's rivals has finally caught up with her. Life for Arlette is just one damn thing after another.