Showing results by author "Helen Durrant" in All Categories

The body of a blonde young man found in the canal is discovered to be that of a journalist who had been claiming he was onto the story of a lifetime. The area where he was murdered turns out to be subject to a land dispute. A young woman is adamant she remembers a childhood twin brother, but her father swears she’s an only child. And now a second young blonde is missing. Rachel King and her East Manchester CID team must determine what links this all together - or are they being led to draw connections which aren’t there? And if so, who is pulling their strings? 

Annie Naden and her husband buy a remote country cottage at auction. It’s the home of their own that they always wanted, but as they begin renovations, Annie discovers a satchel in a dusty old hidden cupboard. Inside are the usual schoolbooks, now over 40 years old, and a girl’s diary. Among the record of day-to-day crushes and pop concerts is a secret whose terrible consequences are still resonating to this day. 

A body is found in a car crash, but the victim was already dead.... Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss race against time to catch a vicious serial killer. The first two victims are American university students and both have livestock tags fixed to their earlobes. Who wanted them dead and what's the connection? The detectives piece together the forensic evidence and track down the witnesses, to reach a shocking conclusion.

First a shooting, then a grisly discovery on the common.... Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss race against time to track down a killer before the whole area erupts in violence. Their boss thinks it's all down to drug lord Ray Fallon, but Calladine's instincts say something far nastier is happening on the Hobfield housing estate. Can this duo track down the murderer before anyone else dies and before the press publicise the gruesome crimes?

A girl’s body is found in a dustbin. 'Dead Meat' is written on a note found with her. The girl was part of a group of bullies from the local school. But DI Calladine recognises the MO of Craig Donnelly, a killer he thought he’d put away forever. And coincidentally Donnelly has just been released from prison. But when Detective Calladine charges in, he finds out that Donnelly has a watertight alibi and is under the protection of the local vicar, who thinks Donnelly is a changed man. When another girl goes missing from the same group of friends, Calladine must look elsewhere....

A teenage girl’s body is found in the back of a car on the notorious Hobfield housing estate. No one had reported her missing, but she’s been dead for a week. Meanwhile, an old jar is brought into the station. It was found carefully wrapped in a blanket, with a child’s pink hairclip. The jar contains ashes and bone fragments. Seventeen years ago, Detective Tom Calladine had been part of a team investigating the disappearance of Jessica Wilkins. Her mother had taken her to Leesdon Park one summer afternoon. She went to get the child an ice cream, and when she returned her daughter was gone. 

A man is found dead in his bed, suffocated, covered in confetti and with his ring finger missing. Detective Rachel King informs his daughter and takes her to identify the body. But she's never seen the man before in her life. What if you don't even know who the killer really wanted to murder? Then a second murder. This time a woman, Alison, also suffocated and with her finger severed and confetti strewn over her body. The team desperately search for a link before anyone else dies. Meanwhile, someone has been running a property scam, selling dream houses that will never be built. 

A murdered woman found on a building site. Executed by a single gun shot. But worse is to come. Another body is found buried in the same place. Detective Rachel King has two victims to deal with. The first woman was local nurse, Agnes Moore. One of the victim’s friends makes contact but then disappears. Does Rachel have a serial killer on her hands? And what was Agnes really helping local girls with? Will Rachel’s former lover, well-known villain Jed McAteer, come back to haunt her with his connections to the victims? Who will pay the ultimate price next? 

An unlikely serial killer with a bucket list of victims.... Police partners, D.I. Calladine and D.S. Ruth Bayliss battle a murderer who is working their way through a list of victims. Each murder is meticulously planned and unique, and a tarot card is left at the scene of the crime. When two children disappear in the local area, the stakes are raised and the team are baffled by the link between the crimes. Calladine and Bayliss race against time to prevent any more carnage.

A woman is murdered in an empty house. Within 24 hours there is another horrific murder using the same method. The detectives soon deduce that the victims are random, but the locations are not. The killer looks for the right house - somewhere he won't be disturbed. When a man confesses, it looks like the case is closed, but Detective Stephen Greco is unconvinced. Can he keep control when things get personal?

A man is shot dead, and his body is dumped on the moors. His arm is stamped with the Chinese symbol for 'sorry'. There have been five unsolved murders with the same hallmark. The police can’t find any motive or connection between the victims. Bella Richards was close to the murdered man. She lives with her five-year-old son and has begun a new life in the local area. But although clearly grief-stricken, she is not telling the police everything she knows. 

A woman is found dead by a canal. Her eyes have been poked out. Detective Stephen Greco has just started his job at Oldston CID and is faced with several murders with no obvious connection except for the murderer's penchant for disfigurement. His team are crumbling under the pressure; he doesn't know whom he can trust. Can Greco regain composure and control in order to stop the murders?

An abandoned cotton mill holds horrific secrets. Police partners DI Calladine and DS Ruth Bayliss face one of their toughest challenges yet. A group of homeless people have set up camp in the grounds of a disused cotton mill belonging to local businessman Damien Chase. But one of the men is not what he seems. He has a secret he will do anything to cover up. And once Calladine and Bayliss investigate, they find the crimes go much further than they could have ever imagined.

A teenager is found dead, stabbed through the heart by a professional killer. Detective Stephen Greco and his team must find out who the victim was and work to piece together the backstory. Then 'The Knifeman' strikes again, leading DCI Greco into a depraved world of exploitation. How is drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? What is the connection with a private clinic that provides plastic surgery for the elite?

Ronald Potter is found dead on the kitchen floor of a house he was about to show a client around. Ronald led a blameless life, and Detective Matt Brindle and the team cannot find any motive for his murder. But an intensive search of the property leads to a very disturbing discovery in the cellar. Meanwhile, a young mother is being held captive by someone who will stop at nothing to get the information they want. DI Matt Brindle discovers connections to organised crime and a sleazy nightclub. Can he expose the villains before any more people die?