Rachel McLean

DCI Lesley Clarke is settling into her new job in Dorset's Major Crimes Unit, and becoming accustomed to a slower pace of life. But then she's called in to solve the murder of a woman with links to Lesley's new girlfriend. Has Lesley made a grave error of judgement?

When Alison Osman takes her children on a trip to Cadbury World, she thinks their squabbling is her worst problem. But when she turns to find them gone, she's plunged into every mother's worst nightmare. And then the message arrives, telling Alison she has three days to choose one of her children.

Meet DCI Lesley Clarke. She’s a straight-talking city copper who doesn’t suffer fools gladly… and she’s been transferred to rural Dorset. After being injured in a bomb attack, Lesley is presented with a choice — early retirement, or a period of respite in a calmer location.

DI Zoe Finch is settling into her new role in Cumbria CID. She’s solved her first murder with the help of her new team, averted a potential riot, and is starting to learn who she can trust inside Cumbria Police – and who she can’t.

DI Zoe Finch has been in Cumbria long enough to know who’s pulling the strings in organised crime, and who’s helping them from within the police. But just as she’s closing in on the evidence to prove it, she finds herself scrambling in the fallout from the murder of a key witness.

In these bonus stories, you can get more of the Chartwell and Crouch team's exploits and sleuthing, as an exclusive addition to the main books.

A vicious killer... a race against time. When two men are found mutilated in Birmingham's gay village just before Christmas, DI Zoe Finch and her team are perplexed. Did their attacker mean to kill one of the men, or simply injure them both?

The dust has settled after the arrest of DCI Mackie's killer and Lesley has been told to make a few changes. She's got two DIs to manage, including one she's clashed with in the past, and is overseeing the return of a colleague who left Dorset under a cloud.

An isolated community... a web of secrets... a mysterious death. When a body washes up on the shores of Brownsea Island, DCI Lesley Clarke initially suspects suicide. But as she gets closer to the island's close-knit community, she starts to suspect foul play.

While enjoying their regular early morning swim, the friends discover the body of local artist Clifford Muldoon, floating near Lyme Regis's iconic Cobb. Annie's daughter, DC Tina Abbott, has things under control. But that doesn't mean the swimming club can't help out, as far as Annie's concerned.

Meet Annie, Rosamund, Helen and Figgy. Four very different women united by a love of swimming in Lyme Regis's beautiful bay.

When DCI Lesley Clarke is called upon to investigate a death on the banks of the River Frome in Wareham, she initially suspects a straightforward drowning. But when she discovers that the victim went missing years ago and that his family have a dark past, the mystery deepens.

DCI Lesley Clarke is a busy woman. She's dealing with the reopened investigation into DCI Mackie's death, supporting DS Dennis Frampton through recurring mental health problems, and making plans for her own future. And then prominent crime boss Arthur Kelvin is found dead at a local beauty spot.

DCI Lesley Clarke is back in Dorset, and her world has turned upside down. One of the people she's closest to is to under arrest for the murder of DCI Mackie and a body has been found in the remote lighthouse at Portland Bill.

DI Zoe Finch has a lot on her plate. New job, new team, new county. And on day one, she’s plunged straight into a murder investigation. Zoe has to hit the ground running.

An anonymous murder victim and a missing journalist: can Lesley uncover the truth? DCI Lesley Clarke has too many suspects to choose from when a wealthy lawyer and her unidentified companion are found brutally murdered in a Sandbanks mansion.

Meet Zoe Finch, West MIdlands Police's newest detective inspector. She's outspoken, ambitious, and damaged. And she's working a case that could make her career, or cost her everything....

DI Zoe Finch has been working in Cumbria for a year. She’s finally got to grips with her team, the area, and much of its criminal underworld. But when a young student is found stabbed to death outside a burning barn, the investigation leads her both out of Cumbria, and closer to home.

DI Zoe Finch has survived her first winter in Cumbria CID. She’s learning to trust her team, even if they do have a tendency to get themselves into dangerous situations. And finally, the sun is beginning to shine.

The Susannah Ramsay and Sadie Dawes cases are solved and DCI Lesley Clarke's team is back together. But there are tensions. Is Dennis hiding more than just mental health problems? Did Superintendent Carpenter cover up the details of DCI Mackie's death?