Showing results by publisher "John Carson" in All Categories

The lifeless body of a renowned author is found murdered within his residence, prompting DCI Harry McNeil to uncover the unsettling truth that not everyone held the man in high regard. Initially dismissed as a tragic mishap stemming from a misjudged publicity stunt, this incident swiftly transforms into a grim realization of foul play.

DCI Sean Bracken is about to buy a house, his ex-wife is talking about getting married, and his father drops a bombshell. He has very little time to get involved with solving a murder, but that's what is thrown into his lap. A young woman found beaten and burned in an old building will be taking up Bracken's every waking minute. He has seen victims like this before, battered almost beyond recognition, a crime that is more than personal. With the crime taking priority, it leaves time for little else and takes Bracken into a world he knew existed but hadn't navigated before.

Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil’s dangerous job wasn’t made for relationships. So when a officer’s remains wash up in a canal, it feels like proof he was right to leave his long-time girlfriend. It looked like a simple murder case. But the victim’s false identity is just the beginning. And someone is determined to make certain those secrets never come to light.

When the lifeless body of a psychiatrist is uncovered in the heart of Edinburgh, the responsibility of unraveling this murder falls upon DCI Harry McNeil and his dedicated team. This well-respected professional had maintained a thriving private practice, commanding deep respect within his field.

He caught him once before. Can he do it again? With Harry McNeil’s life changed forever, he is thrust back into work when a serial killer dies in prison. Harry helped bring him to justice, but even in death, the man has something to say. A message is found at the man’s post mortem. A message for Harry. It isn’t over. An informant in prison claims that the killer bragged about more victims, but none were ever found. Until now. But these victims aren’t from the past. They’re from the present. Just because the mentor is dead, doesn’t mean his spirit doesn’t live on…

Millionaire Murdo Wolf took off in a small plane from the island where he lived, and neither he nor the plane was ever seen again. Until now. The Wolf family have gathered on the island they used to call home. They're celebrating the life of their father, Oliver Wolf, who died six months ago.

A death in the family. A man cut down. When the deceased’s widow witnesses a dark stranger lurking in the neighborhood, the seasoned detective is certain he has the assassin in his sights. But when his hunt for the culprit swerves too close to home, McNeil fears the killings have become personal.

When a body is discovered on a carousel at the fair in The Meadows in Edinburgh, it brings back memories for DCI Harry McNeil. He had history with the man, having arrested him many years ago. The victim was a high-flying politician, destined for great things, but did his secrets catch up with him? Or were the death threats he’d received not taken seriously enough?

DCI Harry McNeil is finally enjoying life outside of policing. But he’s forced back into all work and no play after a transport van explodes and a pair of convicted criminals disappear into thin air.

A mythical man known as Nightmare haunted young children for years. Until he became real. DCI Harry McNeil knows the legend all too well. Growing up in the Highlands, Nightmare was on his and every other child's mind as they went to sleep. Then, Nightmare claimed his first victim. A young girl, found dead in an abandoned cemetery with the words, I am Nightmare, carved into her chest. Two more victims, the same words carved into them. Then Nightmare disappears. Now, years later, there have been reports of graffiti being sprayed around Inverness and on graves in old cemeteries.

Doctor Angela Monroe is found dead at the foot of Salisbury Crags on Arthur's Seat. An avid runner, it first appears that she fell to her death. Until the pathologist deems it murder. It's the night of the summer solstice, and people have been celebrating on the famous dormant volcano. DCI Sean Bracken and his team are called in to lead the investigation. Monroe was a well-respected professor, lecturing at a local university, who had no known enemies and was a private person who kept to herself.

They left him for dead. They made a mistake. On sabbatical from the force after a personal loss, DCI Harry McNeil spends his days renovating an old cottage he bought, and his nights down at the local bar. He's living in a small town where nothing much happens. Until it does. Harry meets a young woman who is searching for her brother who went missing in the area two years ago. He is special needs and she's convinced he wouldn't just run off.

DCI Harry McNeil knows the subzero temperatures can trigger the cruelest of crimes. But when he’s called out in the middle of a blizzard, he’s horrified at the sight of a frozen female corpse found hidden inside a snowman.

Scotland DCI Harry McNeil feels uneasy about visiting his late father’s dementia-afflicted former colleague. But he’s stunned when the retired policeman’s daughter pulls him aside in the nursing home to offer nervous accusations and shocking photographs. And with the images displaying a murder victim from 20 years ago, McNeil fears the senile detective might be the real serial killer long thought dead and buried.

Detective Chief Inspector Harry McNeil had found himself back in CID after a leave of absence saw his team disbanded. Now he's been temporarily assigned to an existing Major Investigation team, working alongside his old friend, Detective Inspector Frank Miller, after Miller's DCI dies suddenly. A body is found in the city center, torn to pieces. It's reminiscent of a cold case from years ago and the victim is quickly identified, bringing the old murder enquiry back front and center.

As the end of the year draws to a close, Detective Chief Inspector Sean Bracken is called to a murder scene near the Writer's Museum. The body of a woman is sitting on a bench in the square, her frozen hand holding a paperback. The book is by famous American professor of psychology and crime writer Edwin Hawk, who has just ended a book tour, culminating in Edinburgh. Knowing he is the number-one suspect, Hawk sets out to convince Bracken of his innocence. But Bracken has dealt with people like Hawk before. Is the man telling the truth or using psychology to get away with murder?

After a young man's body is discovered by a newlywed couple inside an abandoned caravan, the police initially speculate whether his death was accidental. However, the investigation takes a dramatic turn when they uncover the victim's true identity. The deceased has a deadly past, and barely paid the price for the heinous crime he committed. DCI Harry McNeil is assigned the task of identifying the victim’s killer, but the case soon becomes shrouded in secrecy. The man's past is far more complex than anyone had anticipated.

DCI Harry McNeil is back at the helm, joined by his old friend, DI Frank Miller. He is juggling his private life with being a single father, running a new Major Investigation Team, and spending time with a woman who may or may not become more than just friends. Edinburgh at New Year is a time for celebration, fun, and for one person, murder.

A hearse crashes into an old church and is abandoned. The police find a coffin inside but the body isn't a recent death. It's the badly decomposed body of a girl who went missing 30 years ago. DCI Harry McNeil is sent north to coordinate the hunt for a killer, along with colleagues from Glasgow. The town plays host to the annual Christmas Land festival, and this year marks the 30th anniversary. With the festivities in full swing, it seems that somebody wants to draw attention to the town for a different reason.

A woman is found dead, brutally murdered, her death made to look like an accident. DCI Sean Bracken is called in and discovers that the young woman has a very powerful father. Was somebody trying to get back at him, or has the woman's secrets finally caught up with her? Bracken also has to deal with the mysterious arson attack on his boss' house. And a name from the past resurfaces, a name that Bracken thought was dead and buried.