Brutal Crimes: a British crime mystery full of twists

Discover a series of British crime mysteries set on the Dorset coast from bestselling author Michael Hambling.

Detective Sophie Allen investigates the brutal murder of one of her own. But with her team falling apart, do they have any hope of catching the culprit?

Twelve-year-old Amy Birkbeck is checking her bat boxes late one cold January evening in the woods by her house.

She witnesses something no child should ever see - a group of men rolling a body into the deep pool of the disused old clay pit.

Meanwhile, Detective Sophie Allen's team is falling apart.

One of the members of the unit goes missing. Surely he couldn't be the body in the pool? Or is something much darker going on?

Then a second body is found in the disused clay pit. And it seems the dead man is connected to a suspected arms dealer . . .

There are dangerous goings-on in Sophie's quiet patch of Dorset, and she doesn't know who to trust.

This intricately crafted mystery is perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Ann Cleeves, J.D. Kirk, J.M. Dalgliesh and Pauline Rowson.

READERS LOVE BRUTAL CRIMES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Very easy to get in to and hold you until the end. Full of twists and turns. The characters stand out from the pages.' Sandy B.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Another brilliant read from a fantastic author. Edge-of-your-seat reading as usual. Can't get enough of these books.' Kindle Customer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I love this series of books. I can't put them down and enjoy every single word.' Amazon Customer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I had to stay up late into the night to finish it, I just couldn't put the book down!' Ren

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Michael's characters are excellent. The story line has plenty of twists to keep you guessing.' J Noden

THE DETECTIVES

DCI Sophie Allen is Dorset's acknowledged expert on murder and violent crime. She's head of the newly formed Violent Crime Unit in Dorset and is pushed to the limit in her first major case. She's in her forties, and lives with her husband in Wareham. She has two grown-up daughters. Sophie has a law degree and a master's in criminal psychology. Her brilliant mind conceals some dark secrets from her past.

DS Barry Marsh is based at Swanage police station. He's quiet, methodical and dedicated, the perfect foil for Sophie's hidden fragility.

THE SETTING

Dorset is beautiful county in the south-west of England, made up of picturesque market towns, traditional farmland and a stunning section of the coastline. Its beauty belies a darkness beneath the surface.