Well He Would Wouldnt He

1963 UK. The Profumo -Keeler sex-and-espionage scandal crocks the Establishment. Jonas Forbes is hired to protect leading figures but stumbles on to activities which could guarantee future nightmares involving zombies and sewers. A thriller, rich in period detail, which uses evidence from actual legal and police activity

Paul Saxon, the level-headed commander of an elite serial killer detection squad and his loyal partner Detective Sergeant Guy "Nosey" Parker are sent to the village of Sewel Mill, near Brighton on the south coast of England to catch a devious killer who has mastered the ability to commit murder without leaving forensic evidence. Several men are murdered and just when Saxon believes a pattern is emerging, the killer changes his strategy, which is almost unheard of with serial killers. He starts to play games with Saxon, sending him riddles to unravel with the expectation he won't. When Saxon proves a worthy adversary, the killer turns the tables on Saxon threatening those close to him. Saxon, continually struggling to come to terms with the murder of his father and stressed by his recent separation from his wife, starts to think the unthinkable - the only way to catch the killer is unthinkable...let him kill again. With no solid leads to go on, what else can he do? This is a multifaceted tale with red herrings and blind alleys that will leave the reader wishing there were more pages to turn after they're through...and there will be.

1963 The British Establishment becomes rocked by the 'sex-and-espionage' scandal centred on John Profumo, Cabinet Minister, and Christine Keeler, a friend of Stephen Ward, an osteopath charged with living on her immoral earnings. Christine is linked with Eugene Ivanov, a charming Soviet attaché, making the case a matter of national security. Both Christine and Ward are receiving threatening letters so the Home Office hire Jonas Forbes to protect them, at least until after Ward's trial.As 'Jimmy Neville' Jonas infiltrates Ward's circle and soon realises how determined is the Establishment to secure Ward's conviction. He becomes attached to Ward and some members of his circle, especially Sheree Thompson. Then somebody tries to get Jonas killed and the stakes rise drastically. Sheree disappears and Jonas clashes with a gang headed by Laurence 'Chopper' Simpson and his weird brother, Anansi. Sheree's body is found and it appears the sex-killer has struck before. Jonas gives evidence on behalf of Ward although a guilty verdict seems inevitable. And then Jonas disappears.Is the sex-killer also targeting Ward? How does Jonas come to develop future nightmares involving zombies and sewers? What is the link between Simpson's gang and Ward's circle?This lightly-written thriller, rich in period detail, uses actual legal and police accounts.

Desire Lettie Hargreaves wants more than her simple, uncomplicated life with her grandmother can provide. She longs for excitement and love and she's determined to make something of herself. Deceit There is something about Lettie's mother that Ivy has kept hidden from her granddaughter, something that would shatter her world. So when Lettie suggests going into service for the ailing Lady Laughton, Ivy knows she must do something to stop it. Determination Feeling stifled and confused, Lettie chooses a different path that offers her the chance at love and of the life she so craves. But she is still the same strong-minded young woman and her ambition may do more harm than good as she is entirely unaware of the secrets her actions will uncover.

In this mystery by CWA Diamond Dagger winner Catherine Aird, Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan investigates a case of medical malpractice that looks a bit too much like foul play Muriel Ethel Galloway passed away at home, twitching and grasping at objects only she could see. Her family mourns, sad but unsurprised that an old woman suffering from heart disease should die suddenly. But when Mrs. Galloway’s son receives an anonymous call alerting him that his mother’s life was put in jeopardy by her doctors, he demands action from the Calleshire Police. As world-weary detective C. D. Sloan learns, Mrs. Galloway’s passing was just one in a string of eerily similar deaths. Dozens of elderly patients suffering from heart disease have been “gently pushed” toward taking part in the Cardigan Protocol, a double-blind drug trial from the powerful pharmaceutical company Gilroy’s. Something, it seems, is very wrong. But what might have been a simple malpractice case morphs into something much more complex when the doctor in charge of the trials goes missing and the headquarters of Gilroy’s is burgled by animal rights activists. As Detective Sloan well knows, murder is never a simple matter.