Bruce Beckham books in order

A shy, academic teenager, Luke spent the long, hot summer of 1976 working on an isolated bird reserve in Norfolk, England. Like most young men of his age, he found his thoughts preoccupied with the opposite sex and, gradually, peculiar events unfolded around him that seemed designed to take advantage of this Achilles heel.

36 years later, the discovery of human remains at a coastal archaeological site sheds shocking new light upon his experiences of 1976, compelling him to reappraise his memories and, finally, to return to East Anglia in an attempt to unravel the truth of a tale of witchcraft, intrigue, murder and love.

The Dune is a smouldering coming-of-age novel that slowly burns to an explosive, violent and unexpected climax.

Bruce Beckham's Murder, Mystery Collection includes a psychological whodunit, the Orange/Scotsman Award-Winning Cross Words; a true 'ghost' story featuring an enigmatic heirloom in Grandmother's Clock; and the suspenseful Gardyloo, long-listed for the Crime Writers' Association Margery Allingham Award, 2016.

This volume also presents the first 10,000 words of Murder in Adland, introducing maverick British detective, DI Daniel Skelgill - described as "mad, bad and a little bit cozy".

Bruce Beckham is an award-winning copywriter and author. A resident of Great Britain, he has travelled and worked in over 60 countries. He is published in both fiction and non-fiction, and a member of the Society of Authors.

He enjoys a variety of genres, and his works to date include crime fiction, adult fiction, and the acclaimed suspense novel, The Dune. He is the originator of the popular series, Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates.

WHEN A HIGH-FLYING ADMAN is stabbed to death on a company weekend in the English Lake District, local detective Daniel Skelgill finds himself wrenched from his rural Cumbrian comfort zone.

As the investigation unfolds, DI Skelgill is led a merry dance between London and Edinburgh, at every turn confronted by uncooperative suspects – colleagues, wife and lovers of the deceased – each of whom is possessed of motive and opportunity.

Is this a crime of passion, a professional hit, or a cleverly calculated killing borne out of greed and jealousy?

In this traditional-style whodunit, the case can only be solved by carefully piecing together the essential clues – but Skelgill is running out of time. The patience of his superiors wears thin, while the actions of an anonymous agent provocateur serve only to advance the moment when the killer must strike again.

WHEN A LONG-SERVING MASTER at one of England’s most prestigious public schools drowns in Bassenthwaite Lake, Detective Inspector Skelgill is summoned to investigate his apparent suicide.

It soon becomes clear that senior members of staff are not all that they seem. As the school closes ranks, Skelgill realizes he is pitted against a sinister power struggle for control of its highly lucrative operation.

A second violent death threatens to throw the police off the scent, and the sudden mysterious disappearance of a VIP pupil sows panic in their ranks. In a race against time Skelgill is faced by the unthinkable consequences of a third tragedy on his watch.

WHEN A MAN IS FOUND STRANGLED by a climbing rope beneath the Lake District's notorious Sharp Edge, it is assumed he is the victim of a tragic accident.

But Detective Inspector Skelgill suspects otherwise, and his fears are borne out when a second corpse is discovered close to Striding Edge. Soon it appears that a ritualistic serial killer stalks Cumbria's fells.

As the body count increases, Skelgill must determine the connection between the seemingly randomly selected targets – for it is the only hope of ending the reign of terror and unmasking the perpetrator.

WHEN DI Skelgill takes under his wing a talented fell-runner – his underprivileged cousin, Jess – little does he realise in what jeopardy he places her.

For Cumbria is being targeted by the infamous ‘county lines’ drug gangs. As turf wars break out, Jess inadvertently finds herself in the crossfire – but family ties blind her to the danger of her association with Skelgill.

As the body count increases, Skelgill finally recognises the threat to his young protégé – but is it too late to save her?

BY THE TIME Detective Inspector Skelgill becomes the tenth person to be stranded on secluded Grisholm (Pigs’ Isle in Old Norse) where a writers’ retreat is taking place, one of the assembled literati is already dead.

Though natural causes may provide the explanation, a second ‘accidental’ death and a raft of curious experiences convince Skelgill that a cold and calculating killer is at large. But where is his evidence?

Set around Derwentwater in the English Lake District, this traditional whodunit sees Skelgill striving both to fathom the mystery and convince his superiors that it is not merely his imagination at play.

A SPATE OF VICIOUS ATTACKS upon valuable Herdwick sheep, the sudden disappearance of a foreign hiker, and the unexplained drowning of a woodland hermit – a series of apparently unconnected events – draw Detective Inspector Daniel Skelgill to the white-knuckle passes and isolated dales of deepest Lakeland.

As straws in the wind suggest there is sorcery afoot – and a connection to an equally sinister trade in human traffic – Skelgill and his team risk dire consequences as they strive to infiltrate the secretive ring and expose its evil perpetrators.

In the fifth Inspector Skelgill novel, the maverick British detective faces what is his greatest challenge yet, as he wrestles with an error of judgement that could leave his career – and his life – in tatters.

SUMMONED TO AN ISOLATED maximum-security hospital, DI Skelgill inadvertently catches the eye of a notorious female serial killer. Does she read his censorious thoughts? Is this the trigger that turns a routine investigation into a rollercoaster of murder, mayhem, escapes and hostage taking?

And what of the establishment? Are these crises purely coincidental, or is some conspiracy afoot? Could it be blackmail, corruption, a power struggle... or something altogether more sinister?

In this, the sixth stand-alone Inspector Skelgill mystery, search teams comb the moorland for clues, while the maverick Cumbrian detective finds his mental sinews stretched to their very limit.

ONE WEEK AFTER THE DEATH of his 93-year-old twin brother, the reclusive Declan Thomas O’More is found murdered in his study at the ancestral family estate, rambling and isolated Crummock Hall.

Suspicion immediately falls upon his five great nieces and nephews, who between them stand to inherit the considerable proceeds of their grandfather’s will - along with a valuable library of antiquarian books, a collection that is Declan’s lifetime work.

And yet each member of this generation - which includes a famous actor and a successful author - is apparently wealthy in their own right. Why would any of them murder their great uncle?

DI Skelgill and his team must unravel a mystery that not only harks back to the tragic drowning of the children’s parents in Crummock Water in the 1980s, but may also have its roots in the despicable Triangular Trade that enriched so many British and Irish merchant families in the eighteenth century.

WHEN A DOG WALKER discovers a decaying corpse in Harterhow Woods it is surely just a matter of time before the police will close in upon the murderer. But despite a nationwide appeal the distinctive remains defy identification.

Skelgill believes he knows the perpetrator – but his team have other ideas. As they unearth contradictory clues Skelgill becomes impatient – an arrest is made. But when the victim is finally named a new prime suspect emerges.

Skelgill is determined to prevail – but the facts don’t fit his gut feel. And yet, as they search for a vital witness it dawns on him that there may be not one but two killers at large. And one of them may be compelled to strike again.

WHEN LATTER-DAY LOTHARIO and expert kayaker Roger Alcock disappears on the night of the ‘Great Cockermouth Flood’, his attractive wife Maeve takes 24 hours longer than might reasonably be expected to notify the authorities. But when Roger’s corpse washes up on the Solway coast, a post mortem suggests his death may legitimately be classified as misadventure.

Yet as the floodwater recedes, reasons emerge for Roger’s associates to celebrate his demise. Could spurned lovers and fleeced creditors and others who might benefit be acting in silent concert? Jealousy, revenge, greed... these are sentiments that trouble investigating officer DI Skelgill.

In his quest to divine a motive Skelgill enlists a visiting TV reporter, and the sister-in-law of the late Roger Alcock. But is this alluring duo simply playing him for their own devices? Can his famous ‘sixth sense’ come to his rescue in time – or will a second murder erase forever all trace of the killer?

WHEN THE TWISTED CORPSE of elderly zoo-owner Antonia Crow is found beneath the precipitous jaws of Dead Crags, and her twin Vivienne narrowly survives a life-threatening ordeal, locals invoke the legend of the Black Dog – a curse upon the controversial Crow family.

Unearthly baying hound there may be, but it takes a finger to pull a trigger, and when a long-serving zoo hand falls victim to a rifle bullet, DI Skelgill senses there prowls a far more sinister adversary.

For human predators circle the ailing zoo and its valuable land. A property tycoon with bulldozers at the ready. A titled aristocrat who covets ancestral hunting grounds. Volatile animal rights activists that protest malpractice.

Dark clouds gather above the isolated Northern Fells – some great storm is brewing – but to divine its nature defies all logical investigation. Skelgill is drawn inexorably to Dead Crags – where presentiment prickles at his skin. But will his legendary intuition read the signs before the curse makes its final destructive strike?

WHEN BEAUTIFUL YOUNG SOCIALITE Scarlett Liddell apparently commits suicide during a ‘Murder Mystery Weekend’, extravagantly staged at a Lakeland castle, the coroner calls in DI Skelgill to tie up the loose ends.

Post mortem results, however, cast doubt upon the provisional verdict – and circumstantial evidence begins to point to one obvious suspect – the woman’s multi-millionaire husband, Will Liddell.

And when Will Liddell is accused of a separate offence, it seems the noose is tightening around his neck – but as Skelgill delves beneath the surface of the wealthy couple’s exclusive circle, increasingly he realises there may be complex motives afoot.

In this psychological drama Skelgill cannot so easily rely upon his roughhewn intuition. To expose the truth he must penetrate an echelon of society beyond his comfort zone, and a tangle that might almost be the plot for a murder mystery weekend itself.

MURDER ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS?

When the exclusive London-to-Edinburgh sleeper plunges into a snowdrift deep in the Cumbrian fells, DI Skelgill awakes to discover one fellow passenger dead and another missing.

Through a blinding blizzard Skelgill leads a daring evacuation – but even before they reach the sanctuary of an isolated coaching inn, a third traveller suffers a life-threatening mishap.

As suspicion pervades the elite group of apparent strangers, Skelgill has to face an uncomfortable question. Could it be that the dead man - a world authority on money laundering - has been silenced? And is a ruthless conspiracy afoot to gain possession of his incriminating memoirs?

Cut off without communications, surrounded by treacherous moorland, Skelgill must conduct a clandestine investigation. He faces a race against time – and the knowledge that, if he shows his hand, more innocent lives will be at risk.

‘A KILLER IN OUR MIDST?’ cried a newspaper headline to commemorate the disappearance of Mary Wilson. It is two decades since Britain’s first mass DNA sweep failed to incriminate a single local male. Mary was listed merely as a missing person.

Now archaeologists have unearthed human remains in Cummacatta Wood. The forensics match – age, sex, fragments of clothing... and dental records. But the murder hunt has only just begun when an outsider, a convicted serial offender confesses to the crime.

DI Skelgill is unconvinced. Into the fabric of this tightly knit community are woven ancient alliances, intrigues, and enmities. Where his predecessors failed, he is compelled to unravel the prophetic headline – for he believes the killer is still at large.

Virile; handsome; ruthless. When gamekeeper Lawrence Melling takes over at traditional Lakeland sporting estate Shuteham Hall he soon ruffles the feathers of not only elderly Lord Edward Bullingdon and his younger model wife Miranda, but also their adult offspring and fellow estate workers.

Meanwhile local conservationists perceive an existential threat to rare hen harriers nesting on nearby Over Moor. And when Miranda’s jewelry worth a six-figure sum goes missing, and a trusted employee inexplicably disappears, DI Skelgill and his team lift the lid on a plot that simmers with envy, greed, lust and revenge.

Just as a simple solution beckons, in a further diabolical twist it seems the prey turn the tables on the predator. But is it an audacious murder or an innocent accident? Is this the work of a lone actor or a conspiracy? To fathom the mystery Skelgill finds himself in the firing line, whichever way he turns.

Nobody saw her. Nobody can find her.

When 37-year-old Lisa Jackson sets out for work one Friday morning she is in high spirits. Things are going well with her new boyfriend. But when she does not reach her desk, or answer her mobile phone, her colleagues and family raise the alarm.

Suspicion immediately falls on co-worker Ray Piper. A married man, he and Lisa have recently ended an affair. But steely-eyed Piper denies any knowledge of Lisa’s disappearance.

Yet as the police begin to piece together her last movements – and match them to those of her ex-lover – a narrative emerges that leads to only one possible conclusion.

With Skelgill and DS Leyton otherwise engaged, it falls to DS Emma Jones to head the investigation – a chance for the bright young detective to shine. But soon she finds herself engaged in a deadly battle of wits with a cold and calculating adversary.

Will she hold her nerve? Will she succeed alone? And what will happen if she does not find Lisa – for no body undermines her case.

As the trial date nears, hopes begin to fade – Lisa is gone without trace. And a scheming killer may walk free.

TWELVE CLOSE FRIENDS, ONE DEADLY ENEMY.

A Ouija board spells out ‘MURDER’ and next morning wealthy widow Daisy Mills is found drowned at a Lakeland beauty spot. Was this a warning from beyond the grave, or an agent provocateur among the house party?

Could the earlier death of successful businessman Simon Mills really be the accident it seemed? And was it by coincidence that the same clique of old school friends had met before each tragedy?

Pitched into this forest of uncertainty, Skelgill and his team glean perplexing clues – an anonymous phone call, a hidden tracking device, a secret assignation – but hard evidence is thin on the ground and alibis watertight.

For want of a clear view, the detectives follow the money trail – and a tenuous case begins to take shape. But Skelgill is uneasy. Is the group closing ranks, or are long-held enmities subtly being played out around them?

A BLIND EYE TURNED, AN INJUSTICE DONE.

High in lonely Swinesdale, notorious burglars Jake and Boris Baddun perish in a burnt-out stolen Mercedes. Known associate Dale Spooner leaves his biological signature and the predatory DI Alec Smart moves in for the kill. Spooner is convicted, and now languishes in jail.

A rumor reaches Skelgill: Spooner is innocent and can prove it – a cast-iron alibi, a video on a hidden mobile phone. But Spooner will not talk. At stake is the safety of his girlfriend Jade Nelson and their young child.

While Spooner remains the fall guy, the real killer walks free – and organized crime pulls the strings. Realizing the jeopardy, unable officially to re-open the case, Skelgill and his team walk a tightrope. Their challenge: to penetrate a mystifying wall of silence, and ‘unsolve’ a murder – while nobody notices.