Leigh Russell – författare

Four dead bodies. But who is guilty in this deadly web of secrecy and lies?When a homeless man is murdered, Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel is disturbed by the coldblooded nature of the crime. With the discovery of a second victim, the police hunt for a killer whose motive is as elusive as he is dangerous. In an investigation plagued by police scepticism, Geraldine is relentless in her pursuit of the truth. Drawn into the lives of three people caught in a toxic web of love and deceit, Geraldine learns there is more to this case than she had imagined.

When a hysterical mother reports her baby's sudden disappearance, suspicion immediately falls on the absent husband. But Detective Geraldine Steel's gut instinct tells her this case is not as simple as her colleagues think...Complications in the mother's life begin to surface, including her relationship with her controlling father, a controversial political figure. As the police investigate, their urgent attempt to find the missing infant grows ever more perplexing.Steel is forced to suspect everyone associated with the family - and when a body is discovered, matters take a deadly turn.

A wheelchair-using woman is strangled and her son, Eddy, is arrested. When his alibi falls apart, the police are satisfied that he is guilty. Only Geraldine doubts whether Eddy is cunning enough to kill his mother and cover his tracks so successfully.The situation becomes more complicated when the girlfriend Eddy claims he was with at the time of the murder denies having met him. Shortly after the girl thinks she is being stalked, her dead body is discovered outside Eddy's house.As the body count grows, the investigation team is getting desperate, pushing Geraldine to breaking point.

Living with her colleague and long time love interest, Detective Inspector Ian Peterson, it seems that Geraldine Steel has finally found happiness. But life is never that simple.As a psychopath starts killing random women on the streets of York, Geraldine is abducted by a drugs syndicate who have been threatening her sister. Geraldine has everything to fight for, and her life is on the line...

When a pupil accuses a teacher of molesting her, his career and marriage are threatened...The girl's corpse is discovered in the woods, and the teacher becomes a suspect in a murder enquiry. The victim's best friend is then murdered so she cannot reveal the killer's identity. The investigating team are satisfied the teacher is guilty, apart from Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel, who believes the wrong man has been arrested.All of her colleagues disagree... but if she is right, the real killer remains at large.

When a sex worker dies in suspicious circumstances in York, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel struggles to remain focused on the murder investigation. She is distracted by her worries about her colleague and life partner, Ian Peterson, who has disappeared. Geraldine becomes close to her colleague, Matthew. She is unaware that Ian is working under cover in London, helping to identify a criminal gang who have been targeting Geraldine. As a second victim is discovered in York, Ian's life is threatened by a psychopath. If he fails in his mission, both he and Geraldine may die...

DI Geraldine Steel knows people go missing all the time; often because they don't want to be found. So when her partner Ian asks her to look into the disappearance of his buddy's girlfriend, her first instinct is to reassure him there's no need for concern.Until she's called to a suspected murder, and all her instincts tell her she's right about the identity of the victim.The woman has earth and leaf mould and fragments of twigs in her hair, her nose, her mouth, under her nails, clinging to her clothes. It's as if she'd been completely encased in earth. Yet she was found on the pavement, at the side of a suburban road, where she wasn't in contact with any soil or mud.Had she managed to escape a living grave?Without a crime scene, the investigation focuses on her boyfriend. But Ian insists his friend is incapable of murder, and Steel is torn. Without evidence, she knows their case is weak. But can she let a possible killer go free?Then another young woman is reported missing. Unless he has an accomplice, they have an innocent man in custody. And Steel is running out of time . . .PRAISE FOR LEIGH RUSSELL'S GERALDINE STEEL SERIES:'Unmissable' Lee Child'Brilliant' Jeffery Deaver

An inoffensive man is murdered in a seemingly motiveless attack. Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and her team are baffled, until DNA from an apparent stranger is discovered on the victim's body.Geraldine is not convinced the suspect is guilty. When a witness comes forward to offer the suspect an alibi, Geraldine lets him go. That night, a second murder is committed. The evidence points to the suspect who has just been released.As Geraldine attempts to make sense of the suspect's complex history, he goes on the run. Even his wife appears to condemn him. Only Geraldine still doubts that he is to blame for the murders, but is she prompted by her own guilt for having released him to kill again?As the story races towards a breathtaking twist, Geraldine is tormented by self-doubt, and struggles to focus all her attention on the case. Someone is lying and the police must uncover the truth before anyone else is killed...

After losing her job and her boyfriend, Emily is devastated. As she is puzzling over what to do with the rest of her life, she is surprised to learn that her great aunt has died, leaving Emily her cottage in the picturesque Wiltshire village of Ashton Mead. But there is one condition to her inheritance: she finds herself the unwilling owner of a pet. Not knowing what to expect, Emily sets off for the village, hoping to make a new life for herself.In Ashton Mead, she soon makes friends with Hannah who runs the Sunshine Tea Shoppe and meets other residents of the village where she decides to settle. All is going well... until Emily's ex-boyfriend turns up and against the advice of her new friends, she takes him back.When Emily decides to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a neighbour, she unwittingly puts her own life in danger...

Emily has settled in the picturesque village of Ashton Mead, where she lives with her puppy, Poppy. Life is finally going well for Emily. She has a cottage of her own, a job she likes and friends. Then she stumbles on the body of a woman who apparently drowned in the river.The other villagers suspect foul play and are quick to blame Richard, Emily's next-door neighbour and a newcomer to the village. Emily finds it hard to believe her friendly neighbour could be a cold-hearted murderer. When she meets his attractive son, Adam, her feelings become more complicated. Determined to find out the truth behind the death in the village, Emily travels to London to track down the man with whom Richard's wife was having an affair.Unfortunately for Emily, her visit does not go as planned. Instead of helping clear Richard's name, she finds her own life is in danger...

Emily and Poppy are living happily in the quaint village of Ashton Mead, where every household is friendly - with one exception.Unlike the other villagers, Silas Strang and his mother have a bad reputation. Rude and aggressive, they terrorise their neighbours and no one stops them. That is until Silas sets his sights on Emily's beloved dog Poppy, which Emily won't stand for. After a public altercation, Silas is mysteriously murdered. To Emily's dismay, the police view her as their number one suspect.Assisted by her friends, Hannah and Toby, Emily sets out to establish the truth and clear her name... but her enquiries have frightening consequences.

A French patisserie opens in the village of Ashton Mead in time for Christmas. Local residents are pleased but Hannah, owner of the Sunshine Tea Shoppe, feels threatened by the competition.When the owner of the patisserie is killed, Hannah is suspected of murdering her business rival. Her friend, Emily, is determined to clear Hannah's name. She seems to be facing an impossible task... until her little dog Poppy makes a surprising discovery.

The fair is in town in Ashton Mead and everyone is keen to join in the fun - that is until a young woman falls from the Ferris wheel and all fingers point to Emily's new friend, Dana. With her outsider status, mysterious past and penchant for stretching the truth, who else could it be?As the villagers grow increasingly suspicious of the fairground people and tensions start to bubble, Emily vows to clear Dana's name and protect her friend, much to the dismay of those closest to her. But can Emily and her dog Poppy find the real culprit before the town erupts, or will Emily risk her life for nothing?

A deadly secret lurks in an island’s history, buried deep but not forgotten. And it is about to come to light.Lucy Hall arrives in the Seychelles determined to leave her worries behind. The tropical paradise looks sun-soaked and picture-perfect—but as Lucy soon discovers, appearances can be very deceptive.As black clouds begin to gather over what promised to be a relaxing family break, Lucy realises that her father stands in the eye of the coming storm. A shadow from his past is threatening to destroy all that he holds dear—including the lives of his loved ones.A dark truth is about to explode into their lives, and that truth is going to hit them right between the eyes.

THE NEXT NOVEL FROM ONE OF THE UK'S FAVOURITE CRIME WRITERS WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD.The body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in the river, but this was no accidental drowning.He was shot before his body entered the water. The police question the dead man’s young girlfriend and his two adult children, all of whom are hoping to inherit his fortune.Before the killer is found, the dead man’s girlfriend is murdered, and pressure mounts for Geraldine and her team to solve the case.Geraldine’s partner is called away to work undercover. Soon after he leaves, their baby vanishes along with the child minder.Geraldine struggles to focus on the murder investigation while she desperately tries to find her child. Afraid that one of her colleagues may be in contact with the kidnapper, she knows she has to work alone, but time may be running out for her child.The next thrilling crime investigation, and the 22nd Instalment in the bestselling Geraldine Steel series.

THE NEW NOVEL FROM ONE OF THE UK'S FAVOURITE CRIME WRITERS WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD.Readers can't get enough of Geraldine Steel:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Cannot recommend this series enough'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A cracking series!'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The Geraldine Steel series just gets better and better'A man is found dead, lying at the bottom of the stairs to his flat, his body blocking the door of the elderly woman who lives downstairs.The worried landlord who finds the body seeks advice from his friend's wife - now Detective Inspector Ariadne Moralis. Something in his demeanour hints at a hidden secret.When it becomes apparent that the body has been moved, it is clear the man’s death was not an accident.With only an elderly witness who seems hesitant to disclose all she heard unless the price is right, and a key suspect on the run having fled the scene, Ariadne finds herself grasping at straws.DNA evidence supports the witness’s claims that the victim had two girlfriends, Carly is unwilling to cooperate. Lauren is missing.The motive remains unclear, and the case becomes a confounding maze of unanswered questions, pushing Ariadne to her limits.Meanwhile, Geraldine Steel, adjusting to the routine of new motherhood, longs for the thrill of being at the centre of an investigation. As the body count grows, and every lead seems to turn out to be a dead end, the case quickly throws up more questions than answers, and Ariadne is rapidly out of her depth.Can her friend Geraldine Steel help her uncover the truth?

The stakes have never been higher for Geraldine Steel.When Alice Lewis is found murdered, the case becomes personal for DI Steel, as Alice was the niece of her childminder, Lisa. Despite Lisa’s earlier pleas for help, Geraldine hadn’t acted in time to save Alice.Now, driven by guilt and a thirst for justice, Geraldine dives headfirst into the case. But the deeper she digs, the more layers of secrets and lies she uncovers about Alice's life, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew. With an elusive killer watching her every move, Geraldine finds herself caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.Leigh Russell delivers a masterful tale of suspense, keeping readers on edge until the final shocking twist.

Geraldine’s judgment is sharp. But this case cuts deeper than most.When Peter Selby vanishes after reporting a suspicious encounter, few take notice – until a man is found brutally stabbed in a quiet York suburb. Detectives Geraldine Steel and Ariadne Croft begin to investigate, but what looks like a random act of violence soon unravels into a dark and deeply personal mystery. As they dig into the lives of the victims, the emotional landscape grows increasingly fractured.Peter’s wife is guarded, their daughter erratic and angry. The second victim’s family are cold, evasive, and seemingly determined to keep the past buried. Then a second disappearance throws everything into chaos. With each revelation, the detectives uncover layers of resentment, betrayal, and psychological trauma lurking behind the neat façades of domestic life.Under mounting pressure, and with Ariadne in growing danger, Geraldine must navigate a maze of fractured relationships and shifting motives before the killer strikes again. Taut, unsettling, and emotionally charged, this psychological crime thriller exposes the darkness beneath the surface – and the human cost of secrets left to fester.

The second in the detective series featuring DI Geraldine SteelWhen a man dies in a gas explosion, the police suspect arson. But the case takes on a new and terrible twist when the prime suspect, a local felon, is viciously attacked. As police enquiries lead from the expensive Harchester Hill estate to the local brothel, their key witness dies in a hit-and-run. Coincidence? Or cold-blooded murder?With so many lives lost already, DI Geraldine Steel must put her problems aside, to protect others. After all, in the race for justice, sacrifices must be made.

The Seventh DI Geraldine Steel MysteryCaroline's husband is killed, but she can't turn to the police without implicating herself in his murder. When one of her 10-year-old twins is kidnapped, the desperate mother is forced to resort to drastic measures to get him back.As time runs out, Geraldine realises she has a secret that might just help solve the case, but the truth could destroy her career. Faced with the unenviable decision of protecting herself or the widow she barely knows, Geraldine must grapple with her conscience and do the right thing before the death count mounts any further.

'Silently dipping his oars in the water he made his escape. It was a weary journey, with few spoils to show for it. Next time he would do better. He looked back over his shoulder. The bridge had disappeared,swallowed up by the darkness. From its walkway he too had become invisible. Only the bloody body of a woman showed he had been roaming the streets that night'.DI Ian Peterson investigates a series of gruesome and brutal murders in York. As the body count mounts, the case demands all Ian's ingenuity, because these are murders seemingly committed at random, and this is a killer who leaves no clues.

Hearing footsteps pounding along the street behind him he glanced back, fleetingly worried, then laughed because the street was deserted. All the same, he felt uneasy. Everything looked different in the dark.Then he heard more footsteps approaching, and a hoarse voice called out.Turning his head, he made out a figure hovering in the shadows and as it raised one arm, the barrel of a gun glinted in the moonlightThe dead body of unassuming David Lester is discovered in a dark side-street, and DI Geraldine Steel is plunged into another murder investigation. The clues mount up along with the suspects, but with the death of another man in inexplicable circumstances, the case becomes increasingly complex. As Geraldine investigates the seemingly unrelated crimes, she makes a shocking discovery about her birth mother.

With so many potential victims to choose from, there would be many deaths. He was spoiled for choice, really, but he was determined to take his time and select his targets carefully. Only by controlling his feelings could he maintain his success. He smiled to himself. If he was clever, he would never have to stop. And he was clever. He was very clever. Far too clever to be caught.Geraldine Steel is back for her tenth case. Reunited in York with her former sergeant, Ian Peterson, she discovers that her tendency to bend the rules has consequences. The tables have turned, and now he's the boss.When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation in York, Geraldine struggles to solve the confusing case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?

The eleventh Geraldine Steel mysteryTHEY SAY SUICIDE. SHE SAYS MURDER.Mark Abbott is dead. His sister refuses to believe it was suicide, but only Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel will listen.When other members of Mark's family disappear, Geraldine's suspicions are confirmed.Taking a risk, Geraldine finds herself confronted by an adversary deadlier than any she has faced before... Her boss Ian is close, but will he arrive in time to save her, or is this the end for Geraldine Steel?

WHEN THE TARGETS ARE RANDOM, YOU COULD BE NEXTWHEN THE TARGETS ARE RANDOM, YOU COULD BE NEXTA man is killed in apparently random attack, and suspicion falls on a gang of muggers. Only Detective Sergeant Geraldine Steel thinks this is the work of a more deliberate murderer.Two more victims are discovered, after further seemingly indiscriminate attacks. The muggers are tracked down, with tragic consequences, but does the killer still remain at large? When Geraldine finally manages to track down a witness, she finds her own life is in danger...