Mitchell & Markby – serie

Steering a path between police duties and family loyalty is not easy . . .Say it with Poison is the first classic English village crime novel in the Mitchell & Markby series by Ann Granger, combining a satisfyingly complex mystery with engaging characters and wit. The perfect read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A gripping tale. . . . you'll soon be addicted' - Woman and HomeWhen Meredith Mitchell agreed to stay with her actress cousin Eve in the run-up to Eve's daughter's wedding she anticipated a degree of drama. But she hardly expected it to include murder, blackmail and unrequited love. Or to involve a certain Chief Inspector Markby, a middle-aged divorcee with an emotional history as unfortunate as her own. A material witness to the only case of murder the Cotswold village of Westerfield has ever seen, Meredith also finds herself acting as mother-confessor to the bride-to-be, who is clearly not telling the whole truth about her involvement with the dead man. Steering a path between her duty to the police and loyalty to her cousin's family is not easy; even for someone with Meredith's considerable diplomatic skills. And especially as her personal enquiries into events in Westerfield start to disinter past affections Meredith would far rather leave buried - and to provoke new ones she's not at all sure she can cope with . . .What readers are saying about Say it with Poison:'Thoroughly recommend to anyone looking for a good English whodunit or just a really good story to keep the reader intrigued and interested to the last page''Hooked from the first page''Brilliant in its conception, kept me thoroughly enthralled'

The Boxing Day Hunt leads to a hunt for a killer...A Season for Murder is the second cosy and colourful English village mystery in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. This thrilling whodunit will enthral fans of Colin Dexter, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A good feel for understated humour, a nice ear for dialogue' The Times It is with some trepidation that Meredith Mitchell returns to the Cotswolds: the Bamford district holds memories that, to put it generously, are bittersweet, and Christmas is a difficult time to find oneself a stranger in a new area. Yet she receives a kindly welcome, in particular from her old acquaintance Chief Inspector Markby and from her new neighbour Harriet Needham, a striking redhead with whom Meredith immediately feels a certain kinship. But Meredith has barely got to know her neighbour when Harriet is involved in a shocking - and fatal - accident at the Boxing Day Hunt. Witnesses to the death are plentiful, for the incident occurred in Bamford's crowded market square, and many are adamant it's a case of murder. Chief Inspector Markby is inclined to agree, although he suspects the guilty party is not the most obvious one. Before long Meredith Mitchell begins, reluctantly, to think he might be right ...What readers are saying about A Season for Murder:'The writing is witty and engaging, the characters are well rounded and the reader is left wanting to know more about what might happen in the future to them''The interplay between Mitchell and Markby and the clashes and stresses of their own lives nicely balances the intelligent plots''Really addictive. Very cleverly woven'

Even the quaintest of villages has its perils... and deadly secrets that cannot be buried...Mitchell and Markby have to dig deep to find a murderer in Cold in the Earth, the third English village crime novel in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'Set in the familiar mode of traditional country crime stories, there is nothing old-fashioned about the characters, who are drawn with a telling eye for their human foibles and frailties' - Oxford TimesTo Meredith Mitchell, marooned in a dusty London flat, the Cotswolds seem like a haven of peace and tranquillity. But Chief Inspector Markby has a rather different view of his native area, as he witnesses the bulldozing of one of his favourite boyhood haunts to make way for yet another housing estate. And when a man's body is found buried in the foundations of one of the plots his outlook turns even grimmer. The only cheering prospect on the horizon is Meredith's forthcoming visit. The dead man however remains a mystery: the labourer who dug up his body has disappeared and the farmers whose lands abut the burial site are little help. Charming, eccentric Mrs Carmody treats Markby, whom she has known since he was a boy, with fond familiarity and Mrs Winthrop at the neighbouring farm is happy to supply him with tea and scones but gives little else away. The time has come for someone with a different perspective to see what they can glean. And Meredith, blessed with an uncanny ability for ferreting out the truth, seems the obvious candidate.What readers are saying about Cold in the Earth:'There are plenty of suspects in this well written murder mystery and some interesting historical background as well''A splendid story''Ann Granger, as always, breathes life into her characters and in this novel she also creates a threatening atmosphere'

A dispute between an entrepreneur and the village locals turns deadly... A gala turns grisly in Murder Among Us, the fourth probing mystery in Ann Granger's gripping Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Ann Purser, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'Told with humour and a most engaging worldliness' - Birmingham Post When ambitious hotelier Eric Schucmacher announces he is to turn Springwood Hall, near the market town of Bamford, into a smart Cotswold country-house hotel, the news is greeted by a chorus of local disapproval, led by the redoubtable Hope Mapple. So the gala opening, to which all the disaffected parties have been invited, promises to be quite an event - not least because the amply upholstered Hope Mapple is planning a disruptive streak protest.But Hope's lightning dash is unexpectedly upstaged by a far more shocking event: the discovery of a recently murdered body on the premises. The victim is a local woman, and for Chief Inspectory Markby and his guest Meredith Mitchell what had promised to be a diverting summer treat suddenly turns into a horribly serious affair ...What readers are saying about Murder Among Us:'A truly intriguing and sympathetic book''A wonderful village mystery, that satisfies on all levels. Her [Ann Granger's] cast of characters are all wonderfully eccentric and provide you with many hours of joy''These stories are intricate enough to make you think and easy to read at the same time'

A tangle of conflicting clues, suspects and possible witnesses... Meredith Mitchell is involved in yet another murder case with Cotswold Chief Inspector Markby in Where Old Bones Lie, the fifth whodunit in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A tidy, inventive and intricate plot graced with lovely scenic descriptions' - Publishers WeeklyWhat do you do when you think your ex-lover has murdered his wife? That's the question Ursula Gretton, an archeologist working on the Saxon burial ground on Bamford Hill, puts to Meredith Mitchell in the hope that Meredith's friendship with Cotswold Chief Inspector Markby might cast some light on her dilemma. But Markby is dismissive of Ursula's suspicions concerning the disappearance of Dan Woollard's wife - until a body is found in the rubbish dump near the site Woollard and Ursula have been excavating.Woollard's team of archeologists aren't the only ones to disturb the peace of the windswept hill. Much to the fury of a taciturn pair of local landowners, a band of New Age travellers has set up camp on the hill, only to disappear the day the body's discovered. Markby is faced with a tangle of conflicting clues, suspects and possible witnesses - amongst the latter Meredith Mitchell - and when a second body is found it is clear the web is growing even more complex, and destructive.What readers are saying about Where Old Bones Lie:'Ann Granger peppers her stories with plenty of characters, twists and turns and motives, keeping the reader guessing as to who the actual killer could be''You'll hang on each and every page until you come to the amazing conclusion''A well written mystery with an interesting archaeological background and well-drawn characters'

A look into one girl's life sheds light on another girl's death... Meredith Mitchell and Chief Inspector Markby probe troubled family relationships to find a killer in A Fine Place for Death, the compelling sixth mystery in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Kathy Cranston, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'Ingenious... witty... picturesque... amusingly idiosyncratic' - New York TimesIn the heart of the leafy Cotswolds a body is found. A teenage girl, probably local, somebody's daughter who went out one evening and didn't come back. It is not long before she is identified: fifteen-year-old Lynne Wills who habitually drank underage in 'The Silver Bells' pub and, on the night of her death, was seen leaving with an unknown man.Chief Inspector Markby's friend Meredith Mitchell has been befriended by another troubled young local girl, Katie Conway. On the surface Lynne and Katie have nothing in common except their age and home town. But could the insights Katie gives Meredith into her difficult family background - an unstable, aristocratic mother, a doting father at the end of his tether, and a scheming resident secretary - throw some light on the other young girl? And, given that forensic evidence now points to Lynne Wills's murder having taken place in the Devaux family mausoleum, on her murder too ...?What readers are saying about A Fine Place for Death:'It kept me guessing until the very end. Ann Granger has managed to create believable characters that are both likeable and interesting''I recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys well written crime novels with interesting characters and plots''Fantastic twists and turns'

A face from the past has stoked many jealous fires...Meredith Mitchell and Chief Inspector Markby set out to find the killer with the poisoned thorn in Flowers for his Funeral, the seventh compelling mystery from Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. This thrilling whodunit will enthral fans of LJ Ross, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'To be savoured' - Publishers Weekly When Meredith Mitchell bumps into her old school friend Rachel Hunter at the Chelsea Flower Show, it doesn't take Meredith long to realise that she and the effortlessly self-confident blonde have even less in common now than they had as teenagers. Apart from one thing - Meredith's companion, Chief Inspector Markby. For to the embarrassment of all concerned, except of course the self-possessed Rachel, Meredith's old school friend turns out to have been Markby's former wife, from whom he was divorced years before in less than friendly circumstances. The meeting with Rachel is not the only surprise the Flower Show has in store for Markby - before the afternoon is out he has a death on his hands. All too quickly he and Meredith find themselves drawn into the plush, apparently well-run world Rachel and her second husband created for themselves in their Cotswold home, Malefis Abbey, a world which Markby becomes increasingly convinced harbours a highly skilled murderer ...What readers are saying about Flowers for his Funeral:'What a twist in the tale! Completely unexpected''A typical whodunit book, but written in such a wonderful way, you can't put these books down''One of the best Mitchell & Markby books'

Secrets won't stay buried... Only now, twelve years after the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl, will Mitchell & Markby begin to unravel the mystery in Candle for a Corpse, Ann Granger's eighth cosy Cotwolds crime novel in the Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Hamish McBeth, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'Enjoyable crime featuring credible characters in a recognisably real world' - Belfast Telegraph On an unseasonably chilly summer's day a macabre discovery is made in Bamford's ancient churchyard. A body, dead some twelve years, is unearthed in the Gresham family plot, too shallowly buried to be a legitimate interment, too recent to be the last Gresham officially laid to rest. Superintendent Alan Markby cannot resist the challenge to solve this twelve-year-old crime and suddenly his long-planned canal-barge holiday with Meredith Mitchell is in serious jeopardy. When the remains are identified as those of a local teenager, Kimberley Oates, reported missing at the time of the mysterious burial, his mind is made up. Her holiday postponed, to her secret relief, Meredith finds herself with more time than usual for village chat - and for a dinner party with the local MP that reveals more than either he or his formidable mother would like about his connection with the dead girl...What readers are saying about Candle for a Corpse:'If you like low key crime with plenty of humour and interesting characters and plot then you will enjoy this series!''Brilliant writer and a brilliant book''I feel like I know the heroine personally'

Village life can be deadly... A move to rural Oxfordshire is not the peaceful existence the London couple are looking for in A Touch of Morality, Ann Granger's ninth English village crime novel in the Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Agatha Raisin, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'To be savoured' - Publishers Weekly When Sally Caswell persuaded her scientist husband Liam to move from London to the quiet of rural Oxfordshire it was in the hope of a more peaceful existence. But so far the move has led to nothing but discord. Liam's sabbatical book project is not going well so, frustrated and isolated, he quarrels incessantly both with Sally and with their next-door neighbour, the crotchety pensioner Bodicote whose unruly goats are a constant source of contention. But then a mysterious package arrives that gives the couple real cause for anxiety. It appears that Liam is being targeted by animal rights activists, though Superintendent Markby, in charge of the investigation, is not entirely convinced. Liam has many enemies, Bodicote among them, and it seems to Markby that Liam's cantankerous old neighbour is hiding something. The more Markby investigates, the more his unease grows - as does that of Meredith Mitchell, Markby's girlfriend and an old friend of Sally Caswell, for Meredith suspects Sally is far from well. Then a body is found ...What readers are saying about A Touch of Mortality:'Simply wonderful. She [Ann Granger] will always throw in a lovely little twist''The author piles up detail on detail with plenty of clues, suspects and undercurrents''Ann Granger is definitely one of the best out there that pens English village cosies'

A holiday becomes work for Mitchell and Markby as a crime unravels... Mitchell and Markby find themselves drawn into a murder enquiry whilst holiday in a country cottage in A Word After Dying, the tenth cosy English village crime novel in Ann Granger's captivating Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Rebecca Tope, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'Probably the best current example of a crime writer who has taken the classic English village detective story and brought it up to date' - Birmingham Post Superintendent Alan Markby and Meredith Mitchell are in desperate need of a holiday - and the Cotswold village of Parsloe St John seems the perfect choice. Their neighbour, retired journalist Wynne Carter, is as convivial as the village itself and, over a glass of blackberry wine, indulges in her latest obsession, Olivia Smeaton, a racy old lady whose life - and death - she is convinced are not all they seem. Markby is more interested in buying Olivia's house than the circumstances of her vacating it, but Meredith is intrigued: by the old lady, the death of a cherished horse and a dusty junk shop run by a white witch.When another fatality - of a very grisly nature - is discovered, it seems her suspicion is justified. Clearly Olivia isn't the only enigma in Parsloe St John - and her death might be the first of many unless Meredith Mitchell and Alan Markby can make sense of some very secret lives to reach the truth...What readers are saying about A Word After Dying:'If you like your crime novels written in a low key style with plenty of amusing moments and not too much graphic violence then this is the series for you''Yet another great Mitchell & Markby whodunit''An invigorating novel!'

Leading a double life can be deadly...Lawyer Penhallow is found murdered in his garden the morning after Mitchell drops off a secretive hitchhiker to the property in Call the Dead Again, the eleventh compelling English village mystery in the Mitchell & Markby series by Ann Granger. The perfect read for fans of Colin Dexter, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A really good read - this novel comes highly recommended' - Crime Time When Meredith Mitchell picks up a hitchhiker on a lonely road outside Bamford one evening she is left feeling distinctly uneasy. What business can this confident, yet secretive, young woman have at Tudor Lodge, the beautiful old home of Brussels-based lawyer Andrew Penhallow, where she asks to be dropped? Penhallow is constantly toing and froing from the Continent, but that night, unusually, he is at home, and - with his son away and his wife Carla in bed with a migraine - alone. Which is unfortunate, for the next morning he is found murdered in the garden. To the vicarious delight of the locals, who are quick to recall old disputes, Penhallow's death results in some spectacular revelations about his double life - developments which make the murder investigation all the more delicate for Superintendent Markby, who knew the dead man as a young body. Andrew Penhallow certainly had ghosts in his past - has one come back to claim him?What readers are saying about Call the Dead Again:'So many twists and turns - kept me guessing until the very end''The mystery unravels nicely. Ann Granger provides genre fans with a fine entry to the Mitchell and Markby Cotswolds series''Ann Granger is an excellent mystery writer'

Superintendent Markby faces one of his most complex cases yet...With her step-mother murdered just two years after the death of her mother, twelve-year-old Tammy Franklin is also at risk of becoming fatherless, because he is suspect number one. Beneath These Stones is the twelfth cosy Cotswolds crime novel in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A murder mystery that will give you the excuse you need to stay indoors during these dark nights and enjoy a good read' - Hartlepool Mail Twelve-year-old Tammy Franklin has learned too much about death, too quickly. Two years ago she lost her mother to a long, lingering illness and now the body of the woman her father married in an attempt to replace his wife has been found on a railway embankment close to the Franklin farm. This time the death is murder. As Superintendent Markby, one of the first on the scene, well knows, Tammy now stands to have her father taken from her, for Hugh Franklin is suspect number one in the mind of the inspector to whom Markby has delegated the case. But, despite his need to distance himself from the murder, Markby begins to realise that the truth is destined to be far more complex than he ever envisaged...What readers are saying about Beneath These Stones:'I enjoyed this well written crime novel and thought the characters were well drawn and interesting''An excellent enjoyable read''The mystery plot is sound and raised above the norm by the existence of plausible characters - including Meredith Mitchell and Alan Markby'

A mansion, a murder and a century-long mystery... Shades of Murder is the thirteenth mystery in the Mitchell & Markby series by Ann Granger, who is highly praised for her strong and appealing characters, wit and engrossing plots. The perfect read for fans of M. C. Beaton, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'The narrative keeps the reader gripped until the end' - Wiltshire Times In 1889 Cora Oakley died by inhaling a poisonous gas in her sleep, and her husband William was put on trial for her murder. Over a hundred years later, the only remaining members of the family are two elderly sisters who live in the ancestral home. Unable to maintain the mansion, the sisters decide to sell up and live off the proceeds. Then a young Polish man named Jan appears, claiming to be William Oakley's great-grandson and threatening to ruin the sisters' plans. When he is found dead, it seems that the shadow of murder has returned to haunt the Oakley family again, and Superintendent Markby must look back at the events of a century ago to find the killer...What readers are saying about Shades of Murder:'The characterisation and dialogue are as sharp as ever, and the plot is great!''The characters were well drawn in both past and present strands of the book with some very neat twists''Two separate murder mysteries, unfolding in turn, chapter by chapter, gave me double delight'

A new investigation on an old case will bring shocking revelations to light... An old case Markby failed to solve over two decades ago resurfaces after the discovery of skeletal remains in A Restless Evil, the fourteenth gripping English village murder mystery in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Rebecca Tope, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.'A gripping thriller. Ann Granger beautifully evokes a mellow village seemingly tranquil on the surface but bubbling with secrets underneath' - Huddersfield Daily Examiner It sends a shiver down Detective Superintendent Alan Markby's spine when he hears that a rambler has stumbled on human bones in Stovey Woods in the heart of the Cotswolds. Twenty-two years ago, as a fresh-faced young inspector, he had a rare failure in the hunt for a brutal serial rapist preying on local women. After the third rape, the attacker went to ground, never to be heard of again.Now, with a new investigation prompted by the grisly remains, the trail could be warm once more. But almost at once Markby is confronted with another body and a thoroughly up-to-date murder. Could the two be connected? It seems that some of the village residents would be just as happy to let sleeping dogs lie and secrets - both old and new - stay hidden...What readers are saying about A Restless Evil:'The writing is first-class and Ann Granger's world tangs with reality''A very good, well-plotted and well-written mystery that keeps one guessing to the end''An atmospheric and absorbing story'

A chilling secret from the past leads to a violent murder in the present... Mitchell and Markby must put their wedding plans on hold when an old friend seeks their help in That Way Murder Lies, the fifteenth English village murder mystery in Ann Granger's Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Kathy Cranston, Agatha Christie and ITV's Midsomer Murders.When Meredith Mitchell's old friend Toby Smythe turns up on leave, she is delighted to see him. But Toby has a problem - or rather his relative Alison Jenner has - and he wants to enlist the help of Meredith's fiance, Detective Superintendent Alan Markby. Alison has been receiving anonymous hate mail which alludes to the murder of her aunt, Freda Kemp, of which Alison was acquitted when she was just twenty. Who is the writer, and how does he or she know about this secret in Alison's past? Markby is at first reluctant to become involved, especially as he and Meredith are busy planning their wedding, but enquiries into a poison pen campaign soon turn into a murder hunt. With the help of Inspector Jessica Campbell, a new member of Markby's team, the investigation unravels a twenty-five-year-old mystery and its dreadful legacy of violence.What readers are saying about That Way Murder Lies:'Enjoyable, clever, incredibly entertaining and interesting book''Anyone who enjoys a delightful English cosy that is a clever blending of amateur sleuth and police procedural will enjoy this series!''Quite a mystery right up to the very end'