Mr Crook Murder Mystery – serie

The most unlikely person is plunged into danger - but the police don't believe her. After all, she's not the kind of woman these things happen to... not murder, surely...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection 'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday ExpressLaura Verity is an elderly lady with not much money and no past - not someone things happen to. But suddenly her life is plunged into danger, and without lawyer-sleuth Arthur Crook's timely interference, she might have lost it altogether.One thing she will never lose, though, is her head: the police don't believe her - she proves them wrong. The wine might be poisoned - she'll keep it for Crook to test. Does that car belong to the murderer? She'll just get in and see where he takes her. Together, brave Miss Verity and Arthur Crook uncover the truth about a murder.

In the darkness of World War Two, a murderer strikes... Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection Club'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday Express'He stood very still for a moment. He said he had a sixth sense that warned him of danger. The fact that more murderous attempts had been made on his life did not affect his belief in his instinct. He said that in his profession a man had to harden himself to take risks. That was what his clients paid him for, "and," he would add, "they pay damn well." 'Death in the Blackout takes place in the heart of World War II and opens as a bomb drops uncomfortably close to detective Arthur Crook's London flat, setting off a mysterious chain of events.

Murder, politics and Nazi sympathisers - Arthur Crook has his detection skills pushed to the limit., with a most unlikely conspirator...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection Club'The lobby of the House of Commons was very full on the momentous afternoon that Miss Sarah Bennett, a composed and amused spinster, torn from her happy obscurity by an energetic and enterprising Minister of Labour, came from the Temporary Pass Office, up the stairs, through a corridor lined with effigies of the great . . .'Arthur Crook, and valiant conspirator Miss Sarah Bennett, secretary to Allen Wilkinson Stout MP, adventure through murders, Nazi incitement and parliamentary happenings to save a wing commander arrested for murder.

Blackmail leads to murder - but which of the blackmailer's victims is guilty of such a brutal crime?Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubJames Chigwell is a blackmailer, a human spider who fattens on the blood of other men - on their misfortunes and on their mistakes. But retribution comes to Chigwell when one of his victims at last rebels against his maliciousness and bludgeons him to death.But who among Chigwell's final victims has the courage of despair to slay his tormentor?The Scarlet Button is at once grim and entertaining and, of course, features the celebrated detective Arthur Crook.

Some men are born to be murderedClassic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubLewis Bishop was born to be murdered - the perfect victim, a man whom many had every reason to hate and fear. When he is suddenly shot dead one night he leaves behind him only unpleasant memories, a flood of relief, and a pretty puzzle for the police - and a case for the irrepressible detective Arthur Crook . . .

A chilling day of murder in the midst of post-World War II austerityClassic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubIn the spring of 1946, the redoubtable Lady Bate arrives at The Downs, built by the eccentric Colonel Anstruther years before. The aftermath of war has forced the colonel's daughter to take in paying guests, but only Lady Bate knows the secret of Mrs Anstruther's past life and the mystery behind her hermit-like existence. When Lady Bate is found dead, a chance remark puts detective Arthur Crook on the right track, which he follows - at risk to his life.

After years of caring for her often impossible mother, Alice is finally free. But an unexpected legacy gives her more than she bargained for...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen Alice Hunter's mother dies, after grimly clinging on for eighty-odd years, it is enough for genteel Alice just to be free. But she soon becomes lonely, having few points of contact with the people in the cheap boarding houses which are all she can afford. Then comes news of a legacy, and Alice's soul rises as she travels to the family's lawyers in Bath.Her new life is not what she expects, however, and she is lost in a fog of human misunderstanding, hatred and deceit. A nice cup of tea, stirred by detective Arthur Crook, is what she will need to put things right . . .

Henry's vocation is being a husband. First he woos. Then he weds. Then he kills... Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen he falls in love with orphan Sarah, Henry takes her to a lonely cottage and her initial happiness at being with him soon gives way to some uncomfortable suspicions. But will anyone reach the isolated spot before Henry deems her a little too inquisitive for her own good?

He knows their darkest secrets - but they are even more ruthless than him, with murder in mind...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubTeddy Lane has sunk into the sordid depths of blackmail and thinks he is on to a good thing. He knows the dark secrets of four people who have everything to lose if they are exposed - a young actress, a criminal lawyer, a scientist, and an elderly woman with a doctor son. What he hasn't bargained for is that two people are more ruthless than him. And they will not let him get away with it, even if it means murder - his murder.

He tried to help a woman in need - but she's the prime suspect in her husband's murder...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubCon Gardiner had no family; his work and his one-room flat filled most of his solitary existence, until one evening a strange girl in the street asked him to lend her a pound. Con was attracted to Caro Graves, and puzzled too; he couldn't see what would become of this girl who had just left her husband after a bitter quarrel, and who had nowhere to go. But he was soon to have more to worry about: Caro's husband was dead . . . and Caro was the main suspect. 'Anthony Gilbert's novels show the unsensational type of detective story at its best' Daily Telegraph

Beautiful, amoral and ruthless - but was she a killer?Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubRuth Garside was framed for three killings. But was she really guilty? As a girl, Ruth was accused of a dreadful crime; as a wife she was suspected of her husband's death; as a widow she was accused of her employer's murder. ­­'I can prove her innocence,' cried Thomas Fogg KC. 'I can prove my own innocence,' said Ruth. 'She's my client so she can't be guilty, and by heck, I'll prove it if it means the skies falling,' declared Arthur Crook. Well - does he? And­ is he justified?

The first time he saw her she stole his heart. The second time she was dead.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen Detective Arthur Crook first saw Stella Foster he knew she was marked for trouble. Stella was irresistible to men, a woman who loved laughter and pleasure - a woman, in fact, after Mr Crook's heart. The next time he saw her, Stella was dead. To find her killer, London's genial detective pursues his unorthodox way through a maze of tangled and conflicting clues to solve a clever and brutal crime of passion.'Unquestionably a most intelligent author. Gifts of ingenuity style and character drawing' Sunday Times

She lost her memory - now her life is at risk.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen lawyer-detective Arthur Crook bumped into a woman called Barbara on the parade at Beachampton it became apparent she had no idea who she was. She had been closely involved in the sudden deaths of two rich old ladies but something had instinctively prevented her from going to the police.Now Barbara finds herself under grave suspicion and fighting for her life. But will Arthur Crook be able to untangle the mystery?'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday Express

In a small English town, family conflict can be murder...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhen spinster Emily Foss, who ran the haberdashery, is found bludgeoned to death, the silver pencil that had surely been in her purse that night is found in brash young Lennie Hunter's possession, and it is he who is to be hanged for the crime.To clear his name, Hunter's fiancée brings in Detective Arthur Crook. Soon Crook discovers Emily was not on good terms with her nephew, his wife, or many others in the small English town where she lived. Faced with a maze of hidden motives, Crook must contrive against the clock to trap the real murderer.'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday Express

The victims were predictable - the murderer was not...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubSour, selfish and worth several millions, Mrs French was just the kind of woman you'd expect to be murdered. And so, in due course, she was.Mrs Hoggett was the next to die - another murder predicted by all who, unfortunately, knew her well. Since there was no shortage of suspects, it was small wonder the killer eluded the law. And then a lovely young woman came forth with a story of bigamy and blackmail so bizarre it had to be true. All that was needed for proof was yet another corpse...'Clever' New York Herald Tribune

Assisted suicide - or murder...?Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubEven Hatty Savage had to admit, at the inquest, that it had been foolish of her, when Richard Sheridan had threatened suicide, to hand him her sleeping tablets. So when a girl who had apparently been trying to blackmail her also came to an abrupt end, it was scarcely surprising that Hatty found herself in custody. Fortunately, she'd had the sense to marry local solicitor Philip Cobb, and, the moment Hatty is locked up he rushes to enlist the help of Detective Arthur Crook. When he becomes the prime suspect, it's a decision Cobb could live to regret ...'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday Express

A missing wife, a husband suspected - and only the incorrigible private investigator can save them both.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubOn the day that Emily Tate vanished, Inspector Marston met her husband, Stephen Tate, on the tow-path of the River Pyle. The unassuming Stephen was on the brink of a nightmare episode that was to make his unhappy marriage, his clandestine love affair and his disappointed hopes seem positively joyous by comparison. The determination of the girl he loved was the only thing that could save him from the web of circumstances in which he was enmeshed. She sent for Detective Arthur Crook.

Murder on the train - and the killer is looking for the next victim...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubOn a fast train to London, Arthur Crook meets trouble with a capital T. During the journey one passenger disappears and is subsequently found dead beside the line. The killer has killed before and is preparing to kill again.Soon, a girl in desperate circumstances finds herself at the hands of a criminal organisation - will Crook now step in as her salvation in this life-and-death chase?

An ordinary day - which turns to blackmail and murder.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubWhat seemed like an ordinary phone call in the middle of the afternoon suddenly plunges its recipient, Simon Crete, into a plot of blackmail and murder.'Tell him it's no use. I haven't got it,' the mystery woman's voice cried desperately down the line. But who was she? And why was she ringing a man whom she had never seen?

Solange Peters 'died' - and so did the scandal and suspicion that haunted her. So now she has the chance for a new life . . .Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubA bizarre accident gave Solange the chance to assume a new identity - and, as Julie Taylor, she set out to do just that, as companion to wealthy, neurotic Bianca Duncan. But soon she is plunged into a distorted and terrifying existence. A menace to Bianca's life is growing daily and a strange young man could expose Julie's masquerade. Suddenly the new identity seems far from safe, as Julie is forced to fight for her own life.

A blackmailer - murdered. And the suspect in fear for her life...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubMargaret Ross knew she had to pay off the blackmailer, Samson, or else her beloved son would go to jail for forgery. The next night she rang the bell at Samson's sinister house on Margate Street. There was no answer. Slowly she entered the house and went up the stairs. Samson was waiting at his desk - murdered. She found the incriminating letters and the cheque and escaped with them. But she had been seen. The dangers gather like wasps around Margaret and it takes all of Detective Arthur Crook's genius to get to her in time. 'Amusing and zestful, with an unexpected and exciting climax' Daily Telegraph

An escaped convict, a mysterious deserted house, and murder in the Lake District..Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubThe shades of night were falling fast when Arthur Crook drove the old Superb over the Lakeland Fells and into the valley, to stop at a mysterious house where, though a light burned in an upper window, no one answered the bell. Here opens a double murder mystery in which Crook acts in the defence of a young prisoner on the run, whose guilt appears evident. 'The usual gusto, racy prose, good plotting and up-to-the-minute social observation' Sunday Times

A missing child - and she might not be the last victim...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubAngela Toni, only nine years old, has been missing for several days, and it is Wilfrid Hersey's son Ben who is under suspicion. Hersey meets Detective Arthur Crook, whose blood boils at thought of a child killer. But as Crook digs deeper he discovers that the night Angela disappeared was also the night an unidentified man was found in Hangman's Alley, a shortcut the child would have taken on her way home. And another murder will take place before Crook finally uncovers the truth.'Grips steadily, like a conscientious ant's jaws' Observer'Arthur Crook in rumbustious form' Sunday Telegraph

May Forbes came four nights a week to feed the wild cats on Broomstick Common. That was how she happened to glimpse a masked man with a spade - and she's now in fear for her life.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubMay leaves the common and ends up at the Mettlesome Horse, where irascible lawyer, Arthur Crook, is drinking at the bar. So when the body of eighteen-year-old Linda Myers is found buried on the Common, Crook discovers a number of people who might want the girl dead.Then May Forbes leaves for work one lunchtime and does not reappear . . .

When an accident begins to look like murder...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubOn a quiet country station, Detective Arthur Crook, waiting for the train to London, witnessed a near-fatal accident. Despite the arm of her companion, Miss Imogen Garland slipped and almost fell under the train. No harm was done, and Arthur Crook might not have thought anything more about it had not a newspaper item a few weeks later caught his eye. Miss Garland had once again been involved in an accident, this time fatal. Only it was not Miss Garland who had died . . .

Margaret Fielding was tried for the murder of her first husband ten years ago and, innocent, was acquitted for lack of evidence. Now someone is threatening to produce evidence that could convict her.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubFortunately, Margaret meets Arthur Crook, the detective lawyer to whom the innocent turn, never in vain. When her blackmailer is found murdered, just after she is seen, distraught, leaving the premises, it is to Crook that she tells her tale. But someone knows Crook by reputation, and is anxious that he does not take on Margaret's case.