Mr Crook Murder Mystery – serie

A man is accused of murdering his wife - and all the evidence points to his guilt.Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection Club'No author is more skilled at making a good story seem brilliant' Sunday ExpressIt was a dark night, clammy with fog; an evil night when anything could happen. That was the night it all began - when the net of cruel circumstance began to close in around Jack Barton The body of his beautiful, murdered wife had rotted away in a trunk in the dark cellar where he had hidden it. It was useless to say hiding the body was all he had done. It was pointless to insist he was innocent of her death. Who would believe him?

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.

How do you catch a killer when the murder goes unnoticed?Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubThe victim was certainly deserving of death, but not the hard, cruel death he found. No one deserved that . . .At first, the killer goes unsuspected. Someone else would pay the price for the crime - an innocent woman would pay and the murderer was willing to arrange other, more 'accidental' deaths to ensure it . . . until solicitor-detective Arthur Crook steps in. In one of his most baffling cases, Crook only has two guiding principles: his client is always innocent and, come hell or high water, he always gets his man.

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.

A young woman has a new position - but will she listen to the voice warning her not to cross the threshold of that sinister house...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubNora Deane, a young nurse, has been instructed to report to 12 Askew Avenue, Charlbury, to look after a new patient. As she steps from the station into an impenetrable blanket of fog, she is glad to accept the escort of a mysterious young man to the address. Once alone in the darkness, she presses the bell and waits. She shivers. She wants to be inside, out of the dangers of the dark. Yet some inner voice persistently warns her not to cross the threshold of that sinister house . . .

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.

Forget The Girl on the Train - meet the woman who watches from her window, and finds herself caught up in murder...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection Club'Watching, fascinated and horrified, he saw thin fingers creep around the edge of the black curtain. Someone from inside was tugging to loosen it . . .'Miss Janet Martin, a 74-year-old spinster, enjoys her daily habit of watching passers-by from her window. When she strikes up a friendship with one of them - the golden-haired Pamela - she has no inkling that the innocence of her fading years is about to be turned upside down.The little old lady becomes inextricably involved in the child's fate, and when she calls in private eye Arthur Crook to help, a plot of abduction, fraud and murder unfolds . . .

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 . . .

If you ever need my help, I'll be there. But by the time he arrived, she had already disappeared...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubArthur Crook and Miss Pinnegar meet by accident and take to each other on sight, parting with mutual appreciation and an invitation by the detective to call on him professionally should she ever need help - unlikely as that may be.But when Miss Pinnegar receives a visit, it threatens to shake her life to the very foundations. She sends Crook an SOS and he comes at the double, but by then Miss Pinnegar has already disappeared . . .

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.

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

An ordinary couple - but wherever they go, death follows...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubMr Cobb is the third elderly invalid to die conveniently, if unexpectedly, in the house of Fred and Bessie Meadows. Yet who could suspect this responsible, honest couple? Nothing is too much trouble, yet wherever they go, death goes too. But their third crime involves them with Arthur Crook, and that's when their luck turns.Fans of the lawyer-sleuth know that his arrival on the scene brings action, and that every sort of cunning will be employed to ensure the innocent are kept safe and the guilty ... trapped.'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

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?

A mission to help refugees - but someone has murder in mind...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubIt is at a local watering hole, the Duck and Daisy, that lawyer-detective Arthur Crook happens upon a party of men and women calling themselves the Peace Brigadiers. Their mission is to aid refugees from Europe.But it isn't long before Crook suspects one of them is using the premises for criminal ends. And when murder strikes Crook becomes entangled in a treacherous plot . . .

A crime that isn't reported; a mother who's threatened...Classic crime from one of the greats of the Detection ClubOut walking in the snow with her young son, Mike, Sara Drew is the only witness to a particularly unpleasant car accident in which an elderly lady and her dog are killed. Nervous of going to the scene of the accident with a child, she reluctantly goes home. There she meets one of the drivers, and is appalled that he has no intention of reporting the incident. And he also threatens to hurt her son if she goes to the police. But when Mike is kidnapped she contacts Detective Arthur Crook, who takes over the case and counters the wiles of desperate criminals . . .

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?

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

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 . . .