If you love contemporary British crime fiction with a strong leading lady, then you’ll love the DC Cat McKenzie series. Cat is a detective constable in a busy serious crime squad based in the South East of England. She’s smart, spirited and has a terrier-like determination, which means she’ll do whatever it takes to find answers and bring justice to those who deserve it.

The death of a prominent public figure: a local councillor and well-respected care home owner, shocks the local community. Dying in the middle of a public meeting as he did, there’s no shortage of people with opportunity, but what possible motive could there be? Why would anyone want to kill Councillor Eric Devlin, a caring, community-spirited man; the kind of man people were drawn to offer their services to? And in such a violent and public manner.

DC Cat McKenzie and DI Alex York find themselves dealing in truths, half-truths and out-and-out lies. As they delve into the shady world of local politics, where favours are exchanged for various benefits, it becomes increasingly clear: there was more to the dead man than his public persona.

The deeper Cat digs, the more secrets she finds; secrets that touch her personally and more profoundly than she could ever have imagined. Revelations about members of her own family, about Alex – her friend and mentor – and about herself, leave her wondering if you ever really know anyone at all. Because everybody has secrets. Some are just deeper and darker than others.

The Body Politic is the third in the Cat McKenzie mystery series.

They say it’s choice not chance that determines human destiny, but away from home, on sunnier shores, people aren’t always what they seem and choices can be ill informed, as detective Cat McKenzie discovers at her cost.

On the sun-soaked island of Cyprus, Cat should have been enjoying a relaxing holiday. Instead, she finds herself delving deeper and deeper into the death of a fellow guest. With a keen intuition and an inability to walk away from even the smallest of loose ends, she continues to dig, uncovering the way into the world of a ruthless killer. Outside of her jurisdiction, Cat is forced to use all of her wiles to find the murderer and bring them to account; a task made all the more difficult given the cold-hearted killer’s cunning.

Feather and Claw is the second in the Cat McKenzie mystery series.

When the body of a once pretty teenager is found, rookie detective Cat McKenzie faces a baptism of fire with her first murder investigation. Thankfully her boss and mentor, DI Alex York, is on hand to guide her through the process; unlike others in the team, who think a smart-arsed ‘token’ woman is everything that is wrong with the Force today.

But Cat isn’t just academically bright, she’s adept at listening to her intuition. With little evidence and even less experience, she soon makes her mark, bringing in the investigation’s first potential suspect. But even before the flush of success has faded, a second woman, and then a third, are found murdered; all three women sharing the same tell-tale blood lines around their necks.

With the pool of potential killers rising as fast as the body count, Cat and her colleagues are forced to take a fresh look at the families and friends of the dead women to unravel the truth behind the confusion.

A Confusion of Crows is the first in the DC Cat McKenzie series.

Matt Fisher is a one-time pro footballer turned detective. And since being maimed in an acid attack, he’s now a blind detective. Not that he’s going to let that stop him — he’s determined that the person who stole his sight isn’t going to steal his life too. With his guide dog Luna at his side and the help of enthusiastic but inexperienced DC Beth Nightingale, Matt faces his biggest challenge yet as he goes all out to prove he’s still got what it takes to solve crimes and put the criminals out of action.

DI Matt Fisher loves his job. He used to be good at it, too. Now, after being blinded in an acid attack, although Fisher’s confident he’s still got what it takes, others are not so sure.

When a well-loved celebrity is found murdered, it looks like the perfect opportunity for him to prove himself. Unfortunately for Fisher, the case is anything but clear cut. The murder took place at a glitzy art event and the number of potential suspects is vast, as is the number of possible motives, on top of which there are no obvious signs as to who might have wielded the killer blow.

Can Fisher rise to the challenge of investigating a crime blind and find a way to see through the lies and expose a ruthless murderer or are his days as a detective numbered?

A story of greed, envy, lies and secrets.

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Crime Bites is a collection of short and super-short stories, each one with crime at its heart. Some are light-hearted tales, others deliciously dark.

Waiting for the bus? Date late? Or just fancy ten minutes curled up with a bedtime story that will keep you guessing till the very end? Then try one of the light bites.

If you’ve a little longer, perhaps checking in at the airport, stuck at the station or simply enjoying lunch and a cup of frothy coffee on your own, then try one of the meatier mains.

No matter how much time you’ve got to kill, banish boredom with bite-sized crime.

More pick and mix short stories designed to be devoured in one sitting. Put them on your phone or tablet and never be stuck for something to satisfy your appetite for crime.

With stories ranging from light bites, where crime is served with a dollop of humour, to dark and delicious stories designed to get the pulse racing, there’s something to satisfy every palate.