The Imogen and Hugh Croft Mysteries Books

*Newly Edited Version (Sept 2014)* Two women are dead, forty years apart and in identical circumstances. Can Imogen and Hugh Croft discover the link? Following the sudden death of her mother, Imogen Croft returns to her childhood home on the Scottish Island of Garansay. Her brothers have given her the task of deciding what to do with their parents’ farm, which is slowly falling into disrepair. Imogen will not be rushed into passing judgement on the place and when she starts to carry out some research into the history of Kilduggan Farm, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events that ends in tragedy. Suddenly, Imogen and her psychologist husband, Hugh, find themselves faced with a seemingly insoluble puzzle. How can it be possible that an unexplained death in the present day can match, in every detail, an unsolved case from 40 years ago? As the past begins to catch up with Imogen, she realises that she must strive to discover the truth about her family, even if it means that nothing will ever be the same again… This is an intricately plotted novel, cleverly interwoven with subtle clues and the occasional red-herring. It will keep you guessing and the pages turning, right up until its final, shocking conclusion. Aoife's Chariot is the first novel in the Imogen and Hugh Croft Mysteries Series

*Newly edited version November 2014, now written in past tense, third person. Still great* Can you really trust The Only Survivor...? When a helicopter crashes off the western coast of Garansay there is only one survivor; a nineteen year old boy called Cameron Fleming. He is immediately befriended by one of his rescuers, Michael Nichols. But when Michael's sister, Imogen and her family come to the island for the summer, she soon discovers that the young man is not quite what he seems... This gripping book sees the return of husband and wife sleuths Imogen and Hugh Croft. Thrown into a new and dangerous investigation, Imogen is forced to exercise her detective skills once more. But this time around, Imogen stumbles into the murky world of international organised crime and suddenly finds that she is terrifyingly out of her depth... Warning: the conclusion to this book will have you feverishly flicking back through the pages - desperate to spot the clues you missed!

LAWFUL DEATH Danny Carlow is dead. But is it murder? When a young man is shot dead during a burglary at Langley Farm, it divides the local community. Having just published his latest book on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Professor Hugh Croft agrees to assist Thomas Langley’s beleaguered defence team as an expert witness. As Hugh begins to interview Langley, he discovers the old man is not quite what he expected. The Professor finds it difficult to see this tough ex-soldier as the elderly, fragile victim the national press have made him out to be. Hugh soon realises the Langley Farm case is far more complicated than it had at first appeared. Whilst Hugh, and his wife Imogen, are struggling to deal with problems within their own family, they find themselves drawn into a multi-layered web of lies and retribution, resulting in a race against time to protect the very people they love the most. ‘Lawful Death’ is a fast-paced and absorbing mystery thriller. It deals with the impact of war and bereavement; delving into the intricacies of the human psyche. This novel takes the reader on a gripping, nail-biting journey towards its shocking and unexpected conclusion.

Full Beam (The Imogen and Hugh Croft Mysteries) A car is driving too fast along a twisting country road. At the end of a long, straight section, the notoriously lethal bend suddenly looms up out of nowhere. The silence is broken by a deafening screech of brakes. The passengers on board don’t stand a chance… When a nanny is killed and her two young wards badly injured in a road accident, the cause seems clear-cut. Sensing all is not quite as it appears, defence lawyer Penny Mills decides to employ the assistance of her old friend, Imogen Croft. Together, they soon discover the case really isn’t so simple after all…

Lillian Cartwright walked out of the door one day and never came back... The Woman Who Vanished. Whilst enjoying a restful break in Suffolk, Kathleen and Gerry Croft find their peace is shattered when a group of noisy, middle-aged volunteers arrive at the hotel. The group are helping to restore a nearby country estate, which has been uninhabited for the best part of 40 years. The more Kath and Gerry hear about the strange history of Sandlings Hall, the more intrigued they become. Kath finds herself inexorably drawn into the complicated past of this beguiling place. In the process, she uncovers the disappearance of a woman on the estate nearly 60 years before. Can Kath discover the fate of Lillian Cartwright and solve the mystery of Sandlings Hall - or will malign forces in the present day prevent her from uncovering the truth? With the help of her son and daughter-in-law, Kath is determined to find the answers. But Imogen and Hugh have problems of their own to deal with, as the death of a young girl drags them into a new and terrifying investigation, where they are forced to confront their most dangerous adversary yet.

Is it possible for an ordinary man to return from the dead...? On a stormy night in February 1943, the S.S Minerva was sunk by an enemy torpedo. Two men from the Scottish village of Dallanaich were travelling on the liner en-route to New York City. The Reverend Mackenzie Cowan and local schoolteacher Sandy Thomson were heading to a church conference due to be held there the following month. Thomson had left behind his young, pregnant wife. Both men were presumed drowned. Thirty years later, long-term Dallanaich resident Kenneth Garvie takes a trip to Toronto. As he walks along a street, Garvie passes a man whom he instantly recognises as Sandy Thomson. After staring in silence at one another for several minutes, Sandy decides to offer his old friend an explanation… When Imogen Croft discovers that her new sister-in-law has a family secret, she finds it impossible to resist digging into the subject further. What she uncovers is a story of murder and deception stretching back through the decades, with the power to threaten the lives of them all. Memorial for the Dead is the fifth novel in the Imogen and Hugh Croft Mysteries Series. Introducing DCI Dani Bevan, who will return in a brand new detective series.

Two hauntings at the same boarding school, twenty years apart. Can Imogen Croft explain these strange events? Or will her intervention come too late? When Imogen Croft meets local artist Laurie Saunders, newly arrived from London, they immediately become friends. Whilst painting Imogen’s portrait for her latest exhibition, Laurie recounts the summer she spent at Marchmont Hall School twenty years before. The story fascinates Imogen so much that she determines to investigate the ghostly visions her friend witnessed there. But by returning to the school, Imogen unlocks dangerous forces that threaten the lives of a young family. Her only option is to find out the truth about the ghost of Marchmont Hall, a decision which leads Imogen deep into a past full of superstition and untold cruelty.

Imogen and Hugh become amateur detectives once again when a mysterious family rent the nearby Christmas Cottage for the festive season. As soon as they arrive, strange accidents start to occur. Bridie Croft is certain that this family is harbouring a secret, but to discover what it is, she must place herself in terrible danger... Meanwhile, Imogen and Hugh find themselves caught up in the breakdown of a friend's marriage. When the sleuthing couple dig a little deeper, they uncover a sad tale of duplicity and betrayal, with a twist that neither would ever have guessed. This Imogen and Hugh Croft Mystery is a fast-paced quick Christmas read. Just the perfect size for any digital stocking!

This short story and novella collection contains: Full Beam and Mystery at Christmas Cottage along with The Flawed Emerald and other stories. There are seven ingenious mystery tales in total. The Flawed Emerald When Imogen Croft bumps into an old friend at a railway station, the young woman asks for her help. Imogen is required to get to the bottom of a recent spate of vicious hate mail which threatens to end a burgeoning love affair. But Imogen's conclusions are not at all what her friend expected. The Witch's Burial An archaeological dig at the ancient Chapel of St Peter's turns up a skeleton, roughly hidden in a shallow grave. It becomes clear that the group are facing a mystery of a far more modern kind. The Bowl of Yellow Flowers Imogen and Hugh take a holiday in the paradise resort of Goa. But their Indian adventure turns sour, when a series of sinister happenings occur at their beach hotel.

Teenager Cordelia Mathison went missing during a gap year trip in 2017.When her freshly dumped body is found three years later, in fields less than a mile from her home, local police are baffled.Detective Inspector Nate Lawrence is new to his posting on the east Essex coast. His first case here will challenge him like no other. The investigation takes him to a remote Mediterranean island and throws him together with Bridie Croft and her parents; an intriguing local family who may just hold the key to unlocking what seems like an impossible mystery.