PI Grace Smith Books
Marilyn Monroe has been murdered. And irrepressible ex-cop PI Grace Smith is hired to hunt down the killer. But there are no all-expenses-paid trips to California for this case: Marilyn Monroe was a donkey, and Grace is too broke to turn down the owner's bizarre request for an investigation. As the case progresses, Grace finds herself increasingly drawn into the mystery surrounding the murder of a young prostitute, whose death occurred on the same night as Marilyn's. But pitting her wits against a deranged criminal mind while trying to keep one step ahead of the police proves a challenge. And as an extraordinary tale of greed and betrayal begins to unfold, Grace soon realizes her own life is in grave danger.
Private Investigator Grace Smith is back, walking the mean streets of down-at-heel Seatoun on England's south coast. Client Henry Summerstone asks her to find a missing person, but he's no idea of her name, where she lives or works, or what she looks like as he's been blind for years. In fact, he's not even sure she's missing. But he's offering cash, an offer that Grace finds hard to refuse. Soon she's got a lead on the girl - several as it turns out - but instead of them leading her to Miss X, Grace finds herself caught up in government fraud, family feuds and cold-blooded murder...
Mild-mannered Stuart Roberts suffers from nightmares where he remembers committing a murder (possibly two) and wants to know, could this be true? Grace doesn't want to take the case on the grounds that murders tend to mean there's killer around somewhere and she'd rather pass - thanks very much. But these are killings with a difference: they took place nearly thirty years before Stuart was born. Despite her scepticism Grace has never been able to resist the lure of an unlimited expense account, so she takes the job, blissfully unaware that her life is about to be invaded by an ageing rock star, a flatulent bulldog and a voice from the past. And then she discovers that her client isn't quite what he appears to be.
Adopted at birth, Hanna Conti attempts to trace her family. She turns up a mother who, 20 years earlier, was convicted of murder. Convinced that her mother is innocent, Hannah hires PI Grace Smith to prove it. Grace uncovers the story of the very messy murder of Janet Hepburn, a teacher at St. Martin’s Comprehensive, but there are a lot of people who’d rather she stopped digging. On Grace’s side (or possibly not) is an ex-cop with a shady past and Betterman177, a mysterious emailer who sends tantalizing clues about what was happening at St. Martin’s two decades ago. To add to these complications, Grace has been conned into bird-sitting a psychotic parrot, and Terry Rosco, the most chauvinistic cop in Seatoun, is trying to move into Grace’s spare room. And, oh yessomeone keeps trying to kill her.
Spring is in the air in the seen-better-days seaside town of Seatoun. Easter is approaching and the weather is surprisingly mild, leading to a mini boom in the tourist industry. Vetch's Investigations is buzzing with clients and even Jan, the receptionist from hell, is busy - all of which is making Grace Smith feel particularly depressed because she's the only one without a client in sight. The situation has become so desperate that Grace has taken a job with the town Tourist Board. Dressed as the Easter Bunny, she's supposed to be promoting the town's 'child friendly' image. Unfortunately a series of encounters with those who can't resist tormenting dumb creatures (albeit six feet tall ones with fluffy pink ears) results in Grace being the first bunny to be nicked for GBH in Seatoun. So when a woman named Della comes calling, and informs Grace that her son is receiving threatening letters and she wants someone to trace the sender, Grace accepts with alacrity. And lives to regret it most bitterly.
Grace Smith, sarcastic and impoverished Private Investigator, is less than impressed by her latest job. She’s chasing down her friend Arlene’s ‘baby’ – her runaway mongrel, Waterloo. When Grace accidentally hits Stuart Roberts in the process of recapturing the dog, the accident opens up a new and rather more spectacular case. The stuttering accountant begs for her help. Stuart believes he killed a ghost. Cynical about the sanity of her newest client, Grace sets about uncovering Stuart’s ‘past life’ as a farmhand with an abusive drunk for a father and an exhibitionist, alluring older woman for a neighbour. Her investigations, with the dog as her unwanted side-kick, leads her to a sixty year old mystery and a nameless skeleton. Who did the unidentified bones belong to? And who put them in the ground? Little does Grace know that her life is about to be invaded by an ageing rock star, his manipulative daughter, and a leopardskin-clad addict, all tangled up somehow in a mystery that will challenger her to the limit. And her client is not what he appears… Will Grace solve the case before it’s too late? ‘The Coldest Case’ is a tense, fast-paced mystery story starring PI Grace Smith. It was originally published as ‘Barking!’ and is the fourth in the Grace Smith series. “Liz Evans becomes more impressive and funnier by the book” – The Times “Humorous and sharply written, this pacy novel … will keep you guessing to the end” – Good Housekeeping “Enjoyably silly and spooky by turns” – Helen Brown, The Daily Telegraph “A good start … funny and engaging” – Literary Review Liz Evans is the author of ten best-selling novels, including the Grace Smith mystery series. She has worked in all sorts of companies from plastic moulding manufacturers to Japanese banks through to film production and BBC Radio. She was born in Highgate, went to school in Barnet and now lives in Hertfordshire.
Grace Smith, Private Investigator, is on the case again. She has been tasked with finding the author of anonymous threats to Jonathon Black, an-out of-work addict married to the ruthlessly ambitious TV star Clemency Courtney - but Jonathon and Clemency don't know that Jonathon's mother hired her, and Grace has to go undercover. Posing as their slightly incompetent gardener, she uses every opportunity to snoop around for clues and insert herself into the family's life. Grace discovers plenty of people with motives to hurt Clemency, but no suspects for a grudge against Jonathan. So who is sending the vicious threats, and why? Grace’s life gets a lot more complicated when the infuriating yet alluring O’Hara shows up, asking for her help with another of his dead brother’s old cases and making Grace wonder if she has the strength to resist O’Hara’s charms again. The pair of them are investigating the fourteen-year-old disappearance of Heidi Walkinshaw, a young girl who was snatched on her paper route one morning and never seen again. The police’s one suspect in Heidi’s abduction, Leslie Higgins, was murdered during the investigation, and O’Hara has returned to set right some serious wrongs in the original case. While Grace tries to expose both the poison pen and discover what really happened to Heidi, she finds her life in danger from someone desperate to stop her uncovering the truth… ‘Caught in the Act’ is a highly entertaining crime caper starring Grace Smith. It was originally published as ‘Cue the Easter Bunny’ and is the sixth in the Grace Smith series. “A hilarious and original read satirising the underbelly of British suburban life” – Daily Mail “Superb seaside noir” – Mirror Liz Evans is the author of ten best-selling novels, including the Grace Smith mystery series. She has worked in all sorts of companies from plastic moulding manufacturers to Japanese banks through to film production and BBC Radio. She was born in Highgate, went to school in Barnet and now lives in Hertfordshire.
When Grace Smith, a down-on-her-luck private investigator with an unimpressive track record, gets a call from an elderly man about a missing person, she’s not expecting much. With little to go on and a slightly more promising case on the horizon, she figures she can tie this one up in a few days, sending her regrets that his “young friend” has simply skipped town. But, as she starts asking questions, Grace finds herself drawing more and more attention. And not all of it is good. Who was this mysterious woman known only as ‘K’? And why are so many people doing anything they can to keep Grace from finding out? Through the course of her search, Grace is drawn into a web of high-society lies, affairs, and blackmail, and the price of finding the truth may just be her life… 'Blindsided' is an expertly-plotted crime thriller that will keep readers gripped from the first page to the last. 'A tense, nail-biting story that kept me up late.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'. 'Blindsided' was previously published as 'JFK is Missing'. Liz Evans has worked in all sorts of companies from plastic moulding manufacturers to Japanese banks through to film production and BBC Radio. She lives in Hertfordshire.
Grace Smith, Private Investigator, hasn’t been doing a lot of investigating lately. With her cases drying up, her pitying co-worker hands her a client whose demands are too mundane for him to deal with. The client wants to leave her fortune to three strangers. The lucky benefactors have already been picked – all Grace has to do is find out as much about them as possible, and report back to the lonely millionairess, without giving the game away. Easy? Not quite. It turns out that these harmless strangers may not be as harmless after all, with Grace stumbling upon a juicy conspiracy that involves all three of her chosen subjects. She can’t help but get caught up in it – and as she delves deeper into her investigation, things start to get messy… Our PI begins to blur the lines between professional and private, whether she wants to or not… 'Heir Apparent' is an expertly-plotted crime thriller that will keep readers gripped from the first page to the last. 'A gripping mystery.' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of 'The Lunar Code'. 'Heir Apparent' was previously published as 'Don’t Mess with Mrs Inbetween'. Liz Evans has worked in all sorts of companies from plastic moulding manufacturers to Japanese banks through to film production and BBC Radio. She lives in Hertfordshire. She is also the author of ‘Blindsided’.
When Barbra Delaney comes into Grace Smith's office, looks her in the eye and announces, 'I'm filthy rich and I've decided to make a will leaving the lot to a complete stranger. I've chosen you...', Grace thinks she may be hallucinating. It is, after all, the stuff of which daydreams are made. That is until Barbra hands Grace the photographs of three complete strangers, and tells her to find their names and addresses so that she can will all her dear departed husband's worldly goods to them. But, as Grace tracks down the lucky legatees, she discovers that they all have their own reasons for not wanting her poking around in their lives. When a series of increasingly violent events culminates in a very nasty death, it seems that someone will stop at nothing - not even murder - to stop Grace finding out the truth ...