The Dales Detective Series

Meet two sleuths from a sleepy Yorkshire village as they investigate murders and discover the secrets behind the twitching curtains. Date with Death is the first cosy crime novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M. C. Beaton. Samson O’Brien has been dismissed from the police force, and returns to his hometown of Bruncliffe in the Yorkshire Dales to set up the Dales Detective Agency. However, the villagers aren’t that welcoming to a man they see as trouble. Delilah Metcalfe is struggling to keep her business, the Dales Dating Agency, afloat as well as trying to control her wayward dog, Tolpuddle, when Samson’s first case – a supposed suicide – takes an unexpected turn, and a trail of deaths lead back to the door of Delilah’s agency. With suspicion hanging over someone they both care for, the two feuding neighbours soon realize that they need to work together to solve the mystery of the dating deaths. But working together is easier said than done . . . Full of wit, warmth and characters you’ll care about, continue the murder mystery series with Date with Malice. Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post

Suspicious goings-on at a retirement home lead to an intriguing investigation in Date with Malice, the second cosy crime novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton. 'A Yorkshire Agatha Raisin' - Dalesman It’s dark in the Dales this winter . . . When Mrs Shepherd arrives at the Dales Detective Agency, quite convinced that someone is trying to kill her, Samson O’Brien dismisses her fears as the ramblings of a confused elderly lady. But, after a series of disturbing incidents at Fellside Court retirement home, he begins to wonder if there is something to her claims after all . . . With Christmas around the corner, Samson is thrown into a complex investigation – one that will require him to regain the trust of the Dales community. Faced with no choice, he enlists the help of a local: the tempestuous Delilah Metcalfe. Against the backdrop of a Yorkshire winter, Samson and Delilah must work together once again if they are to uncover the malevolence threatening the elderly residents of Bruncliffe. Could the danger be perilously close to home? Filled with wit, warmth and a cast of charming characters, continue the crime capers of the Dale Detectives with Date with Mystery. Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post

Poisoned pooches and a missing teenager bring our detective duo back together in Date with Poison the fourth cosy crime novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective Agency series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. Spring is in the air in the Yorkshire Dales, but not everyone is filled with the joys of the season. Samson O’Brien of the Dales Detective Agency is being questioned by police about a murder, with the truth about his policing past about to be brutally exposed. Delilah Metcalfe is busy defending Samson to everyone in Bruncliffe, when her nephew runs away from home and a frantic search begins. And with attention elsewhere, only a local vet is paying attention to a worrying spate of canine poisonings happening throughout the village. Bruncliffe is turning toxic and with suspicion raining down on him, Samson knows he has to ask Delilah for help. Can she forgive his transgressions and help him so that they can find the missing boy and the poisoner, or has the poison already spread too far? Full of wit, warmth and characters you'll care about, continue the charming mystery series with Date with Danger. 'A delightful Dales tale to warm the cockles!' - Peterborough Telegraph Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post

The close-knit community of a Yorkshire village is rocked when local secrets are revealed in Date with Mystery, the third cosy crime novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M. C. Beaton. The Dales Detective Agency’s latest assignment appears to be an open and shut case. But, hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago, Samson O’Brien is about to find out that things in Bruncliffe are rarely that straightforward. Things get particularly complicated when the solicitor insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation. Delilah is eager to help, needing to take her mind off the impending custody case for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and problems with her dating agency. As Samson and Delilah begin their inquiries they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. But, in uncovering the truth, have they exposed secrets that some would prefer remained buried? Full of wit, warmth and comforting characters, continue the riveting mystery series with Date with Poison. Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post

Julia Chapman’s sixth Dales Detective Agency novel, Date with Deceit, sees Delilah going undercover at a shoot involving dangerous criminals. A page-turning cosy crime mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton. A woman in tears in the Dales Detective Agency is never the best way to start the week and when it's the town mayor's wife, asking the detective to investigate whether her husband is having an affair, Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe know they will have to tread carefully. The case, however, proves to be more complex than even they had imagined. While Delilah is undercover at a local shoot to better keep tabs on the errant husband, she is on the scene for a fatal incident that sends the Yorkshire town into turmoil. Soon the detective duo are embroiled in a far more serious investigation than mere infidelity. Deceit is rife in Bruncliffe and it may well prove deadly . . . Curl up with this delightful murder mystery, full of wit, warmth, and a cast of charming characters. Continue the series with Date With Betrayal. 'A classic whodunit set in the spectacular landscape of the Yorkshire Dales . . . A satisfying read riddled with dry Yorkshire humour (and dry stone walls)' - Cath Staincliffe, author of the Scott & Bailey series.

Julia Chapman's fifth Dales Detectives Agency novel, Date With Danger, sees our intrepid leads Samson and Delilah on the trail of a sheep rustler turned killer. A heartwarming cosy crime caper, perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and M.C. Beaton. In the heart of Yorkshire, the Dales Detective Agency is about to face its biggest challenge. A fatal accident at the local livestock auction mart summons the detective duo Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe, but what starts as a simple health-and-safety investigation soon takes a sinister turn when they discover evidence that suggests murder. With local sheep being threatened by a gang of rustlers plaguing the Dales, and poacher Pete Ferris setting in motion a blackmail plot that will see Samson pulled back into trouble with his nemesis Rick Proctor, all three cases are about to converge. Samson and Delilah are now going to find their next investigation is fraught with danger; a danger that will leave them fighting for their lives . . . Full of wit, warmth and colourful characters, continue the comforting mystery series with Date with Deceit. Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post

In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman’s Dales Detective series, Date with Betrayal, betrayal is rife in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales as Samson O’Brien, owner of the Dales Detective Agency, is targeted by a hitman. Can Bruncliffe save him? A brilliantly engaging and witty mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series. Death is coming to Bruncliffe: its target is Samson O’Brien. Oblivious to his impending date with fate, Samson is busy juggling a number of cases at the Dales Detective Agency. Too busy, in fact, to notice his partner behaving oddly. Because Delilah Metcalfe knows what is coming. A hitman. Sent from London with one objective: to finally silence the troublesome O’Brien before his corruption case can make it to court. With Samson’s life in peril, and betrayal around every corner, Delilah has no choice but to call in favours from all of her Bruncliffe connections in order to counteract the menace threatening to engulf the Dales town. The only trouble is the townsfolk have long memories and deep grievances when it comes to Samson O’Brien. Trust must be earned and they will take some convincing before they put themselves in danger in order to save him. And even then, it might not prove enough . . . Full of charm, wit and characters that will capture your heart, the series begins with Date With Death. Have you read them all? Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunnit' – Cath Staincliffe, author of Blue Murder 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post ‘As village murder mysteries go, this clever, witty and realistic series is quite out of the ordinary and strongly recommended’ – Crime Review