A Henry Johnstone 1930s Mystery Series

Introducing Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone in the first of a brand-new historical mystery series. Lincolnshire, England. June, 1928. When three freshly-buried bodies are unearthed in the front yard of a rented cottage, DCI Henry Johnstone, a specialist murder detective from London, is summoned to investigate. Two of the victims are identified as Mary Fields, known to have worked as a prostitute, and her seven-year-old daughter Ruby. But who is the third victim and what was he doing at the cottage? Johnstone is determined to do things by the book, but his use of forensic science and other modern methods of detection soon ruffles feathers. Frustrated by the unhelpful attitude of the local constabulary, Johnstone fears the investigation is heading nowhere. Then he's called out to another murder . . .

Historical fans are in store for an edifying treat Publishers Weekly Starred Review When two bodies are washed up in the Kentish marshes, Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone is propelled into a disturbing investigation. December, 1928. When two bodies are found washed up in the Kentish marshes, it doesn’t take long for DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens to identify at least one of them. Billy Crane was a known associate of Josiah Bailey, one of the East End’s most notorious gangsters. But what were the victims doing in this remote and desolate spot? Is it a set-up? A revenge attack? Or could this be the start of a vicious turf war? If so, who would be brave enough to challenge Josiah Bailey, whose tentacles have a disturbingly long reach? With witnesses too frightened to talk, the two London detectives must dig deep into the past if they are to make headway in the investigation and stop the escalating violence.

Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone is summoned to investigate the murder of a silent movie star in this compelling historical mystery. 1928. A rising star of the silent screen, Cissie Rowe had a bright future ahead of her in the new talking pictures. Not any more. Cissie had died, tragically, many times on screen – but this time it’s for real. When Cissie is found brutally murdered in her own home, DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens are despatched to the seaside town of Shoreham-by-Sea to investigate. Famed for the quality of its light, Shoreham is home to a film studio and thriving theatrical community. But who among them would want the popular young actress dead? The two London detectives soon discover that no one, including the victim, is quite what they seem – and that the make-believe continues both on and off the famous glasshouse stage.

Skillfully plotted … Adams shines light on the darker realities of the times without being heavyhanded Publishers Weekly>/b> Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone discovers that things are not as they first appear when clockmaker Abraham Levy’s nephew goes missing. February, 1929. Clockmaker Abraham Levy’s young nephew has vanished. He was last seen boarding a train on his way to see his fiancée, and with no sign of foul play, the suspicion is that he may have got cold feet about his upcoming nuptials and alighted at an earlier stop. The police seem to think so, but Abraham isn’t convinced. Feeling he has no other option, Abraham makes an unexpected visit to DCI Henry Johnstone to appeal for his help. Despite his initial reluctance, Henry’s curiosity gets the better of him, and his review of the case soon leads to a startling discovery. As Henry is plunged fully into a new investigation, it seems the truth is far more complicated and disturbing than it first appeared.

A chilling murder ruins a fun day at the races in the fifth historical mystery featuring Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone. 1929. Police surgeon Dr Clive Mason is devastated when his wife Martha is found dead in an empty horsebox at Southwell Races, her handbag stolen. The Masons were enjoying a day out at the races with their friends, Dr Ephraim Phillips and his wife Nora, when Martha went to speak to a face she recognized in a crowd - and disappeared. As Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone and Sergeant Mickey Hitchens investigate, it's clear this wasn't a robbery gone tragically wrong - Martha was deliberately murdered. Why did the life of this well-respected, popular member of the community meet such a tragic end? Henry and Mickey soon learn that the Masons' marriage was not what it seemed, and make a number of shocking discoveries. Who was Martha Mason, and what secrets was she hiding?

The past is never far behind you . . . Old sins have a nasty way of catching up with you, as Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone discovers in this gripping historical mystery, which takes him back to a difficult case in his early days as a police officer. Full of unexpected twists, this is a must-read for fans of Downton Abbey and Jacqueline Winspear. 1929. The discovery of the bodies of two retired policemen, Walter Cole and Hayden Paul, sounds warning bells to DCI Henry Johnstone. Both men were experiencing financial difficulties, and their deaths were staged to look like suicides. Hayden left a note containing two words: old sins. And when Henry attends his sister's Halloween party, he is approached by a flamenco dancer who leaves a note with the name of another man. Could this be a grim warning? Henry is forced on a painful journey back to an old case he worked on with Cole and Paul. Is someone playing a deadly game with Henry, and is he about to pay for his past mistakes? With Detective Sergeant Mickey Hitchens by his side and his family at risk, Henry must catch a dangerous killer bent on revenge - before the killer catches him . . .

When a man dumps a body on a beach in full view of onlookers, the investigation that follows throws up a number of dark twists for DCI Henry Johnstone. January 5, 1930. On a cold, grey winter morning, a mysterious man walks along Bournemouth beach carrying a bundle in his arms. He lays it carefully on the shoreline and calmly walks away. The man has dumped a body. The dead young woman is Faun Moran, a wildchild in her twenties wearing a sparkling cocktail gown. But Faun was supposedly killed in a car crash after leaving a party attended by other wealthy bright young things the previous autumn. So who was the young woman in the car, and where has Faun Moran been all this time? Still recovering from the trauma of his last case, DCI Henry Johnstone returns to work to solve this baffling mystery. But as he and DS Mickey Hitchens investigate, the path to the truth is darker and twistier than they could ever have imagined.

Henry Johnstone has retired from the police, but when he suddenly disappears his old colleague and friend, Inspector Mickey Hitchens, investigates. December, 1930. Henry Johnstone has retired from his role as detective chief inspector at London’s Scotland Yard and is staying at the home of the late Sir Eamon Barry on the south coast, cataloguing and inventorying his extensive library. Until he suddenly – and inexplicably – vanishes.   Mickey Hitchens, Henry’s old partner-in-crime, now an inspector himself, investigates the house with his colleague, Sergeant Tibbs. The room Henry was staying in had eight unusual, curved windows, and the pair quickly uncover disturbing signs of a struggle, along with a blotter that has the name of a man who was murdered five years ago written on it. Is there a link between that case and Henry’s disappearance? Can Mickey find his friend and bring him home safely, or is it already too late?

Was the wrong man hanged for a young woman's murder, or is a copycat killer on the loose? DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens must crack a darkly complex case when the community close ranks. 1930, Leicestershire. Everyone in the quiet market town of East Harborough is convinced that local miscreant Brady Brewer is responsible for the brutal murder of Sarah Downham. Despite Brewer's protestations of innocence, and his sister's pleas for help from DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens, Brewer is convicted and hanged. Two weeks after the hanging, a farmworker finds the body of another young woman less than a mile from where Sarah was found - and there are other disturbing similarities between the two murders. Is a copycat killer on the loose, or was Brewer innocent after all? Where is the missing yellow dress that Sarah wore the night she was murdered? As the locals close ranks, Henry and Mickey soon discover that reputations - and the truth - are all on the line . . .