Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Games Keeper
    The Man by the Sea
    The Clockmaker's Secret
    Audiobook series9 titles

    The Slim Hardy Mysteries Series

    Written by Jack Benton

    Narrated by Kevin E Green and Kevin E. Green

    ()

    About this series

    THE NEW JOHN "SLIM" HARDY MYSTERY

    When her mentally disabled son develops a strange obsession, Audrey Johnson contacts private investigator John “Slim” Hardy for help.

    Andy Johnson has been making teddy bears and leaving them on the memorial of a nine-year-old girl who drowned on Dartmoor more than forty years ago. When nothing will put him off his bizarre tribute to a child who died before he was even born, Slim moves to the peaceful rural community of Brentor to investigate.

    However, as he digs deeper into the past, overturning stones that do not wish to be overturned, he uncovers a bombshell that will rock the quiet, private community to its very core.

    And soon he will be looking over his shoulder, because there are people out there on the moor that want their secrets to remain buried.

    Here the Road Ends is a thrilling mystery with twists until the last page from Jack Benton, author of the bestsellers The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAMMFA Publishing
    Release dateJun 20, 2018
    The Games Keeper
    The Man by the Sea
    The Clockmaker's Secret

    Titles in the series (9)

    • 2

      The Clockmaker's Secret
      The Clockmaker's Secret

      The Clockmaker's Secret

      Jack Benton
      4/5 - 2 ratings
      4/5 - 2 ratings

      A buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case. As Slim begins to ask questions of the tiny Cornish village of Penleven, he is drawn into a world of lies, rumours, and secrets, some of which the residents would prefer to stay buried. Twenty-three years ago, a reclusive clockmaker left his workshop and walked out onto Bodmin Moor, taking his last, unfinished clock with him. He disappeared. Slim is determined to find out why. The Clockmaker’s Secret is the stunning sequel to Jack Benton’s acclaimed debut, The Man by the Sea.

      A buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case. As Slim begins to ask questions of the tiny Cornish village of Penleven, he is drawn into a world of lies, rumours, and secrets, some of which the residents would prefer to stay buried. Twenty-three years ago, a reclusive clockmaker left his workshop and walked out onto Bodmin Moor, taking his last, unfinished clock with him. He disappeared. Slim is determined to find out why. The Clockmaker’s Secret is the stunning sequel to Jack Benton’s acclaimed debut, The Man by the Sea.

    • 3

      The Games Keeper
      The Games Keeper

      The Games Keeper

      Jack Benton
      4/5 - 2 ratings
      4/5 - 2 ratings

      Having fallen on hard times, disgraced soldier turned private investigator John “Slim” Hardy is hired by rich and enigmatic land owner Oliver Ozgood to uncover the identity of a mysterious blackmailer. The man is demanding a fortune in exchange for his silence. He claims to be Dennis Sharp, a former employee of Ozgood, and threatens to reveal secrets that will soil Ozgood’s family name and send the patriarch to prison. There’s only one problem. Dennis Sharp is dead, killed by Ozgood himself. In search of answers, Slim moves to the remote rural hamlet of Scuttleworth in the Devonshire countryside, where he will confront demons both from within and without in his most challenging case yet. The Games Keeper is the third book in the Slim Hardy Mystery series. While the stories follow a rough sequence, they can be read in any order.

      Having fallen on hard times, disgraced soldier turned private investigator John “Slim” Hardy is hired by rich and enigmatic land owner Oliver Ozgood to uncover the identity of a mysterious blackmailer. The man is demanding a fortune in exchange for his silence. He claims to be Dennis Sharp, a former employee of Ozgood, and threatens to reveal secrets that will soil Ozgood’s family name and send the patriarch to prison. There’s only one problem. Dennis Sharp is dead, killed by Ozgood himself. In search of answers, Slim moves to the remote rural hamlet of Scuttleworth in the Devonshire countryside, where he will confront demons both from within and without in his most challenging case yet. The Games Keeper is the third book in the Slim Hardy Mystery series. While the stories follow a rough sequence, they can be read in any order.

    • 1

      The Man by the Sea
      The Man by the Sea

      The Man by the Sea

      Jack Benton
      4/5 - 2 ratings
      4/5 - 2 ratings

      "An absolute feast for noir and paranormal thriller fans alike. Highly recommended." ~~ bestthrillers.com John "Slim" Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud. His wife thinks he's having an affair. Slim thinks he's insane. The truth is more incredible than either could imagine. The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.

      "An absolute feast for noir and paranormal thriller fans alike. Highly recommended." ~~ bestthrillers.com John "Slim" Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud. His wife thinks he's having an affair. Slim thinks he's insane. The truth is more incredible than either could imagine. The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.

    • 4

      Slow Train
      Slow Train

      Slow Train

      Jack Benton
      3/5 - 1 rating
      3/5 - 1 rating

      Slow Train: A thrilling British mystery that will leave you guessing until the last page... On the evening of Saturday, January 15th, 1977, a local commuter train is delayed at a small village station by a freak blizzard. Young nurse Jennifer Evans, keen to get back to her family, plans to walk the last couple of miles to her home in a neighbouring village. She phones her daughter to confirm that she’s on her way, but she never arrives home.In the ensuing police investigation, no trace of Jennifer Evans is ever found. The only evidence is a photograph taken by a fellow passenger of footprints in the snow in front of Holdergate station. It appears someone was fleeing for their life…. Contacted by Jennifer’s daughter, at first it seems private investigator John “Slim” Hardy has no chance of solving a forty-two-year-old mystery. But as the case begins to unravel, Slim finds himself caught in the centre of a whirlwind which will send him spinning to a dramatic conclusion.

      Slow Train: A thrilling British mystery that will leave you guessing until the last page... On the evening of Saturday, January 15th, 1977, a local commuter train is delayed at a small village station by a freak blizzard. Young nurse Jennifer Evans, keen to get back to her family, plans to walk the last couple of miles to her home in a neighbouring village. She phones her daughter to confirm that she’s on her way, but she never arrives home.In the ensuing police investigation, no trace of Jennifer Evans is ever found. The only evidence is a photograph taken by a fellow passenger of footprints in the snow in front of Holdergate station. It appears someone was fleeing for their life…. Contacted by Jennifer’s daughter, at first it seems private investigator John “Slim” Hardy has no chance of solving a forty-two-year-old mystery. But as the case begins to unravel, Slim finds himself caught in the centre of a whirlwind which will send him spinning to a dramatic conclusion.

    • 5

      The Angler's Tale
      The Angler's Tale

      The Angler's Tale

      Jack Benton
      3/5 - 2 ratings
      3/5 - 2 ratings

      Attempting to forget his problems with the bottle, former soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy joins what ought to be a peaceful fishing package holiday in Dartmouth, South Devon. But when a violent tragedy affects one of the other tour guests, Slim finds himself on the trail of a potential killer. Set in the beautiful surrounds of the River Dart estuary and Agatha Christie’s Greenway, The Angler’s Tale will take Slim Hardy into places darker than any he has faced before. Also in this series: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret The Games Keeper Slow Train Eight Days

      Attempting to forget his problems with the bottle, former soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy joins what ought to be a peaceful fishing package holiday in Dartmouth, South Devon. But when a violent tragedy affects one of the other tour guests, Slim finds himself on the trail of a potential killer. Set in the beautiful surrounds of the River Dart estuary and Agatha Christie’s Greenway, The Angler’s Tale will take Slim Hardy into places darker than any he has faced before. Also in this series: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret The Games Keeper Slow Train Eight Days

    • 6

      Eight Days
      Eight Days

      Eight Days

      Jack Benton
      3/5 - 2 ratings
      3/5 - 2 ratings

      Eight Days: a thrilling British mystery with twists up to the last page... After nearly a year out of the game, former soldier turned private detective John "Slim" Hardy takes what he hopes will be an easy comeback case in the quiet Devonshire town of Launceston. The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. After being missing for eight days, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. Two years later, as her relationship with her daughter falls apart, Emily's desperate mother Georgia turns to Slim, wanting answers. Her eight days missing has changed Emily, so much so that Georgia is unsure the girl is even her daughter at all ... From the author of The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker's Secret, comes another stunning mystery, one which will keep you guessing to the last page.

      Eight Days: a thrilling British mystery with twists up to the last page... After nearly a year out of the game, former soldier turned private detective John "Slim" Hardy takes what he hopes will be an easy comeback case in the quiet Devonshire town of Launceston. The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. After being missing for eight days, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. Two years later, as her relationship with her daughter falls apart, Emily's desperate mother Georgia turns to Slim, wanting answers. Her eight days missing has changed Emily, so much so that Georgia is unsure the girl is even her daughter at all ... From the author of The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker's Secret, comes another stunning mystery, one which will keep you guessing to the last page.

    • 7

      When the Wind Blows
      When the Wind Blows

      When the Wind Blows

      Jack Benton
      5/5 - 1 rating
      5/5 - 1 rating

      Traumatised by a recent case, private investigator John “Slim” Hardy tries to create a new life for himself on the remote Cornish coast. However, when he is recognised by a local woman, he is unable to resist the draw of a dark mystery which has left a long shadow over the village. Fourteen years earlier, a local man, Richard Maynard, died in mysterious circumstances. The only witness was his five-year-old daughter, Ellen. Now, Richard’s sister, Wendy, wants answers. But the only person who might have them is Ellen, now a wraith haunting the dark recesses of a nearby town. Was Richard murdered? And if so, by whom? And does Ellen have the answers? Or only more questions? When the Wind Blows is a dark mystery of small town lies and deceit, and secrets that remain buried until the last page from Jack Benton, the acclaimed author of The Man By the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret.

      Traumatised by a recent case, private investigator John “Slim” Hardy tries to create a new life for himself on the remote Cornish coast. However, when he is recognised by a local woman, he is unable to resist the draw of a dark mystery which has left a long shadow over the village. Fourteen years earlier, a local man, Richard Maynard, died in mysterious circumstances. The only witness was his five-year-old daughter, Ellen. Now, Richard’s sister, Wendy, wants answers. But the only person who might have them is Ellen, now a wraith haunting the dark recesses of a nearby town. Was Richard murdered? And if so, by whom? And does Ellen have the answers? Or only more questions? When the Wind Blows is a dark mystery of small town lies and deceit, and secrets that remain buried until the last page from Jack Benton, the acclaimed author of The Man By the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret.

    • 8

      The Circus Lights
      The Circus Lights

      The Circus Lights

      Jack Benton
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      THE NEW SLIM HARDY MYSTERY - RELEASED APRIL 17th 2023 One autumn night in 1992, young trapeze artist Maria’s circus career is cut short by a horrific fall. Later investigation reveals sabotage, but by then the ramshackle Southern Cross Circus has folded, and its garrulous ring master and owner fled to Spain. And the prime suspect in the possible crime, Maria’s boyfriend, has disappeared without trace, never to be seen again. After a chance encounter with Maria decades afterwards, private investigator John “Slim” Hardy sets out to uncover the truth. But what starts out as a minor investigation soon spirals out of control into a case of multiple murder, and a series of events that still leave their mark more than thirty years later. In the glare of the circus lights, Slim could be facing his most complex investigation yet.

      THE NEW SLIM HARDY MYSTERY - RELEASED APRIL 17th 2023 One autumn night in 1992, young trapeze artist Maria’s circus career is cut short by a horrific fall. Later investigation reveals sabotage, but by then the ramshackle Southern Cross Circus has folded, and its garrulous ring master and owner fled to Spain. And the prime suspect in the possible crime, Maria’s boyfriend, has disappeared without trace, never to be seen again. After a chance encounter with Maria decades afterwards, private investigator John “Slim” Hardy sets out to uncover the truth. But what starts out as a minor investigation soon spirals out of control into a case of multiple murder, and a series of events that still leave their mark more than thirty years later. In the glare of the circus lights, Slim could be facing his most complex investigation yet.

    • 9

      Here the Road Ends
      Here the Road Ends

      Here the Road Ends

      Jack Benton
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      THE NEW JOHN "SLIM" HARDY MYSTERY When her mentally disabled son develops a strange obsession, Audrey Johnson contacts private investigator John “Slim” Hardy for help. Andy Johnson has been making teddy bears and leaving them on the memorial of a nine-year-old girl who drowned on Dartmoor more than forty years ago. When nothing will put him off his bizarre tribute to a child who died before he was even born, Slim moves to the peaceful rural community of Brentor to investigate. However, as he digs deeper into the past, overturning stones that do not wish to be overturned, he uncovers a bombshell that will rock the quiet, private community to its very core. And soon he will be looking over his shoulder, because there are people out there on the moor that want their secrets to remain buried. Here the Road Ends is a thrilling mystery with twists until the last page from Jack Benton, author of the bestsellers The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret.

      THE NEW JOHN "SLIM" HARDY MYSTERY When her mentally disabled son develops a strange obsession, Audrey Johnson contacts private investigator John “Slim” Hardy for help. Andy Johnson has been making teddy bears and leaving them on the memorial of a nine-year-old girl who drowned on Dartmoor more than forty years ago. When nothing will put him off his bizarre tribute to a child who died before he was even born, Slim moves to the peaceful rural community of Brentor to investigate. However, as he digs deeper into the past, overturning stones that do not wish to be overturned, he uncovers a bombshell that will rock the quiet, private community to its very core. And soon he will be looking over his shoulder, because there are people out there on the moor that want their secrets to remain buried. Here the Road Ends is a thrilling mystery with twists until the last page from Jack Benton, author of the bestsellers The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret.

    More audiobooks from Jack Benton

    Related to The Slim Hardy Mysteries

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Finn Noir

      Mar 25, 2021

      Finn Noir
      3 min read

    • Article

      Digging Into Danger

      Sep 26, 2021

      Like an Olympic pole vaulter who raises the bar after already securing the gold, Scottish author Val McDermid continues to push herself to new heights even though she’s well entrenched as a modern queen of the crime genre. after taking her long-runni

      2 min read

    • Article

      State of GRACE

      Feb 26, 2020

      State of GRACE
      8 min read

    • Article

      State of GRACE

      Feb 26, 2020

      State of GRACE
      8 min read

    • Article

      The ‘Bridgerton’ Files

      Feb 9, 2024

      The ‘Bridgerton’ Files
      5 min read

    • Article

      Riots, Rows And Rinsing

      Sep 13, 2023

      ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO The Fancy in 1923 DARK, dark is the night – indeed, so dark that we see not; welcome would be a ray of light! While the more devout were indulging in prayer, another section of the community was appealing to be saved from a horr

      4 min read

    • Article

      Romance, 14th-century Style: Why Cinema Has Fallen For Courtly Love

      Feb 14, 2022

      Against our backdrop of revenge porn, dick pic-strewn online dating and embittered incel manifestos, the notion of courtly love couldn’t seem more remote. Cilla Black and Blind Date now seem like something from medieval times – so where does that lea

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘The Nation Had Lost Its Mind’: The Extraordinary New Documentary About The Death Of Princess Diana

      Jun 17, 2022

      Only a genius of longform plotting could have planned the sting in the tail of the royal 2022. In the rolling melodrama of the British monarchy, the platinum jubilee was always slated for this year, gratitude splashed across the Daily Express. But no

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Story Behind…

      Aug 19, 2022

      The first chapter of my book about Mary, Queen of Scots was scarcely begun when lockdown descended. I remember that first morning, when the silence beyond the windows was unnerving. No passing cars or tradesmen’s vans disturbed the peace. No horses p

      2 min read

    • Article

      Crusader Kinks

      Jul 22, 2021

      Crusader Kinks
      7 min read

    • Article

      Crusader Kinks

      Aug 10, 2021

      Crusader Kinks
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Inquisitor

      Dec 26, 2023

      The Inquisitor
      5 min read

    • Article

      SECRETS & LIES

      Jul 28, 2023

      BY MARK BILLINGHAM LITTLE, BROWN Detective Sergeant Declan Miller is back at work following the murder of his wife, Alex. His new partner is DS Sara Xiu, a heavy-metal enthusiast who rides a powerful Yamaha motorcycle. Their first case is the double

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Inquisitor

      Dec 11, 2023

      The Inquisitor NEED TO KNOW RELEASE February 2024 DEVELOPER The Dust PUBLISHER Kalypso Media LINK theinquisitor.game Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, and it's fair to say this one was fairly unanticipated too. There's a backstory to The Inquis

      5 min read

    • Article

      It's Showtime!

      Sep 25, 2022

      It's Showtime!
      3 min read

    • Article

      Television

      Jun 18, 2023

      Television
      3 min read

    • Article

      Crusader Kinks

      Sep 6, 2021

      Crusader Kinks
      7 min read

    • Article

      Marmalade Addicts – The Queen, Paddington And Me

      Mar 8, 2023

      ‘If, at some future period of the world's history, men should acquire the art of flying, there can be no doubt that migration would become the custom, and whole nations would change their localities,' wrote Richard Jefferies in 1883. Seville is in my

      3 min read

    • Article

      Weekend HAUNTS

      Feb 18, 2020

      Weekend HAUNTS
      2 min read

    • Article

      1797 Half Dollar

      Jul 23, 2021

      1797 Half Dollar
      3 min read

    • Article

      Also Out Now

      Jun 25, 2019

      By Fred Sigman, Smallworks Press, £23.58, 188 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-0977880683 WHEN we think of American locations, be it the arid vistas of California's Death Valley or the neon-saturated metropolis of New York's Time Square, we often do so in

      1 min read

    • Article

      Forced To Live A Lie?

      Apr 15, 2024

      Forced To Live A Lie?
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Slim Hardy Mysteries

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words