The Dales Detective Series

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 while he fights to clear his name. However, the people of Bruncliffe aren't that welcoming to a man they see as trouble. Delilah Metcalfe, meanwhile, is struggling to keep her business, the Dales Dating Agency, afloat - as well as trying to control her wayward Weimaraner dog, Tolpuddle. Then when Samson gets his first case, investigating the supposed suicide of a local man, things take an unexpected turn, and soon he discovers a trail of deaths that 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 . . .

Date with Mystery is the third novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective series. The Dales Detective Agency’s latest assignment appears to be an open and shut case. 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. Particularly 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. At the very least, the case will take her mind off the looming custody battle for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and the threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales 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?

Date with Poison is the brilliant fourth novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective Agency series, and is perfect of fans of M C Beaton's Agatha Raisin series and Gervase Phinn. Spring is in the air in Bruncliffe but not everyone is filled with the joys of the season. Samson O’Brien of the Dales Detective Agency is being questioned by the police about a murder, with the truth about his policing past about to be brutally exposed. And with Bruncliffe turning on Samson, his business partner Delilah Metcalfe finds herself in the impossible position of defending him to her friends and family. Then Delilah’s nephew, accused of being under Samson’s influence, runs away from home and a frantic search begins. And with attention turning to Nathan, 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 Nathan and the poisoner, or has the poison already spread too far?

It’s dark in the Dales this winter . . . When Mrs Shepherd arrives at the Dales Detective Agency on a December morning, 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 he turned his back on so long ago. 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?

Julia Chapman’s sixth Dales Detective Agency novel, Date with Deceit, sees Delilah going undercover at a shoot involving dangerous criminals. An enthralling 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. Perfect for fans of M C Beaton and Gervase Phinn. In the heart of Yorkshire, the Dales Detective Agency is about to face its biggest challenge. A fatal accident at Bruncliffe’s livestock auction mart leads auctioneer Harry Furness to call in 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 their inquiries ongoing, Clive Knowles approaches them for help – his sheep are being threatened by the gang of rustlers that is plaguing the Dales. Meanwhile, Poacher Pete Ferris has also decided to play his hand, setting in motion a blackmail plot which will ensure Samson is pulled back into trouble with his nemesis Rick Procter. When all three cases begin to converge, Samson and Delilah will find that their latest investigation is fraught with danger; a danger that could leave them fighting for their lives.

In the seventh novel in Julia Chapman's Dales Detective series, 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? 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 . . . 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.

In the eighth novel in the Dales Detective series, Date with Evil, Samson and Delilah are about to discover that all of their new cases may be connected to a network of evil that seems to be surrounding Bruncliffe. Will they solve them all before the danger comes directly to their door? 'A Yorkshire Agatha Raisin' – Dalesman Evil is stalking the streets of Bruncliffe . . . From stolen washing to inheritance investigations, Bruncliffe’s Dales Detective Agency is being inundated with cases. But with Samson O’Brien still in London helping the Met Police clear his name, and the newly appointed member of the investigations team, Ida Capstick, distracted by her brother George’s insistence that their farm is haunted, Delilah Metcalfe is struggling to meet the mounting demands for the agency’s services. So when the mother of a local estate agent arrives at the offices insisting her son is missing, Delilah is relieved to have Samson return to help. Little do the detective duo know that several of their cases are about to collide when identifying the whereabouts of the missing man becomes something far more sinister. Something that will finally expose the network of evil which has been infiltrating the Dales town over the past decade, and in doing so place Delilah in the utmost danger. Following on from Date with Betrayal this new novel delights with its combination of beguiling charm and witty ingenuity. Look out for Date With Justice coming soon! Praise for The Dales Detective series: 'Bags of Yorkshire charm and wit' – Northern Echo 'A classic whodunit set in the spectacular landscape of the Yorkshire Dales' – Cath Staincliffe 'Full of dry wit and clever plotting' – Countryside 'Chapman delivers on every level' – Lancashire Evening Post 'Enlivened with numerous subplots, the story moves at a cracking pace' – Daily Mail

Date with Justice, the ninth novel in Julia's Chapman's witty and engaging Dales Detective series, sees Delilah's brother under suspicion of murder. Can Delilah and Samson prove he's innocent? The Dales Detective Agency is on the brink of closure. Samson O’Brien has returned to his position as an undercover operative for the Met in London, and his relationship with sleuthing partner Delilah Metcalfe is under pressure. Their troubles are only multiplied when an ecologist is found dead and the finger of blame is pointed firmly at Delilah’s older brother, Will. It seems an open and shut case. An argument over an ecology report for planning permission which got out of hand, with Will known to have a hot temper. But Delilah won’t accept he’s guilty and neither will Samson. Dropping everything, he returns to Bruncliffe to help prove Will’s innocence. But as the two detectives start digging, they unearth more than they bargained for and soon realize that the price of justice can be very costly indeed. Following on from Date With Evil, this heart-warming and wittily charming novel is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood and cosy crime at its very best. 'Bags of Northern charm and wit' - Northern Echo