Showing results by author "Simon McCleave" in All Categories

The historical city of Chester has been rocked by the brutal murders of several young men close to the canal. DI Ruth Hunter is called in to track down the murderer – who the papers have dubbed the Towpath Ripper – before they strike again. Ruth identifies a suspect but just as she is about to pounce, they slip through her fingers.

Two months since ex-Police Negotiator Laura Hart was forced back into action after her son’s kidnap, she has re-joined the force as a DI. On her first day, an anonymous tip-off leads to the discovery of a skeleton in a crumbling castle ruin near the seaside town of Beaumaris, Anglesey. Laura can’t wait to prove herself by solving the case and when the investigation leads her to MI5 and the Real IRA, she knows she’s on the trail of something truly explosive. But some people will do anything to stop their secrets coming out – as the rising body count shows.

Starting a new life in Snowdonia was always DI Ruth Hunter's dream. Until a twisted killer turned it into her worst nightmare. Detective Inspector Ruth Hunter lives with the pain of her partner’s mysterious and unsolved disappearance. About to hit 50, the veteran police officer trades in the crime-ridden streets of London for a more peaceful life in rural North Wales. But Ruth has barely settled into her new position in North Wales Police, when the body of a brutally murdered woman is discovered...with strange symbols carved into her skin.

When local teenagers discover a body at the disused Denbigh Asylum, it seems that his murder might be linked to a modern slavery ring trafficking young people from the Indian subcontinent. However, social media then reveals that the victim was involved in a toxic relationship which may provide a clue to his death. When there is another murder, the focus of the investigation switches again. With time running out, Ruth and the Llancastell CID team must find the killer before they flee the country and disappear.

Three years ago, DCI Laura Hart was the top hostage and crisis negotiator for the Greater Manchester Police. Then her husband was kidnapped. Despite her best efforts to reason with the criminals, he was brutally murdered. Now living on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, Laura is slowly healing. Then she gets a call: armed drug dealers have seized a tourist boat—and her 10-year-old son Jake is on board. There’s no other negotiator available, and the police need her to step up.

The beautiful town of Llangollen is rocked by the brutal shooting of a local farmer, Aaron Jenkins. DI Ruth Hunter is called in to track down the murderer. When she and the CID team discover that both Aaron and his wife were having affairs, their focus is on this.

A fanatical religious cult. A growing list of missing teenagers. Can DI Ruth Hunter and DS Nick Evans uncover the dark secrets of Solace Farm before there is another ritual killing?

When the remains of a missing teenager are uncovered, DC Ruth Hunter presumes the 40-year-old murder is linked to a knife fight between South London gangs in the 1950s. However, as the investigation widens, Ruth and her impetuous partner DC Lucy Henry, discover a disturbing connection to the dark criminal past of a prominent knight of the realm. Narrowing down their investigation to an infamous South London club, Ruth begins to uncover a complex web of historic police corruption, brutal protection rackets and celebrity gangsters.

Ruth and Lucy are called to the brutal killing of young actress, and it seems that her murder might be connected to a cover up of serious sexual misconduct in London’s film industry. However, when the investigation is thwarted at every turn, they begin to wonder if they will ever solve the case. When a lucky break turns their attention to a man suspected of stalking the actress, Ruth and Lucy think they now have the prime suspect in their sights. With the clock ticking, will they be able to collect enough evidence to charge the man before he escapes abroad?

An inmate at Tonsgrove prison is murdered in her cell, but no one is willing to talk to the police. DI Gareth Williams is receiving pressure from above to solve the case – and quickly. Then, a local seventeen-year-old girl vanishes from her home. The close-knit community is shaken and they each have a different theory. Gareth knows that time is of the essence. With two major cases being investigated at the same time, the Beaumaris force is stretched thin. Frustrated at the lack of progress Gareth’s colleague and fiancée, DI Laura Hart, decides to take action: going undercover at the prison.

A dangerous Islamic terrorist. A safe house in the middle of Snowdonia. Can DI Ruth Hunter and DS Nick Evans deliver the suspect safely before there is a deadly rescue attempt?

DI Ruth Hunter and her partner, DS Nick Evans, must decide if a local man is the victim of a Liverpool gangland hit. Ruth and Nick are called to a gruesome discovery at the beautiful Lake Vyrnwy, but have little to go on to identify the grisly remains.

The beautiful Isle of Anglesey has been rocked by the brutal murders of three female students at a local college. DI Laura Hart is called in to track down the murderer – who the papers have dubbed the Anglesey Ripper – before he strikes again. She quickly identifies a suspect but just as she is about to pounce, he slips through her fingers. Laura and the Beaumaris CID must pursue the serial killer across the island in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse – but he’s always one step ahead of them. And soon, the hunters will become the hunted.

When the body of a local boat tour operator is found on the beach beside Llandudno Pier, it seems that her murder might be linked to an ongoing rivalry with a new boat tour company. However, when it is discovered that the victim had recently started a relationship with a much younger man, the focus of the investigation changes.

A young couple on the run. A trail of death and destruction. Can DI Ruth Hunter stop Snowdonia's answer to Bonnie and Clyde before another innocent victim is murdered?

Recently divorced Cerys thought buying a luxury Tuscan villa would be the fresh start she so desperately needed. But a year later, she's struggling to move on from the pain of her past. Determined to make Villa Lucia a success, she's pinned all her hopes on this season's guests. Until one of them is found murdered in the villa's infinity pool. Now, as the police descend on the property, the secrets of her guests begin to unravel, and Cerys is forced to confront her own demons

Diary of a War Crime is the first book in the DI Ruth Hunter crime prequel series. If you like chilling police procedurals, true-to-life characters and psychological twists, then you’ll love Simon McCleave’s addictive thrill ride. London, 1997. A series of baffling murders. A web of political corruption. DC Ruth Hunter thinks she has the brutal killer in her sights, but there's one problem. He’s a Serbian War criminal who died five years earlier and lies buried in Bosnia.

Steph spent months planning her perfect birthday celebration. Five days in an idyllic setting with her best friends. Long lazy lunches, crisp white wine by the pool and a climb up the beautiful Mont Ventoux. She couldn't wait. They’ve been there for each other through the good times and the bad. This was the break everyone needed. After their first night partying, they begin their hike. But as the lavender-scented air turns acrid from local wildfires, fierce winds whip up smoke–and tensions in the group. They become separated.

When a young man is murdered in a fire at a holiday park, it seems that his complicated love-life might provide the clues to his killer. However, when DI Ruth Hunter and her CID team discover that there is also drug dealing at the park, the focus of their investigation switches. When their prime suspect disappears and with time running out, Ruth must track down the killer before it’s too late.

Detective Ruth Hunter’s ongoing quest for her missing partner has taken a dramatic twist as she continues to live her life away from London in Snowdonia. When a popular rugby coach is brutally murdered, and a young woman vanishes, Ruth must examine the secret lives of a local community in shock. As Ruth and her sidekick DS Nick Evans begin to uncover a confusing mesh of dark deception, she realizes that the answer might lie in the victim’s own clandestine life.