In Hillary’s Final Case…
Can Hillary finally close the case of the missing young women?
Can she take down one of Oxfordshire’s most wanted criminals?
Can she handle her new boss?
Can she help one of her team get answers on his long lost sister?
And will she really get married and leave her beloved boat?
Synopsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In Murder at Midnight, Felix Olliphant was found stabbed to death at a New Year’s Eve costume party for the turn of the millennium.
Seemingly liked by everyone, motives for his murder are hard to find. There was one suspect, but no evidence.
Hillary struggles to solve this baffling case. And she has to contend with a new colleague, Jake Barnes. Young and rich, he says he wants to give something back to the community, but Hillary has her doubts.
Will Hillary finally be defeated by this cold case and will she lose her boss and love interest to a new job?
Synospsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In Murder Never Misses: Three missing young women. One evil stalker. But Hillary doesn’t think it all adds up.
Hillary is recovering from the vicious attack by her stalker. It appears that he is also behind the disappearance and murder of three women. Her bosses want these unsolved cases closed, but Hillary has a theory that will shock everyone.
However, as the truth comes to light, Hillary and the team are faced with a dire emergency — can they prevent an imminent murder?
Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.
Synopsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In Murder Never Retires, Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.
Twenty years ago, mother-of-three Anna McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen with a rolling pin. She’d been having an affair with her brother-in-law, so the prime suspect was Anna’s sister Debbie. But the evidence never added up.
However as Hillary digs deeper, more secrets and betrayals emerge. Who wanted Anna dead and can Hillary finally bring her justice?
Meanwhile, Hillary is distracted by an unknown admirer, who quickly seems to be going from suitor to stalker.
Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?
Synopsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In Murder at Work Hillary will retire in a few weeks. But can her boss get Hillary to change her mind by putting her on a murder investigation?
The victim is found dead with his head bashed in with a piece of wood. Michael Ivers was a gambler and a notorious womaniser. He had few friends and there is a long list of people who might have wanted him dead.
Hillary wants to solve her final case as a police officer and she has just days left to find out who killed him. To add to her problems, her old enemy, ex-Sergeant Frank Ross is back on the scene and is a prime suspect.
Synopsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In Murder of a Lover…
Ten years ago, Rowan Thompson was found stabbed to death with a pair of scissors in his student house. It turns out that Rowan was quite a lover, with many disgruntled partners left in his wake.
But did any of them have a strong enough motive to murder him?
Meanwhile. Hillary’s stalker is getting more aggressive with his messages and flowers. And it looks like he may be much, much worse than she thought.
Has Hillary finally bitten off more than she can chew?
Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.
Synopsis of the book, by Faith Martin, taken from Amazon
In The Battered Badge, when wealthy and popular crusader and reformer Lester Pierce is gunned down in front of his Park Avenue residence, the public outcry forces the NYPD to restructure its homicide department. As the deceased was highly critical of Inspector Lionel Cramer, the longtime head of homicide is temporarily relieved of his badge. But it seems Cramer was not just a scapegoat: He was seen dining in Little Italy with mob kingpin Ralph Mars.
All of which amounts to little more than conversational fodder for PI Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin. But if Cramer’s provisional replacement, Capt. George Rowcliff, becomes permanent, Wolfe’s future dealings with the force will be much compromised. Loath to depart from his routine, Wolfe makes the unusual decision to take on a case without an actual client.
His investigation quickly points toward Pierce’s organization, Good Government Group, where high-minded idealism is often trampled under the competing ambitions of the staff—several of whom would clearly have benefited from Pierce’s demise.
Despite the burgeoning list of suspects, Wolfe hasn’t ruled out the involvement of the underworld and its connection to Cramer. But in order to untangle an abundance of motives and end the inspector’s forced furlough, Wolfe may have to venture out of his comfort zone—and the premises of his brownstone.
Synopsis of The Battered Badge taken from Amazon
Una joven modelo aparece ahogada en la costa gallega, junto con algunos restos del yate en el que viajaba con el presidente de uno de los más importantes grupos empresariales del mundo de la moda, la publicidad y los negocios inmobiliarios, que se da por desaparecido.
El cabo de la Guardia Civil José Souto, apodado Holmes por su minuciosidad y su afición a las novelas policíacas, es el encargado de investigar lo que se supone un desgraciado accidente.
Cuando empiezan a surgir extrañas y oscuras coincidencias relacionadas con el supuesto naufragio, Holmes se encontrará buscando trabajosamente cada pieza y su lugar en un complicadísimo rompecabezas en el que se mezclan la moda, el lujo y la prostitución, mafiosos de medio pelo, matones barriobajeros y hasta un peculiar y refinado detective privado que contribuirá de forma eficaz y sorprendente a la resolución de un caso en el que nada ni nadie es lo que parece.
Sinopsis de El rompecabezas del cabo Holmes, de Carlos Laredo, tomada de Amazon
In Murder By Fire, David Merchant’s body is found in a bonfire in his back garden. David was a publisher and devout Christian. Who would want to kill this seemingly very decent man?
DI Hillary Greene faces one of her most puzzling cases as she struggles to find anyone with a strong motive to kill the pious publisher.
Then, as Hillary unearths greedy business partners and an estranged son, her focus is diverted when a new team member is targeted by a vicious gang.
Hillary’s under massive pressure and will she finally crack? And if she does, where will she go from here?
Synopsis of Murder By Fire taken from Amazon
I like English mystery novels. Much more than American ones, except for the novels by Rex Stout starring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.
I tend to be suspicious of authors that write so many novels that it’s almost impossible to keep up. This is not the case. Faith Martin describes the police investigation proceedings perfectly. They’re really wonderful to read. However, I have to say that, up until now, I’ve only read the ones starring DI Hilary Green.
Green is a very well-constructed and strong character. She shines over the rest. But it also has secondary characters that are very individualized and don’t lack strength and personality, despite being new.
The plots are the classic kind. I started in the genre reading Agatha Christie and Rex Stout (the Nero Wolfe Novels). I find it difficult to bear all those novels nowadays where the plot plunges into the Italian mafia and, especially, the Russian and Japanese mafias. And I don’t like the drugs, weapons and other related subjects.
However! I’m not saying there aren’t good books of this kind, but I prefer the good classics even if they’re contemporary. I read as much European as American, but after so many years, I’ve learned to distinguish.
The American ones are characterized, mainly, though with some exceptions, by the easy shooting. In fact, I’ve stopped reading some authors because they only write about shootings and deaths. True carnages. The Europeans, though they carry a gun (except the British), don’t start shooting at the drop of a hat. And that is very welcomed.
In Murder By Fire, I found out who the murderer was at the very moment of the murder, and why it happens. If one guesses this, it’s also possible to know, among the characters of the novel, who it is. I won’t say anything else to not spoil the story. Maybe I’ve already given you too many clues. I hope not.
I very much recommend Murder By Fire, as all the novels by Faith Martin starring Hilary Green.
Though I still have to read some novels with this protagonist (there are 17, and this is the 10th one), I already know that, afterwards, there are more books by this author that are not part of this series. We’ll see.
Edward Philpott is found bludgeoned to death with his own spade in his beautiful garden. He lived with his daughter Rachel and his two grandchildren.
Hillary’s only lead is a rival from the village flower show who used to argue with the victim about the size of their vegetables. But what dark secrets from the past and present does this village hold?
Hillary has returned to work after the slaying of her boss and is desperate to track down his murderer. His pregnant widow is even more determined to get revenge, but will she go too far?
Can Hillary cope with two complex investigations full of extreme emotions, one of which is very close to home?
Synopsis of Murder In The Garden taken from Amazon