Old bones speak from the grave as a curse descends on Saltaire in acclaimed author Frances Brody’s thirteenth Kate Shackleton mystery, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.When Kate Shackleton disembarks at Saltaire station, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, she has no idea what to expect. A stranger, Ronnie Creswell, has written to say that he has urgent information about the past that will interest her, and he persuades her to make the journey to Milner Field, the grand house that is said to be cursed. But moments after Kate arrives at the lodge, a messenger brings devastating news to Ronnie’s parents: he has been found drowned in the mill reservoir. Ronnie’s father suspects that this was no accident, and the post-mortem proves him right. Ronnie was murdered. Terrified and distraught, Mrs. Creswell refuses to stay at the Lodge a moment longer. But events take an even more shocking turn when ten-year-old Nancy Creswell,...

Frances Brody's twelfth Kate Shackleton mystery will positively intoxicate fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Nicola Upson.A competition for the crown proves deadly when confidences are betrayed and secrets are spilled.North Yorkshire, 1930. It's the season for warm and spirited countryside celebrations. Ever since the war, pubs have been in the doldrums, and in an attempt to promote and breathe new life back into the business, brewers select a charismatic employee as local queen—to be the face of their industry. And this year's queen, wages clerk Ruth Parnaby, has invited the ever intrepid Kate Shackleton and her niece Harriet to accompany her on public engagements at a garden party thrown in her honor. But when Ruth leads children to the stables for pony rides, the drayman is missing, later found in the last place imaginable—the fermentation room, deceased.What looked to be a simple case of asphyxiation in the dangerous fermentation room is...

Critically acclaimed author Frances Brody is back with the tenth installment in her Kate Shackleton series, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Nicola Upson.Seven keen amateur photographers gather for the most popular openings of the decade. Only six will return.Yorkshire, 1928. Indomitable sleuth Kate Shackleton is taking a well-deserved break from her detective work and indulging in her other passion: photography. When her local Photographic Society proposes an outing to the opening of the Bronte Museum, Kate jumps at the chance to visit the setting of Wuthering Heights. But the setting proves to be even more sinister than the dreary classic when a member of their party is found murdered.The event is one of the most popular of the decade, and each of the seven photographers were there to capture the perfect shot of a lifetime. But Tobias, the deceased, was known for being loud-mouthed and didn't care to curb his demeanor. Kate deduces...

Frances Brody's eleventh Kate Shackleton mystery is sure to delight readers of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.Two murders. A one-way ticket to trouble.And it's up to Kate to derail the killer.London, 1929. In the darkness before dawn, a railway porter, unloading a special train from Yorkshire, discovers a man's body, shot and placed in a sack. There are no means of identification to be found and as Scotland Yard hits a dead end, they call on the inimitable Kate Shackleton, a local sleuth, confident her local knowledge and investigative skills will produce results. But it's no easy task. Suspicion of political intrigue and fears of unrest in the Yorkshire coalfields, impose secrecy on her already difficult task. The murder of a shopkeeper, around the same time, seems too much of a coincidence. The convicted felon was found with blood on his hands, but it's too tidy and Kate becomes convinced the police...

For fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Nicola Upson, Kate Shackleton’s first case in this cozy novella will take readers back to the early start of Kate’s investigative career. Yorkshire, 1921. Kate Shackleton is having tea with her friend, Doris, who is visiting from London. In the lovely setting of Harrogate's premier tearoom, violence is the furthest thing from anyone's mind. But when Doris is attacked by a mystery assailant, it's up to Kate to find out why - and in doing so, she soon develops a taste for detective-work. In this exciting novella, Kate Shackleton, a heroine ahead of her time, became Yorkshire most tireless private investigator. 

THE WOMAN UNKNOWN: Deirdre Fitzpatrick is married to a man who wants to know where she really goes when supposedly taking care of her sick mother and calls on the expertise of Kate Shackleton, amateur sleuth extraordinaire to investigate. THE GENTLEMAN: Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace. His American heiress wife will no longer pay for his mistakes, or tolerate his infidelity, and is seeking a divorce. THE MURDER: When a chambermaid enters Runcie's hotel room, she is shocked to find that he is alone, and dead. Suddenly Kate is thrown into the depths of an altogether more sinister investigation. Can she uncover the truth of her most complex, and personal, case to date?

Yorkshire, 1927. Eclipse fever grips the nation, and when beloved theatre star Selina Fellini approaches trusted sleuth Kate Shackleton to accompany her to a viewing party at Giggleswick School Chapel, Kate suspects an ulterior motive. During the eclipse, Selina's friend and co-star Billy Moffatt disappears and is later found dead in the chapel grounds. Kate can't help but dig deeper and soon learns that two other members of the theatre troupe died in similarly mysterious circumstances in the past year. With the help of Jim Sykes and Mrs Sugden, Kate sets about investigating the deaths - and whether there is a murderer in the company. When Selina's elusive husband Jarrod, injured in the war and subject to violent mood swings, comes back on the scene, Kate begins to imagine something far deadlier at play, and wonders just who will be next to pay the ultimate price for fame . . . **Review "Frances Brody writes marvelous British mysteries, and if you haven't met the wonderful Kate Shackleton, Death at the Seaside is the perfect place to start this terrific series! Whether you are already a Brody fan or new to the Kate Shackleton series, Death at the Seaside is a mystery you just plain can't miss!" ―Charles Todd, bestselling author of the Ian Rutledge Mysteries and the Bess Crawford Mysteries "A delightful trip through time and space to 1920s England with a heroine who would make the ladies of the Golden Age proud." ―Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Royal Spyness and Molly Murphy novels on Death at the Seaside "In Kate Shackleton, Frances Brody has created a smart and endearing sleuth whose resourcefulness and skill for deduction shine as she investigates murders in 1920s England. With vivid settings, colorful characters, and excellently-plotted mysteries, this series is an absolute delight!" ―Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames mysteries on Death at the Seaside "Frances Brody matches a heroine of free and independent spirit with a vivid evocation of time and place. [A] Death in the Dales is a novel to cherish."― Daily Mail (UK) “It felt so different, so fresh and so clever, a story written with a lot of subtlety and gentleness, and also with a great dose of humor. Even though the plot was complex...it was still a very neat, logical read, and the characters were brilliant representatives of this age...I really can’t wait for more.”―On My Bookshelf on A Death in the Dales “Cozy it may be, but this story is also convincing, compelling, and clever…Once you’ve met Kate Shackleton, you’ll want to read more of her!” ― Crime Review on A Death in the Dales “Brody has the style of the classic British cozy down pat.” ―Kirkus Reviews on Death of An Avid Reader "Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers." ―Daily Mail (UK) on Death of an Avid Reader "This is a well written, engaging story, easy to read and positively breathing the atmosphere of its setting and time.”―Crime Review on Death of an Avid Reader "It's very difficult to recommend further reading which comes up to the standard of the Kate Shackleton books." ―The Bookbag A mash-up of "Masterpiece" series "Indian Summers" and "Downtown Abbey. ―New York Post on Murder on a Summer's Day "Frances Brody knows how to hold the reader attention and make them continue reading into the small hours of the night."―The Press(UK) on Murder on a Summer's Day "Reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie with a thoroughly likeable protagonist and a plot that held me to the end."―Mignon F. Ballard, author of the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick Mystery Series on Dying in the Wool "A winning heroine, a fresh and fascinating setting, richly detailed and well-woven into the plot, and a mystery that twists and tightens and twists again..." ―Catriona McPherson, author of Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Blood Stains on Dying in the Wool “The 1920s are a fascinating and under-used period for new crime fiction, so it's a particular pleasure to have Frances setting her story at that time. Kate Shackleton is a splendid heroine … I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!” ―Ann Granger on Dying in the Wool About the Author FRANCES BRODY is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries. She lives in the North of England, where she was born and grew up. Frances started her writing life in radio, with many plays and short stories broadcast by the BBC. She has also written for television and theater. Before turning to crime, she wrote sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for most regionally evocative debut saga of the millennium. 

When amateur sleuth detective Kate Shackleton receives a dawn telephone call from her cousin James, his news soon snaps Kate into wakefulness. The India Office seek her on-the-spot help in finding a Maharajah, last seen on the Bolton Abbey estate. He has with him a hugely valuable diamond.Investigative successes and good family connections put Kate in the highly trusted category. Perceived as 'establishment', Kate feels an outsider in her sympathies. One thing she is sure of: her own skills and insights. Qualities that she is sure will help her unravel the latest disappearance on that fateful summer's day . . .

A murder most foulWhen the landlord of a Yorkshire tavern is killed in plain sight, Freda Simonson, the only witness to the crime, becomes plagued with guilt, believing the wrong man has been convicted. Following her death, it seems that the truth will never be uncovered in the peaceful village of Langcliffe...A village of secretsBut it just so happens that Freda's nephew is courting the renowned amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton, who decides to holiday in Langcliffe with her indomitable teenage niece, Harriet. When Harriet strikes up a friendship with a local girl whose young brother is missing, the search leads Kate to uncover another suspicious death, not to mention an illicit affair.The case of a lifetimeAs the present mysteries merge with the past's mistakes, Kate is thrust into the secrets that Freda left behind and realizes that this courageous woman has entrusted her with solving a murder from beyond the grave. It...

'A pawn-shop robbery - It’s no rest for the wicked as Kate Shackleton picks up her second professional sleuthing case. But exposing the culprit of a pawn-shop robbery turns sinister when her investigation takes her to Harrogate - and murder is only one step behind . . . A fatal stabbing- A night at the theatre should have been just what the doctor ordered, until Kate stumbles across a body in the doorway. The knife sticking out of its chest definitely suggests a killer in the theatre’s midst. A ransom demand- Kate likes nothing better than a mystery - and nothing better than solving them. So when a ransom note demands £1,000 for the safe return of the play’s leading lady, the refined streets of Harrogate play host to Kate’s skills in piecing together clues - and luring criminals out of their lairs . . .

'A pawn-shop robbery - It’s no rest for the wicked as Kate Shackleton picks up her second professional sleuthing case. But exposing the culprit of a pawn-shop robbery turns sinister when her investigation takes her to Harrogate - and murder is only one step behind . . .A fatal stabbing- A night at the theatre should have been just what the doctor ordered, until Kate stumbles across a body in the doorway. The knife sticking out of its chest definitely suggests a killer in the theatre’s midst.A ransom demand- Kate likes nothing better than a mystery - and nothing better than solving them. So when a ransom note demands £1,000 for the safe return of the play’s leading lady, the refined streets of Harrogate play host to Kate’s skills in piecing together clues - and luring criminals out of their lairs . . .

An intricate plot in the post-WWI English countryside and Frances Brody's "refreshingly complex heroine" (Kirkus) make for absorbing 6th installment in this mystery perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Agatha Christie.The Search for a Daughter Lady Coulton gave up the baby that would have ruined her marriage, born when Lord Coulton was abroad. Now that her husband is dying, she asks Kate to find Sophia. A Haunted Library It is forty years since the ghost of a dead librarian haunted the old library, yet the stories have begun again. Kate does not believe in ghosts but obligingly takes part in a ceremony to expel the restless spirit. Shockingly, there is a body in the basement, strangled, and covered in dusty volumes from a fallen bookcase. It is Dr. Potter, a mathematician. A Killer on the LooseDr. Potter's body is taken away. The police find a sick man sheltering in the basement. He is an Italian,...