A new investigation for DCI Peach that leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouths When a novice young prostitute is killed in the town of Brunton after only her first night, Inspector Peach sets out to solve the crime by interviewing some of the other local prostitutes and their customers. Discovering that these include a divorced policeman from a nearby station, and a Catholic priest at odds with his beliefs, Peach realises he must tread carefully this time. But however hard he tries, Peach cannot believe that one of these lonely men was capable of murder. Unfortunately, he must delve into the town's most sinister underbelly before he can find out who really is to blame.

From Booklist

Gregson's Chief Inspector Percy Peach books have the rare ability to depict gruesome murders while still giving the reader a good chuckle. His latest is no exception. Peach has been away from the CID for a year, during which solve rates have decreased and the department has faltered under the mismanagement of Peach's boss and nemesis, Superintendent Tommy "Bloody" Tucker. Peach is assigned to the high-profile case of prostitute Sarah Dunne, who's been brutally strangled. Tucker, one of those awful bosses who loves taking all the credit when his subordinates perform well, warns Peach that he'd better solve the case in double-quick time. Peach, whose great delight in life is to insult the pompous Tucker without Tucker quite catching on, continues his campaign to undercut his loathsome boss. But Peach is also a gifted detective who's dedicated to his job, and he's determined to find Sarah Dunne's killer, even with Tucker's bungling attempts to control the case. A compelling, funny, highly entertaining police procedural that makes a fine addition to any mystery collection. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Gregson is a Lancastrian by birth, and taught for 27 years in schools, colleges and universities.

A Lambert and Hook mystery DS Bert Hook is cajoled into auditioning for a local Shakespearean play. Desperate to get out of it, he expects his boss, John Lambert, to forbid him from performing. No such luck. Hook meets a rather surprising and sinister cast of characters. And when the director is found murdered, Hook needs to find the truth and fast. Who is innocent, who is just playing a part and who is really rotten to the core?

On the bitterly cold morning of January 6, a frozen body is found in the Lancashire town of Brunton. It seems 19-year-old Hannah Woodgate is the latest victim of the serial killer the media have dubbed “the Lancashire Leopard”. Detective Inspector Percy Peach is determined to find the Leopard before he kills again. But with no motive, no fingerprints and no clues, that is proving to be a very hard task indeed. How does the Leopard choose his victims? And, with a 60-strong task-force going through a painstaking process of eliminating suspects trying to track him down, how is he keeping one step ahead of the police at every turn? When the next woman’s body is found, the police are as baffled as ever. Whom should they suspect? Handsome loner Clyde Northcott, who was found with drugs after a bust-up at a party? Neo-Nazi thug Paul Dutton, who has shown he can certainly be violent? What about Terry Plant, recently released from prison, and on the hunt for his ex-wife? Or Michael Devaney, who certainly has reason to hold a grudge against women? With no shortage of suspects, or victims, DI Peach faces fatal pressure to find the ‘Lancashire Leopard’ before he makes his next kill. ‘The Lancashire Leopard’ is a chilling, expertly-plotted mystery story. It is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. Praise for J M Gregson: ‘Begins with quiet observation before pouncing to murderous effect’ - Sunday Express ‘A chilling story that never flags from start to finish’ - Bolton Evening News ‘. . . Peach is as distinctive as Inspector Morse but less brooding’ - Booklist J M Gregson taught for twenty-seven years in schools, colleges and universities before concentrating on full-time writing. He has written books on subjects as diverse as golf and Shakespeare. His other crime novels include ‘Stranglehold’, ‘Girl Gone Missing’ and ‘Body Politic’. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books. **

From Publishers Weekly

Lives hang in the balance as series hero Detective Inspector Percy Peach tracks a serial killer in J.M. Gregson's (A Turbulent Priest) The Lancashire Leopard. The killer's tendencies suggest law-enforcement know-how, and the fact that he targets young women of a certain type makes Peach fear for his companion and colleague, Detective Sergeant Lucy Blake. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Gregson is a Lancastrian by birth, and taught for 27 years in schools, colleges and universities.