Have you met Inspector David Graham?Graham’s a career police officer, an educated, reserved, thoughtful, some might say, complex man. He has suffered tragedy in his life which serves to exaggerate his more introspective characteristics and, like many of us, has to look his demons in the eye from time to time and make tough choices. This digital box set contains the first four mysteries in this … contains the first four mysteries in this bestselling series:
The Case of the Screaming Beauty: Detective Inspector Graham is still reeling from a tragedy of his own when he is called into investigate a murder at the prestigious Lavender Bed and Breakfast. It has a rich, Tudor atmosphere, an enviously manicured lawn… And a deadly problem.
The Case of the Hidden Flame: Inspector David Graham is hoping for peace and quiet when he leaves city life behind for a quaint island village — but a suspicious death soon derails his plans. Will eccentric characters, roiling sea undercurrents, and deceptive coincidences unravel to reveal the secrets of his latest mystery?
The Case of the Fallen Hero: As he walks around the imposing Orgueil castle, Graham’s peaceful life comes to a shuddering halt when he finds a woman kneeling beside the body of a stricken man. Does the castle hold clues to the puzzle?
The Case of the Broken Doll: A missing girl. A broken doll. Dark, deviant secrets. What Inspector finds as he investigates will rock the town, stirring memories long buried and forgotten. There are painful truths to face. Can he uncover what happened? Could the missing schoolgirl still be alive?
What Amazon readers are saying:
★★★★★ “Character development was superb.”
★★★★★ “I literally could not put this book down.”
★★★★★ “Inspector Graham is right up there with some of the icons of British mysteries.”
★★★★★ “The scenery description, characterization, and fabulous portrayal of the hotel on the hill are all layered into a great English trifle.”
★★★★★ “These books certainly have the potential to become a PBS series with the likeable character of Inspector Graham and his fellow officers.”
★★★★★ “DI Graham is wonderful and his old school way of doing things, charming.”
★★★★★ “I know I have a winner of a book when I toss and turn at night worrying about how the characters are doing.”
★★★★★ “I really enjoyed the surprise twists at the end.”
★★★★★ “Just finished it early this morning! What a great story!”
★★★★★ “Sweet, emotionally honest, with a lot of backbone in the characters and the writing.”
★★★★★ “Please never end the series.”
Buy the box set and start a series you won’t want to put down!
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The Inspector Graham Mysteries: Books. 1-4 – a review by Rosemary Kenny
A great value-for-money collection of the first 4 Inspector Graham Mysteries series in one box set, by the glorious Alison Golden.
1) The Case of the Screaming Beauty:
Detective Inspector David Graham is summoned to The Lavenders after one of the guests, Nora Travis, is found mysteriously dead in her bathroom.
With Nora’s petty criminal, estranged husband in jail and staff and guests rather thin on the ground, DI Graham finds it hard to know where to start.
Several red herrings and confusing clues later, he rises triumphant from the chase and the culprit is unmasked and apprehended, to let justice take its course. Can you work out whodunnit?
2) The Case of the Hidden Flame:
Handsome Inspector David Graham’s come to Jersey to head the [fairly inept], local force. He’s barely settled in at the White Horse Inn when one of the residents finds his, (about-to-have-been) fiancee dead and partly buried in the sand, on a nearby beach.
Several other ‘long-termers’ at the Inn and the staff, are all quizzed as to their whereabouts and reveal things they’d prefer to have kept quiet – like their relationships to the murdered woman, or the unusual cause of her death – but all are cleverly revealed by the intrepid DI! Who’s the killer?
3) The Case of the Fallen Hero:
This clever book by the inventive and talented Alison Golden, has several themes – vanishing musicians, a disturbed amnesiac bride, a dead bridegroom, stolen artworks, a cold-case murder and of course the vital sleuthing skills of Detective Inspector Graham – which will provide something for every discerning reader, whatever their particular favourite topic.
Was George pushed or did he jump – and why? What are the old family secrets hidden by the bride’s family – do they have any bearing on the current investigation? How and where did the musicians vanish from the wedding venue and what do they find in their ‘subterranean world’?
4) The Case of the Broken Doll:
DI David Graham looks through unsolved old ‘cold case’ investigations and finds one that resonates with him personally, he decides to re-open it and flies to Jersey to liaise with the Corey police.
A decade earlier, 15 year-old Beth Ridley vanished on her way to school, leaving only a doll’s leg, found at the last place she was known to be.
Using modern computer techniques and testing, in tandem with old-fashioned door to door enquiries, raises old spectres and uncomfortable truths come to light as the search intensifies and new evidence is found.
Is it possible the now 25 year old, (if she’s still alive) Beth disappeared of her own volition?
If so, how could she be so cold as to ignore the pleas of her frantic family and grieving friends?
Or did she really die, so long ago?
You’ll have to read The Case of the Broken Doll to find out!
The Queen of Cozy Mysteries, Alison Golden, continues to reign supreme, especially with The Inspector Graham Mysteries: Books 1-4.
Exciting, enchanting and guaranteed to please, get your box set today – the bookstore’s open!
Love this series. Each makes you want to read the next one. It took a few minutes to get into the first one, but the mysteries have strange twists. Great author to read.
Nice series! Reminds me a bit of “Death in Paradise” tv series.
Great set. Pretty much unpredictable. DI Graham is resolute in his devotion to classical detective work. He also enjoys a good cup of tea. The wonderful characters in the stories continue to grow and enliven the experience. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
Borrowed via Kindle Unlimited on November 16, 2018.
The Case Of The Screaming Beauty – Book 1
Some of the stories that I grew up reading were well-written British police procedurals and many of Agatha Christie’s mysteries. After all these years, I was hoping for that level of enjoyment with this story. I was not disappointed in the least. This story is a combination of police procedural with a good who-done-it component – it definitely keeps you guessing to the end as to who the murderer actually is.
And while the author states at the beginning of the book and in the sales description that this is a prequel to the rest of the series, this is not a super short story like some would have done. The author has provided us a complete story that had me sighing in satisfaction at the end.
Shortly after, I happened to snag a copy of the second book while it was free. The enjoyment of that one combined with this story led me to buy each of the later books in the series – a series that just gets better in my opinion with each new story.
I actually received a copy of this book when I signed up for the author’s newsletter (all newsletter recipients receive three stories, which are the first in each of the series that the author writes). I read it last year and thought that I had posted a review then, but am just now finally posting it – probably because I always want to race to the next book instead of writing up a review for a book that I enjoyed. ~grin~ I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Case Of The Hidden Flame – Book 2
This is another satisfying who-done-it mystery from this author. Detective Inspector Graham has left behind in London the worst specters of recent personal hardships and moved to the bright, sunny (and more laid-back) isle of Jersey. Having barely arrived at the Inn where he will initially be staying, his office is dragged into the first murder on the island in a long number of years.
There are enough red herrings and conflicting information to make determining the murderer a bit of a challenge. It is not an obvious choice, but the clues are sprinkled throughout to justify it. There is also some dry humor and some laugh-out-loud humor, both of which elevate the story further.
You do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one, but doing so will provide even more depth to the Inspector.
The Case Of The Fallen Hero – Book 3
Set a few weeks after the events of the second book, Inspector Graham has begun to settle into a routine that is helping to keep his demons (discussed in the first book) away. His plans of a quiet Sunday morning exploring a nearby castle before the normal tourists arrive are dashed upon the thick stone when a newlywed husband’s death is discovered. Another engrossing who-done-it from this author where it’s difficult to pin down just who is the murderer (if it’s even a murder). Because crime never manages to arrive only one investigation at a time, this story also includes another side mystery involving the string quartet who played at the wedding held at the castle.
The humor becomes more pronounced from the previous story as the characters become more comfortable with each other.
Reading the previous books in this series is not necessary to enjoy this one, but they will provide additional depth to various comments and situations.
The Case Of The Broken Doll – Book 4
The main mystery in this story reminds Inspector Graham too closely of his own personal tragedy (revealed in the first book). Various incidents arise that may or may not be related, and it takes all members of the local constabulary working the various issues to determine the culprits and if related or not.
I have greatly enjoyed every single story in this series, but I felt that this was the most fleshed out of them all. By this point Inspector Graham is becoming more comfortable in his new locale and job site, and that reflects in his confidence with tasking his employees to handle the numerous events which occur during this book. All of the characters contribute to the humor also written into the story – gotta love the Bangkok Palace restaurant staff. LOL. I can’t wait to read the next one!
Reading the previous books in this series is not necessary to enjoy this one, but they will provide additional depth to various comments and situations.