Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.‘Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire PostLucy Jarrett is terrified. Someone is watching her every move, following her home from work and making threatening phone calls. But her husband doesn’t believe her and no one else … calls. But her husband doesn’t believe her and no one else is listening.
Lucy’s married life is proving anything but blissful. Her musician husband is perpetually away on tour and doesn’t want to start a family.
Lucy finally calls on Detective Tom Mariner for help, and he takes her fears seriously because of the recent murder of another young woman by her ex-partner.
DI Mariner himself is already on the hunt for a sadistic killer. Nina Silvero, wife of an ex-police officer, was duped into sipping sulphuric acid disguised as celebratory wine.
Grappling with Nina’s apparently motiveless killing, Mariner delegates Lucy’s case to Millie Khatoon. Is someone out for revenge against the police?
Can DI Tom Mariner track down the stalker and catch the killer before anyone else dies?
Discover an absorbing crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the fifth book in the DI MARINER SERIES. More books coming soon!
What readers are saying about MARRIED LIES
“I was well and truly hooked from the beginning.” Lynne
“A fast paced mystery with twists and turns.” Barbara
“An intriguing mystery that kept me on my toes.” Hannelore Cheney
“Well written, with outstanding characters, and a terrific story premise.” Linda Stong
“Great story and I love the partnership between Mariner, Knox and Millie.” Nerys
THE SETTING
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry
But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.
Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “STALKED BY SHADOWS.”
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
Book 5: Married Lies
Books 6-7 coming soon
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I’ve enjoyed all the Tom Mariner books so far, but this one is my favourite so far. Maybe it’s because his relationship issues are not so prominent in this story, though they’re never too far away. It was also interesting to see an investigation into stalking, bearing in mind the story is set at the start of the millennium, when attitudes were changing.
There’s also a gruesome death to investigate. Nina Silvero is the widow of a former police detective with a chequered past and death. This connection, and the nature of his widow’s death, lifts the investigation up several notches. Not so, the stalking case, where the victim, Lucy Jarrett, wavers between fear and wondering if her imagination’s playing games with her.
Both investigations soon become bogged down as progress is slow and painstaking. Then a partial fingerprint on a wine bottle leads to a promising suspect, who may also have a connection the Lucy Jarrett’s stalking.
There’s good interplay within the team and even time for Mariner to make a fool of himself, helping to lighten the mix a little. The story moves along at a steady pace, picking up speed as more suspects are drawn into the investigation. A spark of inspiration has Mariner confronting the killer in a restrained climax with a kick in the tail.
Another enjoyable story in an engaging series, where the main characters continue to develop and show their frailties. It all adds to the backstory and my continued reading pleasure.
I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series.
This is another solid mystery with Tom and his team in a British mystery. To really enjoy it, please read the older ones in this series…you dont have to…..but because of a shocker near the end of the book involving someone on the team, read this one afterwards
If home alone at night, perhaps read in the day unless you like to be a little scared…..then go for it!! Lucy, works, married, hubby travels, and is feeling like she is being watched. As if that isn’t enough, she thinks a car is following her home. And her phone starts ringing as soon as she’s in the house. Lucy is losing weight, sleep, and worried about her marriage following apart and she isnt sure the coppers will believe her
But first, Nina is found dead, in a locked home with a glass and wine…..suicide? But she drank something terribly caustic. So Tom is thinking there are easier ways to kill yourself. And then there is a note found about payment now completed for a nice sum of money. So Knox and Tom start checking out her business, family and friends.
Millie becomes the lead on the Lucy case and wants to solve this case. She starts checking Lucy’s family, friends, job and if she has anything in common with Nina.
Millie draws you into being a fellow investigator as you follow the clues, see Lucy’s home, her lifestyle and her husband and his demand…no kids…ever. oh, and Lucy has money.
Tom is still not over his ex girlfruend Anna. Millie shares wedding stories with Lucy. Nina has a stepdaughter that wants money. Welcome to the world of picking the right clue and forming the right conclusion.
Very enjoyable, clues are there but it reminds me that some people are invisible to us in our day to day world….and attention must be paid.