Inspector Jim Carruthers

A quiet Scottish village is besieged with violence in this thriller series debut by the international bestselling author of Dark is the Day. The Scottish Highlands village of Castletown is known for its fish and chips and views of Dunnet Bay. But now the small university town has been the site of a spate of horrible murders, a targeted bomb explosion, and a lecturer's disappearance. What could link these bizarre and unnerving crimes? And what would cause anyone to strike here? Having recently returned to Castletown in the hope of winning back his estranged wife, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Carruthers finds himself up to his eyes in the investigation. Struggling with her own personal problems, Detective Sergeant Andrea Fletcher is assisting Jim in the hunt for the murderous perpetrators. The possibility of a terrorist threat has everyone on edge-but the key to stopping another murder may be buried in the past.

When an old man is murdered at a Scottish Highlands nature reserve, DI Jim Carruthers investigates a web of deadly secrets reaching decades into the past. While struggling to help his grieving colleague, Sergeant Andrea Fletcher, Detective Inspector Jim Carruthers is thrown into another troubling murder case. The body of an old man was discovered stabbed to death in a nature reserve-a ball of cloth rammed into the back of his throat. The only suspect is a local fifteen-year-old known for antisocial behavior. But the teenager has an alibi. When a second elderly man is murdered in the same fashion at the same locale, Carruthers suspects it's the work of a serial killer. But when revelations about the first victim send Carruthers to Iceland to interview the man's estranged son, the case becomes truly baffling. The seemingly disconnected threads of investigation include the decades-old disappearance of a twelve-year-old boy, the brutal murder of a former journalist, and a bitter local dispute about a nature reserve. And when Carruthers and Fletcher put the pieces together, they will lead them straight into a killer's path.

A murder in a remote Highlands town puts a Scottish detective on the trail of a deadly international conspiracy in this tense crime thriller. While Det. Chief Inspector Jim Carruthers and his team are busy investigating a series of art thefts, they receive an anonymous tip about the body of a young woman on a deserted beach. The bizarre clues to the woman's murder include a strange tattoo, a set of binoculars and a slab of meat left on the cliffs. The trail leads to a local shooting estate and its wealthy owner. Carruthers starts to wonder if the missing art, the dead woman, and the estate are all connected. And when the body of a young gamekeeper is pulled from the sea, Carruthers finds himself entering a sinister world of international crime and police corruption. On a case that extends far beyond Fife, Carruthers is out on a limb against powerful individuals who are ready to kill anyone who gets I their way.

A crazed killer. Unsuspecting victims. A town gripped by terror. DI Jim Carruthers has to put his personal feelings for newly- appointed DCI Sandra McTavish aside when a young student is brutally attacked and left for dead. Meanwhile, when a university lecturer is stalked by one of her own students, Carruthers is horrified to discover that the academic is none other than his ex-wife, Mairi. Are the attacker and stalker one and the same, and if so, will Carruthers' ex-wife be next? When a second then a third victim is discovered, not only dead but mutilated, Carruthers and his team are tasked with searching for a murderer. A murderer who takes great pleasure from killing. What is the victims' connection to a cult in North America, which seems to be getting a stranglehold in a Scottish university? Why have these women been targeted? And who is doing the killing? It looks like there might be a serial killer on the loose in Castletown but can DI Jim Carruthers stop this depraved murderer before they strike again?

Accident or Murder? When local fisherman, Robert Paterson goes missing it is assumed by DCI McTavish that the man has fallen victim to another tragic fishing accident. However, things don't add up for Inspector Jim Carruthers. Why did Paterson take his boat out at night when he would normally fish during the day? Has he taken his own life or has something more sinister taken place? Then a bloodied body shows up on the uninhabited Isle of May. Carruthers is shocked to find it is not that of the fisherman. He suspects the two events are connected. But how? A journalist who had been investigating the two cases disappears. As Carruthers tries to uncover what she discovered more questions arise. Has someone been leaking information to the press? If so, why? And, will the journalist be found alive? With the case getting more complicated and a murderer on the loose in this tight-knit coastal community, Carruthers has his work cut out.

Included in this five-book boxset: Book 1- Robbing The Dead Quiet Places hard dark secrets... In a small Scottish university town, what links a spate of horrible murders, a targeted bomb explosion and a lecturer's disappearance? Is a terror group involved? If so, who is pulling the strings? And, what does something that happened over forty years ago have to do with it? Book 2- Care to Die The past is, buried deep, but for how long? Struggling with his demotion back to DI and his concern for the grieving DS Andrea Fletcher, Jim Carruthers is, thrown in at the deep end when the body of an old man is discovered stabbed to death in a nature reserve, a ball of cloth rammed into the back of the victim's throat. The only suspect is a fifteen-year-old neighbor, who is, known to the police for antisocial behavior. But, the teenager has an alibi. Book 3- Mark of the Devil Vengeful killers. Innocent victims. A determined detective. While Inspector Jim Carruthers and team are busy investigating a series of art thefts, they receive an anonymous tip-off about the body of a young woman on a deserted beach. The bizarre clues to her identity and what might have, happened to her include a strange tattoo, a set of binoculars and a slab of meat left on the cliffs. Book 4- Dark is The Day A crazed killer. Unsuspecting victims. A town gripped by terror. DI Jim Carruthers has to put his personal feelings for newly- appointed DCI Sandra McTavish aside when a young student is brutally, attacked and left for dead. Meanwhile, when a university lecturer is, stalked by one of her own students, Carruthers is horrified to discover that the academic is none other than his ex-wife, Mairi. Are the attacker and stalker one and the same, and if so, will Carruthers' ex-wife be next? Book 5- In Deep Water Accident or Murder? When local fisherman, Robert Paterson goes missing it is assumed by DCI McTavish that the man has fallen victim to another tragic fishing accident. However, things don't add up for Inspector Jim Carruthers. Why did Paterson take his boat out at night, when he would normally fish during the day? Has he taken his own life or has something more sinister taken place?

When murder disturbs the peaceful Scottish Highlands, Detective Jim Carruthers follows the deadly trail wherever if leads in these three crime thrillers. Robbing the Dead What links a spate of horrible murders, a targeted bomb explosion and a lecturer's disappearance? Having recently returned to Castletown to win back his estranged wife, DCI Jim Carruthers is now up to his eyes in a baffling investigation. Care to Die When an old man is murdered at a Scottish Highlands nature reserve, DI Carruthers travels Iceland to interview the victim's estranged son. Soon, he and Sergeant Andrea Fletcher must connect the dots between the decades-old disappearance of a twelve-year-old boy, the murder of a former journalist, and a bitter local dispute about a nature reserve. Mark of the Devil While Det. Chief Inspector Jim Carruthers and his team are busy investigating a series of art thefts, they receive an anonymous tip about the body of a young woman on a deserted beach. When the trail leads to a local shooting estate, Carruthers wonders if the missing art, the dead woman, and the estate are all connected.