Kempston Hardwick Mysteries

Stand-up comedy should be fun. But murder tends to sour the mood. Charlie Sparks's comedy isn't Kempston Hardwick's cup of tea. Not many things are. But when the comedian drops dead during his set, Kempston thinks someone's taking things a bit far. Kempston wanted a quiet night out. Ellis Flint wanted an autograph. But Charlie Sparks's inconvenient death drives them both towards justice - and Fettlesham. But who would want to murder a washed-up has-been? Why did he propose marriage to a stripper who's young enough to be his granddaughter? And why does Ellis have so much sugar in his tea?

Oscar Whitehouse predicted his own death on live TV. Hours later he was found murdered. The quaint English market town of Tollinghill isn't quite as charming as it seems. Beneath the picturesque façade is a community caught up in jealousy, revenge and murder. Through logical deduction and a keen eye for detail, amateur detective Kempston Hardwick begins to unravel the mystery. But not before a second murder takes place in Tollinghill - with the already-dead Oscar Whitehouse spotted at the scene, apparently alive and well. Before long, Kempston realises he has more than just another conventional murder mystery on his hands. Can he uncover the secret of the Tollinghill murders - before it's too late?

Sun, sea, sand... and murder. A relaxing break on the Greek island of Friktos should be the perfect tonic for amateur sleuth Kempston Hardwick. That is until someone brutally murders one of his fellow tourists. The assembled guests can only come to one conclusion: one of them is the killer. But how do you find a murderer when everyone has a hidden agenda? Will Hardwick manage to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?

A killer needs to be stopped. But no-one believes there's been a murder. A suicide at the Manor Hotel upset leaves the locals shaken. But not Kempston Hardwick. He's suspicious. The more he learns, the more sure he is that whatever happened in room 13 wasn't suicide. The police won't even consider murder. So it's up to Hardwick and his friend Ellis Flint to find the truth. Will Hardwick discover the true killer, or will he and Ellis become the next guests who go to room 13 to check out permanently? If you like traditional mysteries with a humorous twist, you'll love The Thirteenth Room.

Book launches are rarely exciting. The odd murder tends to spice things up a bit, though. When famous novelist Rupert Pearson's PA doesn't turn up for his book launch at the Freemason's Arms, he's more annoyed than upset. He certainly didn't expect someone to find her face-down in a ditch. For Kempston Hardwick, dead PAs are business as usual. Unfortunately. At least there are lots of excuses to visit the pub. But why had she made so many enemies? Why are the police so keen to fit up an innocent man? And where did Doug's pickled onions go?

This exclusive, limited edition box set includes the first three books in the Kempston Hardwick Mysteries series plus an exclusive free short story. Exit Stage Left Charlie Sparks had it all. A former primetime television personality, his outdated style has seen him relegated to the scrapheap. When he collapses and dies during a stand-up routine at a local pub, mysterious bystander Kempston Hardwick is compelled to investigate his suspicious death. As Hardwick begins to unravel the mystery, he quickly comes to realise that Charlie Sparks's death throws up more peculiar questions than answers. The Westerlea House Mystery When TV psychic Oscar Whitehouse is found murdered inside a locked room, private detective Kempston Hardwick and his friend Ellis Flint are called in to investigate. Within a matter of days, a second murder takes place in the small village of Tollinghill and a local resident claims she saw the already-dead Oscar Whitehouse at the scene, apparently alive and well. Hardwick and Flint realise they have more than just a conventional mystery in the village. Can they uncover the secret of the Tollinghill murders, before it's too late? Death Under the Sun After solving two particularly tricky murder cases, Kempston Hardwick needs a holiday. At least that's what his friend, Ellis Flint, in his infinite wisdom, believes. When the pair arrive on the twenty-four-hour Greek party island of Friktos, Hardwick is in his idea of hell. Eventually, he decides to make the most of his holiday and to try to relax. That is until one of their fellow holidaymakers is found dead in their apartment... A Cry For Help In this short story, Hardwick is visited by a woman who claims an unknown assailant is trying to kill her. Can Hardwick solve the mystery before lives are lost?