George Gently

Real-estate developer Cora Davidson shows up at her newly purchased property and finds the reluctant seller murdered in his backyard. Gently and Bacchus focus on the mansion's mute gardener, but they soon learn that the house has a sordid history.

A beautiful young woman turns up brutally murdered on the altar of a Newcastle church. Delving into the victim's past, Gently uncovers her connection to Rake's, a swinging gentleman's club that has become a target for religious protesters.

The theft of expired passports--and the subsequent murder for a female clerk-expose potentially explosive ethnic hatred in a seaside town. The victim's boyfriend faces off against a gang of Arab toughs, with Gently and Bacchus caught in the middle.

Mill manager Patrick Fuller is found hanging from the rafters of his workplace. Was his death really a suicide--or murder? The investigation uncovers adultery, embezzlement, and a connection to a secret society.