'A gifted and knowledgeable writer . . . engaging and readable' Financial Times Crime novelist Melissa Craig flees London, her agent and her over-protective lover to take refuge in the Cotswolds and produce bestsellers in peace. But a series of bizarre phone calls leads her to a young journalist convinced a real crime has been committed. When a corpse is discovered under the leaf-mould in woodlands, professional curiosity gets the better of judgement. And in the course of her investigations, Melissa finds that the truth is stranger than her own fiction.

"If you are reading this, then I am gone and this manuscript, per my instruction, has been delivered to the writer Chelsea Cain for publication as she sees fit . . ." America's favorite girl detective is back to set the record straight. According to our titian-haired heroine, she was not a fictional character, but an intrepid real-life sleuth who investigated some of the twentieth century's biggest mysteries. And the famous series she starred in was not cooked up by a team of writers, but plagiarized from her exploits by a nosy college roommate-who, not surprisingly, got a whole lot wrong. Here are the daring escapes, brilliant hunches, and dependable stock characters, including interlopers from numerous other beloved series, that have delighted generations of fans. And here, also, are the details of teen-sleuth life that you never saw: the secret romances, reckless driving, minor drinking problems, political action, and domestic drama that have, up till now, remained hidden from these brave detectives' adoring public.

Meet Melissa: cat lover, caring mother... daring detective? Melissa Craig is absolutely delighted with her new life in an old crumbling cottage, spending her days pruning the primroses and getting to know Binkie, the ginger cat next door. She only wishes she had made the move to the countryside sooner. But when a knock at the door brings news of a shocking discovery, she suddenly finds herself thrown in to the middle of a baffling mystery: the bones of a young woman have been found in the woods just behind her new home. Perhaps the little village of Upper Bembury is not as idyllic as it first seemed? Strange phone calls in the night convince Melissa that the police are barking up completely the wrong tree, so she can't resist doing a little digging of her own. From the bingo hall to the beauty salon and beyond, her search ruffles a few feathers and uncovers many of the village's most scandalous secrets, but gets her no closer to finding the culprit... The discovery of a tatty old photograph in a drawer is the final piece of the puzzle she needs, but as a newcomer in this close-knit community, does Melissa have what it takes to get to the bottom of this extraordinary murder mystery alone? A joy to read! An absolutely unputdownable whodunnit for fans of Agatha Christie, P.D. James and Faith Martin. This book was previously published as A Little Gentle Sleuthing.

The Cotswold village of Upper Benbury is buzzing with rumour and gossip. The body of a young gipsy girl has been found in a discarded freezer. A local newshound, hot on the trail of the story, persuades crime writer Melissa Craig to accompany him to the gipsy encampment. Then Melissa learns that members of the victim's family are planning their own brand of justice for the outsider who lured their girl away - and her determination to track down and warn the Romanys' intended victim lands her in grave danger, exposing dark secrets in unexpected places. 'Fresh and lively . . . an enjoyable read with a gratifying array of twists' Shots Magazine

First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Like other fictional characters, female sleuths may live in the past or the future. They may represent current times with some level of reality or shape their settings to suit an agenda. There are audiences for both realism and escapism in the mystery novel. It is interesting, however, to compare the fictional world of the mystery sleuth with the world in which readers live. Of course, mystery readers do not share one simplistic world. They live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, as do the female heroines in the books they read. They may choose a book because it has a familiar background or because it takes them to places they long to visit. Readers may be rich or poor; young or old; conservative or liberal. So are the heroines. What incredible choices there are today in mystery series! This three-volume encyclopedia of women characters in the mystery novel is like a gigantic menu. Like a menu, the descriptions of the items that are provided are subjective. Volume 3 of Mystery Women as currently updated adds an additional 42 sleuths to the 500 plus who were covered in the initial Volume 3. These are more recently discovered sleuths who were introduced during the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999. This more than doubles the number of sleuths introduced in the 1980s (298 of whom were covered in Volume 2) and easily exceeded the 347 series (and some outstanding individuals) described in Volume 1, which covered a 130-year period from 1860-1979. It also includes updates on those individuals covered in the first edition; changes in status, short reviews of books published since the first edition through December 31, 2008.

Graham Shipley has come to the Cotswolds to take up a new teaching appointment and to make a fresh start after the break-up of his marriage. He is made welcome by the head of the school and by his new neighbour in Upper Benbury, crime writer Melissa Craig. But shortly after his arrival a young girl is found drowned. Foul play is suspected and when Graham's past threatens to catch up with him, he turns to Melissa for help. She soon discovers that this is not a simple case of murder - there are other, more complex and sinister influences at work in the village. 'Astute characterisation and good local colour . . . engaging and sensitive' Oxford Times

A compelling crime novel and a chilling tale of the emotional power of relationships. Cotswold-based crime writer Melissa Craig has acquired a reputation for solving real mysteries. But when her estranged father is found murdered in his own workshop, events come chillingly close to home. To Melissa's horror, fingerprints found on the murder weapon prove to be those of her mother, whom she hasn't seen for almost 30 years. Determined to prove her mother's innocence, Melissa starts her own investigation and finds her father wasn't quite the puritanical pillar of society he purported to be. And then a second victim is found brutally murdered . . .

A guide to series fiction lists popular series, identifies novels by character, and offers guidance on the order in which to read unnumbered series.