Böcker av Priscilla Masters

Joanna Piercy must rescue an elderly man from a hostage situation that has chilling roots in the past in this enthralling mystery. Detective Inspector Joanna Piercy's joy at her close colleague Detective Sergeant Mike Korpanski's return to work is short-lived. Elderly Joseph Holden has been taken hostage in his secluded mansion overlooking Rudyard Lake by an armed intruder. And the hostage taker insists he will only speak to her. With just a four-day hostage negotiation course under her belt, Joanna is feeling the heat. How does the hostage taker know her name? What does he want? As the questions multiply and Rudyard Lake is sealed off by an armed response unit, Joanna is about to discover that the roots of this shocking event lie deeply buried in a terrible crime - a crime that happened far away and many years ago . . . Set in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, featuring a compelling heroine and a stunning final revelation, this page-turning mystery is perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, L.J. Ross, Ruth Rendell and Jane A. Adams.

Forensic psychiatric Claire Roget's patient, Poppy Kelloway, made up 'facts' that damaged other families, destroyed relationships and even resulted in an untimely death. The nature of the attack is still shocking, as is the discovery of an appointment card for her next meeting with Claire. Is Claire herself in danger?

Tanned and relaxed after a holiday in Spain, Detective Joanna Piercy is brought back to reality with a bump thanks to Staffordshire's appalling weather - and another dead body.It's local Leek resident Kathleen Weston who makes the gruesome discovery. The smell is so bad she can't hang her washing out.Propped up against the boundary at the bottom of her garden sits Jakob Grimshaw. His head has been crushed with one of the loose stones from the wall.It's obvious this was no accident. Landowner Jakob Grimshaw made enemies of everyone around him.But someone really wanted revenge to kill Grimshaw like this.Detective Joanna Piercy must delve into a dark web of vicious family feuds and warring neighbours to uncover a brutal murderer before they strike again.

A missing woman.A jilted lover.A baffling murder. Beatrice Pennington lives a seemingly quiet life. Married and middle-aged, she's a part-time librarian and an enthusiastic member of Leek's cycling club.So when her husband Arthur turns up at the police station, frantically claiming Beatrice is missing, Detective Joanna Piercy can't help but think the woman probably just got bored with her own life.Maybe she ran off with another man? Certainly nothing serious could have happened to her.But as the days pass there is still no trace of Beatrice. DI Piercy begins to worry - could there have been foul play after all . . . ?Then a body is found. Strangled and dumped under a hedge on a moorland road.As DI Piercy investigates she unearths a dangerous web of lies. When does unrequited love become stalking? And when does stalking end in murder?

Something is amiss at the local village school.A man is seen lingering outside the gates - and parents and teachers are getting worried . . .Joshua Baldwin doesn't think he's doing any harm. With no family of his own, he just gets a bit lonely.Piercy tracks him down and warns him off. He's definitely weird. But harmful? She doesn't think so.Then five-year-old Madeleine Wiltshaw goes missing.It's the last day of term before Easter. No one saw her disappear in the playground at the end of the day. What if Baldwin was a threat after all?The team start up a desperate search for the little girl, but Madeleine could be hidden anywhere on these moors.The clock is ticking. Can Detective Piercy find Maddie before it's too late?

Please note this book was previously published as A Wreath for My Sister.A young woman frozen on the moors. A mother who never came home. A third woman in danger.Sharon Priest is on the moors in a flimsy red dress and high heels, but as a snowstorm sweeps in she doesn't feel the cold . . .Meanwhile Detective Joanna Piercy is approached by a desperate man at a party. His daughter went missing two years ago. She went to the market one afternoon and never came home. Leaving behind her eight-month-old son. And the police are no longer looking for her.Now, a frozen body is found on the moors. And Detective Joanna might just have a serial killer on her hands . . .

Please note this book was previously published as Catch the Fallen Sparrow.It's a cold, grey morning when soldiers on an exercise drill find a smouldering body up on the moors.The body is scarred by cigarette burns, the hands covered in tattoos and the clothes are scruffy. But the Reebok trainers are brand new.It's just a kid. A ten-year-old boy. Someone killed him, then set him on fire. DI Joanna Piercy is determined to bring whoever did this to justice.But the case is getting more complicated with every new discovery. Why is this clearly neglected child wearing a solid gold ring? A ring that belonged to a local MP - before he died of pneumonia some months ago?Then two more children go missing from a local children's home. The race is on for DI Piercy to find them before any more bodies are burnt on the moors.

Please note this book was previously published as Winding up the Serpent.It's Detective Joanna Piercy's first day back at work after her promotion. You could cut the tension with a knife. The rest of the team are more than a little bit jealous.But there's a missing persons case to get on with.DI Piercy arrives at the missing nurse's house. But it's too late.Marilyn Smith is dead. Spreadeagled on the bed, all dressed up for a date she didn't keep. DI Piercy is convinced that Marilyn was murdered even though the post-mortem is inconclusive.But if there was foul play involved, how did the killer get past her dog, who was so protective of his mistress? And how come her dog was just about the only creature who liked this nurse?Joanna's boss is breathing down her neck to close the case. She must catch a killer to keep her job.

A young woman is pushing a child in a stroller dangerouslyclose to the edge of a rock face. She has blood on her clothes. Is she a victimor a would-be killer? DI Joanna Piercy takes on the case, but the young womanis mute. As the questions mount, forensic psychiatrist Dr Claire Roget iscalled in to help. Can she persuade the woman to talk?

On a snowy winter morning, a young woman is found outside a nightclub. Half dead from the cold, she says she has been raped. As D.I. Joanna Piercy investigates, she learns that Kayleigh Harrison has made unsubstantiated allegations before against her stepfather. But there are possible links to a similar rape case six months previously . . .

It's been six years since fourteen-year-old Marvel Trustrom went missing. DS Zed Willard believes that Jonah Kobi, a serial killer, is responsible for Marvel's disappearance - but with no evidence or witnesses, forensic psychiatrist Dr Claire Roget is Willard's last hope. Can Claire find out what really happened to Marvel before it's too late?

DI Piercy must deal with a complaint of nuisance calls from Timony Weeks, a 60s child soap-star. Is she putting on an act and wasting police time, or is someone really trying to frighten her? Joanna's instinct tells her something isn't right, and then she discovers a shocking secret. Perhaps someone has sinister intentions towards Timony after all...

A tragic car crash leads to a young girl going missing near the legendary Devil's Chair. Can coroner Martha Gunn and DI Alex Randall sift through fact and fiction, folklore and reality to uncover the truth?