Veronica Heley
Ellie Quicke is still inclined to act hastily, despite husband Thomas' steadying influence. When she took in a young rape victim, she knew the commitment might become a burden, but she didn't expect it to become an invitation to further violence. Mia's best friend Ursula is eager to help, but has a wedding to plan - as does Ellie's daughter Diana. Both want Ellie to stage their receptions.
Can Ellie keep...
Ellie's friend on the police force asks her to enquire about some deaths in the community which might or might not be suicide, and various relatives of the deceased confirm their suspicions. Unbeknown to the police, an elderly lady moving in and out of dementia has come across some drugs and is using them to ease people in pain out of their misery.
At...
The body of a young girl is found in next door's neglected garden, to the horror of the occupiers, who are friends of Ellie's. How long has the body been there, and is it someone who once lived there? Ellie seems to be the only person who has known all the families who have lived in the house - a house that seems to attract misery. Tracking down her memories of loud party-givers and possible con men amongst others, Ellie is forced to confront the
...Ellie Quicke's life as a wealthy widow is shattered to hear that her difficult but endearing Aunt Drusilla has been killed in a freak accident. Her only son, Roy, is also devastated. However, Aunt Drusilla has made many enemies in her time, among them Ellie's selfish daughter Diana, who believes she's her great-aunt's heir.
Ellie Quicke is shocked when her daughter, Diana, turns up at her door with a suitcase in tow. Bunny Brewster has died of an overdose, and Diana's husband, Evan, is convinced that she is responsible for his friend's death. It seems that Diana and four other neglected, bored wives of Evan's friends recently joked about ways to kill their...
10) Murder In Law
Ellie's absence abroad is disastrous for her daughter, Diana - when her husband is attacked by intruders and left for dead one night, it falls to Ellie's next-door neighbour, Susan, to reluctantly pick up the pieces and take in Diana's children.
Is Evan's death really the result of a burglary gone wrong? Joining...
11) Murder for Good
Ellie's husband Thomas, a retired minister, is suspicious when he receives not one but five letters advising him that he has been bequeathed money by five different people in their wills. He barely knew three of his benefactors, and what could possibly connect him to the other two strangers?
Sensing something isn't right, and with Thomas's...
Ellie Quicke believes in helping people in trouble. But it would appear that her latest good deed has returned to bite her when she takes in a weeping girl who needs somewhere to stay. Selfish, thoughtless and irresponsible, Angelica is by no means the easiest of house guests, confident that someone else will always pick up the bill....
13) Murder in Time
Ellie opens the door to a man who is a stranger but instantly recognisable as the father of her housekeeper's brilliant but difficult young son. Mikey had been conceived at a party during which his mother Vera, a schoolgirl, had been drugged and raped. Abdi hadn't wanted anything further to do with her – then. Twelve...
Ellie Quicke is confronted by an angry young man, demanding to know what has happened to his elderly great aunt. Flavia Osborne had refused to move in with her relatives, telling everyone that she'd sold her secluded house and was moving to a retirement flat - but it seems she never arrived at her destination. Ellie is distracted by her difficult daughter Diana, who makes a shocking announcement, but...
It seemed an innocent request: would widowed Ellie Quicke visit a man whose dog died in an accident? The dog's master - a powerful but unpleasant businessman - believes he was the intended target, and that an old enemy is responsible. Feuding financiers are bad news not only for the City where jobs are at stake, but also for Ellie, who can't fill in a tax return without help. The feisty widow already has more than enough to cope with. Aunt Drusilla's
...Aylmer offers the services of Benedict de Huste, a young man with a tragic past whom Aylmer regards as an adopted son.
Together Ursula and Benedict fight a double battle. They fight for their lives...
19) False picture
Bea Abbot doesn't do murder. The modest agency she runs from her Victorian home in Kensington is better at finding good domestic help and the best caterers. Yet how can she turn away her oldest friend? Velma's prodigal stepson Philip has vanished....