Leave No Trace

by M J White

Published 6 April 2023

Cora is a character you won’t forget.’ Steve Cavanagh, author of The Accomplice

Ewan Stokes disappeared after a football match in Ipswich 15 years ago. No one knows where he went – or why – but every year on the anniversary of his disappearance, random mysterious sightings are reported across Europe. Since Ewan vanished, a fanatical online following has grown up around the mystery. The cult believes Stokesy is coming back. And he wants payback.

When police are alerted to CCTV images of a man holding a sign that reads ‘Help Me’, followed by acts of violence that seem to be linked to the mystery surrounding Ewan Stokes, they fear that the online hysteria has ramped up at the prospect of Stokesy’s return – a pressure that mounts when Maisie, Ewan’s ex-girlfriend at the time of his disappearance, finds herself targeted by a series of sinister attacks.

As tension grows, psychologist Dr Cora Lael, working with DS Rob Minshull and the South Suffolk CID, is called upon to use her special intuition to help the police protect Maisie. But as the anniversary grows nearer and the attacks widen out to target more people in Ewan’s life, can they stop Stokesy in his tracks… before he wreaks his revenge?

A twisty, addictive crime thriller with an extraordinary lead character. Fans of Mari Hannah and LJ Ross won’t be able to put this down.

Readers are loving Leave No Trace:

The perfect mix of suspense, mystery and interesting plot…Gripping from the first page to the last…This is a brilliant book!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘A page-turning,twisty crime thriller… one of those weekend binge reads you won’t be able to put down!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

Fast paced, cleverly thought out and gripping to the very end, if you want a police procedural crime read with that added something extra, then I would definitely recommend this!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘Oh wow!... It was impossible to put down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘With a deftly crafted cast of characters, a tension mounting twisty narrative and a unique protagonist in Cora, this is another worthy addition to this cleverly written series.’ Reader Review

Praise for MJ White’s Cora Lael Mysteries:

One of the most striking crime novels of the year.’ Daily Mail

BLOODY BRILLIANT. If you like your crime dark and twisty…The Secret Voices is all this and more.’ Joanna Cannon

‘‘An unusual premise and an engaging cast of characters. What more could you want from a crime debut? I flew through it.’ Mari Hannah

I was well and truly hooked…The writing was well researched, the storyline gripping, and the characters were spot on!…Would definitely recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Cora’s unique ability gives the book such an originality that you won’t find anywhere else.’

‘With a dark plot and a lot of twists, this was a really gripping read which I wasn’t able to put down.’

‘This was excellent…There were many twists and I loved the plot development…I will pick up anything by this author in the future!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Truly could not put this down…so many twists and turns…Great characters which are also believable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Dr Cora Lael is such an interesting character…a unique crime thriller which I would definitely recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review


The Deadly Echoes

by M J White

Published 6 June 2024

Four murder victims. One silent survivor. Can Cora hear the secrets he’s hiding?

When a terrified, bloodied man staggers from a boarded-up shop in broad daylight in the small Suffolk village of Evernam, police are called to the scene.

What they find inside the derelict building sends the community into shock: four bodies, their throats savagely cut, arranged in a bizarre formation with objects surrounding them.

The survivor, Mark Lingham, insists that the deaths are his fault and is immediately arrested for murder. But police specialist Dr Cora Lael – a woman with the ability to sense emotional echoes from objects – hears a different story from the belongings placed around the bodies…

Working with DS Rob Minshull and the South Suffolk CID team, Cora is plunged into a deeply twisted case with more questions than answers.

With a rural community in disarray, a horrific murder scene that shocks even the hardened detectives of South Suffolk CID and a suspect suddenly changing his story, can Cora unravel the secrets and lies to track down a brutal killer?

A twisty, shocking and atmospheric detective novel that readers of Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths won’t be able to put down.

Praise for the Cora Lael Mysteries series:

‘One of the most striking crime novels of the year.’ Daily Mail

BLOODY BRILLIANT. If you like your crime dark and twisty…The Secret Voices is all this and more.’ Joanna Cannon

An unusual premise and an engaging cast of characters. What more could you want from a crime debut? I flew through it.’ Mari Hannah

I was well and truly hooked…The writing was well researched, the storyline gripping, and the characters were spot on!…Would definitely recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘This was excellentThere were many twists and I loved the plot development…I will pick up anything by this author in the future!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Truly could not put this down…so many twists and turns…Great characters which are also believable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Dr Cora Lael is such an interesting character…a unique crime thriller which I would definitely recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘The perfect mix of suspense, mystery and interesting plot…Gripping from the first page to the last…This is a brilliant book!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘Fast paced, cleverly thought out and gripping to the very end, if you want a police procedural crime read with that added something extra, then I would definitely recommend this!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review


The Unspoken Truth

by M J White

Published 14 November 2024

She won her freedom. Now someone wants her silenced.

After serving nine years of a life sentence for the manslaughter of a former beauty queen, Shona Pickton returns to her home town of Felixstowe, exonerated after an appeal quashed her conviction. She has always protested her innocence – despite being tried and convicted by the media long before her trial.

Determined to clear her name, Shona insists that one man can corroborate her story: well-known police informer Karl Cuskie, her alibi for the night Cassandra Norton died.

But then Cuskie is found dead, throwing the reopened case wide open.

Terrified for her life, Shona turns to police specialist Dr Cora Lael, whose insight might reveal Norton and Cuskie’s murderer. But Cora is torn: should she help Shona behind the back of DS Rob Minshull and her police colleagues? And when a trail of corruption leads to the heart of South Suffolk CID, can Cora unmask the killer before they come for Shona?

A fast-paced, atmospheric, utterly gripping detective novel that will keep you guessing from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, LJ Ross and Kate Ellis.

Crime thriller fans and authors love the Cora Lael Mysteries!:

‘A superb crime debut from a massive talent. Cora is a character you won’t forget.’ Steve Cavanagh

‘An unusual premise and an engaging cast of characters. What more could you want from a crime debut? I flew through it.’ Mari Hannah

‘A corker of a debut with a brilliantly drawn main character.’ Simon Toyne

‘The perfect mix of suspense, mystery and interesting plot…Gripping from the first page to the last…This is a brilliant book!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘A page-turning, twisty crime thriller… one of those weekend binge reads you won’t be able to put down!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

‘Dr Cora Lael is such an interesting character…a unique crime thriller which I would definitely recommend!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘‘This was excellent… There were many twists and I loved the plot development…I will pick up anything by this author in the future!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Wow! What a fantastic story…I read it in a day, just couldn’t put it down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Truly could not put this down… so many twists and turns… Great characters who are also believable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review


Whispers of the Buried

by M J White

Published 14 August 2025

A victim stabbed through the heart sets off a deadly chain of events that will plunge Cora into her most personal case yet.

The first victim was found on Aldeburgh beach, his life extinguished by a single stab through the heart, a pile of pebbles, seaweed and sand piled onto his body. DS Rob Minshull and the South Suffolk CID start the investigation, but Dr Cora Lael is pulled into the case to decode the strange death tableau.

When another victim is found, her murder identical to the first, it’s not long before the coastal communities are thrown into panic. As the media whips up a frenzy for the killer dubbed ‘The Beachcomber’, the pressure is on for South Suffolk CID to find the murderer, fast.

Cora’s ability to sense psychic echoes from found objects might bring some answers. But what is the significance of the voice whispering ‘mine’? And when Cora hears that same voice in objects close to home, can she really trust the people around her?

With a fractured police squad, a terrified community and too many theories to the killer’s identity, can The Beachcomber be stopped before more lives are lost?