Traces; Luke Harding Forensic Investigator
5 primary works • 6 total works
Book 1
When there's a murder mystery to solve, The Authorities send in their top forensic team. Luke Harding runs fast, thinks even quicker and has the best detective instincts around. His right-hand robot is Malc, equipped with lasers, scanners and technology for finding clues at the toughest of crime scenes. Together, Luke and Malc have the talent to crack any crime - and a good joke, too. Welcome to the thrilling parallel world of Traces. Aged just 16, Luke Harding is the youngest person ever to qualify as a Forensic Investigator. Luke has barely had time to celebrate when Malc, his robotic sidekick, calls him to their first case. A student has been mysteriously shot dead with an arrow. An elusive killer is at large and all the evidence points to Luke himself...
Book 2
In the slums of London, Luke and Malc investigate a doctor's murder. They find a bullet wound to her head, but rain has washed away the bullet - and all other clues. As more innocent victims die, pressure builds on Luke and Malc to find the culprit before the bizarre shooting spree becomes an all-out massacre. Imagine a place where technology rules...where London is a slum and the North is a cultural capital...where from the age of five, the authorities decide your future. In this fascinating parallel world, quick-thinking Luke Harding is the youngest Forensic Investigator ever, aged just 16. Luke and his right-hand robot, Malc, make a top team. Together, they have the talent to crack any crime - and a good joke, too. Doctor Anna Suleman is ruthlessly shot dead leaving work one evening. Luke and Malc are put on the case by The Authorities. Luke discovers Owen Goode was shot at too, nearby, at a similar time. Teenage runaway Goode shows Luke the pamphlet that fell from the high-rise window of the person who shot at him. It gives details of a religious cult called the Visionaries.
The cult disapproves of doctors and pairing committees as they believe they interfere with god's chosen path for humans. Luke suspects the unhinged Ethan Roach, leader of the Visionaries, who uses snakes for Luke's scary initiation ceremony into the cult. Luke's other suspects include Dr Coppard who is Anna's partner (she had been having an affair) and Alex Foxton, Anna's boss, was against her illicit work with conjoined twins. Then another doctor and a pairing committee are murdered. Luke feels he has many leads but is getting nowhere. Out of the blue Luke and Malc suffer a violent attack in a lift shaft. Malc is obliterated but with painstaking work is rebuilt. He just managed to catch a picture of the killer - Reece Morgan, receptionist at Luke's hotel and covert Visionaries member. He had attended services in disguise so Luke never recognised him. Despite Luke and Malc thinking they were getting nowhere it was their actual extreme proximity that made Morgan attack Luke and Malc and thus reveal himself. The case is solved.
The cult disapproves of doctors and pairing committees as they believe they interfere with god's chosen path for humans. Luke suspects the unhinged Ethan Roach, leader of the Visionaries, who uses snakes for Luke's scary initiation ceremony into the cult. Luke's other suspects include Dr Coppard who is Anna's partner (she had been having an affair) and Alex Foxton, Anna's boss, was against her illicit work with conjoined twins. Then another doctor and a pairing committee are murdered. Luke feels he has many leads but is getting nowhere. Out of the blue Luke and Malc suffer a violent attack in a lift shaft. Malc is obliterated but with painstaking work is rebuilt. He just managed to catch a picture of the killer - Reece Morgan, receptionist at Luke's hotel and covert Visionaries member. He had attended services in disguise so Luke never recognised him. Despite Luke and Malc thinking they were getting nowhere it was their actual extreme proximity that made Morgan attack Luke and Malc and thus reveal himself. The case is solved.
Book 3
In a futuristic London, sixteen-year-old forensic investigator Luke Harding and his robotic assistant, Malc, investigate a series of murders in which there are no traces of a murder weapon, and the only thing the victims seem to have in common is their name.
Book 4
Everton Kohter is a young man on death row, but Luke Harding has been tipped off that he is innocent. Luke wants to reopen the case, the The Authorities want him to investigate suspected pairing committee fraud instead. Against the ticking clock, Luke and Malc chase all leads - including a freak electrical storm and a plane crash. Can they uncover the truth behind the forensic traces?
Book 5
Someone is trying to sabotage the Youth International Games. When the organizer of the games vanishes, the authorities call in Luke Harding to investigate a series of suspicious accidents at the construction site. With the help of Malc and his girlfriend, Jade, Luke closes in on the killer - codenamed Spoilsport. But will Luke be able to overtake Spoilsport on the final lap?