The Falconer Files
8 primary works • 14 total works
Book 1
In the village of Castle Farthing a mean-spirited, spiteful, curmudgeonly old man is found drugged and strangled in the kitchen of his cottage, with no obvious clues to the perpetrator of the crime.
DI Falconer and Acting DS Carmichael are summoned from the police headquarters in the nearby town of Market Darley and begin to uncover a web of grudges against the old man and a sea of familial connections between those who knew him.
As the heat of July continues relentlessly, tempers flare, disturbing the usual rural calm of the village, and the normally imperturbable Harry Falconer. Faced with a crime with no obvious prime suspect and the idiosyncrasies of his new partner,Carmichael, he feels that he is gradually losing his grip on the case as the body count rises?...
Book 5
Jefferson Grammaticus and his business partners, Jocelyn and Jerome Freeman, had spent two years on the extensive renovation of a two hundred year old building, set in expansive grounds, with the River Darle as it's northern-most boundary.
The building work was now finished, the decoration and furnishings were in their appointed rooms, rich drapes adorned the windows, and French crystal chandeliers were being hung.
The opening weekend - which included a murder/mystery dinner (in fancy dress) - had been advertised, and bookings taken.
Then finally, after all the work and graft, the decisions, the purchases, the planning and last minute hitches, all was ready.
Grammaticus booked in his first guests with great optimism, believing that 'The Manse' had a sparkling future ahead of it.
He was soon to be disabused of this, however, when two people were killed and another lay gravely ill! And it had all happened on the night of the murder/mystery dinner, except that the bodies were actually dead!
Into this fearful and mistrustful mixture of guests and staff, D I Harry Falconer and D S Davey Carmichael arrive, to try to make sense of how the tragedies had occurred and who was responsible for them.
Book 6
The last three Musical Directors of 'The Dalziels' had left them high and dry by moving to France. Their next one was to make the 'ultimate move' by getting himself murdered!
The village band in Swinbury Abbot has jogged along quite happily for nigh on a decade. Band practices are free and easy affairs, the music never commencing until after a rather lavish meal with wine, followed by more wine, and then maybe running through a piece or two, just for form's sake. Until the vicar turns up with a new musical director, who plays quite a different tune…
For the newcomer's ideas of what a band’s routine should consist of are completely at odds with the musicians’ current practices. His clashes with the various band members cause enormous resentment, and, in one of them, a hatred strong enough to provoke murder!
Into this welter of negative emotions, Detective Inspector Falconer and Detective Sergeant Carmichael of the Market Darley CID arrive, determined to get to the bottom of things and bring the killer to justice, while simultaneously dealing with their own domestic problems.
But the musical mayhem – and the murderousness – doesn't stop there…
Book 9
`A mischievously entertaining crime novel' SIMON BRETT
The eleventh instalment in The Falconer Files, Andrea Frazer's insanely gripping village detective series with a delightful slice of humour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Lillian Jackson Braun and Midsomer Murders.
READER'S CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF ANDREA'S QUIRKY CRIME NOVELS!
***** 'Love this author and will definitely be reading more of her books' Author Review
***** 'Andrea Frazer's imagination is wonderful... her mysteries are populated by great, quirky characters and good humour' Author Review
***** 'Andrea Frazer never fails to supply a good read with a suspenseful plot' Author Review
***** 'I love all of Andrea Frazer books. Funny but a good mystery too' Author Review
___________
The morning after the party, the extent of the brooding resentment felt in the small community is revealed when an elderly woman is found dead outside her house, the contents of her safe having disappeared along with her attacker.
When Detective Inspector Harry Falconer, Detective Sergeant Carmichael, and Detective Constable Roberts arrive on the scene, they learn that the late Lettice Keighley-Armstrong's safe had recently held a large quantity of very valuable pieces of jewellery??
As the investigation progresses, with efforts made to find out just who might have been tempted enough to commit such a crime, the violence escalates... making it urgent that the offender is quickly apprehended.
Book 10
`A mischievously entertaining crime novel' SIMON BRETT
The tenth instalment in The Falconer Files, Andrea Frazer's insanely gripping village detective series with a delightful slice of humour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Lillian Jackson Braun and Midsomer Murders.
READER'S CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF ANDREA'S QUIRKY CRIME NOVELS!
***** 'Love this author and will definitely be reading more of her books' Author Review
***** 'Andrea Frazer's imagination is wonderful... her mysteries are populated by great, quirky characters and good humour' Author Review
***** 'Andrea Frazer never fails to supply a good read with a suspenseful plot' Author Review
***** 'I love all of Andrea Frazer books. Funny but a good mystery too' Author Review
___________
There is mischief afoot in the village of Fallow Fold. Persons unknown have been on a spree of vandalism, scratching cars, smashing colourful pots of flowers in full bloom, breaking greenhouse windows and defiling a front door with a racist word, written in spray paint. The police are called, and given the unavailability of more junior personnel DI Harry Falconer and DS Davey Carmichael arrive to investigate, but there are no obvious suspects.
Then a resident is attacked as he keeps a nocturnal vigil, hoping to catch whoever is responsible for the vandalism. Soon, there is a surfeit of uncharacteristic behaviour from those who live there, and Falconer begins to suspect that there is more to come.
When the man who runs the local bridge circle disappears, there is a palpable whiff of evil in the air which leads to a murderous attack on one of the police officers. This is a time when DI Falconer is forced to search his soul to discover what, and who, is really important in his life, and what really matters in it.
Book 11
A neglected house in the village of Fairmile Green is suddenly descended upon by a veritable army of builders and tradespeople, and the locals are – mostly – enchanted to discover that it has been bought by the new media darling and winner of reality TV show The Glass House, Chadwick McMurrough.
It is only when he and his new partner, Bailey Radcliffe, move in that the locals’ hostility begins to become evident. After months of relentless noise during the property’s transformation, the newly restored peace is shattered, much to the neighbours’ chagrin, when McMurrough rashly introduces highly vocal peacocks into his huge rear garden. Ominously, older feelings of resentment towards the couple are stirred up by the nearby presence of both their ex-partners.
What with that uncomfortable situation, and the birds’ constant crimes causing ructions, the couple’s residence undoubtedly makes serious ripples in the usually tranquil pond of village life. And when the attempts on Chadwick McMurrough’s life begin, the game is afoot, and the police are called in.
It is not long before Detective Inspector Harry Falconer and Detective Sergeant ‘Davey’ Carmichael have a murder to solve – and things don’t stop there …
Book 12
Reverend Florrie Feldman has put the unpleasantness of her old parish behind her and made a fresh start in the sleepy little village of Ford Hollow, a community at peace - on the surface.
Underneath the calm facade the usual rivalries and petty jealous are simmering. There is also a deep undercurrent of resentment towards a company which plans to build a new housing estate, altering the ancient landscape irrevocably.
Shortly after Florrie takes over the parish reins, the church choir's oldest member is found in his usual seat, dead as a doornail, his neck broken. Enter Detective Inspector Harry Falconer and Detective Sergeant 'Davey' Carmichael ...
With accusations of dirty deals, nefarious businessmen, and crooked committees, the atmosphere in the village is tense - and murderous! Falconer and Carmichael tackle the escalating events in their usual style - and there is emotional turmoil for Falconer in the shape of his 'old flame', Dr Honey Dubois ...
Book 13
The thirteenth in the best-selling Falconer Files by Andrea Frazer.
The body of a woman has been discovered in Castle Farthing Woods, and it appears that although she had been dead for years, nobody had ever reported her missing.
DI Harry Falconer of the Market Darley police is perplexed – and not only in his working life. He has recently resumed his relationship with psychologist Dr Honey Dubois – but while visiting a local village in the course of his investigations, unsettling memories of a former love are revived.
Then the bodies start to come thick and fast …
As Falconer’s sidekick DS Carmichael is coping with the early birth of his twins, the DI is forced to form a closer bond with his new constable, as they try to solve a nightmare conundrum.
For Falconer is forced to confront the fact that someone has been committing these murders under the radar and under his very nose: he is forced to acknowledge that, in the midst of beautiful countryside and quaint market towns, there is a serial killer on the loose.
`A mischievously entertaining crime novel' SIMON BRETT
The fourteenth and FINAL instalment in the much-loved The Falconer Files, Andrea Frazer's insanely gripping village detective series with a delightful slice of humour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Lillian Jackson Braun and Midsomer Murders.
READER'S CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF ANDREA'S QUIRKY CRIME NOVELS!
***** 'Andrea Frazer's imagination is wonderful... her mysteries are populated by great, quirky characters and good humour' Author Review
***** 'I loved this series so much... The characters and settings are so vivid. I would recommend to all mystery lovers' Reader Review
***** 'So sad it is the last of the Falconer Files. I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole series and the Belchester books too' Reader Review
***** 'A joyous read tempered only at the end to find out it would be the last from this wonderful author...' Reader Review
___________
After many trials and tribulations, eternal bachelor Detective Inspector Harry Falconer has finally decided to get hitched. His bride - the delectable Dr Honey Dubois!
With his trusty sergeant Carmichael as best man, Falconer is in remarkably good spirits as the big day closes in. OK, so the normally lugubrious Carmichael is having trouble getting his words out, and there's the unenlightened Mrs Falconer senior to deal with. But surely nothing serious can go wrong?
With impeccable timing, it does - will bride and groom last long enough to cut the cake, or will it all be over before it even begins?
CHRISTMAS MOURNING is the eighth instalment of Andrea Frazer's Falconer Files, a detective series chock-full of picture-postcard villages, dastardly deeds, and a delightful slice of humour.
Praise for Andrea Frazer's twisty and compelling crime novels:
***** 'The best laugh I have had for a long time. Great story very well written' Reader Review
***** 'I loved the book. A good British mystery. Characters are great. All mystery lovers would enjoy this' Reader Review
***** 'I have read all of the Falconer Files and they are all excellent. Well written with lovable and quirky characters' Reader Review
***** 'Andrea Frazer's Falconer files are outstanding long may she continue to write them they are like a breath of fresh air' Reader Review
***** 'Once again, another gripping story in a perfect village... a lot of twists and turns and wonderful descriptions so that one feels actually "there" amongst it all' Reader Review
***** 'Discovered this series of books and can't get enough of them. Characters very appealing and loads of humour. Just what I like best' Reader Review
_________
The UK is experiencing its worst winter for years.
Catastrophic news for DI Harry Falconer, as he has rashly promised to spend Christmas with his sergeant, Carmichael, and Carmichael's rambunctious family, in Castle Farthing - only to find himself snowed in and in and spending a lot longer at chez Carmichael than is desirable...
Without power or telephones, and Castle Farthing cut off from the outside world until further notice, Christmas Day greets them... with a murder in St Cuthbert's Church, where the locum vicar has discovered, to his horror, one of Castle Farthing's residents nailed to a gigantic cross.
Falconer and Carmichael are left to dig their way out of Carmichael's cottage to investigate the terrible crime, with none of the technology and support normally available to them.
As if this is not enough to cope with, Carmichael has agreed to look after a huge Great Dane over the festivities, Kerry Carmichael is just about to give birth - and death is still stalking the snowed-in community, intent on claiming at least one more victim...
In the quiet village of Steynham St Michael there is an anonymous letter writer at work, jabbing and stabbing at the past's Achilles' heels of many of the upright citizens living there.
After one resident is driven to extreme measures to escape exposure, another is driven to murder.
In the village cards club, which meets once a week, tongues begin to wag, not only about the identities of the murderer and the poison pen letter-writer, but also about who exactly has received a letter.
There are also changes afoot at Market Darley Police Headquarters, as the national economy dictates that it accepts the straitened circumstances planned for it, and complies with recommendations for change.
And before any of this even happens, Harry Falconer drifts up from unconsciousness to find himself in complete darkness and barely able to move, the only sound being that of someone moaning in pain.
In the village of Steynham St Michael, the old Strict and Particular Chapel is, at last, undergoing renovation, to the delight of the local inhabitants, who believe it will prove useful as a tourist attraction for the village.
The renovations, however, have been dogged by the sightings of mysterious hooded figures, and tributes of flowers, left here and there on the site.
The newly painted interior is then found defaced by a mysterious message in red paint, and this last prompts a call to the police.
DI Falconer and DS Carmichael of the Market Darley CID make an initial visit, and believe that the unexplained events at the Chapel may be the work of a small cult, believed to originate from the college in Market Darley.
When a new DC, on secondment, arrives, Falconer immediately sends him undercover as a student, spending his own time trying to lay his hands on a local drug dealer.
Then, a body is found on the stone altar table in the Chapel, and events begin to spiral out of control.
Shepford Stacey is an unassuming little village, its greatest asset being its small but excellent Church of England Primary School. This delightfully old-fashioned establishment of only two classes, one of infants, the other of juniors, has been run by the same pair of ladies for decades.
It is in the year that the headmistress, Audrey Finch-Matthews, is to retire, that the smooth running of this long-established educational establishment is interrupted by murder.
When Detective Inspector Harry Falconer and Detective Sergeant Davey Carmichael of the Market Darley Police arrive to investigate, they discover a host of motives, both past and present, and grudges that reach right back through the years.
As the Easter weekend grinds inexorably on its way, Death stalks the village again, and it suddenly becomes imperative that the murderer is caught before there are more fatalities.
Falconer soon realises that this is not the work of an opportunistic psychopath passing through, but of someone within the small community itself, taking lives at will, and there is no indication that the slaughter will stop here.
The villagers of Stoney Cross were bustling about like hyperactive ants. In gardens, houses, and the village hall, figures flitted to and fro, making last-minute preparations for their 'Great Event': the first Stoney Cross Arts Festival, which was due to commence on Saturday. The enlisting of a local radio presenter to advertise then review their efforts had added an extra frisson of excitement.
But the delight soon turns to dismay when the broadcaster, Marcus Willoughby, actually moves into a house in Stoney Cross the day before the Festival. He turns out to be someone from various people’s pasts; someone whom they had hoped never to see again, and who greets them with recognition – and malice – in his eyes. To those he had never met before, he simply proves to be a smarmy, spiteful bigot, who proceeds to take great delight in verbally shredding their artistic efforts.
When he is found dead at his desk in his new home, no crocodile tears are shed. His demise is even presented on air, during his pre-recorded radio show Marcus having been 'choked off' for good while in full flow. His arrival in the village had obviously caused a few already guilty hearts to beat faster, and precipitates the hasty confessions of dark deeds thought long since buried. Into this welter of emotions is dispatched DI Harry Falconer, his erstwhile Acting Detective Sergeant, 'Davey' Carmichael riding shotgun, as they enter 'bandit' country once more.
Choked Off is the second instalment of Andrea Frazer’s Falconer Files, a detective series chock-full of picture-postcard villages, dastardly deeds, and a delightful slice of humour.