Book 2

Too Many Murders

by Colleen McCullough

Published 1 December 2009
The thrilling new novel from the author of The Thorn Birds One day, one city, twelve murders. The year is 1967 and the world teeters on the brink of nuclear holocaust as the Cold War goes relentlessly on. On a beautiful spring day in the little city of Holloman, Connecticut, chief of detectives Carmine Delmonico walks into the prestigious Chubb University halls to be greeted by a limp corpse clamped in a bear trap, all traces of life drained from it. And this is just the beginning. Twelve murders have taken place in one day and suddenly Carmine has more pressing matters on his hands than finding a name for his newborn son. Supported by his detective sergeants, and new team member -- the meticulous Delia Carstairs -- Delmonico embarks on what look likes an unsolvable mystery. All the murders are different. Are they dealing with one killer or many? And if twelve murders were not enough, Carmine soon finds himself pitted against the mysterious spy, Ulysses -- who is giving local arms giant Cornucopia's military secrets to the Russians. Are the murders and espionage different cases, or are they somehow linked?

Sins of the Flesh

by Colleen McCullough

Published 12 November 2013
"It's August 1969 in the sleepy college town of Holloman, Connecticut, and police Captain Carmine Delmonico is away on vacation. Back at home, first one, then two anonymous male corpses turn up--emaciated and emasculated. Sergeant Delia Carstairs and Lieutenant Abe Goldberg connect the victims to four other bodies, and suddenly they realize Holloman has a psychopathetic killer on the loose. Luckily Carmine decides to come back from vacation early. Carmine's team begins to circle a trio of eccentrics living on a beautiful estate; they readily admit to knowing all the victims, but their stories keep changing. They share a dark past, family ties, and painful memories. One of them is a woman who has recently become a friend of Delia's, along with another woman who is the respected head of the insane asylum. She has done groundbreaking work rehabilitating one very difficult patient who is now her most trusted assistant. The three women met while rescuing a cat from a tree, and now they find they share a love of intelligent conversation and their enjoyment of living the single life. When a gas station attendant is viciously murdered, and then Carmine barely escapes being next in the body count, it becomes apparent that Holloman has two killers at large with two completely different modus operandi. Suddenly the summer isn't so sleepy any more"--

The Prodigal Son

by Colleen McCullough

Published 1 November 2011

Potent poisons and deadly rivalries in this glamorous thriller.

Jim and Millie Hunter have it all: good looks, brilliant minds, and a meteoric rise to fame.

Dr Jim Hunter is a genius biochemist, and author of a smash-hit science book that is propelling him to the top. His wife Millie, is a blonde bombshell and fellow scientist, researching rare poisons derived from puffer fish.

They seem to have it all, but others in their academic circle have got the knives out, jealous of their success – and their inter-racial relationship arouses prejudice.

So when a double murder is perpetrated, using poison stolen from Millie’s research lab, Captain Carmine Delmonico of Holloman Police must race to find the killer before they can claim their next victim.

The pool of suspects is small, but nobody is talking.
Have two men died to safeguard the publication of Jim’s book – or do rivalries and betrayals run deeper than that?


Naked Cruelty

by Colleen McCullough

Published 1 October 2010
Locking your door won't help. He's already inside ... Locking your door won't help. He's already inside ...America in 1968 is in turmoil and the leafy Holloman suburb of Carew is being silently terrorised by a series of vicious and systematic rapes. When finally one victim finds the courage to speak out and go to the police, the rapist escalates to murder.For Captain Carmine Delmonico, it seems to be a case with no clues. And it comes as the Holloman Police Department is troubled: a lieutenant is out of his depth, a sergeant is out of control, and into this mix comes the beautiful, ruthlessly ambitious new trainee, Helen MacIntosh, daughter of the influential president of Chubb University. As the killer makes his plans, Carmine and his team must use every resource at their disposal - including a team of highly motivated neighbourhood watch, the Gentlemen Walkers ...Praise for the Carmine Delmonico series'very much in the tradition of P D James! McCullough is a tremendous storyteller' tHE tIMES'As an artful storyteller, McCullough has more than a few tricks up her sleeve' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD