Book 1 – Utterly Explosive
Chrissie, Nick and Matt are apprentice carpenters from a fictional Utterly Academy in Stowmarket. Placed in carpentry firms in Needham Market and close to Wattisham, a previous “accidental” death triggers a train of consequences. The action soon escalates around the county, from Bury St Edmunds to Ipswich, and features cranky cars, quirky T-shirts and the Suffolk countryside.
Book 2 – Utterly Fuelled
Chrissie, Nick and Matt are apprentice carpenters from a fictional Utterly Academy in Stowmarket. Relationships develop in unexpected directions, while old scores are settled by murder. Inspector Clive Merry, illegal fuel gangs, a Vespa scooter, a canary yellow car, and a mysterious medallion add to the action culminating in a huge fire in Hadleigh on Guy Fawkes Night.
Book 3 – Utterly Rafted
Apprentice carpenter Nick stumbles across the body of a young woman, so peaceful she could be sleeping. A ferocious murder quickly follows and Inspector Clive Merry is pulled in as the apprentices brush against the dangerous world of illegal hare coursing and drugs. The action spreads from Bury St Edmunds to the Orwell Bridge, while a manuscript restoration business, totem pole carving and preparation for the annual raft race at Needham Market occupy the quirky characters.
Book 4 – Utterly Reclaimed
A man is found hanging in a reclamation yard near Bury St Edmunds when Nick collects parquet flooring blocks. Metal thefts follow, while a broken automaton arouses suspicion. The action moves from Lavenham to Woodbridge as a troubled young man broods in the wings, and a pizza delivery service and remote car wrecking yard link the rouges and innocent alike. Inspector Clive Merry features as the threads of the story intertwine.
Book 5 – Utterly Knotted
Knotweed is ugly – and so is murder in Suffolk. Chrissie, Matt and Nick, friends since their Utterly Academy days, follow trails stretching from Bury St Edmunds to Woodbridge and Felixstowe, and discover murky secrets from an abusive past. Throw into the mix a turkey farm, winery and a French flea market pot and you have the ingredients for a perfect murder.
Book 6 – Utterly Crushed
As the summer of 2012 draws to a close, the Olympic goodwill sweeping Suffolk can’t last. A brooding menace takes hold of a film production near Stowmarket. Nick, the on-set carpenter is blamed. Chrissie, an old colleague helps out. Matt, a part-time internet people-tracer uncovers networks of deceit. DI Clive Merry discovers that “crush” takes on a whole new meaning for his witnesses.
Book 7 – Utterly Dusted
Chrissie is under pressure with her carpentry business as Christmas approaches. When told by DI Clive Merry not to meddle in his cases, she struggles to curb her curiosity. Along with old friends Chris and Matt, she is drawn into a whirlpool of stalkers and shadows from the past. A body is found near a golf course and another discovered in a water-logged ditch. Tension racks up against the backdrop of ancient woodland and a search for vintage gifts.
Book 8 – Utterly Roasted
Chrissie Jax and DI Clive Merry return to Suffolk from a short break in Amsterdam. Within a week, two bodies are delivered to the morgue and the international spotlight is on Clive and his investigation. Tension mounts as a tangled web of car paint re-spraying, a catering outfit, a mysterious waitress, pike fishing and chocolate draws in long term friends Matt and Nick.
Book 9 – Utterly Dredged
Book 10 – Utterly Concealed
A body is found in the Poachers Basket – Wattisham’s disused village pub. But what seems like a simple misadventure becomes a murder inquiry and DI Clive Merry’s investigation soon turns into a nightmare.
Can Nick’s preoccupation with an old musical box shed any light on the history of the pub? The past may hold clues, but the present-day investigation stokes increasing danger.
For those of you living or exploring the Suffolk area, you can locate bookstores selling my books using this map.