Ellie’s husband Thomas, a retired minister, is suspicious when he receives not one but five letters advising him that he has been bequeathed money by different people in their wills. He barely knew three of his benefactors, and what could possibly connect him to the other two strangers? Sensing something isn’t right, and with Thomas’s […]
Ellie Quicke Mysteries
Ellie Quicke is a widow who has always been under the thumb of a critical husband. She has a truly horrible family, but grows in confidence as she networks with friends and neighbours to solve the crimes which occur in her pleasant London suburb.
My friends say she is not unlike me in some respects!
The series is published by Severn House, but some of the older books in the series have now been republished by Ostara and are still available through all good bookshops.
Murder by Suggestion – Book 19
Ellie Quicke is shocked when her daughter, Diana, turns up at her door with a suitcase in tow. Bunny Brewster has died of an overdose, and Diana’s husband, Evan, is convinced that she is responsible for his friend’s death. It seems that Diana and four other neglected, bored wives of Evan’s friends recently joked about […]
Murder For Nothing – Book 18
Ellie Quicke believes in helping people in trouble. But it would appear that her latest good deed has returned to bite her when she takes in a weeping girl who needs somewhere to stay. Selfish, thoughtless and irresponsible, Angelica is by now means the easiest of house guests, confident that someone else will always pick […]
Murder In Style – Book 17
This story is set in a fashion boutique started by twin girls who had been unwise in their choice of husbands. When one of the twins tumbles down the stairs and dies, it sets off a chain reaction of greed and malice in those left behind. Ellie tries to sort out the mess and is […]
Murder By Suspicion – Book 16
Ellie is desperate to find someone to look after their elderly housekeeper, Rose, whose health is failing. But employing a carer recommended by Ellie’s difficult daughter, Diana, proves to be a mixed blessing as, when Ellie returns from a trip to America, she finds that Claire has implemented a number of bizarre changes to the […]
Murder In Time – book 15
Ellie opens the door to a man who is a stranger but instantly recognisable as the father of her housekeeper’s brilliant but difficult young son. Mikey had been conceived at a party at which his mother Vera, a schoolgirl, had been drugged, raped and subsequently lost her chance of higher education. Abdi hadn’t wanted anything […]
Murder With Mercy – book 14
Ellie’s friend on the police force asks her to enquire about some deaths in the community which might or might not be suicide, and various relatives of the deceased confirm their suspicions of mercy killings. At the same time the project to turn the quirky, turreted Pryce House into a hotel, is dogged by problems, […]
Murder In Mind – book 13
Ellie has always disliked the Great White Shark – as the local big estate agent is called – and is distressed when her daughter Diana announces that she is carrying his child and about to become his fourth wife. Ellie is drawn into the family circle when one of the Hooper children dies in an […]
Murder My Neighbour – book 12
Troubles never come singly. Ellie’s old friend and housekeeper falls off a ladder and hurts herself after seeing a ‘ghost’ in a neighbour’s house . . . while Ellie is trying to get rid of a desperate young man, who says he’s looking for his great aunt . . . who happens to own the […]
Murder by Mistake – book 11
Ellie Quicke, although comfortably re-married to her best friend Thomas, is still inclined to act hastily. When she took in a young rape victim, she was aware that the commitment might become a burden, but she didn’t expect it to become an invitation to murder. Although Mia’s step-family are in prison, violence still seems to […]
Murder In House – book 10
Ellie and her new husband are suffering from terrible colds when called to deal with Ursula, a student with a mind of her own, who has staged a sit-in at church and refuses to move. Ursula challenges Ellie to solve three mysteries; a broken engagement, her friend Mia’s disappearance and a murder. When Ellie agrees […]
Murder In The Park – book 9
Ellie Quicke is a feisty widow, busy with family and church affairs until a pitbull savages a young mother to death in the nearby park. Witnessing the attack, Ellie’s friend Felicity goes into shock and calls on Ellie for help. Ellie’s enquiries indicate that the dog and his owner are strangers to the neighbourhood, but […]
Murder of Identity – book 8
Feisty widow Ellie Quicke collects some Portuguese laurel for Mrs Dawes, that formidable flower arranger, only to step on a dead body…a corpse without an identity. Next day, Mrs Dawes misses a wedding at church, and is discovered by Ellie and her grandson, badly beaten and close to death. Much to Ellie’s dismay, the police […]
Murder by Bicycle – book 7
A mysterious bout of sickness hits the parish after a lunch at church and Ellie is horrified to discover that her home-baked quiches are considered to be the source of the problem. Worse still, someone dies. So who is to blame? Fighting off the relentless demands of her daughter Diana and plagued by toothache, Ellie’s […]
Murder by Committee – book 6
It seems an innocent request; would widowed Ellie Quicke visit a man whose dog died in an accident? The dog’s master – a powerful but unpleasant man – believes he was the intended target, and that an old enemy was responsible. Feuding financiers are bad news not only for the City where jobs are at […]
Murder in the Garden – book 5
The body of a young girl is found in next door’s neglected garden to the horror of the occupiers, who are great friends of Ellie’s. How long has the body been there, and who is it? Ellie Quicke seems to be the only person who has known all the families who lived in that house […]
Murder by Accident – book 4
Adjusting to life as a wealthy widow, Ellie Quicke is shattered to hear that her difficult but endearing Aunt Drusilla has been killed in a freak accident. Her only son, Roy, is also devastated. However, Aunt Drusilla has made many enemies in her time, among them Ellie’s selfish daughter Diana, who believes she’s her great-aunt’s […]
Murder of Innocence – book 3
Ellie Quicke, fiftyish and recently widowed, is still trying to come to terms with her newly single state. She’s coping, just, but could do without everyone else making demands on her; Diana, her selfish daughter, who expects Ellie to drop everything to babysit, the builders working on her new conservatory and her elderly and irritable […]
Murder by Suicide – book 2
Just as Ellie Quicke is beginning to come to terms with life as a widow, malicious letters start to spread through the parish. The much-loved vicar and Nora, the rather feeble organist, are the first targets. Soon chaos is reigning in the parish and Ellie is called on to help. But the messages keep on […]
Murder at the Altar – book 1
For years Ellie Quicke has been at her husband’s beck and call, and now she’s alone and unsure of herself. A greedy daughter and a difficult aunt demand money and attention, while potential suitors are already on the scene. Then a brutal murder takes place in the church opposite. Is this something to do with […]