The Inspector Thanet Mysteries Volume Two

Close Her Eyes, Last Seen Alive, and Dead on Arrival

The second trio of mysteries in the “beautifully crafted,” Silver Dagger Award–winning police procedural series set in Kent, England (The Washington Post).

Det.Inspector Luke Thanet may be a family man with a soft heart and bad back, but he also has a bloodhound’s nose for murder. With Sgt. Mike Lineham at his side, no case is too tough, in these mysteries from the “dependably pleasing” Dorothy Simpson (Boston Globe).

Close Her Eyes: When a teenage girl from a strict fundamentalist religious order goes missing, her parents insist that the investigation of her disappearance be left in the hands of God. But when Charity Pritchard is found murdered, Inspector Thanet and Sergeant Lineham vow to tear off the church’s veil of secrecy to reveal her killer.

“A well-crafted [and] compelling mystery novel.” —The Armchair Detective

Last Seen Alive: When Luke Thanet was a young man, Alicia Parnell was one of the most popular girls in Sturrenden—until her perfect life was shattered by her teenage boyfriend’s suicide. Alicia’s family left town soon after. But now, two decades later, Alicia has returned to the country village where she was born—only to die there the day after she arrives . . . To find the killer, Inspector Thanet will have to dig deep into their shared past, in this CWA Silver Dagger winner.

“A classic detective story . . . complex and ingenious.” —Literary Review

Dead on Arrival: Inspector Thanet is brought in when a dead man is found in bed, apparently killed by a single blow with a blunt object. When the corpse is identified as Steven Long, the question is no longer who wanted to kill him, but who didn’t? Long was loathed by everyone in town, from his long-suffering ex-wife to the man whose family he killed in a driving accident. To find the culprit, Thanet will have to get to the bottom of a lifetime of hate.

“An intriguing tale not to be missed.” —Yorkshire Post