Thanks are also due to Kevin Jack, my go-to forensic expert – you’re a star, Mr Jack! And to Janet Huck, farmer and neighbour, who didn’t bat an eyelid at being blindsided with random questions about tups. Jane Marshall has provided her ever-wonderful support and local colour as well as much needed cups of tea. And my family . . . as always, an amazing source of encouragement and the first people to see my work in the raw.
I also had assistance from some brilliant professionals in the publishing world. At Pan Macmillan, a special thanks and a sad goodbye to Catherine, an editor who set the bar high – New York is bloomin’ lucky to have you! Thanks also to the team who worked with her, including Natalie, Mandy and Fraser – it’s a joy working with editors who know their stuff! This book is sharper because of you. Alice also deserves a mention for promoting the series with such enthusiasm – and for being so good at her job. There’s a warm welcome too for Victoria, who has taken on the Dales Detective and the world of Bruncliffe in a seamless transition. Finally, as always, I have to acknowledge Oli and all he does to keep me on track.
That’s about it. Except for Mark – still here after seven books and all the mayhem writing brings. You deserve a medal. Hopefully you’ll settle for that pint of Black Sheep!
DATE WITH DEATH
Murder’s no cup of tea . . .
Samson O’Brien has been dismissed from the police force, and returns to his home town of Bruncliffe in the Yorkshire Dales to set up the Dales Detective Agency while he fights to clear his name. However, the people of Bruncliffe aren’t so welcoming to a man they see as trouble.
Delilah Metcalfe, meanwhile, is struggling to keep her business, the Dales Dating Agency, afloat – as well as trying to control her wayward Weimaraner dog, Tolpuddle. Then when Samson gets his first case, investigating the supposed suicide of a local man, things take an unexpected turn, and soon he is discovering a trail of deaths that lead back to the door of Delilah’s agency.
With suspicion hanging over someone they both care for, the two feuding neighbours soon realise that they need to work together to solve the mystery of the dating deaths. But this is easier said than done . . .
Date with Death, the first in the Dales Detective series, is out now
DATE WITH MYSTERY
The Dales Detective Agency’s latest assignment appears to be an open-and-shut case. Hired by solicitor Matty Thistlethwaite, Samson O’Brien is tasked with finding a copy of a death certificate for a young woman who passed away over twenty years ago. But things in Bruncliffe are rarely straightforward. Particularly when Matty insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation.
Beset by financial concerns, Delilah is eager to help. At the very least, the case will take her mind off the custody battle for her precious Weimaraner, Tolpuddle, as well as the looming threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales Dating Agency.
As Samson and Delilah combine forces yet again, before long they are embroiled in untangling a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. A mystery that some would prefer remained buried.
Date with Mystery, the third in the Dales Detective series, is coming 2018
Date with Malice
Julia Chapman is the pseudonym of Julia Stagg, who has had five novels, the Fogas Chronicles set in the French Pyrenees, published by Hodder. Date with Malice is the second in the Dales Detective series, following Date with Death.
Praise for Date with Death
‘Great fun’ – CAROL DRINKWATER
‘A classic whodunit featuring two very likeable characters . . . A satisfying read riddled with dry Yorkshire humour (and dry stone walls)’ – CATH STAINCLIFFE
‘An engaging twist on the lonely hearts killer motif . . . should leave readers eager for the sequel’ – Publishers Weekly
‘An engaging cast of characters and a cleverly clued puzzle move Chapman’s debut to the top of the English village murder list’ – Kirkus
Also by Julia Chapman
Date with Death
First published 2017 by Pan Books
This electronic edition published 2017 by Pan Books
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ISBN 978-1-5098-2384-0
Copyright © Julia Chapman 2017
Illustrations by Emily Sutton
The right of Julia Chapman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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