Former investment banker Johan Golding - Joe to his friends - is the newest member of the Hartley and Edwards Investigations team. And he's thrilled to be shadowing Kitt Hartley, librarian-turned-top sleuth, and her right-hand woman Grace Edwards; even if it means adjusting to the low-level madness that seems to reign in the Hartley and Edwards offices.

But Joe finds himself thrown in at the deep end when a man known as Ralph Holmes goes missing on the outskirts of Carlisle. Police are refusing to investigate, as his disappearance seems voluntary, but his niece, Carly Lewis, is determined to find out what really happened.

As Kitt, Grace and Joe begin to investigate, they deduce there might be more to this disappearance than meets the eye. Drawn into a web of international conspiracies and possible murder, they need to find out who Ralph Holmes really was - and who he was working for. In their most dangerous case yet, the team are in a race against the clock to uncover the truth, before anyone else gets hurt . . .

HEAR WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE KITT HARTLEY MYSTERY SERIES

'All the Kitt Hartley series are amazing' 5* reader review

'Helen Cox is my queen of Miss Marple' 5* reader review

'I love Kitt' 5* reader review

'One of my favourite series' 5* reader review

'Make yourself a pot of tea and enjoy this escape from real life for a while' 5* reader review

'Brilliant!' 5* reader review

"Cosy and amusing" - Irish Independent

"Brilliantly funny and charming" - Northern Life

"A great read with smart characters and a clever plot" - Candis

"This cosy thriller . . . has a unique atmospheric charm" - Woman Magazine

"A good, well-written holiday read" - York Times