DCI HARRY MCNEIL
Introducing DCI Harry McNeil, a dedicated detective within Police Scotland, leading a Major Investigation Team.
He shares a strong camaraderie with DI Frank Miller. Unexpectedly, Harry finds himself reassigned to a different station, where he and Frank join forces to tackle a two-decade-old, unsolved cold case—a venture that could jeopardize their very lives.
"Return to Evil" marks the inaugural instalment in the gripping Harry McNeil Scottish crime series..
BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
Book 20
Published: 15-Dec-2023
When looking into the abyss, be careful of who’s looking back …
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When the lifeless body of a psychiatrist is uncovered in the heart of Edinburgh, the responsibility of unraveling this murder falls upon DCI Harry McNeil and his dedicated team. This well-respected professional had maintained a thriving private practice, commanding deep respect within his field.
As they meticulously deconstruct the facets of the doctor's existence, they unearth a disconcerting revelation – not everyone held the esteemed psychiatrist in such high esteem. However, as a veil of silence shrouds potential witnesses, Harry faces an uphill battle in his quest to unravel the mystery behind the doctor's untimely demise. Will he ultimately piece together the puzzle and bring justice to the fallen doctor?
Meanwhile, DI Frank Miller returns to his job, only to find himself facing a grave accusation. He knows his life is in peril, with a relentless enemy determined to see him silenced. A single name holds the key to his salvation: a mysterious woman whose identity remains elusive. With time running out, Miller must uncover her identity or face a life on the run. Will he unearth the truth, or will he pay the ultimate price in his quest for redemption?
NOW OR NEVER
Book 19
Published: 30-Sept-2023
You can't make up your own ending...
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The lifeless body of a renowned author dangles within his residence, prompting DCI Harry McNeil to uncover the unsettling truth that not everyone held the man in high regard. Initially dismissed as a tragic mishap stemming from a misjudged publicity stunt, this incident swiftly transforms into a grim realization of foul play.
As a remorseless and deranged murderer prowls the streets, McNeil finds himself embroiled in an intense pursuit, exacerbated by the absence of one of his key team members.
Meanwhile, a surprising call interrupts DCI Angie Fisher's routine – none other than her ex-husband, DI Dougie Fisher, whom she believed would remain estranged. Dougie, now residing in London with his new spouse and infant son, has come north to Fife for a family funeral. A nagging suspicion haunts him – he suspects his father-in-law's demise was no accident. Frustratingly, his position as a detective in London's MET has yielded no cooperation.
Initially hesitant to engage, Angie's resolve wavers when Dougie discloses that his family has become a target. Yet, this is merely the prelude to an intricate sequence of events that ensnare Angie in the investigation. Amidst the labyrinth of twists and turns, the ultimate revelation catches her off guard, leaving her blindsided as events reach their irreversible climax.
TWIST OF FATE
Book 18
Published: 17-Jul-2023
Not everybody deserves a second chance.
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After a young man's body is discovered by a newlywed couple inside an abandoned caravan, the police initially speculate whether his death was accidental. However, the investigation takes a dramatic turn when they uncover the victim's true identity.
The deceased has a deadly past, and barely paid the price for the heinous crime he committed.
DCI Harry McNeil is assigned the task of identifying the victim’s killer, but the case soon becomes shrouded in secrecy. The man's past is far more complex than anyone had anticipated.
Despite the obstacles, the search for the victim's original accomplice begins, but the individual seems to have vanished without a trace. However, the investigation takes a gruesome turn when the police in Glasgow discover a shocking crime scene.
It appears that the killer is seeking revenge for the victim's past actions, which had provoked public outrage years earlier. With the public no longer on their side, Harry and his team must navigate bureaucratic obstacles and catch a ruthless killer who believes he is unstoppable - and is willing to demonstrate it.
DO UNTO OTHERS
Book 17
Published: 15-Apr-2023
They’re rich. They’re powerful. They’re dead.
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Settling into his new life, Detective Chief Inspector Harry McNeil is being kept busy, but life is going to become a lot busier.
The body of an MSP has been found slaughtered in an empty house in Edinburgh. But this is no ordinary crime scene. It’s one that Harry McNeil thinks he’s seen before. Down to the last detail, including the position of the bodies.
As they start the hunt, they’re looking for a killer who seems to know far too much detail of what goes on behind the scenes at a kill site. Somebody who doesn’t want to stop.
Then Harry recollects where he saw this crime scene before.
This killer is copying murder scenes from the past. But the past is very much going to catch up with the present.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
Book 16
Published: 31-Jan-2023
He caught him once before. Can he do it again?
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With Harry McNeil’s life changed forever, he is thrust back into work when a serial killer dies in prison. Harry helped bring him to justice, but even in death, the man has something to say.
A message is found at the man’s post mortem. A message for Harry.
It isn’t over.
An informant in prison claims that the killer bragged about more victims, but none were ever found. Until now.
But these victims aren’t from the past. They’re from the present.
Just because the mentor is dead, doesn’t mean his spirit doesn’t live on…
And Harry is on the hunt for the protégé who is determined to keep the legacy going…
Meantime, DI Max Hold is having a quiet time since transferring back to his home town in Fife, from the London Met.
Until he gets a call to assist at a unique crime scene - Prince Albert's cairn in the Cairngorm National Park. The body of a young woman has been found at the pyramid, and although the crime scene is being overseen by Grampian Division, Hold is being sent by Fife.
Out of his jurisdiction, some of the other officers think he's out of his league.
But dealing with some of London's finest low life for fifteen years, he doesn't give in easily. And along with a DS who's on temporary assignment, he faces a tough challenge. But soon this becomes one of the toughest cases of his career. And nothing London threw at him will prepare him for the outcome of this case.
NEVER GO HOME
Book 15
Published: 16-Nov-2022
You can’t run forever
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When a body is discovered on a carousel at the fair in The Meadows in Edinburgh, it brings back memories for DCI Harry McNeil. He had history with the man, having arrested him many years ago.
The victim was a high-flying politician, destined for great things, but did his secrets catch up with him? Or were the death threats he’d received not taken seriously enough?
Harry and his team hunt for a killer who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, putting themselves in the firing line of a madman with an agenda. But it’s Harry himself who is going to have his life changed forever. If he lives long enough
ALL OR NOTHING
Book 14
Published: 14-Jul-2022
Practice makes perfect. Even in death.
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DCI Harry McNeil is back at the helm, joined by his old friend, DI Frank Miller. He is juggling his private life with being a single father, running a new Major Investigation Team, and spending time with a woman who may or may not become more than just friends.
Edinburgh at New Year is a time for celebration, fun, and for one person, murder.
The festivities leading up to Hogmanay are tinged with fear as Harry's team gets a shout when the murdered body of a woman is found floating in the Water of Leith near the docks.
A vicious killer has left his mark and Harry's new team is put to the test.
But with time running out, the killer is going to be knocking on Harry McNeil's door, in more ways than one.
DEAD AND BURIED
Book 13
Published: 30-Apr-2022
Sometimes, the past is better left behind.
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Detective Chief Inspector Harry McNeil had found himself back in CID after a leave of absence saw his team disbanded. Now he's been temporarily assigned to an existing Major Investigation team, working alongside his old friend, Detective Inspector Frank Miller, after Miller's DCI dies suddenly.
A body is found in the city centre, torn to pieces. It's reminiscent of a cold case from years ago and the victim is quickly identified, bringing the old murder enquiry back front and centre.
There's new management in the Edinburgh police division, and old friends have been replaced by new enemies. Not everybody wants to see Harry McNeil succeed.
But that's not going to stop him and Frank Miller from tackling the cold case head on, with help from a couple of Glasgow detectives.
But nothing is what it seems. Starting with the death of Miller's DCI.
Harry and the team find out that some cold cases were meant to be left alone, and that sometimes the past should be left dead and buried.
CRASH AND BURN
Book 12
Published: 31-Oct-2021
They left him for dead. They made a mistake.
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On sabbatical from the force after a personal loss, DCI Harry McNeil spends his days renovating an old cottage he bought, and his nights down at the local bar. He's living in a small town where nothing much happens. Until it does.
Harry meets a young woman who is searching for her brother who went missing in the area two years ago. He is special needs and she's convinced he wouldn't just run off.
Meanwhile, over a hundred miles away, a body is pulled from Loch Lomond, badly decomposed. In his pocket is the name of the missing man.
When the corpse is identified, it throws the missing man's case in a new light.
Harry gets embroiled in the search and before long, his own life is put in danger.
A killer is on the loose and now he's back in the town where Harry thought he was going to get peace, but he's going to get much more than that...
FALL FROM GRACE
Book 11
Published: 14-Jul-2021
He's all too real. I am Nightmare.
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A mythical man known as Nightmare, haunted young children for years. Until he became real. DCI Harry McNeil knows the legend all too well. Growing up in the Highlands, Nightmare was on his and every other child's mind as they went to sleep.
Then, Nightmare claimed his first victim. A young girl, found dead in an abandoned cemetery with the words, I am Nightmare, carved into her chest. Two more victims, the same words carved into them. Then Nightmare disappears. Now, years later, there have been reports of graffiti being sprayed around Inverness and on graves in old cemeteries.
Is Nightmare back? The question is on the lips of residents who are starting to feel uneasy. Initially dismissed as a prank, things start to get all too real. A Glasgow couple are talking to their adult daughter on Zoom. She is a reporter for an online magazine and is in the Highlands reporting on Nightmare. She is being chased through the woods.
The couple don't know if their daughter is spooked or if somebody is really chasing her. The call is cut and they call the police. The next morning, her body is found in a cemetery. I am Nightmare is carved into her chest. Harry McNeil is sent to the Highlands with a team from Glasgow. Their job is to hunt down a killer who once only existed in fevered minds. Once again, he's all too real. I am Nightmare. Catch me if you can...
** Please note - there are spoilers in this book for a previous Harry McNeil title, Devil to Pay. If you haven't read that one, I suggest you read that first **
AGAINST THE CLOCK
Book 10
Published: 09-Apr-2021
They know they're dealing with a deranged killer.
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The body of a teenager is found near Portobello Beach in Edinburgh, wrapped in plastic. She went missing five years ago but it's obvious she only died recently.Inside the plastic is the dress she was wearing when reported missing. Where has she been kept and why has she been killed now?
The dead girl's abduction mirrors that of two young girls who have gone missing in the past two weeks.DCI Harry McNeil is assigned the case with the help of two colleagues from Glasgow, who have discovered the body of a young girl in an abandoned leisure park.
Now an eight year old girl is snatched from the beach. Is it connected to the other two older girls who have gone missing?As the detectives follow the clues, they know they're dealing with somebody who is not only a deranged killer but who will disappear with his victims. Just like he did five years ago. Harry and the others are pulling out all the stops to find the girls, but all of them know, they're running against the clock...
RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
Book 09
Published: 31-Dec-2020
The clock is ticking and a New Year is fast approaching.
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A woman is found hanging in the woods in a small Highland town.
A hearse crashes into an old church and is abandoned. The police find a coffin inside but the body isn't a recent death. It's the badly decomposed body of a girl who went missing thirty years ago.DCI Harry McNeil is sent north to co-ordinate the hunt for a killer, along with colleagues from Glasgow.
The town plays host to the annual Christmas Land festival, and this year marks the thirtieth anniversary. With the festivities in full swing, it seems that somebody wants to draw attention to the town for a different reason.
With hundreds of tourists flocking to the area and only a few days left before Hogmanay, can Harry McNeil and Jimmy Dunbar capture a killer who is not only intent on bringing back the dead but adding fresh kills to his tally?They're going to have to move fast. The clock is ticking and a New Year is fast approaching. Then everybody goes home. Including the killer...
POINT OF NO RETURN
Book 08
Published: 14-Oct-2020
An old mystery solved after thirty-five years.
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An old mystery solved after thirty-five years. And a new one just beginning...
Millionaire Murdo Wolf took off in a small plane from the island where he lived, and neither he nor the plane was ever seen again. Until now.
The Wolf family have gathered on the island they used to call home. They're celebrating the life of their father, Oliver Wolf, who died six months ago.Now, one of Oliver's sons has been murdered. And when his body is discovered, so is the body of his grandfather. Did the son know where his grandfather was hidden? Did he die because of it?
DCI Harry McNeil is sent to the island to investigate the cold case and track down a killer who may or may not still be there.
Helping with the investigation are two detectives from Glasgow, DCI Jimmy Dunbar and DS Robbie Evans.
This isn't an open-and-shut case and they discover the killer is still lurking on the island, and the body count is increasing. But with no clear motive and no direct links to the patriarch going missing all those years ago, this is going to be one of the hardest cases Harry has ever worked on.
DEVIL TO PAY
Book 07
Published: 31-Jul-2020
Deadly loose ends. Homicidal obsession.
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Deadly loose ends. Homicidal obsession. A mind-boggling crime locked behind lost memories.
Scotland. DCI Harry McNeil feels uneasy about visiting his late father’s dementia-afflicted former colleague. But he’s stunned when the retired policeman’s daughter pulls him aside in the nursing home to offer nervous accusations and shocking photographs. And with the images displaying a murder victim from twenty years ago, McNeil fears the senile detective might be the real serial killer long thought dead and buried.
Unable to pry answers out of the confused senior, McNeil is alarmed to discover fresh bodies in both Glasgow and Edinburgh linked to the decades-old case. And with the slayings so intimately connected to him personally, McNeil believes it’s only a matter of time before he’s caught in the crosshairs… and he doesn’t know why.
Will McNeil expose a murderous hidden agenda before it costs him his life?
BLOOD AND TEARS
Book 06
Published: 31-May-2020
Two murderers on the loose. One relentless cop on their tail.
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Two murderers on the loose. One relentless cop on their tail. Zero hope nobody dies.
DCI Harry McNeil is finally enjoying life outside of policing. But he’s forced back into all work and no play after a transport van explodes and a pair of convicted criminals disappear into thin air. And with his resources stretched to a breaking point and the escapees armed and dangerous, the Edinburgh detective fears nothing can stop more bloodshed.
So when experienced colleagues from Glasgow join the hunt, McNeil works the extra manpower hard to get the savage killers off the streets. But after the vicious slayings resume, the expert investigator and his team must race against time to stop a deadly spree of violence.
Can McNeil trap the ruthless felons before more body count rises higher?
HOUR OF NEED
Book 05
Published: 29-Feb-2020
A death in the family. A man cut down.
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A death in the family. A man cut down. A cold-blooded killer with no boundaries.
DCI Harry McNeil wasn’t fond of his stepfather, but he never wished him dead. And there’s no time to comfort his mother when he’s pulled away to upscale Edinburgh to investigate a sadistic doorstep stabbing. But despite the victim having lived a perfectly ordinary life, McNeil suspects a gruesome hit.
When the deceased’s widow witnesses a dark stranger lurking in the neighborhood, the seasoned detective is certain he has the assassin in his sights. But when his hunt for the culprit swerves too close to home, McNeil fears the killings have become personal.
Will he track down the murderer before death knocks on his own door?
DEAD BEFORE YOU DIE
Book 04
Published: 31-Dec-2019
A callous crime. A killer’s rampage.
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A callous crime. A killer’s rampage. A storm of death on the horizon.
Edinburgh, the dead of winter. DCI Harry McNeil knows the subzero temperatures can trigger the cruelest of crimes. But when he’s called out in the middle of a blizzard, he’s horrified at the sight of a frozen female corpse found hidden inside a snowman. And when none of the evidence adds up, McNeil’s investigation is skating on thin ice…
On the brink of connecting a serial killer to a two-year-old cold case, he’s caught under a cloud of alleged misconduct. And with the heat turned up in every direction, the embattled cop must both clear his name and wade through a snowstorm of suspects to put a lethal opponent behind bars.
Will McNeil weather this deadly attack, or will running down this murderer prove fatal?
BACK TO LIFE
Book 03
Published: 31-Oct-2019
It looked like a simple murder case.
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It looked like a simple murder case. But the victim’s false identity is just the beginning…
Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil’s dangerous job wasn’t made for relationships. So when a female officer’s mutilated remains wash up in a canal, it feels like proof he was right to leave his long-time girlfriend. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when he discovers the corpse was carrying a police ID belonging to a cop already dead and buried.
Digging deeper, McNeil learns the woman was actually a software engineer nosing around high-tech, classified projects and poking into murky government corners. So when a second body surfaces, he fears the truth lies in the darkest corners of greed and corruption. And someone is determined to make certain those secrets never come to light…
Can McNeil catch the killer before the deadly tables are turned on him?
STICKS AND STONES
Book 02
Published: 31-Aug-2019
A horrific murder. A stunning abduction.
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A horrific murder. A stunning abduction. Can he open an old case to prevent another grisly death?
Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil isn’t easily intimidated. But after years investigating crooked cops, a promotion heading up a Major Investigation Team will put his reputation on the line. And he’s starting to sweat when the daughter of a rich and powerful family vanishes from the honeymoon suite in a Scottish Highlands castle…
Searching alongside officers from two other divisions, pushes McNeil to his breaking point when the investigation uncovers a charred corpse dressed in a wedding gown. Fearing the missing bride will suffer the same gruesome fate, the detective follows a fifteen-year long trail of clues littered with vengeance, false identities, and a tragic murder-suicide.
Can McNeil bring the butcher to justice before the celebration turns into a mass funeral?
RETURN TO EVIL
Book 01
Published: 05-Dec-2019
He's going to find out... the hard way.
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A woman is found in a local cemetery, crushed to death under a gravestone. A production company is there, filming the remake of a classic sci-fi TV show in the grounds, making the investigation more difficult for DCI Harry McNeil. It's his first day in charge of the cold case unit in Edinburgh.
After spending four years in Professional Standards, he has little choice but to take the promotion. The Crown Office decides which cold cases should be reviewed, and this time, they've decided the murder of a teenage girl from twenty years ago should be re-opened. A girl who was murdered by somebody pushing a gravestone on top of her...
The case gets more complicated when they find out who the latest victim is. Suddenly there are no shortage of suspects. As the filming continues, so does the killing. And McNeil wonders, has a killer been murdering for twenty years? Or is this case completely unconnected? With Frank Miller's help, he's going to find out...the hard way.