ILL MET BY MURDER​
A Lovegrove & McGrath mystery

When DCI Lovegrove wishes for a decent murder case to perk up his day, he doesn’t expect human sacrifices to start in sleepy Oxford.

 

Chief Inspector Alex Lovegrove is feeling flat. He runs the murder squad, yes. But the murder squad in Oxford, a city of 165,000 people that only has four murders in a busy year. He longs for a juicy case to distract him from the paperwork that floods his inbox. What he doesn’t know is that a secret society dedicated to the goddess Ištar is about to start committing human sacrifices. Hindered and helped by David Crossland, Regius Professor of Archaeology, Lovegrove and partner DS Fionnuala McGrath pursue a killer who is always one step ahead. McGrath uncovers similarities to murders 50 years before, including black magic and a cover-up that reaches the top of government.

 

Can Lovegrove and McGrath catch the killer before their investigation is shut down or is Oxford about to witness a murder spree that makes Old Testament carnage look like a walk in the University Parks?

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Runner up, Page 100 Competition​

Shortlisted, Opening Lines Competition​

Top Pick, Best Mystery, Claymore Award​​

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"Rod Cookson's Ill Met by Murder is a masterclass in well-controlled dialogue with plenty of forward momentum. Really impressive."

Louise Walters, judge, Page 100 Competition

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"An excellent book; one of the best I've read lately."

Judge comment, RWA Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense competition​​