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This page lists detective novels by Amy Myers.

Amy Myers also wrote romances and historical novels which were published using the pen names Harriet Hudson, Alice Carr and Laura Daniels. These fall outside the scope of this page.

Cover images are, where possible, of the first UK edition and a recent paperback or digital edition.

Murder in Pug's Parlour

Amy Myers

1986

An Auguste Didier novel.

"During a shooting party at Stockbery Towers, the steward Greeves is found dead - apparently poisoned whilst partaking of his habitual savoury and brandy alone in Pug's Parlour. The local police constable immediately suspects master chef Auguste Didier of the murder - and, hurt as much by the aspersions cast on his cuisine as by the suggestion that he is a poisoner, Auguste is forced to turn detective in order to prove his innocence. Greeves had not been the most popular figure below stairs - and Auguste quickly uncovers a multitude of motives amongst the staff, whilst also finding the time to concoct the most exquisite and delectable dishes for the house party. The noble family and guests upstairs find this murder in Pug's Parlour most amusing - until one of them is killed."

Murder in the Limelight

Amy Myers

1986

An Auguste Didier novel.

"Auguste Didier, master chef, has been enticed by Robert Archibald to desert Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Stockbery to bring his talents to the Galaxy Theatre in London's West End. In the two years that have passed, Auguste has all but forgotten he was once suspected of that most foul of crimes - murder. Then, amid the glamour of the chorus line, the excitement of a first-night opening, and the electric atmosphere of the stage, a killer strikes. And Auguste is drawn once more into a murder investigation. Watching the petty jealousies and fears that abound in the theatre, he follows each clue with the same fastidious dedication that he applies to his culinary art, and soon uncovers a multitude of motives. But will he catch the killer before there is another death...?"

Murder At Plum's

Amy Myers

1989

An Auguste Didier novel.

"For the first time in its history, Plum's, that palace of respectability where English gentlemen can find refuge from the world, has agreed to admit ladies. Nothing has been right since. A series of bizarre incidents plague the club. A rat appears on the dining table, newspapers are mutilated, obscene letters are sent to the doorman, and a member's portrait is slashed. 'Pranks,' say the members. Then a slightly less than lethal dose of poison in the brandy cream dessert turns master chef Auguste Didier into the Master Detective again. And just in time. Then the impossible happens - a murder at Plum's! One of the members is found dead - and Auguste and his friend Inspector Egbert Rose of Scotland Yard are on a not-so-discreet hunt for a demonically clever and ruthless killer. A gentleman perhaps."

Murder at the Masque

Amy Myers

1991?

An Auguste Didier novel.

"When master chef Auguste Didier decides he needs a rest in his native Cannes he is convinced that there at least he will not encounter murder which seems recently to have stalked him as inexorably as Jack the Ripper his victims. No cold hand of violent death could possibly touch this delightful place of sun and warmth... But back in London Inspector Egbert Rose of Scotland Yard is investigating a series of jewel burglaries. Only when he meets the sixth victim, ballerina Natalia Kallinkova, does he realise this is no ordinary case. For each missing jewel had been encased in an exquisiteFabergé egg, the gift of the Grand Duke Igor of Russia to his ex-mistresses. Worse, he discovers there is a seventh egg...and Inspector Rose sets off hot-foot to warn its owner - in Cannes. There, the Gentlemen (the English, under the captaincy of the Prince of Wales) are about to engage the Players (the rest of the world) in a to-the-death cricket match. And where such passions are raised, murder is sure to follow."

Murder Makes an Entree

Amy Myers

1992?

An Auguste Didier novel.

"Only a dinner of first-class excellence can tempt the Prince of Wales to endure the ordeal of being the president of the Society of Literary Lionisers. And he ensures this by insisting that the year's highlight, the banquet at Broadstairs, will be cooked by master chef Auguste Didier. Broadstairs is famed not only as a seaside resort but also as the holiday haunt of Charles Dickens - the author the Society has chosen to lionise for the year of the Prince's presidency. The banquet, attended by six Peggottys, two Betsy Trotwoods, a couple of Little Dorrits, a Scrooge and a Mr Pickwick, not to mention a highly emotional Miss Havisham, passes off well - but the readings that follow do not. In the middle of the murder scene from Oliver Twist, the reader Sir Thomas Throgmorton collapses and dies. It is soon realised that he has been poisoned, and Inspector Naseby of the local constabulary believes Didier's banquet is to blame - after all, what can you expect when a foreigner cooks the food? Luckily Inspector Egbert Rose of Scotland Yard is on hand to help Didier's investigations to prove his innocence of this most heinous of accusations."

Murder Under the Kissing Bough

Amy Myers

1992

An Auguste Didier novel.

"At the exclusive Cranton's Hotel in London, master chef Auguste Didier is host to a varied party of guests intent on enjoying a real English Christmas, complete with boar's head, Christmas trees, kissing boughs, party games and ghost stories. But not all is as it seems beneath the happy veneer of festive pleasures, for a killer stalks the elegant corridors. How could a baroness from the Continent, three pretty wards of a Foreign Office official, a soldier on leave from the South African War, a rich industrialist, a maiden lady from the provinces, a young married couple, a French diplomat and his beautiful wife with a roving eye, or a crusty retired army officer be embroiled in murder - not to mention a plot to assassinate the Prince of Wales? Auguste Didier, while anxiously ensuring the hotel cuisine reaches his own high standards, works his way through the complex ingredients of murder to put an end to the mysterious and terrible deeds that have not only ruined his Christmas but also disrupted his kitchens."

Murder in the Smokehouse

Amy Myers

1994

An Auguste Didier novel.

"Late in 1901, Auguste Didier and his Russian bride Princess Tatiana are visiting the Yorkshire seat of the Tabor family for a banquet the King has promised to attend. Determined that tobacco will not sully her priceless tapestries, Lady Priscilla Tabor dispatches gentlemen who wish to smoke to a gloomy Gothic folly which has been allotted for this unseemly purpose. Even His Majesty the King is no exception to the intransigent Lady Tabor's rules. Unfortunately for her ladyship, Tatiana is curious both about the smokehouse and about the filthy habit indulged within its walls. In the middle of the night, Auguste finds himself unceremoniously hauled from his bed by his wife to inspect the body she has just discovered there. Once again, Didier is forced, reluctantly, to play detective - there are many secrets to be revealed and questions asked. Is this a case of suicide or murder? And, even more important, who is the corpse?"

Murder at the Music Hall

Amy Myers

1995

An Auguste Didier novel.

"It's 1902 and Auguste Didier finds himself reluctantly recruited for a week's work at the Old King Cole music hall in the East End. Ostensibly there as chef of its greasy run-down eating house, Auguste has another role: to prevent a possible foul murder by being constant bodyguard to famous comedian Will Lamb. At first Will's fears of being the victim of someone's murderous intentions seem unfounded. After all, he's only had a portentous dream and he's really rather popular. But when other more sinister omens occur, Auguste begins to sense real danger - and Will Lamb dies on stage in front of his eyes. The search is on for a killer - and it has to be someone who's had access to the props. Auguste's job is made more complicated by the fact that a national treasure has also been reported missing from Windsor Castle. And there are enough tenuous threads to indicate that the crimes must somehow be linked."

Murder in the Motor Stable

Amy Myers

1996

An Auguste Didier novel.

"Murder was not on the agenda when the Ladies' Motoring Club committee decided to organise a run of their 1904 motor cars from London to Canterbury under the patronage of His Majesty King Edward VII. It is to be the occasion of the official Motor Club of Great Britain road trials for the electrically powered Dolly Dobbs, which its inventor claims has overcome the need for constant recharging of batteries - and this is its first public outing, after months of secrecy. Trouble is on the way, however, for the Dolly Dobbs sparks off mighty passions: from rival inventor Thomas Bailey determined to beat it; from the Duchess of Dewbury who hopes to drive it; from Hester Hart, the famous lady traveller recently returned to England; from Lady Bullinger, leader of the club's 'racers'; from Hortensia Millward, leader of the Horse Against Motor Car Society and, indeed, it seems, from many others who frequent the club's London headquarters and motor stable. In the club's kitchens, Auguste Didier presents the members with a cuisine worthy of his position as master chef. But when hidden passions explode into hideous murder and Inspector Egbert Rose of Scotland Yard is called in, Auguste's other skills as sleuth are put to the test once more, as he battles to help solve the case."

Murder with Majesty

Amy Myers

1999

An Auguste Didier novel.

"Getrude Pennyfather, American heiress and folklore enthusiast, is set to enjoy the perfect English village wedding. Even King Edward VII is due to attend. What more could a society bride dream of? For as she arrives in Frimhurst, Gertrude believes that her fiancé, Arthur Montfoy, is the lord of the manor and the joyful celebrations of the local folk seem to confirm this. Indeed, everything about Frimurst seems picture-perfect. Perhaps a bit too perfect… For as time goes by and her wedding approaches, Gertrude realises that not everything in Frimhurst is as it seems. Does that include her husband-to-be, and the wonderful future she has planned for them? Meanwhile a renowned French chef, and distant relative of the King by marriage, is working hard to produce the perfect wedding banquet, at the King’s command. August Didier is a master of his craft, and his focus is such that little distracts him from his enormous task. Until, that is, he spots a familiar face among the wedding guests. The face of a man who has sworn to murder him. Very shortly afterwards, the body of a murder victim is discovered, but it is not Auguste – for now, at least. The death brings Scotland Yard to the scene, and Auguste is reunited with his friend, Inspector Rose. Can they work together to find the killer?"

Murder in the Queen's Boudoir

Amy Myers

2000

An Auguste Didier novel.

"It seemed a wonderful idea at the beginning: a staged scene to tempt the ghost of tragic Marie Antoinette into showing herself at Le Petit Trianon . And what better way to do so but to recreate a day in her life? Surely no self-respecting ghost would be able to resist? Although for that matter, neither would a woman with revenge in her heart, nor a man with a weakness for a wager… There have been several reported sightings at Le Petit Trianon over the years and, on the fateful day, no fewer than three Marie-Antoinettes are seen. But the dead body found in the late queen’s bed-chamber after lunch is no illusion – and nor is the second body found slaughtered in the garden. Could the two deaths be connected? With everyone under suspicion, Auguste Didier, takes it upon himself to shelve his role as the king’s chef to help an acquaintance, Inspector Chesnais. However, Auguste’s history throws little confidence in his direction. Chesnais is tasked with investigating the crimes, but Auguste has his own plans … With his wife Tatiana’s help, Auguste focuses on the group. Someone amongst them is a murderer."

The Wickenham Murders

Amy Myers

2004

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"Fingerprints left on Time. This is the premise on which Peter Marsh – a former policeman invalided out of the force – and his daughter, Georgia, base their investigations into unsolved past murders. In 1929, in the village of Wickenham, Kent, Davy Todd was charged with murdering Amy Proctor, middle-aged daughter of the local doctor. As Marsh & Daughter begin their investigations, a skeleton is found in the woods of Wickenham Manor Hotel. Two seemingly unconnected events – yet Georgia and her father feel intuitively that there must be a link, and together, they set out to find it."

Murder in Friday Street

Amy Myers

2005

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"When young Alice Winters is found dead close to a ruined medieval tower just outside the remote village of Friday Street, her boyfriend Jake is charged with murder. That evening the haunting melody is heard, which, according to village tradition, is played whenever there has been a miscarriage of justice. The case arouses the interest of Peter and Georgia Marsh, the father and daughter team who specialize in cases where the past has reached out to touch the present. And Friday Street was also the scene of a notorious tragedy in 1968, when the famous rock singer Fanny Star returned to the village of her birth only to be murdered. Had the tune been heard then too? Was her singing partner, Adam Jones, wrongly convicted? Peter and Georgia set out to discover the secrets of Friday Street – but their first obstacle is to break the silence of the village, anxious to protect its own."

Murder in Hell's Corner

Amy Myers

2006

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"At a reunion of Spitfire pilots from the Battle of Britain, Georgia and Peter Marsh discover that a murder, as yet unsolved, took place in the 1970s, and decide to investigate. The victim was popular war hero Patrick Fairfax. But as the father and daughter team investigate, they discover that Fairfax was not as universally liked as he first appeared. The Fairfax family keeps the flame burning and the memories alive, but what Peter and Georgia discover sets up a train of deadly events as the passions of today boil over to prevent the truth of the past from emerging."

Murder, 'Orrible Murder!

Amy Myers

2006

A collection of short stories that includes stories that feature Auguste Didier and Tom Wasp.

"Auguste Didier, a master chef in Victorian London, flits from Queen Victoria's jubilee to the home of the Rightful King of England, pursuing his love of exquisite food while constantly being distracted by murder. Chimney sweep Tom Wasp walks the streets of East London with his chummy, young Ned, righting the many wrongs he comes across. Aphrodite, when she can take time off from her main duty of looking after the love life of the gods, including her own, proves a keen detective — particularly when her own interests are threatened. Other investigators include an ardent fan of Rudolph Valentino, and even Sherlock Holmes cannot bear to be excluded. Amy Myers’s stories are filled with humor and a love of history."

• Murdering Mr. Boodle
• Murder At The Jubilee
• Murder At The Picnic
• The Rightful King Of England
• Murder At The Soiree
• Murder In The Pineapple Pit
• Aphrodite's Trojan Horse
• Who Killed Adonis?
• Who Killed Dido?
• Who Killed Pyramus?
• Tom Wasp And Anybody's Child
• Murder, 'Orrible Murder
• A Case For Judge And Jury
• The Case Of The Faithful Retainer
• Footsteps In The Snow
• Happy The Man
• Valentino's Valediction

Murder and the Golden Goblet

Amy Myers

2007

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"A memorial plaque in an old Kentish church sets wheelchair-bound ex-cop Peter Marsh and his daughter Georgia on a long and dangerous trail that will lead them not only into the world of art fakes in 1950s Paris but further back still to the legends of King Arthur, Sir Gawain and their connections with Dover Castle. Is it just legend, or is Arthur’s golden goblet still to be found deep in the Kentish soil? And was the boating accident in which Lance Venyon was lost in 1961 an accident – or murder?"

Tom Wasp and the Murdered Stunner

Amy Myers

2007

A Tom Wasp novel.

"A chimney sweep in Victorian London’s poverty-stricken East End, Tom Wasp is highly flattered to be asked to model for Valentine Drake, a painter in fashionable Chelsea, especially since his co-model is the beautiful and warm-hearted Bessie Barton, a red-headed stunner who becomes his friend. Grief-stricken when her body is found by mudlarks on the muddy banks of the river Thames, Tom vows to find her murderer. Tracking her pitiful past through London’s seamiest quarters, he discovers the monstrous shadow that hangs over her life, Moonman, from whose clutches Bessie had fled, only to fall into his murderous hands at last. But who is Moonman? Is he one of the Angels, the high-minded group of artists to which Valentine belongs? Or is the truth more terrifying still? Step by step Tom hunts down his quarry through the darkness, guided by his faith that there is goodness in this world as well as evil, and assisted by his chummy, the eleven-year-old Ned."

Murder in the Mist

Amy Myers

2008

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"With Fernbourne Manor to be opened as an arts centre, ex-cop Peter Marsh and his daughter Georgia are making enquiries about the Fernbourne Five, who came to fame in the late 1930s, famous for their artistic work and for the doomed love affair between Elfie Lane and Alwyn Field and the tragic death of the brilliant poet Roy Sandford. But when Peter and Georgia begin to make enquiries about Alwyn Field, they are met with inexplicable hostility."

Murder Takes the Stage

Amy Myers

2009

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"Peter and Georgia Marsh are in the Kentish seaside resort of Broadgate, on the trail of Georgia's missing brother Rick when they come across the strange tale of a haunted fish and chip shop. They pursue both mysteries but the journey to discovery is a dangerous one. There is much at risk."

Murder on the Old Road

Amy Myers

2010

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"When Georgia and Peter Marsh encounter a group of weirdly dressed pilgrims on the Old Road to Canterbury, more is at stake than the play the Chillingham Drama Group is shortly to perform. The group are to re-enact a pilgrimage and production that took place over forty years earlier but that event ended in a murder that has never been solved . . . Determined to discover the killer, Marsh & Daughter set out on a dangerous journey: one that could provide the solution not only to Chillingham s problems, but to their own."

Tom Wasp and the Newgate Knocker

Amy Myers

2010

A Tom Wasp novel.

"When chimney sweep Tom Wasp visits his friend Eliza Hogg in Newgate Prison in January 1863, on the day before she is due to be hanged, he is surprised to be given the only thing of value she possesses—and even more surprised when that turns out to be a pawn ticket. Tom’s apprentice, twelve-year-old Ned, is disappointed that the pawned item was only a scruffy sailor doll. Some days later however, they find its hidden secret... That secret not only sets the two most notorious gangs of London’s East End, the Rat Mob and the Nichol Gang, at each other’s throats, but brings about a tense international situation at a time when the Prince of Wales is about to marry a Danish princess. When Dinah, the daughter of the leader of the Rat Mob, is found murdered, Tom resolves to find her killer for the sake of his friend, her sister Jemima. Helped by Ned and the self-appointed Bug Destroyer to Her Majesty, the redoubtable Mr Chuckwick, Tom pursues the trail through dangerous waters until he reaches the frightening truth behind two murders and the motives for them."

Murder in Abbot's Folly

Amy Myers

2011

A Marsh and Daughter novel.

"Father and daughter investigators, Peter and Georgia Marsh, are looking forward to attending a Jane Austen-themed summer gala at Stourdens. It’s said that the eighteenth-century country manor in Kent was the author’s inspiration for her unfinished novel, The Watsons. It’s here that a collection of Austen’s never-before-published letters of a mysterious love affair are locked away. And most intriguing to Peter and Georgia, Stourdens is also the site of an unsolved murder, cold for nearly three decades. As the event unfolds—and tourists and literary groupies swarm—tensions begin to stir among the mansion’s volatile family. When another murder occurs on the grounds, the Marshes are compelled to investigate. That means unearthing the secrets of both the past and the present that someone will kill again to protect. Including those of a young woman whose heart was broken more than a hundred years ago."

Classic in the Barn

Amy Myers

2011

A Jack Colby novel.

"When Jack Colby glimpses a 1938 Lagonda V12 lying uncared for in a Kentish country barn, he has to have a closer look - which brings him face to face with its angry owner, Polly Davis. Is it the car or Polly that captivates his heart? He decides to find out more about both, but his enquiries are abruptly cut short when Polly is murdered. Convinced that the Lagonda is somehow involved, he is determined to bring her killer to justice, even at the expense of his own safety."

Classic in the Clouds

Amy Myers

2012

A Jack Colby novel.

"When car detective Jack Colby is asked by the ‘Mad Major’ to find one of the original five cars that took place in the original Peking to Paris rally of 1907, he accepts the challenge, but is soon plunged into a far more dangerous investigation. Was the recent death of car restorer Alfred King the accident it seems? It’s not long before the car crime underworld becomes involved in the quest for the missing De Dion, and the stage is set for murder."

Classic Calls the Shots

Amy Myers

2012

A Jack Colby novel.

"All is not well on the film set of director Bill Wade’s new blockbuster Dark Harvest. At first Jack Colby, car detective, can’t believe his luck when he is called in to investigate the disappearance of Bill Wade’s rare 1935 Auburn speedster, but he soon realizes that this is no straightforward theft. Jack’s warning lights are beginning to flash about his assignment – and rightly so, because the stage is set for murder."

Classic Mistake

Amy Myers

2013

A Jack Colby novel.

"A call from Jack Colby’s fiery ex-wife Eva always means trouble. This time it’s a doozy. She’s been accused of her murdering her husband, a Mexican band leader shot to death on the towpath of the River Medway. But Jack’s race to the rescue comes with a slight detour: his other client, the beguiling Daisy Croft. Someone’s stolen Daisy’s beloved Morris Minor classic and she needs Jack’s car-theft sleuthing skills to get it back. To Jack’s surprise, the two cases begin to merge. It’s appears that Eva and Daisy’s disparate dilemmas have something in common: a murder committed at a local pub more than three decades ago. And someone is still nursing old wounds. As a long-festering plan of vengeance endangers the lives of two innocent women, and a second murder occurs, Jack’s investigation heads down a very dangerous road."

Classic in the Pits

Amy Myers

2014

A Jack Colby novel.

"When Jack Colby hears a rumour that Old Herne's, the club for aviation and classic car veterans, is closing, he is appalled, and attends its annual event with foreboding. His instinct is right. He has been commissioned to investigate the theft of the Porsche car belonging to its manager, the popular Mike Nelson, but now far worse problems threaten the club when brutal murder proves to be on the agenda. Jack finds himself caught between two families: the Howells, headed by a US billionaire and veteran pilot, and the Nelsons, headed by Ray, widower of Miranda Pryde, singing star of the 1940s. Her legacy is kept alive by her enigmatic grandson Jason, star of a Miranda Pryde tribute band. But what role does he play in the case, and what role do the missing Porsche and Arthur Howell's beloved Morgan play? In his quest for the truth behind the murder, Jack crosses the path of a notorious gang-leader, and soon murder strikes again."

Classic Cashes In

Amy Myers

2015

A Jack Colby novel.

"A commission to buy a classic Packard saloon from the 1930s on behalf of a client should have been routine for Jack Colby, but this Packard is special . . . and as Jack struggles to piece together the car’s history and the mystery surrounding it, he is soon precipitated into a dangerous world where nothing is as it seems. What is the reason behind enigmatic banking magnate Philip Moxton’s desperate desire for this particular car? Whatever it is, the car’s current owner, actor Tom Herrick, seems to know it too – and is all too willing to sell. But when murder strikes, Jack is drawn into a hunt for the truth that involves not only his personal happiness but facing a relentless killer."

Classic in the Dock

Amy Myers

2015

A Jack Colby novel.

"Jack Colby is delighted when his friend, the world famous artist Giovanni, calls in at Frogs Hill on his way to Plumshaw Manor to paint a 1930s Alfa Romeo racing car. Jack waves him goodbye – but it isn’t for long. Later that day he has a phone call from Giovanni. He has been arrested for the murder! What follows brings nightmare to Jack, as he investigates the crime. Did Giovanni really do it? Or is the murder related to a village feud between two rival families? Nothing is as it seems – except for the danger which Jack faces as he draws close to the truth."

Classic at Bay

Amy Myers

2016

A Jack Colby novel.

"The once-notorious cabaret singer Adora Ferne guards a private treasure trove of twelve classic Jaguar cars, but hankers over the one that is missing. Enter Jack Colby: Adora’s manager Danny Carter has commissioned him to buy the thirteenth dream car from its owner, the Earl of Storrington. When a murder follows the earl’s rejection of an offer, Jack is determined to find out whether there is a link between that and the twelve Jaguars. But the path to the killer divides: does the truth lie amongst the secrets of Adora’s past or much closer to home? Speeding along the route he’s certain will lead to the answer, Jack rushes headlong into danger."

Dancing with Death

Amy Myers

2017

"1925. The fashionable Bright Young Things from London have descended on Wychbourne Court, the Kentish stately home of Lord and Lady Ansley, for an extravagant fancy dress ball followed by a midnight Ghost Hunt - and Chef Nell Drury knows she's in for a busy weekend. What she doesn't expect to encounter is sudden, violent death. When a body is discovered in the minstrels' gallery during the Ghost Hunt, Nell finds herself caught up in the police investigation which follows. As the darker side of the Roaring Twenties emerges and it becomes increasingly clear that at least one person present that night has a sinister secret to hide, Nell determines to unmask the killer among them. Could the Wychbourne Ghosts hold the key to the mystery?"