The Gold Hill Murders — at a glance Title: The Gold Hill Murders Series: Dorset Crime, Book 13 Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural, crime fiction Setting: Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset Police MCIT Series position: Book 13 of 13 (to date) Previous book: The Beach Hut Murders (DC12) First published: 17 September 2026 If you enjoy: LJ Ross, Simon McCleave, MS Morris, JM Dalgleish, Val McDerm

Swanage — at a glance Key facts about Swanage, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Swanage Type: Seaside town (real place) Real-world basis: Swanage, a real coastal town at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, with a sandy bay, Victorian pier and steam railway Region: Isle of Purbeck, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in: A recurring location across the series Genre: British police procedural / crime fic

DCI Lesley Clarke — at a glance Name: DCI Lesley Clarke Role: Detective Chief Inspector, Dorset Police Major Crimes Investigation Team (MCIT) Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean First appears: The Ballard Down Murder (DC0.5) Appears in: All 13 Dorset Crime novels and all novellas Based at: Dorset Police HQ, Winfrith, Dorset Background: Transferred to Dorset from West Midlands Police Physical: Short, with short blonde hair; direct and no-nonsense manner Connected series: Det

Corfe Castle — at a glance Key facts about Corfe Castle, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Corfe Castle Type: Village and ruined medieval castle (real place) Real-world basis: Corfe Castle, a real village and National Trust castle ruin in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England Region: Isle of Purbeck, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in: The Corfe Castle Murders (Book 1); returns later in the series Genre: British p

Dorset Police HQ, Winfrith — at a glance Location: Winfrith, Dorset, England Real-world basis: Dorset Police HQ, Winfrith Technology Centre, Dorset Also known as: Winfrith, HQ, headquarters Role in series: Base of operations for the Dorset Police MCIT in the Dorset Crime series Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Appears in: All 13 Dorset Crime novels and all novellas (DC0.5 through DC13) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural,

Tyneham — at a glance Key facts about Tyneham, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Tyneham Type: Abandoned WWII 'ghost village' (real place) Real-world basis: Tyneham, a real abandoned village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, evacuated in December 1943 for D-Day training and never re-inhabited; now open to the public on weekends and school holidays as part of the Lulworth Ranges Region: Purbeck, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel M

DS Dennis Frampton — at a glance Name: DS Dennis Frampton Role: Detective Sergeant, Dorset Police Major Crimes Investigation Team (MCIT) Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean First appears: The Ballard Down Murder (DC0.5) Appears in: DC0.5 through DC13 (all mainline Dorset Crime novels) Second-in-command to: DCI Lesley Clarke Based at: Dorset Police HQ, Winfrith, Dorset Background: Long-serving Dorset detective; grew up in Dorset Physical: Stocky build; short greying brown ha

Sandbanks — at a glance Key facts about Sandbanks, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Sandbanks Type: Coastal peninsula / wealthy suburb (real place) Real-world basis: Sandbanks, a real peninsula suburb of Poole in Dorset, famous for its sandy beaches and some of the most expensive residential real estate in the United Kingdom Region: Poole, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in: A recurring backdrop across the serie

Dorset Crime — at a glance Key facts about the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Series: Dorset Crime Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery Setting: Dorset, England — the south-west coast, including Corfe Castle, Swanage, Poole Harbour, Sandbanks, Lyme Regis, the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach and Tyneham Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, a Detective Chief Inspector who transfers f

Chesil Beach — at a glance Key facts about Chesil Beach, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Chesil Beach Type: Shingle barrier beach (real place) Real-world basis: Chesil Beach, a real 18-mile shingle barrier beach on the Dorset coast, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, separated from the mainland by the tidal lagoon known as The Fleet Region: Dorset coast / Jurassic Coast Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in:

Brownsea Island — at a glance Key facts about Brownsea Island, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Brownsea Island Type: Island nature reserve (real place) Real-world basis: Brownsea Island, a real National Trust island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, noted for its woodland, lagoon and rare red squirrels, and as the birthplace of the Scout movement Region: Poole Harbour, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in: The Island Mur

Lyme Regis — at a glance Key facts about Lyme Regis, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Lyme Regis Type: Coastal town (real place) Real-world basis: Lyme Regis, a real harbour town on the Dorset–Devon border at the western end of the Jurassic Coast, famed for its fossils, the historic Cobb harbour wall and its association with the pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning Region: Dorset–Devon border / Jurassic Coast Series: Dorset Crime and

DI Zoe Finch — at a glance Name: DI Zoe Finch Role: Detective Inspector Protagonist of: Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean Also appears in: Dorset Crime series; Cumbria Crime series First appears: ZF0.5 (Detective Zoe Finch prequel) Based in: Birmingham, West Midlands (ZF series) Physical: Tall, with red-brown hair often tied back Background: Single mother; practiced karate; grew up in Birmingham Connected to: DCI Lesley Clarke (former boss, Dorset Crime series) Auth

Tina Abbott — at a glance Name: Tina Abbott (also Tina Legg after marriage) Role: Police Constable → Detective Constable, Dorset Police MCIT Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean First appears: The Ballard Down Murder (DC0.5) Appears in: All 13 Dorset Crime novels and all novellas (DC0.5 through DC13) Based at: Dorset Police HQ, Winfrith, Dorset Background: Grew up in Lyme Regis; joins DCI Lesley Clarke's MCIT team from DC1 Physical: Slim, athletic; dark brown curly hair Marr

Poole Harbour — at a glance Key facts about Poole Harbour, a real location featured in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Name: Poole Harbour Type: Large natural harbour (real place) Real-world basis: Poole Harbour, a real natural harbour on the Dorset coast — one of the largest natural harbours in the world — lying between Sandbanks and Studland, with Brownsea Island at its centre Region: Poole, Dorset Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Featured in: A recurring loc

The Beach Hut Murders — at a glance Key facts about The Beach Hut Murders, Book 12 of the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Beach Hut Murders Series: Dorset Crime (Book 12) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery Setting: Mudeford Spit and Hengistbury Head, Dorset, England Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team Series position: Boo

The Chesil Beach Murders — at a glance Key facts about The Chesil Beach Murders, Book 11 of the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Chesil Beach Murders Series: Dorset Crime (Book 11) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery Setting: Chesil Beach, Dorset, England Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team Series position: Book 11 of the D

The Poole Harbour Murders — at a glance Key facts about The Poole Harbour Murders, Book 10 of the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Poole Harbour Murders Series: Dorset Crime (Book 10) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery Setting: Poole Harbour, Dorset, England Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team Series position: Book 10 of t

The Ballard Down Murder — at a glance Key facts about The Ballard Down Murder, a DC0.5 novella in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Ballard Down Murder Series: Dorset Crime (DC0.5, novella) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery (novella) Setting: Ballard Down, the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England Protagonist: DS Dennis Frampton, Dorset Police Major Crime Investig

The Lyme Regis Murder — at a glance Key facts about The Lyme Regis Murder, a DC9.5 novella in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Lyme Regis Murder Series: Dorset Crime (DC9.5, novella) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery (novella) Setting: Lyme Regis, Dorset, England Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team Series position: No