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,

Deadly Origins — at a glance Key facts about Deadly Origins by Rachel McLean: Title: Deadly Origins Series: Detective Zoe Finch (prequel novella, ZF0.5) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural and crime fiction Setting: Birmingham, England (West Midlands) Protagonist: Detective Inspector Zoe Finch, West Midlands Police CID Series position: Prequel novella (before Book 1) First published: Prequel novella — free to members of Rachel

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

Frankfurt Christmas Market — at a glance Key facts about Frankfurt Christmas Market in the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Location: Frankfurt Christmas Market Series: Detective Zoe Finch Real-world basis: the Frankfurt Christmas Market, the real German-style market held each year in Victoria Square and New Street, Birmingham City: Birmingham, England Appears in: In Deadly Christmas (Book 7) Author: Rachel McLean Genre: British police procedural What is Frankfurt

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

Mo Uddin — at a glance Key facts about DS Mo Uddin in the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Character: Detective Sergeant Mo Uddin Series: Detective Zoe Finch Role: Detective Sergeant, West Midlands Police CID Based in: Birmingham, England First appears in: Deadly Origins (prequel) and Deadly Wishes (Book 1) Connected series: McBride & Tanner Author: Rachel McLean Genre: British police procedural Who is DS Mo Uddin? Detective Sergeant Mo Uddin is a lead member of Z

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

DI Zoe Finch — at a glance Key facts about Detective Inspector Zoe Finch, the lead character of the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Character: Detective Inspector Zoe Finch Series: Detective Zoe Finch (lead character) Role: Detective Inspector, West Midlands Police CID Based in: Birmingham, England From: Kings Norton, Birmingham First appears in: Deadly Origins (prequel) and Deadly Wishes (Book 1) Connected series: Cumbria Crime, Dorset Crime Author: Rachel McLea

West Midlands Police CID — at a glance Key facts about West Midlands Police CID in the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Organisation: West Midlands Police CID (Force CID) Series: Detective Zoe Finch Based in: Birmingham, England Real-world basis: West Midlands Police, the territorial police force for the West Midlands Led by (in the series): Detective Inspector Zoe Finch Author: Rachel McLean Genre: British police procedural What is West Midlands Police CID in the

University of Birmingham — at a glance Key facts about University of Birmingham in the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Location: University of Birmingham Series: Detective Zoe Finch Real-world basis: the University of Birmingham, the real university campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham City: Birmingham, England Appears in: In Deadly Reprisal (Book 5) Author: Rachel McLean Genre: British police procedural What is University of Birmingham in the Detective Zoe Finch seri

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

Detective Zoe Finch — at a glance Key facts about the Detective Zoe Finch series by Rachel McLean: Series: Detective Zoe Finch (the Zoe Finch series) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural and crime fiction Setting: Birmingham, England (West Midlands) Protagonist: Detective Inspector Zoe Finch, West Midlands Police CID Number of books: Seven novels, plus a free prequel novella Start here: Deadly Wishes (Book 1) — or the free prequ