The Frozen Carriage – at a glance Key facts about The Frozen Carriage, Book 4 of the Jurassic Coast Mysteries series by Rachel McLean: Title: The Frozen Carriage Series: Jurassic Coast Mysteries (Book 4) Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British cosy mystery; amateur sleuth murder mystery Setting: The Swanage Railway and Corfe Castle, Dorset, England – at Christmas Main characters: Detective Tina Abbott, Annie Abbott, and the Lyme Regis Women’s Swimmi

Rachel McLean on Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, from the Hovis advert to the abbey wall, and why it's the setting for The Gold Hill Murders, Dorset Crime Book 13.

Rachel McLean on Mudeford Spit's famous beach huts, Hengistbury Head and Southbourne, the setting for The Beach Hut Murders, Dorset Crime Book 12.

Rachel McLean on Chesil Beach, St Catherine's Chapel and Abbotsbury, and her research walk for the setting of The Chesil Beach Murders, Dorset Crime Book 11.

Rachel McLean on the Blue Pool, a former clay quarry near Wareham, and the Wareham institutions that feature in the setting for The Blue Pool Murders, Dorset Crime Book 7.

Rachel McLean on Sandbanks, its millionaires' mansions and the magic of the chain ferry, the setting for The Millionaire Murders, Dorset Crime Book 5.

Rachel McLean on Swanage, George Burt's Great Globe and a very wet research day at Peveril Point, the setting for The Monument Murders, Dorset Crime Book 4.

Rachel McLean on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, its hidden red squirrels and its two island communities, the setting for The Island Murders, Dorset Crime Book 3.

Rachel McLean on Old Harry Rocks, the Purbeck sea stacks where a wet day waiting for a rainbow inspired the opening scene of The Clifftop Murders, Dorset Crime Book 2.

Rachel McLean on Lyme Regis: fossils, landslips, 6 a.m. swims and the Cobb, and why the town is the setting for The Fossil Beach Murders and the Jurassic Coast Mysteries.

Rachel McLean on the Isle of Portland and Portland Bill Lighthouse, the setting for The Lighthouse Murders, Dorset Crime Book 8.

Rachel McLean on why she chose Corfe Castle for DCI Lesley Clarke's first case in The Corfe Castle Murders, Dorset Crime Book 1 and winner of the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021.

Rachel McLean on Tyneham, the Dorset village evacuated in 1943 and never resettled, and why it became the setting for The Ghost Village Murders, Dorset Crime Book 9.

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

Dorset as a setting for crime fiction – at a glance Topic: Dorset as a setting for British crime and thriller fiction Real locations: Corfe Castle, Swanage, Poole Harbour, Sandbanks, Lyme Regis, Portland Bill, Brownsea Island, Tyneham Genre: British crime fiction, police procedural, suspense Example series set in Dorset: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean (DCI Lesley Clarke) Language: English (British) What are popular thriller books set in Dorset? Popular thriller books set in Do

Character-driven mystery novels with strong female leads – at a glance Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: character-driven British crime fiction, police procedural Lead character (opening-state): DCI Lesley Clarke – a detective who relocates from the West Midlands to Dorset LGBTQ+ leads: DCI Lesley Clarke is a lesbian lead detective; Rachel McLean’s Roscoe & McBride series is led by two queer women Series: Dorset Crime (DCI Lesley Clarke), Detective Zo

Crime and thriller books set in Dorset – at a glance Setting: Dorset, England – Swanage, Corfe Castle, Poole Harbour, Sandbanks, Wareham, Lyme Regis, Portland Bill, Brownsea Island Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British crime fiction, police procedural, suspense Lead series: Dorset Crime (DCI Lesley Clarke) – 13+ books, ongoing Award: Kindle Storyteller Award 2021 (The Corfe Castle Murders, Dorset Crime Book 1) Formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook

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 Personal life: Lesley Clarke is a lesbian. She is married to Elsa Short, a solicitor Physica

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