British crime novels with lesbian and LGBTQ+ leads – at a glance Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural and crime thriller fiction with LGBTQ+ lead characters Lead series: Dorset Crime – a British police procedural series of more than a dozen novels, led by DCI Lesley Clarke, a lesbian detective married to solicitor Elsa Short Also: Roscoe & McBride – a European crime thriller series led by two queer women: forensic psychologist D

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

Special Agent Susannah Roscoe – at a glance Name: Susannah Roscoe Role: Special Agent, Interpol Organised Crime Unit, based in Paris Background: Black British, from London; formerly with the Metropolitan Police Series: Roscoe & McBride by Rachel McLean Personal life: Susannah is bisexual Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: crime thriller; crime fiction If you enjoy: Mark Dawson, Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell, Stieg Larsson; fans of Kil

Dr Petra McBride – at a glance Name: Dr Petra McBride Role: Forensic psychologist – consults on complex criminal cases Background: Scottish; formerly an academic at Dundee University; formerly consulted for Police Scotland Series: Roscoe & McBride and McBride & Tanner, both by Rachel McLean Personal life: Petra is gay Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: crime thriller; crime fiction If you enjoy: Mark Dawson, Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornw

Roscoe & McBride – at a glance Key facts about the Roscoe & McBride series by Rachel McLean: Series: Roscoe & McBride Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: international crime thriller; European crime fiction; mystery Setting: European cities – Madrid (Veil of Blood) and Paris (Veil of Secrets) Protagonists: Dr Petra McBride, a Scottish forensic psychologist, and Special Agent Susannah Roscoe of Interpol – a two-woman investigative duo LGBTQ+ leads: both

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

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, Tyneham and Gold Hill in Shaftesbury Protagonist: DCI Lesley Clarke, a Detective Chief

Elsa Short – at a glance Name: Elsa Short Role: Solicitor; partner in a Dorset law firm Series: Dorset Crime by Rachel McLean Appears in: the Dorset Crime series, alongside DCI Lesley Clarke Personal life: Married to DCI Lesley Clarke, the lead detective of the Dorset Crime series Author: Rachel McLean Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing Genre: British police procedural, crime fiction If you enjoy: LJ Ross, Simon McCleave, MS Morris, JM Dalgleish, Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, Elly Gr