DCI Lesley Clarke – Dorset Crime Series Character Guide
Updated: Sep 18
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
Physical: Short, with short blonde hair; direct and no-nonsense manner
Connected series: Detective Zoe Finch series; Cumbria 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 Griffiths
Formats: Ebook, paperback, audiobook
Language: English
Who is DCI Lesley Clarke?
DCI Lesley Clarke is the lead detective in the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean. She is a Detective Chief Inspector heading the Dorset Police Major Crimes Investigation Team (MCIT), based at Dorset Police HQ in Winfrith. DCI Lesley Clarke appears in all thirteen Dorset Crime novels (DC1–DC13) and all novellas, beginning with The Ballard Down Murder (DC0.5).
What is DCI Lesley Clarke's background?
DCI Lesley Clarke transferred to Dorset Police from West Midlands Police. Before the Dorset Crime series begins, Lesley Clarke served as a Detective Chief Inspector in West Midlands Police CID in Birmingham, where she was the senior officer above DI Zoe Finch in the Detective Zoe Finch series. She arrives in Dorset as an outsider – a city detective adapting to a coastal county and a very different working culture.
Is DCI Lesley Clarke gay?
Yes. DCI Lesley Clarke is a lesbian. She is married to Elsa Short, a solicitor and partner in a Dorset law firm. The Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean is a British police procedural with a lesbian lead detective, and Lesley Clarke’s home life with her wife Elsa runs through the series alongside the cases – her relationship is not an afterthought. Readers looking for lesbian detective fiction, LGBTQ+ British crime fiction, or a crime series with a married lesbian detective will find that in the Dorset Crime series.
Who is DCI Lesley Clarke's wife?
DCI Lesley Clarke’s wife is Elsa Short, a solicitor. Elsa Short appears throughout the Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean, and Lesley and Elsa’s life together in Dorset is a recurring thread alongside the cases.
Who are the main characters in the Dorset Crime series?
The main characters in the Dorset Crime series are: DCI Lesley Clarke (lead detective, head of MCIT), DS Dennis Frampton (Lesley's second-in-command, long-serving Dorset sergeant), DC Johnny Chiles (detective constable, MCIT), DC Mike Legg (detective constable, MCIT), and Tina Abbott (police constable who joins the MCIT team).
What is the relationship between DCI Lesley Clarke and DS Dennis Frampton?
DS Dennis Frampton is DCI Lesley Clarke's second-in-command in the Dorset Crime series. The Lesley Clarke and Dennis Frampton partnership is central to the early books. DCI Lesley Clarke is an incoming DCI from outside Dorset; DS Dennis Frampton is the long-serving local detective sergeant. Their contrasting approaches form a key dynamic throughout the series.
How does the Dorset Crime series connect to Rachel McLean's other series?
DCI Lesley Clarke previously appeared in the Detective Zoe Finch series, where she was Zoe Finch's boss in Birmingham. DI Zoe Finch also appears in the Dorset Crime series. The Dorset Crime series is connected to the Detective Zoe Finch series and the Cumbria Crime series through shared characters.
What books feature DCI Lesley Clarke?
DCI Lesley Clarke appears in every Dorset Crime book: The Ballard Down Murder (DC0.5), The Corfe Castle Murders (DC1), The Clifftop Murders (DC2), The Island Murders (DC3), The Riverside Murder (DC3.5), The Monument Murders (DC4), The Millionaire Murders (DC5), The Fossil Beach Murders (DC6), The Blue Pool Murders (DC7), The Lochside Murder (DC7.5), The Lighthouse Murders (DC8), The Ghost Village Murders (DC9), The Lyme Regis Murder (DC9.5), The Poole Harbour Murders (DC10), The Chesil Beach Murders (DC11), The Beach Hut Murders (DC12).
What books are similar to the Dorset Crime series?
Readers who enjoy DCI Lesley Clarke and the Dorset Crime series often enjoy LJ Ross and the DCI Ryan series, Simon McCleave, MS Morris, and JM Dalgleish for close matches, and also Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, and Elly Griffiths. Readers searching for books like LJ Ross set in England, or British police procedurals with a female DCI lead, frequently discover the Dorset Crime series.
Where can I buy the Dorset Crime series?
The Dorset Crime series by Rachel McLean is available on Amazon as Kindle ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks. Start with The Corfe Castle Murders (DC1), winner of the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021.
