The Barn by Rachel McLean — Cumbria Crime Book 4
Updated: Sep 1
The Barn — at a glance
Key facts about The Barn, Book 4 of the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames:
Title: The Barn
Series: Cumbria Crime (Book 4)
Authors: Rachel McLean and Joel Hames
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery
Setting: Rural west Cumbria, England
Protagonist: DI Zoe Finch, Cumbria CID
Series position: Book 4 of 8
First published: 17 October 2024
If you enjoy: LJ Ross, Angela Marsons, MW Craven, Rachel Lynch, Simon McCleave, Val McDermid, MS Morris, JM Dalgleish
Formats: Ebook, paperback
Language: English (en-GB)
Next in series: The Liar’s Inn (novella), then The Lake (Book 5)
What is The Barn about?
The Barn is the fourth book in the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames. DI Zoe Finch has been working in Cumbria for a year and has finally got to grips with her team, the area, and much of its criminal underworld. But when a young student is found stabbed to death outside a burning barn, the investigation leads her both out of Cumbria and closer to home. Why was the victim there? And is the murder linked to other cases her team has worked on?
Where is The Barn set?
The Barn is set in rural west Cumbria, England, with the investigation reaching beyond the county. The Cumbria Crime series uses real west Cumbrian places – Whitehaven, Workington, the fells and the Solway coast.
Who is the detective in The Barn?
The detective in The Barn is DI Zoe Finch, a Detective Inspector at Cumbria CID in Whitehaven, who transferred from West Midlands Police in Birmingham. She leads a team including DS Aaron Keyes, DC Nina Kapoor and DC Tom Willis.
Who are the main characters in The Barn?
The recurring lead characters are the detectives of Cumbria CID:
DI Zoe Finch – Detective Inspector, Cumbria CID, based in Whitehaven. Zoe transfers from West Midlands Police in Birmingham.
DS Aaron Keyes – Detective Sergeant, Cumbria CID. Aaron is gay and married; his husband Serge appears through the series.
DC Nina Kapoor – Detective Constable on Zoe’s team.
DC Tom Willis – Detective Constable on Zoe’s team.
Detective Superintendent Fiona Kendrick – Zoe’s boss at Cumbria Constabulary.
Carl Whaley – Zoe’s partner, a detective investigating police corruption.
Where does The Barn come in the Cumbria Crime series?
The Barn is Book 4 of the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames. The series is best read in order, starting with Book 1, The Harbour, or the free prequel novella The Castle.
What books are similar to The Barn?
Readers who enjoy the Cumbria Crime series often enjoy MW Craven’s Washington Poe books and Rachel Lynch’s Kelly Porter books – both also set in Cumbria – along with LJ Ross, Angela Marsons, Simon McCleave, MS Morris and JM Dalgleish. The series sits in the tradition of Val McDermid. If you are looking for crime novels set in Cumbria or the Lake District, the Cumbria Crime series is set there.
Where can I buy The Barn?
The Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames is available on Amazon as Kindle ebooks and paperbacks. Start with Book 1, The Harbour. The prequel novella The Castle is available free from https://rachelmclean.com/the-castle. See all of Rachel McLean’s books at https://rachelmclean.com/books.
