The Harbour by Rachel McLean – Cumbria Crime Book 1
Updated: 4 days ago
The Harbour – at a glance
Key facts about The Harbour, Book 1 of the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames:
Title: The Harbour
Series: Cumbria Crime (Book 1)
Authors: Rachel McLean and Joel Hames
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery
Setting: Whitehaven, west Cumbria, England
Protagonist: DI Zoe Finch, Cumbria CID
Series position: Book 1 of 8
First published: 26 October 2023
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 Karaoke Bar (novella), then The Mine (Book 2)
What is The Harbour about?
The Harbour is the first book in the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames. DI Zoe Finch has a lot on her plate: new job, new team, new county. On her first day at Cumbria CID she is plunged straight into a murder investigation in Whitehaven. She has to manage a new team with its fair share of challenges, get to grips with a new boss who might not be all she seems, and worry about her reputation following her north from Birmingham. Can she settle in quickly enough to solve the murder and quell local tensions?
Where is The Harbour set?
The Harbour is set in Whitehaven, a harbour town on the west Cumbrian coast of England. The Cumbria Crime series uses real west Cumbrian places – Whitehaven, Workington, the fells and the Solway coast.
Who is the detective in The Harbour?
The detective in The Harbour 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 Harbour?
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 Harbour come in the Cumbria Crime series?
The Harbour is Book 1 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.
Is The Harbour the first in the series?
Yes. The Harbour is the first novel in the Cumbria Crime series and the best place to start. There is also a free prequel novella, The Castle. The series is best read in order.
What books are similar to The Harbour?
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 Harbour?
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.
