The Port by Rachel McLean – Cumbria Crime Book 7
Updated: 2 days ago
The Port – at a glance
Key facts about The Port, Book 7 of the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames:
Title: The Port
Series: Cumbria Crime (Book 7)
Authors: Rachel McLean and Joel Hames
Publisher: Ackroyd Publishing
Genre: British police procedural crime fiction; detective fiction; murder mystery
Setting: The Port of Workington, Cumbria, England
Protagonist: DI Zoe Finch, Cumbria CID
Series position: Book 7 of 8
First published: 18 September 2025
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 Marsh (Book 8)
What is The Port about?
The Port is the seventh book in the Cumbria Crime series by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames. With a long-term target finally in custody and a key witness in play, DI Zoe Finch might have expected everything to fall into place. But when the body of a man she knows is found inside the Port of Workington, the investigation takes her team in unexpected directions – and into alliances with unlikely allies.
Where is The Port set?
The Port is set at the Port of Workington 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 Port?
The detective in The Port 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 Port?
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 Port come in the Cumbria Crime series?
The Port is Book 7 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 Port?
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 Port?
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.
