Lesley Cookman

Early Summer, 1907, and the sparkling new concert hall, The Alexandria, is about to open its doors for the first time in the seaside resort of Nethergate. Dorinda Alexander has recruited company members from the London stage to join her existing concert party and is looking forward to their first season as The Alexandrians.

But when one of the company is murdered, Dorinda’s past threatens to destroy her new life. The local police inspector is determined to find her guilty, and the murder seems an impossible task to solve, until an enigmatic Scotland Yard detective shows up…

The Alexandria, the popular seaside concert hall owned and run by Dorinda Alexander, introduces a controversial male impersonator to the stage. Played by the very well known Jessie James, this entertainer is very much in the vein of Vesta Tilley. Chased from her home by her strict Baptist father, Jessie has been sent to Dorinda by Amy, the former Lady Washington, now Mrs Jeremy Coutts, who has said that The Alexandria is a good place to hide. But when your act is so unconventional, you can't stay hidden forever, and once again, handsome detective Jack Colyer is there to help Dorinda and The Alexandrians!

When the recently widowed Lady Amelia Washington comes to the seaside town of Nethergate's Alexandria theatre, its proprietor Dorinda has her suspicions that this is more than just a passing visit. 

Dorinda's old friend Lady Ivy has suggested to Amelia that Nethergate's quiet seaside setting would make the perfect retreat from the pressures of life in society - and with both ladies having a background in the music halls, Dorinda's concert party, The Alexandrians, seems like the perfect place to blend in and get away from it all.

It seems like a reasonable story - but in that case, why are the police so interested in speaking to Lady Amelia - and what secret is she trying to hide hide?

Amateur detective Libby Sarjeant finds herself involved in a mystery, this time because of the death of her friend Fran's Aunt Eleanor. Echoes of the past clash with very 21st century motives, and once again, the Steeple Martin posse are on hand to give encouragement and advice.

When a body is discovered on a rocky little island in the middle of Nethergate Bay, the media swoop on the seaside town. Soon Libby Sarjeant, the middle-aged actress and crime-solver, finds herself up to her knees in more mud and murder than she could possibly have anticipated.

When sleuth-come-pantomime director Libby Serjeant learns of threatening letters sent to Cy, a friend of her friend Harry, she is furious, but assumes this anti-gay prejudice won't escalate. Despite her anger, Libby is reluctant to get involved - there's a lot going on as she tries to juggle the stress of directing a pantomime at the same time as suddenly having a full house. Her partner Ben has just moved in, and her son Adam has come home with a broken leg. However, when threats lead to murder, Libby and her psychic investigator friend Fran are drawn into another investigation, one with dangerous consequences for them both...

Libby Sarjeant and psychic investigator Fran Castle befriend Bella Morleigh, who has inherited a derelict theatre. When an unknown body is discovered inside the theatre, they feel duty bound to help with the investigation. However, when a second body is found it is one of Fran’s psychic moments that makes the connection between the deaths; a connection with startling results.

Ex-actress Libby Sarjeant's fresh start in a picturesque Kent village includes an exciting new venture - The Oast House Theatre. But she never expects it to include a new romance in the form of Ben: and mystery, intrigue, and the shadow of an old murder...

An investigation into the sale of a plot of land takes a darker turn when a body is found on a cliffside. Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran reluctantly agree to investigate the case.

It's clear that there's more than a dodgy development deal at play - but can Libby and Fran unravel the puzzling case before it's too late?

Book 27 in the Libby Serjeant series.

When television personality Lewis Osbourne-Walker buys Creekmarsh Place, near Steeple Martin, Libby Sarjeant's son Adam is employed to help with the renovation of the garden. What he doesn't expect is to uncover a long buried skeleton. Libby, naturally, wants to know more about it..