Published by Coppersmith Press,
11 December 2025.
ISBN: 978-095695941-6 (PB)
The body of Christian Darbyshire is found brutally stabbed in Coronation Gardens. The case is far from clear cut and raise a great many questions for DI Jeff Lincon and his team. What was the man doing in a park notorious for gay encounters, why when it was raining heavily was he not wearing a coat and how did he get to this remote spot without transport?
The same night a young man goes missing in similar circumstances to those of the disappearance of a teenage boy six years earlier.
Derbyshire was investigating the death of a well-known pantomime dame, Hamilton Vaughn, who supposedly committed suicide thirty years ago. Rumours suggested that Vaughn sexually abused several of the young boys in the cast.
Are all these events connected? DI Jeff Lincon and his team have their work cut out to uncover the truth. Every avenue Lincoln pursues turns up more questions than answers. Every suspect appears to have things they want to hide. Finding out the truth about Hamilton Vaughn and his supposed suicide thirty years previously becomes as important as that of the recent murder. Only by solving what happened in the past can the motive and thus the identity of Christian Derbyshire’s murderer be identified.
This is the sixth in Nikki Copleston’s novels featuring Jeff Lincon series, but like all well-written series books, it can be read as a standalone. A great deal happens in the fast-paced story that will keep the reader on their toes wanting to turn the page. Although there are a great many characters, including the half dozen members of DI Jeff Lincon’s team to get to grips with, each is well-drawn in the opening chapters and even new readers will soon have no difficulty identifying who’s who.
Nikki
Copleston deserves to be much more widely read. Directions for Murder
has all the ingredients of a truly enjoyable police procedural – thoroughly
engaging plot, credible fully rounded characters, atmospheric locations all written
in a straightforward style. What’s not to like?
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick
Nikki Copleston was born in Somerset and raised in the West Midlands and Wiltshire. Nikki Copleston worked in local government in London for many years. Her grandfather and great-grandfather were policemen, which may explain why she's always enjoyed watching detective series on television and reading crime novels. She is an active member of Frome Writers' Collective, which supports and promotes writers in the Frome area. When she isn't writing, she enjoys exploring the West Country with her camera. She is already working on the next DI Jeff Lincoln novel. She and her husband now live in Wells, Somerset.
Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’
Her most recent book is Journey to Casablanca


















