'Dead in the Water' by Peter Tickler

Published by Joffe Books,    
2 September 2015.

ISBN 978-1517359355

Doug Mullen has set up as a private detective after a career in the army.  He has no training but feels that he can do the work - that is if he gets any cases.   He gets nowhere for a while as he peppers Oxford with his card advertising his services.  His first case is, perhaps inevitably, to find out if a woman's husband is cheating on her.  His client accepts the evidence he finds but would like to develop some sort of relationship with him.  This was a hazard of the job that he had not considered.

His second case proves to be one with which he already has an involvement.  He actually found the body of a young man in the river when he was out on a morning run.  The police don't take kindly to a PI finding a body and when, much later, Doug realises that he knew the dead man they are disbelieving about his failure to identify him sooner.  Doug seems to blunder around as he questions people about the death but he does gradually show some detecting skills.  He attracts some more female attention from potential suspects.

The hapless Doug has some nasty experiences and finds that the police are highly suspicious of him as a potential murderer - especially when there are more deaths.  He continues to investigate and, eventually, in a thrilling climax, all is discovered!

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Reviewer: Jennifer S. Palmer

Peter Tickler has also written a series of 3 'Blood in Oxford' whodunnits.

Peter Tickler has lived and worked in Oxford for nearly 30 years, and before that he was a University student, reading classics at Keble College.  Peter is a member of the Crime Writer's Association and Mystery People group.

http://www.petertickler.co.uk/

Jennifer Palmer Throughout my reading life crime fiction has been a constant interest; I really enjoyed my 15 years as an expatriate in the Far East, the Netherlands & the USA but occasionally the solace of closing my door to the outside world and sitting reading was highly therapeutic. I now lecture to adults on historical topics including Famous Historical Mysteries.