As I write, we are in the midst of one of the most virulent pandemics ever encountered by humanity. It would be remiss of me not to mention the many, many health professionals across the world who bravely risk their lives in order to save others. I hope, as a species, we will learn something from this.
Huge thanks to all at Polygon who continue to bring Daley et al out into the world. I’m indebted to my copy-editor, Nancy Webber, and editor-in-chief, Alison Rae. I also owe a great debt of gratitude to outgoing agent Anne Williams of Kate Hordern Literary Agency. Her advice over the years has been invaluable. And a big hello to my new agent, the ebullient Jo Bell of Bell Lomax Moreton. We’ve already achieved such a lot in a short space of time. You’re a star!
Thank you to the many writers who provide a grand resource of help and advice – notably Douglas Skelton, with whom I now present the podcast SBooks. It’s always a blast.
Last but never least, gratitude to my wife Fiona and the community of neighbours and friends in our lovely village, all of whom make the place special. And, as always, to the people of Kintyre – always home – who continue to inspire. Without them Daley would not exist.
D.A.M.
Gartocharn
April 2020
The DCI Daley thriller series
Book 1: Whisky from Small Glasses
DCI Jim Daley is sent from the city to investigate a murder after the body of a woman is washed up on an idyllic beach on the west coast of Scotland. Far away from urban resources, he finds himself a stranger in a close-knit community.
Betrayal, fear and death stalk the small town of Kinloch, as Daley investigates a case that becomes more deadly than he could possibly imagine.
Book 2: The Last Witness
James Machie was a man with a genius for violence, his criminal empire spreading beyond Glasgow into the UK and mainland Europe. Fortunately, Machie is dead, assassinated in the back of a prison ambulance following his trial and conviction. But now, five years later, he is apparently back from the grave, set on avenging himself on those who brought him down.
Book 3: Dark Suits and Sad Songs
When a senior Edinburgh civil servant spectacularly takes his own life in Kinloch harbour, DCI Jim Daley comes face to face with the murky world of politics. To add to his woes, two local drug dealers lie dead, ritually assassinated. It’s clear that dark forces are at work in the town. With his boss under investigation, his marriage hanging by a thread, and his side-kick DS Scott wrestling with his own demons, Daley’s world is in meltdown.
Book 4: The Rat Stone Serenade
It’s December, and the Shannon family are heading to their clifftop mansion near Kinloch for their AGM. Shannon International, one of the world’s biggest private companies, has brought untold wealth and privilege to the family. However, a century ago, Archibald Shannon stole the land upon which he built their home – and his descendants have been cursed ever since.
When heavy snow cuts off Kintyre, DCI Jim Daley and DS Brian Scott are assigned to protect their illustrious visitors. But ghosts of the past are coming to haunt the Shannons.
Book 5: The Well of the Winds
As World War Two nears its end, a man is stabbed to death on the Kinloch shoreline, in the shadow of the great warships in the harbour.
Many years later, the postman on Gairsay, a tiny island off the coast of Kintyre, discovers that the Bremner family are missing from their farm.
When DCI Daley comes into possession of a journal written by his wartime predecessor in Kinloch, he soon realises that he must solve a murder from the past to uncover the shocking events of the present.
Book 6: The Relentless Tide
When Professor Francombe and her team of archaeologists find the remains of three women on a remote Kintyre hillside – a site rumoured to have been the base of Viking warlord Somerled – their delight soon turns to horror when they realise the women tragically met their end only two decades ago.
It soon becomes clear that these are the three missing victims of the ‘Midweek Murderer’, a serial killer who was at work in Glasgow in the early 1990s. DCI Jim Daley now has the chance to put things right – to confront a nightmare from his past and solve a crime he failed to as a young detective. However, when Police Scotland’s Cold Case Unit arrive, they bring yet more ghosts to Kinloch. The Relentless Tide is a tale of death, betrayal, Viking treasure and revenge set in the thin places where past, present and future collide.
Can Daley avenge the murder of his colleague and friend?
Book 7: A Breath on Dying Embers
When the luxury cruiser Great Britain berths in Kinloch harbour, the pressure mounts on DCI Jim Daley. The high-powered international delegates on board are touring the country, golfing and sightseeing, as part of a UK government trade mission. But within hours, one of the crew members vanishes and a local birdwatcher goes missing.
The lives of the ship’s passengers and the residents of Kinloch, as well as the country’s economic future, are soon in jeopardy. And as Daley faces a life-and-death struggle of his own, DS Brian Scott – reluctantly back at sea – comes to the fore.
Could this be Daley’s last throw of the dice?
One Last Dram Before Midnight: The Complete Collected D.C.I. Daley Short Stories
Published together for the first time in one not-to-be-missed volume are all Denzil Meyrick’s short stories and novellas.
Discover how DCI Daley and DS Scott first met on the mean streets of Glasgow in two prequels that shed light on their earlier lives. Join Hamish and his old mentor, skipper Sandy Hoynes, as they become embroiled with some Russian fishermen and an illicit whisky plot. And in present-day Kinloch Daley and Scott investigate ghosts from the past, search for a silent missing man, and follow the trail of an elusive historical necklace that still has power over the people of Kinloch.
All of the DCI Daley thrillers are available as eBook editions, along with an eBook-only novella and the short stories below.
Dalintober Moon: A DCI Daley Story
When a body is found in a whisky barrel buried on Dalintober beach, it appears that a notorious local crime, committed over a century ago, has finally been solved. However, the legacy of murder still resonates within the community, and the tortured screams of a man who died long ago still echo across Kinloch.
Two One Three: A Constable Jim Daley Short Story (Prequel)
Glasgow, 1986. Only a few months into his new job, Constable Jim Daley is pounding the beat. When he is seconded to the CID to help catch a possible serial killer, he makes a new friend, DC Brian Scott. Jim Daley tackles his first serious crime in an investigation that will change his life for ever.
Empty Nets and Promises: A Kinloch Novella
It’s July 1968, and fishing-boat skipper Sandy Hoynes has his daughter’s wedding to pay for – but where are all the fish? He and the crew of the Girl Maggie come to the conclusion that a new-fangled supersonic jet which is being tested in the skies over Kinloch is scaring off the herring.
First mate Hamish comes up with a cunning plan to bring the laws of nature back into balance. But little do they know that they face the forces of law and order in the shape of a vindictive fishery officer, an exciseman who suspects Hoynes of smuggling illicit whisky, and the local police sergeant who is about to become Hoynes’ son-in-law – not to mention a ghostly piper and some Russians.
Single End: A DC Daley Short Story
It’s 1989, and Jim Daley is now a fully fledged detective constable. When ruthless gangster James Machie’s accountant is found stabbed to death in a multi-storey car park, it’s clear all is not well within Machie’s organisation.
Meanwhile Daley’s friend and colleague DC Brian Scott has been having some problems of his own. To save his job, he must revisit his past in an attempt to uncover the identity of a corrupt police officer.
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