HIGH HAND

A killing in high society leaves a detective with a chip on his shoulder grasping at straws

After a shooting party on a Scottish estate, one of the participants is found dead, having been unceremoniously hit on the head with a rock.

Getting nowhere when interviewing the arrogant son of the wealthy landowner, DI Russell McCord is quietly relieved that with her family connections, bothersome journalist Amy Thornton might help the investigation.

But with a new partner to train - one who, to his dismay, seems to have won the affections of Amy - McCord wastes no time putting the most likely suspect in jail. He'll work out the motive later.

When Amy undermines his case, he'll have to rely heavily on her to find the real perpetrator. But not before another murder throws everything up in the air.

HIGH HAND is the second cozy mystery by Traude Ailinger to feature amateur sleuth Amy Thornton and grumpy DI Russell McCord. It can be enjoyed entirely as a standalone but readers will also enjoy the other books. The full list is as follows:

1. NEAR MISS
2. HIGH HAND
3. LAST TRAIN FOR MURDER
4. SHIFTING ICE
5. BRIGHT SPARKS
6. FICKLE FORTUNES
7. PARTING WORDS