Francis Duncan

When Mordecai Tremaine arrives at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame on Christmas Eve, he discovers that the revelries are in full swing in the sleepy village of Sherbroome?but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests. When midnight strikes, the partygoers discover that presents aren't the only things nestled under the tree...there's a dead body too. A dead body that bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas. With the snow...

Beware murder in paradise... Mordecai Tremaine's hobby of choice –crime detection– has left him in need of a holiday. A break away from that gruesome business of murder will be just the ticket, and the picturesque island of Moulin d'Or seems to be just the destination. Amid the sunshine and the sea air, Mordecai falls in with a band of fellow holidaymakers and tries to forget that such a thing as foul play exists. Before too long, however, villainy...

When murder is afoot, nothing is as it seems… Mordecai Tremaine and Chief Inspector Jonathan Boyce rarely allow a promising game of chess to be interrupted - though when murder is the disrupting force, they are persuaded to make an exception. After a quick stop at Scotland Yard to collect any detective's most trusted piece of equipment - the murder bag - the pair are spirited away to Bridgton. No sooner have they arrived than it becomes clear that...