THE LEIPFOLD MYSTRIES 2 & 3.

 Having enjoyed Driven, the first book in the Leipfold Mysteries series by Dane Cobain so much, I was delighted to receive a copy of not just the next book in the series but the next two books both of which its my pleasure to be sharing with you today.

THE TOWER HILL TERROR.

Unorthodox PI James Leipfold and his technophile assistant Maile O'Hara are back with a brand new case ...

The Tower Hill Terror is on the loose, a serial killer with a grisly M.O., and Maile and Leipfold must work fast to take him down before another body is found. But while the duo are chasing clues on social networking sites and the police are waiting for forensics, the Terror sends a message to the journalists at the Tribune. A message written in blood.

Can Leipfold, Maile and Cholmondeley catch the killer before its too late? Or will the Tower Hill Terror claim one final, familiar victim? ... Back cover Blurb

Maile O'Hara's first official task at Leipfold Investigations was to carry out surveillance on Jayne Lipton, a suspet in the case she'd helped to crack as an unpaid intern. ... First Sentence

She tried to look around, but all was in darkness. It was a complete type of darkness. Unlike a regular room, which still let in light from the windows or the cracks beneath the doors, the room she was in was born from a lack of light. It was pitch black, the blackest of blacks, and too dark to see anything at all. She couldn't even make out the contours of the walls. Her eyes were open, but all she could see was the darkness. ... Memorable Moment, Page 161/162

It had been some time since I'd read a murder mystery that grabbed me in quite the way that Driven, the first instalment in the Leipfold Mysteries, did. Would this, the second instalment, prove just as good?

In a word, yes 😊. 

Unable to sleep one night, I picked up The Tower Hill Terror for just one chapter which, I'm sure you've all been there, turned into three and then four chapters until, before I knew it, there were only a few chapters left and the author had one or two things up their sleeve that I literally did not see coming and, well, there was no other option but to finish the book.

An intriguing, compelling and 'current' plot; social media, dating apps and the press are all put to good use. Add in the wonderful relationship between the dynamic trio that is ex-soldier turned Private Investigator, Leipfold, the delightfully geeky, computer whizz, O'Hara and the somewhat jaded cop, Cholmondeley and you have a  novel that though more grisly than Driven; the murders more what I guess you might call good 'old fashioned' murders, is equally compelling ... and, given that one of the victims is someone you'll know well if you have read any of the other books, even more nerve-wracking.

THE LEIPFOLD FILES.

Join a young James Leipfold as he discovers his knack for uncovering the truth and takes the early steps towards forming his detective agency, Leipfold Investigations.

Leipfold's journey will take him from the deserts of Kuwait to the inside of Reading Jail and have him investigating everything from missing gnomes to drunk Santas and crooked optometrists. Along the way, he befriends a rookie cop called Jack Cholmondeley helps a widowed army wife find closure and falls in love with a motorbike he calls Camilla.

This collection brings together 24 unpublished James Leipfold short stories, including three shorts that take place between Driven and The Tower Hill Terror. It’s a must for all fans of the Leipfold series and any serious reader of quirky cozy mysteries. ... Back Cover Blurb

My favourite series of 2022, yes, its been some journey we've been on; yes, there have been some quirky crimes solved; yes, the ever so slightly dour Jack Cholmondeley and the geeky technophile Maile O'Hara are wonderfully memorable characters but most of all there's {James} Leipfold, a character the likes of which I haven't invested in in, ooh, such a long time.

Despite the fact that for the most part the events in the Leipfold Files pre-date those in Driven and The Tower Hill Terror this is the third book in The Leipfold Mysteries series. Whether you read it first or, as I did, read the first two instalments and then go back in time to see how it all began, the choice is yours; either way, all three books are great reads.

Here first met as a teenager living on a large, grim housing estate in a London that though similar isn't identical to the London we know, when, even at such a tender age, the young Leipfold has a strong sense of justice ... and a nose for sniffing out the truth.

I must admit, not a big fan of short stories {this is a collection of twenty four of them, all of which, bar three which take place between the events in Driven and The Tower Hill Terror, take place pre- Leipfold Investigations}, however, as it turns out, possibly my favourite of the three books, this format worked incredibly well, the events flowing beautifully as we witness Leipfold's first meetings with the rookie cop, Cholmondeley, with whom a bond of mutual respect is quickly formed; following Leipfold as he spends time in both HM Armed Forced and HMP Reading, and carries out his very first 'investigations' amongst which are a less than sober Santa and a missing garden gnome.

ABOUT DANE COBAIN ... A published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and {occasional} musician with a passion for language and learning. When he's not working on his next release, he can be found reading and reviewing books for his award-wining book blog, SocialBookshelves.com *

FOLLOW DANE COBAIN ... ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ GoodReads ~ 

* Biography curtesy of the back cover of Driven. Photograph curtesy of the author's GoodReads' page.