An ordinary bloke. An extraordinary knack for trouble. And a city full of secrets.

Meet Gus Keane — ex-rugby league player, retired social worker and the most reluctant private eye in Salford.

Gus has spent a lifetime reading people — first on the rugby pitch, then across a social worker’s desk. So when his boss is murdered and Gus lands squarely in the frame, he does the only thing he can: turn detective and clear his own name.

It won’t be the last time death comes knocking. Bodies turn up across the city, friends are accused of crimes they swear they didn’t commit, and a routine surveillance job turns deadly. With the local force stretched to breaking point, it falls to Gus — armed with nothing but sharp local knowledge, a dry Northern wit, and a deep suspicion that nobody is telling the truth — to dig out the answers.

Salford might have had a facelift — gleaming quays where the old docks used to be — but scratch the surface and the gritty past hides just below. Every case Gus takes drags another of the city’s buried secrets into the light. And Gus knows exactly where the bodies are buried.

THE COMPLETE FIVE-BOOK SALFORD MYSTERIES SERIES:

Tackling Death — His boss is murdered and Gus is the prime suspect. To clear his name, the ex-rugby man turns detective.
Dead Certainty — Two bodies in a matter of hours. The overstretched police call Gus in, and a mystery from Salford’s shady past begins to unravel.
Falling Foul — When a colleague is murdered and his friend Jimmy is charged, Gus must find the real killer before an innocent man goes down.
Making a Killing — A simple surveillance job on a suspected cheat turns deadly, sending Gus following the money from Salford to the Isle of Man.
Stealing Time — A body with no name is found in an empty house on Gus’s old street. Gus won’t rest until he’s given the victim a name and the killer a face.

Perfect for fans of J.R. Ellis, Peter Grainger and Faith Martin.

READERS CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE SALFORD MYSTERIES SERIES:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A plot full of intrigue with numerous twists and turns . . . a must-read, but be warned: you’ll not be able to put it down.” Steven L.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Gripping, funny and unique . . . a character you can believe in. It even made me laugh out loud on several occasions.” Sasha
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Gritty without being depressing and exciting without being far-fetched.” JoelM
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Salford’s answer to Philip Marlowe, but more self-deprecating in a British kind of way.” dixk b.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Totally realistic and plausible . . . The plot was pacy and the red herrings keep you guessing. Gus is something of a reluctant hero — it makes him endearing.” Beck C.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A detective with a difference. Not a police procedural with some cop with an emotional flaw — just an everyday guy getting mixed up in murder and mayhem.” IMHO
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A heady cocktail of murder, love, laughter and inner-city tragedy — a slice of Harry Lime and a Dashiell Hammett. Delicious!” The walkmeister
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Every page is so true to life on the mean streets of the North. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and I’m certain you will too.” Father Ted
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I really enjoyed the humour that runs through the novel.” Pamela P.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Bud’s sleuth Gus is more appealing to me than Rankin’s Rebus. More please, Bud Craig!” Cindy