'Jilly Cooper meets Richard Osman' EMILY GOWERS

'Complex, compelling, funny, and surprisingly sexy’ GRAEME GARDEN

Experience is the deadliest weapon of all. . . 

In a quiet corner of north London, a double funeral is the talk of the town. A middle-aged couple have seemingly ended their lives by choice. But as mourners gather for the wake at the local golf club, where the husband worked as the club pro, whispers swirl with talk of murder. Was it truly suicide, or could one of their adopted sons have had a deadly motive?

When two local doctors—one a champion of assisted dying, the other vehemently opposed—also turn up dead, tensions heighten in the community.

Enter Leo, a sharp-minded veteran lawyer with a knack for unravelling tangled truths – and his black poodle, Pumpernickel. They are both in their seventies; the dog has more hair.

Leo finds himself defending a young woman who helped her paraplegic husband to die, and a world-famous actor, who put his terminally ill mother out of her misery. And what is behind the involvement of an American woman preacher who apparently controls a large part of the south London drugs trade?

Together with the steadfast support of his partner, psychotherapist Dr Marion Fitzwalter, and his oldest friend, the acerbic crime journalist, Dennis Arbuthnot, and the ever-perceptive Pumpernickel—a dog with an infallible nose for character—Leo navigates a web of secrets, lies, and hidden agendas to uncover the truth.

Dead Early is a brilliantly crafted crime novel where sharp wit meets chilling mystery. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, this story delivers clever twists, endearing characters, and justice served — with a smile.