A.D. Garrett Books In Order

Publication Order of DI Kate Simms Books

Publication Order of Fennimore and Simms Books

A.D. Garrett is the pen name used by award-winning novelist Margaret Murphy who works in a consultation with Helen Pepper, a policing and forensics expert. Garret writes crime, thriller and mysteries books. The author has published nine internationally recognized psychological thrillers under her name – both stand alone and cop series.

In 2013, Margaret began writing a forensic series as A.D. Garrett that features Professor Nick and Kate. Everyone Lies the debut novel in DCI Simms and Professor Fennimore series was rated the best thriller and became a bestseller. The book sequel was listed in starred reviews from the Publishers Weekly.

Everyone Lies

Everyone Lies is the first book in the series. The book introduces us to DCI Kate Simms who is on the fast track to typically nowhere. She helped a colleague five years ago, something she should not have done, and since then everything has never been the same again. On the other hand, we meet Professor Nick Fennimore, a successful gambler, crime scene officer, betting agent, toxicology specialist, chemistry graduate, a former scientific advisor to the National Crime Faculty but a failed genetics student. However, he is the best but since his wife and daughter vanished he has been hiding in Scotland where he works as a forensic lecturer.

In Manchester, most drugs addicts are winding up dead, and Simms’ superior thinks that she is the right person to solve this problem. Later a celebrity dies, and then, as usual, the media gets interested. Then before long, another overdose victim body shows up, but this time it is a woman and has been systematically beaten and all the possible identifying features removed. The possible clues do not add up, to her surprise the superiors seem to be getting in the way of justice, and the only person who can help her is the one person she does not want to associate with.

The series debut novel is set in Manchester, where Kate works as a cop and her ex-partner in crime is in Scotland teaching forensics. The two are later brought together when Kate is assigned to a high-profile drug case.

Kate did not want to get associated with Nick since they both had a rough history that resulted in her demotion and sent Nick into obscurity. As his former sidekick at the National Crime Faculty, Kate was there when Nick’s wife and daughter disappeared. Then after his wife was killed, Kate helped him to search for his daughter using the NCF resources, but this only got them into hot soup.

If you fancy watching CSI programs or Forensic Files, you will love this series. Nick is a forensic guru, and he appears always explaining one thing or another which is interesting even though at times he comes out wordy.

On the other hand, Kate is bound and focused on working her way up the ladder again to be the investigator she knows she is. The two detectives are having all kinds of barriers tosses in their way while trying to solve this case. There are staff cuts, budget cuts, lots of politics, and then there are the superiors who are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that she does not succeed. The relationship between Kate and her team is amazing; at first, her team does not believe in her, but with time they get to realize that she is very good at her job and thus their relationship improves.

The author does a good job by adding some back-story that helps the readers get to know the kind of relationship that exists between Nick and Kate.

It is an excellent debut novel that begins relatively quickly and with a good introduction to the lead characters. Despite this being the series opener, the two characters have had a previous relationship one that came under investigation by the police. This is vividly explained through back stories. The novel also focuses on the underbelly of prostitution, crime, drug, murder, violence, and relationships and it is quite engaging. There are plot twists and turns in the books that are interesting. Additionally, there are some bits of forensics information that the reader will get to know while reading this book.

Believe No One

In the second book in the series, Both Fennimore and Simms are over in the United States, but for different reasons. Fennimore wants to do a book tour and lecture students while Simms wants to get some space from him. However, Nick gets caught up in a murder investigation related to that of his family (wife and daughter.). Initially, he is thankful for the chance to get a few weeks off from his daily commitments. However, when the similarities of the crimes are happening and that of his family increases, he finds himself fighting for the life of his newest victim. At the same time, he is also getting elusive clues that his daughter could be alive. These communications seem to be off the hook, and if he ever wants to see his daughter again, he must draw C.I Kate back into the investigation.

To his surprise, Chief Inspector Kate is also in the US, but she is working alongside a group of experts sharing procedures and skills while still trying to solve Cold Cases. Given their professional history dating back from the time when Nick daughter went missing, Kate is hesitant to communicate with Nick and offer her help. As the investigation into the prevailing case intensifies, it is revealed that there are indeed more victims than it was first anticipated, with more land to cover. The serial killer has been pitiless in his murders and smart in his locations choices, and always preying on mothers with young children. Now Nick and his sidekick must stop this madman before he strikes to kill again.

The second novel in the series is entertaining just likes the debut novel. The fascinating fact about it is that it still feels very human even when the plot gets more twisted. It is a fast-paced police procedural with lots of forensic details, therefore, a great read for those interested in crime and forensic novels.