Ian Thompson
Author's DataHub
Ray Hammett &
Jessica Summers
Investigative reporters with a talent for solving murders. Always in danger. Relentless in their pursuit.
Paradise Exhumed
The First Ray Hammett & Jessica Summers Mystery Thriller
Two reporters. A relentless killer. A desperate race to stop the slaughter.
From Five-Star Reviews:
“...a thriller... you can’t stop reading”
“I went back to Sherlock Holmes, this was awesome”
“The mystery combined with the action and murder made it something I couldn’t resist”
“...characters were interesting and real... full of twists and turns”
“...a fantastic whodunit thriller... Highly recommended”
“...an absolutely awesome, intense read.”
In an exclusive English village for millionaires, residents believe their safety is guaranteed... until the infamous celebrity Gemini Hart is found horrifically murdered in her own home.
Reporters Ray Hammett and Jessica Summers investigate. They are shrewd, courageous and caring, and share a humorous camaraderie. Soon their new partnership is tested to its limits.
Inside the village, the pair find eccentricities, deceptions, hatreds and dark secrets, which reveal that this suburban paradise is rotten to the core. As more murders compound the mystery, Hammett and Jessica struggle against vicious gangsters, disbelieving police and murderous attacks.
Nothing makes sense. Many people lie about knowing Hart. Everyone is hiding something. Hart's enemies form a huge list of suspects. Some of the killer's new victims are ex-lovers of Hart, others enemies, others seem to have no link to her. Hart’s past, from beginnings as a prostitute to her rise to fame and fortune, proves vital to the case. As the bodycount rises, every suspect is alibied for at least one murder...
If Hammett and Jessica work fast and hard, they might just stop the slaughter – if they live long enough.
A twisting whodunit that blends vibrant characters, investigation, lethal danger and thrilling action.
“The concept for Paradise Exhumed was to combine several elements which are widely loved: the quirky character-style of classic Midsomer Murders; the twisting mystery of Sherlock Holmes; and the action and danger of a hard-boiled private detective tale. I wanted a fast-paced, baffling whodunit with an atmosphere of dire threat. Once I began writing, the novel evolved quickly into a form of its own and I hope readers really enjoy the result.”
Paradise Exhumed - The Location
The City Of Prestford, UK
“Prestford is home for over a million people. It is sliced in half northeast to southwest by the River Tarlop. Generally, whatever is south of the Tarlop is poorer than whatever is north. The southern industrial estates are dirty, outdated and failing; there are expanses of old tenement blocks and regions under the shadow of local gangsters. North, the ‘business parks’ are modern, clean and profitable; there are sports centres, parks and amenities; housing ranges from apartment complexes, like mine, to avenues of houses and the odd mansion. To reach the really rich of Prestford, you have to go beyond the city’s northern boundary – to converted farmhouses or manor houses, or to one of the satellite communities.”
The Police in Prestford have suffered years of government changes, budget and manning cuts, and losses of their best personnel to better jobs elsewhere. What’s left is poorly equipped, understaffed and demoralised. Corruption is evident. Politics is an added burden. And even the best police remaining in Prestford simply aren’t that good at their jobs…
Paradise Exhumed - Characters
Ray Hammett is a nosy, dogged crime reporter who solves crimes in exchange for exclusives from Detective Inspector Dean. He has a strong sense of justice, a sharp eye for detail and an ability to untangle complex threads of investigation. His own moral code includes respect for victims and their families, and a distain of trashy paparazzi reporting. Hammett is suffering from an undiagnosed low blood sugar condition; a combination of sugar, chocolate, medication and daily blood-checks keeps the condition under control while he waits for further testing.
Jessica Summers is the daughter of the owner of The Gazette where Hammett works. Jessica is free-spirited, compassionate, tough and a little naive. For ‘works experience’, she is teamed with Hammett as a photographer – but the pair soon become partners in a murder investigation. A combination of humorous camaraderie, courage and caring help the partners survive their ever-worsening ordeals.
The Police Detectives – DI Matt Dean and DS Donat
While not bumbling fools, Dean and Donat are quickly out of their depth. Dean regards Hammett as a friend and ally. Donat and Hammett have an antagonistic relationship bordering on hatred.
The First Victim – Gemini Hart
Gemini Hart is a talentless celebrity, adored and hated by millions. Beneath her media image and seedy lifestyle, there are secrets worth killing for. And, she is the kind of idol that a deranged admirer or hater might seek to destroy…
Hart’s awful death might be explained as an act of revenge, insanity or necessity… but the murders that follow seem inexplicable.
The Gangster
"I recognised the fourth captor. My work at The Gazette had never led me to investigate Jim ‘The Rat’ Beadle, but I kept up with all the well-known criminals in Prestford. Forty-odd years ago, teenage Beadle had been a drug-pusher. Through ruthless violence he had formed his own gang and made a fortune on the addiction, fear and suffering of people. There were several such gangsters with territories in Prestford. They all deserved a hole in the head."
What links Gemini Hart to a notorious Prestford mobster? And what does he want from Hammett..?
Some of the residents encountered at the exclusive Millionaires estate 'Goodman's Haven'...
"Somehow, Archibald Richardson oozed ‘annoying’ from every pore of his skin. It was like a deadly radioactive aura."
"Mrs Trenbrae scrutinised us and I felt like bacteria under a microscope. I saw no sympathy for my one-eyed state."
""You remember we called about Ms Hart? She was killed…”
"Mrs Cranberry threw her free hand up dismissively. “Oh, a person? Well, that’s okay. Maybe the dog is still alive … If that swine’s dragons haven’t eaten him.”"
"He was a tall slender man, around forty-five years of age. White-blonde curly hair, a deep tan and a rather regal face seemed right for the part of a Roman emperor. Butterwich was clean-shaven and his narrow eyes suggested mischievousness or even cruelty."
Beyond Paradise Exhumed
The Second Ray Hammett & Jessica Summers Mystery Thriller is The Murder Weapon On The Hill. Released in 2019.
The first Ray Hammett & Jessica Summer Short Mystery was released in 2022 - a fun, twisted tale entitled Murder By Suicide.
Click the cover images for more details...
