My BOOKS
Murder on Port Meadow
This classic British whodunit—book one in the Oxford Dogwalkers’ Mystery series—“will delight Susan Conant and Laurien Berenson fans” (Library Journal).
Anna Hopkins’s daily walk through Oxford’s picturesque Port Meadow is rudely interrupted one autumn morning when her white German Shepherd, Bonnie, unearths a blood-soaked body in the undergrowth. For Anna it’s a double shock. She knew the victim. Naomi Evans, a professional researcher working on a book about a famous Welsh poet, had offered to help Anna trace Bonnie’s original owner.
From her previous interactions with Naomi, Anna is convinced that she was not the random victim of a senseless murder, as the police believe. Naomi was targeted because of what she knew. With the official investigation heading in the wrong direction, Anna teams up with fellow dog walkers Isadora Salzman and Tansy Lavelle to discover the truth.
“An inventive plot, charismatic characters, and even some black humor combine to make this a good choice for suspense junkies.” —Booklist
“Dalton’s adult mystery debut is filled with amusing characters.” —Kirkus Reviews
Murder in Midwinter
The murder of a college professor uncovers long-buried Cold War secrets in this “suspense-filled” mystery in the Oxford Dogwalkers’ series (Booklist).
Shortly before Christmas, Professor James Lowell is found brutally attacked in his rooms at Walsingham College, where dog-lover Anna Hopkins works as an administrator. Baffled as to why anyone would wish to harm such a gentle scholar, Anna discovers that her fellow dog walker, Isadora Salzman, knew Lowell as an undergraduate in the 1960s. They were both members of the so-called Oxford Six—and it seems that Isadora has been keeping a surprising secret all these years. But someone else knows about Isadora’s secret: someone who has sent her a threatening, frightening letter.
Could the attack on Professor Lowell have its roots in a fifty-year-old murder? And who is targeting Isadora and the surviving members of the Oxford Six? Anna, Isadora, and Tansy, the dog walking detectives, make it their business to find out.
“This taut . . . nail-biter of a mystery is chock-full of surprises and will appeal to a wide range of mystery lovers.” —Booklist
“Dog lovers will enjoy the canine interludes.” —Publishers Weekly
Murder at Mortmead Hall
A Second World War-themed murder mystery weekend ends in murder for real.
Having reluctantly agreed to make up the numbers at a World War II-themed murder mystery weekend at Mortmead Hall, Anna Hopkins and her fellow dogwalkers, Isadora and Tansy, enjoy themselves far more than they’d expected. Not for long. The weekend’s festivities come to an abrupt halt when a body is discovered floating in the ornamental pond.
Who was the mysterious woman in the red dress who attended the event without a ticket? As Anna and her friends delve further, they find themselves caught up in a web of intrigue that leads to a lost painting and a devastating wartime secret: a secret that involves Anna’s own family. Was her late father really guilty of a monstrous crime…?
'An entertaining read with an intricate plot, surprising twists, engaging heroines, gentle humor and a startling conclusion.' Booklist
Winging It
Mel Beeby is feisty, witty, streetwise and… unexpectedly dead!
Permanently removed from the 21st Century at just thirteen by a speeding joy rider, and with no obvious angelic qualities that she knows of, she has been mysteriously awarded a scholarship to a school for trainee angels called the Angel Academy.
Mel gradually makes new friends and seems to be adjusting to her otherworldly responsibilities. But on a school field trip to London during the Blitz, she breaks a golden cosmic rule - she materialises to a human. Has Mel’s career as a time-travelling, trouble-shooting angel ended before it’s even begun?
Losing the Plot
When the Agency sends newbie angel Mel and her two best mates off to sixteenth century London to rescue a troublesome teenage trio, she starts to wonder if they’re worth the effort.
Then Mel’s cosmic enemy Brice shows up and suddenly disaster strikes. Mel needs to act – and fast - to save a special hush-hush Agency project that could impact on Planet Earth for centuries to come.
Flying High
Even trainee angels need to relax, and Mel has been looking forward to her friend Lola’s surprise party for weeks. So she’s not too thrilled when she and her friends get sent off to medieval times in the middle of the celebrations!
Then she stumbles across a dangerous time scam and it seems like her enemy Brice is also mixed up in it. But how can Mel change something if it hasn’t even happened yet?
Calling the Shots
Mel is over the moon when she finds herself heading for Hollywood in the 1920s; with film stars, flappers and gangsters this has to be the most stylish era ever!
But Mel is soon disillusioned by her first ever guardian angel assignment. Sullen Honesty Bloomfield isn’t Mel’s idea of film star material, plus the road to Hollywood is fraught with unexpected cosmic dangers.
Fogging Over
Mel is dismayed when she is teamed up for her new assignment in the nineteenth century with her best mate Lola – and her worst enemy Brice!
But tensions are put aside as they all witness a scene in the Australian outback, where an old convict lies dying, burdened with a terrible secret. Then suddenly they are transported to Victorian London – and Jack the Ripper is on the prowl. Foggy streets, phoney mediums, gin shops, workhouses and wicked uncles – Mel's really got her work cut out this time.
Fighting Fit
Despite all her friend Lola’s efforts to make her see sense, Mel can’t seem to get over her big-time crush Orlando. So when he puts together a team of angel volunteers to go to Ancient Rome, Mel sees a chance to get close to the boy of her dreams and instantly signs up. But in the cruel decadent world of the Roman Empire, her fantasies crumble. Who is the mysterious girl gladiator Orlando is trying so hard to protect? Is his concern strictly professional, or is it something more?
Making Waves
Heaven’s favourite bad boy seems to have turned over a new leaf, so when Brice asks Mel to follow him and Lola on a mission to the 17th century Caribbean, she happily zooms off to pack her bikini.
But the lush paradise of the New World has a dark side – piracy, slave ships and cruel plantation owners, and when Mel finally catches up with her friends she finds them both suffering from severe cosmic memory loss, having totally forgotten who they are and what they came to Earth to do. Then Brice abruptly abandons her and Lola, running off to Port Royal the notorious Jamaican city where pirates live like kings. It’s up to Mel to get their mission back on track, but Lola is not in the mood to co-operate.
Budding Star
A teenage pop princess falls into a coma in 21st century Japan and now her soul has given the Agency the slip. Mel and Reuben have just come back from a soul retrieval course, so the Agency assigns them to track down Tsubomi’s lost soul. Once her body and soul have been reunited, Tsubomi can continue to write and sing the songs that are helping to make the world a better place. That’s the plan. But Tsubomi’s soul seems oddly reluctant to be found. Mel and Reuben’s quest takes them into a realm of the Afterlife that’s as exquisite and haunting as a Japanese fairytale, filled with magical castles, ninjas and demons. But like all fairytales, this one has an ominous side. Someone is playing a dark and dangerous game - but who? And can they find Tsubomi before it’s too late?
Keeping it Real
When Mel Beeby is sent on an urgent angelic mission back to her old school, she is thrilled at the thought of seeing her family and friends.
But when she catches up with her three best mates, she’s bewildered at how much they’ve changed. There are worse shocks to come. Her inner city high school was always a bit of a hellhole, but now there’s an actual leak from the hell dimensions! Graffiti, bad behaviour and bad grades are the least of her school’s problems. There are invisible beasts of hell roaming the corridors and the students have completely lost sight of their dreams. Worse still, this whole nightmare might all be her fault...
Going for Gold
Following a gruelling mission to her own time, Mel’s energies suddenly go haywire as her recent cosmic upgrade finally kicks in for real; meanwhile her inner angel falls ominously silent. These are unmistakable signs that Mel is about to face ‘the Test’, a dangerous ordeal which all trainees must undergo before they can qualify as fully-fledged angels.
So when Mel rashly announces her intention of travelling to Egypt to study Time Streams, best friend Lola arranges to tag along to keep an eye on her. But on their arrival in Egypt, Lola’s worst fears are realised when Mel quickly becomes a sitting target for the Powers of Darkness. Events soon spiral out of control as Mel finds herself swept back to ancient times where she has to help an orphan girl carry a priceless perfume to Queen Cleopatra...
Feeling the Vibes
The penultimate book in the Angel Academy series sees Mel Beeby travelling through time and space to India, to babysit a very special little boy…
With her inner angel on the blink, following the gruelling Test, Mel has been confined to base, where she helps out at the Divine nursery. Whilst there, she is shocked to learn that little four-year old Obi will soon be leaving the school, destined to become a great spiritual leader on Earth. Mel knows she must accompany him on this dangerous journey and her buddies loyally offer to go with her.
But when they arrive on Earth, something scares Obi and he vanishes. They know he’s in India, but nobody knows exactly where or when. In a mission that is illegal as well as perilous, Mel and her mates travel across the sub-continent and through time, until they track down Obi at a poor shanty town, where the four-year old future Buddha calmly derails their mission, telling them what he really wants them to do…
Living the Dream
The final adventure in the Angel Academy series sees Mel facing her toughest challenge to date.
Earth’s future lies in the balance – can Mel help save her home planet from destruction?
21st Century Earth is in meltdown and Mel holds the key to saving the planet and humanity! As if that's not enough pressure, she's being sent on a mission to help Cody Fortuna, a troubled native American girl, urgently in need of angelic support. That's if she can lift the curse Cody’s under…