A Diamond Deception
(2026)(The eighth book in the Karen McLaren Cosy Mystery series)
A novel by Clara Seacroft
It’s another beautiful day in Castillo - a small village on the Spanish coast. As well as running The Sylvia Beach second-hand bookshop, Karen McLaren has branched out into occasionally catering for local events. As a cochlear implant wearer, the work of Costa Communications is close to her heart, and so she’s only too happy to help out at their annual conference.
The head of the agency - which provides sign language interpreters throughout the Costa del Sol - is Andreas Ruiz. As he begins his keynote address, Karen notices that he looks ill-at-ease. He’s clearly suffering, and he only manages to speak for a short time before he keels over. Dead.
Comisario Hernandez and his local police force declare the incident to be a death by natural causes. It certainly looks to be the case; Ruiz had underlying health issues, and CCTV footage from the event reveals nothing that looks untoward.
Karen, though, has her doubts…
Can she convince her friends in the Jimi Hendrix Supper Club that there is more to the tragedy than meets the eye? And if it’s a murder, then who would want to dispense with someone who appears to be such an upstanding member of the community? Could there be a conspiracy which is far more wide-reaching?
To uncover the truth, Karen must scrape beneath the surface of Costa Communications; work out exactly how Andreas Ruiz is connected to the bigger picture, and face a range of people who are keen to keep the truth buried.
Can she find an answer before the trail runs cold?
Find out in A Diamond Deception, the eighth book in the Karen McLaren Cosy Mystery series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, and MC Beaton.
What readers are saying about the series:
‘Reading about Karen McLaren’s exploits feels like going on holiday!’
‘The setting of these books is wonderful - I want to live in Castillo!’
‘Cats, cooking, and a second-hand bookshop. What’s not to like?’
‘Reading these books is like living in an episode of Madame Blanc!’
‘I love Karen McLaren - this is my favourite cozy mystery series!’
‘Like a Spanish version of Death In Paradise!’
Author promise: this cosy mystery does not contain any gore, violence, or profanity. Nor does it contain any scenes of an explicit nature.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
The head of the agency - which provides sign language interpreters throughout the Costa del Sol - is Andreas Ruiz. As he begins his keynote address, Karen notices that he looks ill-at-ease. He’s clearly suffering, and he only manages to speak for a short time before he keels over. Dead.
Comisario Hernandez and his local police force declare the incident to be a death by natural causes. It certainly looks to be the case; Ruiz had underlying health issues, and CCTV footage from the event reveals nothing that looks untoward.
Karen, though, has her doubts…
Can she convince her friends in the Jimi Hendrix Supper Club that there is more to the tragedy than meets the eye? And if it’s a murder, then who would want to dispense with someone who appears to be such an upstanding member of the community? Could there be a conspiracy which is far more wide-reaching?
To uncover the truth, Karen must scrape beneath the surface of Costa Communications; work out exactly how Andreas Ruiz is connected to the bigger picture, and face a range of people who are keen to keep the truth buried.
Can she find an answer before the trail runs cold?
Find out in A Diamond Deception, the eighth book in the Karen McLaren Cosy Mystery series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, and MC Beaton.
What readers are saying about the series:
‘Reading about Karen McLaren’s exploits feels like going on holiday!’
‘The setting of these books is wonderful - I want to live in Castillo!’
‘Cats, cooking, and a second-hand bookshop. What’s not to like?’
‘Reading these books is like living in an episode of Madame Blanc!’
‘I love Karen McLaren - this is my favourite cozy mystery series!’
‘Like a Spanish version of Death In Paradise!’
Author promise: this cosy mystery does not contain any gore, violence, or profanity. Nor does it contain any scenes of an explicit nature.
Genre: Cozy Mystery