Headline Murder by Peter Bartram

Most of you know I'm a huge fan of Peter Bartram's Colin Crampton series and I'm working my way through his constantly growing list of mysteries. As a journalist, Peter Bartram puts all his background knowledge into his books which results in a fast paced and humorous story. Another plus for me is the setting of Brighton on the English coast where I find myself constantly remembering places I used to visit such as Devil's Dyke, Hove, Brighton Pier, and Black Rock as I read. To add to my nostalgia, Colin Crampton also drives a MGB (I used to race around England in my blue MGB GT - model picture below).
But I digress from the story. Regardless of whether you are familiar with the area or not, Headline Murder is a great read and Colin Crampton's character is sure to produce a few LOL moments.






Headline Murder
It's August 1962, and Colin Crampton, the Brighton Evening Chronicle's crime reporter, is desperate for a front-page story. But it's the silly season for news and the only tip-off Crampton has is about the disappearance of the seafront's crazy-golf proprietor, Arnold Trumper. Crampton thinks the story is about as useful as a set of concrete water-wings. But when he learns that Trumper's vanishing act is linked to an unsolved murder, he scents a front-page scoop. Powerful people are determined Crampton must not discover the truth. But he is quite prepared to use every newspaper scam in the book to land his exclusive. The trouble is it's his girlfriend, feisty Australian Shirley, who too often ends up on the wrong end when a scam goes wrong. Crampton has to overcome dangers they never mentioned at journalism school before he writes his story. Headline Murder will keep you guessing and smiling right to the last page.