Jack Benton

A buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John "Slim" Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case. As Slim begins to ask questions of the tiny Cornish village of Penleven, he is drawn into a world of lies, rumours, and secrets, some of which the residents would prefer to stay buried. Twenty-three years ago, a reclusive clockmaker left his workshop and walked out onto Bodmin Moor, taking his last, unfinished clock with him. He disappeared. Slim is determined to find out why. The Clockmaker's Secret is the stunning sequel to Jack Benton's acclaimed debut, The Man by the Sea.

The Clockmaker's Secret

John "Slim" Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud. His wife thinks he's having an affair. Slim thinks he's insane. The truth is more incredible than either could imagine. The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.

The Man by the Sea

The Slim Hardy Mystery Series, #1

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Games Keeper Having fallen on hard times, disgraced soldier turned private investigator John “Slim” Hardy is hired by rich and enigmatic land owner Oliver Ozgood to uncover the identity of a mysterious blackmailer. The man is demanding a fortune in exchange for his silence. He claims to be Dennis Sharp, a former employee of Ozgood, and threatens to reveal secrets that will soil Ozgood’s family name and send the patriarch to prison. There’s only one problem. Dennis Sharp is dead, killed by Ozgood himself. In search of answers, Slim moves to the remote rural hamlet of Scuttleworth in the Devonshire countryside, where he will confront demons both from within and without in his most challenging case yet. The Games Keeper is the third book in the Slim Hardy Mystery series. While the stories follow a rough sequence, they can be read in any order. Other titles available: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret Slow Train The Angler's Tale

The Slim Hardy Mystery Series #3

The Games Keeper: A classic British locked room mystery

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Man by the Sea, a free first in series from Jack Benton. "An absolute feast for noir and paranormal thriller fans alike. Highly recommended." ~~ bestthrillers.com John "Slim" Hardy, heavy drinker and disgraced soldier turned bumbling private detective, is hired to investigate Ted Douglas, an investment banker who slips out of work every Friday to visit a desolate cove on the Lancashire coast. There, he walks to the shore, opens an old book, and begins to read aloud. His wife thinks he's having an affair. Slim thinks he's insane. The truth is more incredible than either could imagine. The Man by the Sea is the sensational debut novel by Jack Benton, a classic story of love, betrayal, murder, and intrigue.

The Slim Hardy Mystery Series #1

The Man by the Sea: a classic British locked room mystery free first in series

On the evening of Saturday, January 15th, 1977, a local commuter train is delayed at a small village station by a freak blizzard. Young nurse Jennifer Evans, keen to get back to her family, plans to walk the last couple of miles to her home in a neighbouring village. She phones her daughter to confirm that she's on her way, but she never arrives home. In the ensuing police investigation, no trace of Jennifer Evans is ever found. The only evidence is a photograph taken by a fellow passenger of footprints in the snow in front of Holdergate station. It appears someone was fleeing for their life.... Contacted by Jennifer's daughter, at first it seems private investigator John "Slim" Hardy has no chance of solving a forty-two-year-old mystery. But as the case begins to unravel, Slim finds himself caught in the centre of a whirlwind which will send him spinning to a dramatic conclusion.

Slow Train

THE THRILLING NEW SLIM HARDY MYSTERY FROM JACK BENTON After nearly a year out of the game, former soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy takes what he hopes will be an easy comeback case in the quiet Devonshire town of Launceston. The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. Eight days later, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. Two years later, as her relationship with her daughter falls apart, Emily’s desperate mother Gloria turns to Slim, wanting answers. Her eight days missing has changed Emily, so much so that Gloria is unsure the girl is even her daughter at all … From the author of The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker’s Secret, comes another stunning mystery, one which will keep you guessing to the last page.

Eight Days

Attempting to forget his problems with the bottle, former soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy joins what ought to be a peaceful fishing package holiday in Dartmouth, South Devon. But when a violent tragedy affects one of the other tour guests, Slim finds himself on the trail of a potential killer. Set in the beautiful surrounds of the River Dart estuary and Agatha Christie’s Greenway, The Angler’s Tale will take Slim Hardy into places darker than any he has faced before. Also in this series: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret The Games Keeper Slow Train

The Angler's Tale

Druhá vzrušujúca záhada zo série Záhady Slima Hardyho.Zakopané hodiny sú kľúčom k desaťročia starému tajomstvu. Na dovolenke, aby unikol nočným morám svojho posledného prípadu, sa degradovaný vojak, súkromný detektív John „Slim“ Hardy, stretne s niečím zakopaným v rašeline na Bodmin Moor. Nedokončené a vodou poškodené, ale stále tikajúce staré hodiny poskytujú zásadnú stopu k nevyriešenému prípadu nezvestných. Keď Slim začína klásť otázky o malej cornwallskej dedinke Penleven, vtiahne ho svet lží, povestí a tajomstiev, z ktorých niektoré by obyvatelia radšej nechali na pokoji. Pred dvadsiatimi tromi rokmi opustil samotársky hodinár svoju dielňu a vykročil na Bodmin Moor a vzal so sebou svoje posledné, nedokončené hodiny. Zmizol. Slim je odhodlaný zistiť prečo. Tajmstvo hodinára je ohromujúcim pokračovaním uznávaného debutu Jacka Bentona, Muž pri mori.Translator: Aja Karvaiova

Tajomstvo Hodinára

Záhada na pobreží Lancashire v severozápadnom Anglicku John „Slim“ Hardy, ťažký alkoholik a vojak s naštrbenou povesťou, ktorý sa stal potácajúcim sa súkromným detektívom, je najatý na vyšetrovanie Teda Douglasa, investičného bankára, ktorý každý piatok vykĺzne z práce a navštívi opustenú zátoku na pobreží Lancashire. Tam kráča k brehu, otvorí starú knihu a začne nahlas čítať. Jeho žena si myslí, že má s niekým pomer. Slim ho považuje za šialeného. Pravda je neuveriteľnejšia, ako si ktokoľvek dokázal predstaviť. Muž pri mori je senzačný debutový román Jacka Bentona, klasický príbeh lásky, zrady, vrážd a intríg. PUBLISHER: TEKTIME

Muž pri mori

Tajemnica wybrzeża Lancashire w północno-zachodniej Anglii. John ”Slim” Hardy to alkoholik, który po dyscyplinarnym wydaleniu z wojska postanowił pracować jako prywatny detektyw. Prowadzi sprawę Teda Douglasa, bankiera inwestycyjnego, który w każdy piątek wymyka się z pracy, aby udać się nad odludną zatoczkę przy wybrzeżu Lancashire. Tam podchodzi do brzegu plaży, otwiera starą księgę i zaczyna ją czytać na głos. Jego żona podejrzewa go o romans. Slim ma go za obłąkanego. Prawda na jego temat jest jednak o wiele bardziej skomplikowana. ”Człowiek nad morzem” to sensacyjna debiutancka powieść Jacka Bentona - klasyczna historia o miłości, zdradzie, morderstwie i intrydze. PUBLISHER: TEKTIME

Człowiek nad morzem

El segundo misterio electrizante de la serie de los misterios de Slim Hardy. Un reloj enterrado tiene la clave para descifrar un misterio de hace décadas. De vacaciones para escapar de las pesadillas de su último caso, el soldado caído en desgracia y convertido en detective privado, John «Slim» Hardy, encuentra algo enterrado en la turba de Bodmin Moor. Inacabado y dañado por el agua, el viejo reloj ofrece pistas vitales para un caso sin resolver de personas desaparecidas. A medida que Slim empieza a hacer preguntas en el diminuto pueblo de Penleven, en Cornwall, va entrando en un mundo de mentiras, rumores y secretos, algunos de los cuales los residentes preferirían que permanecieran enterrados. Hace veintitrés años, un relojero solitario salió de su taller y caminó hacia Bodmin Moor, llevando con él su último reloj inacabado. Desapareció. Slim está decidido a descubrir por qué. El secreto del relojero es la deslumbrante secuela del aclamado debut de Jack Benton, El hombre a la orilla del mar. PUBLISHER: TEKTIME

El secreto del relojero

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: The Clockmaker's Secret A buried clock holds the key to a decades-old mystery. On holiday to escape the nightmares of his last case, disgraced soldier turned private detective John “Slim” Hardy comes upon something buried in the peat on Bodmin Moor. Unfinished and water-damaged but still ticking, the old clock provides a vital clue to an unsolved missing-persons case. As Slim begins to ask questions of the tiny Cornish village of Penleven, he is drawn into a world of lies, rumours, and secrets, some of which the residents would prefer to stay buried. Twenty-three years ago, a reclusive clockmaker left his workshop and walked out onto Bodmin Moor, taking his last, unfinished clock with him. He disappeared. Slim is determined to find out why. The Clockmaker’s Secret is the stunning sequel to Jack Benton’s acclaimed debut, The Man by the Sea.

The Slim Hardy Mystery Series #2

The Clockmaker's Secret: a classic British locked room mystery

A classic British locked room mystery for fans of both thrillers and crime: Slow Train On the evening of Saturday, January 15th, 1977, a local commuter train is delayed at a small village station by a freak blizzard. Young nurse Jennifer Evans, keen to get back to her family, plans to walk the last couple of miles to her home in a neighbouring village. She phones her daughter to confirm that she’s on her way, but she never arrives home. In the ensuing police investigation, no trace of Jennifer Evans is ever found. The only evidence is a photograph taken by a fellow passenger of footprints in the snow in front of Holdergate station. It appears someone was fleeing for their life…. Contacted by Jennifer’s daughter, at first it seems private investigator John “Slim” Hardy has no chance of solving a forty-two-year-old mystery. But as the case begins to unravel, Slim finds himself caught in the centre of a whirlwind which will send him spinning to a dramatic conclusion. Other Slim Hardy books currently available: The Man by the Sea The Clockmaker’s Secret The Games Keeper The Angler's Tale

Jack Benton

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