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2026 Reading Challenge

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Bruce Beckham

Goodreads Author

Born

in Middlemarch, The United Kingdom

Website

https://mailchi.mp/acd032704a3f/newsletter-sign-up

Genre

Mystery, Suspense, Crime

Influences

John Updike, Patricia Highsmith, John Fowles, Ruth Rendell, Colin Dext ...more

Member Since

February 2014

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BRUCE BECKHAM brings a lifelong love of the outdoors to the contemporary crime novel. An award-winning, Amazon best-selling writer and member of the UK Society of Authors, he pens fiendish plots, vivid wild scenes and compelling dramas.

His series 'Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates' now extends to 24 standalone murder mysteries and 8 boxsets, and sells across five continents, from Japan and India to Brazil and the United States of America. Over one million copies have been downloaded worldwide.

Murder at Blind Beck (#25) was released in May 2025 and can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK2XQ46Z

You are welcome to contact Bruce directly through the Goodreads message system or via his publisher, at this address: lucius-ebooks@l ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Bruce, are your Inspector Skelgill books stand alone, or do I need to start the series from book one? Regards Bec

Bruce Beckham Hi Bec

Thanks for your question - it's a very pertinent one!

The short answer is that - yes - they are stand-alone mysteries.

However, they are set in ch…moreHi Bec

Thanks for your question - it's a very pertinent one!

The short answer is that - yes - they are stand-alone mysteries.

However, they are set in chronological order, and so perhaps there is a small degree of 'context' that informs developments in each successive novel.

In general though, I don't think there is anything you would need to know from earlier books to understand (and hopefully enjoy!) a later one.

I read 'Rabbit is Rich' by John Updike and thought it was brilliant - only to discover it was the third in a very closely linked series of 4 books.

You give me the opportunity to highlight one point that will not be apparent: I wrote 'Murder in Adland' ten years before the second in the series. It was only when the Kindle edition began to take off that I realised this was where I needed to concentrate my efforts: (most) reviewers were clamouring for more! But in that interval I significantly changed my writing style (and hopefully competence!). I am currently writing the fourth DI Skelgill mystery, which should be published in Spring 2015. After that, I intend to revisit Murder in Adland to bring it into line with the rest of the series.

Best wishes

Bruce(less)

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I have more questions for you. Where do you find your inspiration for characters? Are you a note taker during your idea gathering process? Do you, like Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, keep a diary for personal reflections on your writing process?

Bruce Beckham Aha - some good questions!

1. Inspiration for characters

Mainly people whom I have met and got to know something of! This way I have a good idea how the…moreAha - some good questions!

1. Inspiration for characters

Mainly people whom I have met and got to know something of! This way I have a good idea how they will act in most circumstances. Between the real person and the page they might switch shape, size, age, gender etc - but at the heart of each is a little spark of personality I can rely on for consistency.

I try to give characters names that are distinctive and perhaps that reflect their nature or profession (to help the reader identify them more easily). A simple example of this is DS Leyton in the 'DI Skelgill' series - he is a 'Cockney' and Leyton is a district of East London.

2. Notes during idea-gathering stage

No - I don't take notes in the beginning. I develop an overall idea for a novel in my head and start writing. I liken this to knitting a tartan scarf (not that I can knit) to a pattern I've seen in a shop. At any stage after commencement there is a neatly finished portion at the front, with a whole array of loose threads to be woven back in, and several untouched balls of varying colours yet to be incorporated!

I do have lots of ideas once I get moving, and sometimes discover a new and better ending halfway through! I record these on whatever is handy and incorporate them into the untidy tail of the scarf as soon as I reach my Mac.

3. Diary - personal reflections on writing

No - I don't keep a diary of this nature - partly due to time pressure - but I do think a lot about the subject while I'm occupied with routine tasks eg. taxiing kids around Edinburgh, loitering at the gym, waiting for the dog to return with the ball - and also while I'm reading - perhaps the best cue for comparison and learning.

(less)

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Combine Editions
Bruce Beckham’s books

Average rating: 4.31 · 27,062 ratings · 1,409 reviews · 223 distinct works • Similar authors

	Detective Inspector Skelgill (Inspector Skelgill Investigates, #1-4) 4.35 avg rating — 1,972 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder in Adland (DI Skelgill Investigates, #1) 3.84 avg rating — 2,000 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder on the Lake (DI Skelgill Investigates, #4) 3.97 avg rating — 1,527 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder in the Woods (DI Skelgill Investigates, #8) 4.09 avg rating — 1,339 ratings — published 2017 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder In School (DI Skelgill Investigates, #2) 4.12 avg rating — 1,280 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder on the Edge (DI Skelgill Investigates, #3) 4.17 avg rating — 1,069 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The DI Skelgill Series #5-7 4.43 avg rating — 986 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder at the Flood (Inspector Skelgill Investigates, #9) 4.12 avg rating — 1,043 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder by Magic (DI Skelgill Investigates, #5) 4.24 avg rating — 956 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Murder at the Wake (DI Skelgill Investigates, #7) 4.15 avg rating — 881 ratings — published 2016 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Bruce Beckham…

95 posts
Bruce Beckham's Blog

NYT having a laugh

The Ha-Ha Case by J.J. Connington

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

“A remarkably high standard of ingenuity & workmanship.”

So says a quote on the front cover attributed to the New York Times.

Hmm. I think their literary editor had an off day.

That said, the novel was published in 1934, so who knows how and when the puff was obtained, and whether by fair means or foul.

The author was a Scot, Alfred Walter St Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 01, 2026 01:35 • Tags: bruce-beckham, crime-fiction, skelgill

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Series by Bruce Beckham

DI Skelgill Investigates (31 books)
by

Bruce Beckham (Goodreads Author)

4.31 avg rating — 26,778 ratings

Bruce is Currently Reading

Bruce Beckham is currently reading

Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot, #34)

by Agatha Christie

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Feb 16, 2014 05:35AM

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A Cumberland Valley: A History of the Parish of Lorton

by Ron George

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Mar 26, 2026 08:57AM

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The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators

by Martin Edwards (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 21, 2025 07:06AM

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Bruce’s Recent Updates

Bruce Beckham wrote a new blog post NYT having a laugh The Ha-Ha Case by J.J. Connington My rating: 2 of 5 stars “A remarkably high standard of ingenuity & workmanship.”So says a quote on the front cover at Read more of this blog post »
Aug 01, 2026 01:35AM · like
Bruce Beckham rated a book it was ok The Ha-Ha Case by J.J. Connington	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“A remarkably high standard of ingenuity & workmanship.” So says a quote on the front cover attributed to the New York Times. Hmm. I think their literary editor had an off day. That said, the novel was published in 1934, so who knows how and when the pu ...more
Aug 01, 2026 01:30AM · 3 likes · like · see review
Bruce Beckham added a status update: The NEW DI Skelgill Lake District crime mystery is out today, ‘Murder at Midsomar Manor’. Many thanks if you have been supporting the series! Here are the links for the blurb: USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G53Y5PDL UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G53Y5PDL CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0G53Y5PDL Oz https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0G53Y5PDL
Jul 31, 2026 07:25AM · 2 likes · like · see status
Bruce Beckham finished reading The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot, #6) by Agatha Christie	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2026 09:39AM · 2 likes · like
Bruce Beckham rated a book liked it The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a long-celebrated novel which I think, on balance, fails to live up to its promise … or perhaps I should say, “premise” – a legendary accursed Indian diamond that brings about the downfall of all those who possess it. Much like Wilkie Collins’ ...more
Jul 30, 2026 09:31AM · 3 likes · like · see review
Bruce Beckham rated a book it was amazing Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I thought I knew all about Robinson Crusoe, but when I began to read the eponymous novel, I realised that what I ‘knew’ was a childhood memory of a 1960s French TV series dubbed with ham American accents that bore little resemblance to the original w ...more
Jul 29, 2026 10:25AM · 4 likes · like · see review
Bruce Beckham finished reading The Ha-Ha Case by J.J. Connington	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 25, 2026 02:19PM · like
Bruce Beckham started reading Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot, #34) by Agatha Christie	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 21, 2026 12:44PM · 1 like · like
Bruce Beckham is currently reading The Ha-Ha Case by J.J. Connington	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Bruce Beckham started reading Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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More of Bruce's books…

Quotes by Bruce Beckham (?)

“a philosophy borrowed from the long-suffering Scots, that there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. ”
― Bruce Beckham, Murder in the Mind

6 likes

“I began to appreciate that the job of an amateur sleuth was not quite so straightforward as they make out in the whodunits.”
― Bruce Beckham, Murder Mystery Collection

4 likes

“ken whit tae dae wi’ it.”
― Bruce Beckham, Murder Mystery Collection

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Bruce’s Quotes

“this: a Republican is a man who made his money; a Liberal is a man who inherited his; a Democrat is a barefooted Liberal in a cross-country race; a Conservative is a Republican who has learned to read and write.)”
― William Faulkner, The Reivers

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“I don’t very much believe in blood,” said Samuel. “I think when a man finds good or bad in his children he is seeing only what he planted in them after they cleared the womb.” “You can’t make a race horse of a pig.” “No,” said Samuel, “but you can make a very fast pig.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

4 likes