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Detective Frank Miller #1
Death's Disciple
For Detective Inspector Frank Miller it starts as just another day in the office.
But then the body of the widowed matriarch of an old Whitby family is discovered.
Mabel Downing has been brutally murdered.
She has been strangled -- and her mouth filled with cassette tape and a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been left next to her body.
There is one obvious suspect - Charlotte Sanderson who discovered the body.
But Miller has been having a relationship with Charlotte - and refuses to believe she could be guilty of such a terrible crime.
But if not her, who is the killer?
Is Miller allowing his personal life to interfere with the investigation?
What is the connection to Dracula - the Victorian gothic masterpiece partly set in the Yorkshire coastal town?
And will the murderer strike again?
Miller has to find out - before it is too late.
Death’s Disciple is a gripping contemporary crime novel set in the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby.
But then the body of the widowed matriarch of an old Whitby family is discovered.
Mabel Downing has been brutally murdered.
She has been strangled -- and her mouth filled with cassette tape and a copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been left next to her body.
There is one obvious suspect - Charlotte Sanderson who discovered the body.
But Miller has been having a relationship with Charlotte - and refuses to believe she could be guilty of such a terrible crime.
But if not her, who is the killer?
Is Miller allowing his personal life to interfere with the investigation?
What is the connection to Dracula - the Victorian gothic masterpiece partly set in the Yorkshire coastal town?
And will the murderer strike again?
Miller has to find out - before it is too late.
Death’s Disciple is a gripping contemporary crime novel set in the North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2013
528 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
James Whitworth
16 books14 followersJames Whitworth is a nationally syndicated cartoonist and writer. His daily news cartoons appear in papers across the UK from Scotland to the south of England, including the Sheffield Star and the Edinburgh Evening News. He draws a weekly news cartoon for the Sheffield Telegraph as well contributing to The Author, Hi-Fi News, Copper (in America) and the Dalesman. He has contributed cartoons to a wide range of publications including Private Eye (for whom he has also written gags), Prospect', Phoenix and The Independent.
Born in Sheffield, United Kingdom, Whitworth was educated at Tapton School and Sheffield Hallam University, where he graduated with a degree in English language and literature. He also holds a post graduate degree in English.
Whitworth lectures in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, Derby University, Leeds Trinity, and Huddersfield. He teaches Public Affairs to NCTJ apprentices. He has also published widely on the history of newspaper cartoons as well as speaking at literary festivals. His new novel, File Under Murder, is due for publication in 2021.
Born in Sheffield, United Kingdom, Whitworth was educated at Tapton School and Sheffield Hallam University, where he graduated with a degree in English language and literature. He also holds a post graduate degree in English.
Whitworth lectures in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, Derby University, Leeds Trinity, and Huddersfield. He teaches Public Affairs to NCTJ apprentices. He has also published widely on the history of newspaper cartoons as well as speaking at literary festivals. His new novel, File Under Murder, is due for publication in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 28, 2020
Great read
Set in the coastal town of North Yorkshire of Whitby, Mabel Downing is celebrating her seventieth birthday 🎂 in her home, Curlew House 🏡 and her whole family has gathered to celebrate: her sons, Henry, a bank manager, and Peter; her daughter Stella. Henry’s wife, Jennifer, and Stella’s boyfriend are also there. Charlotte Sanderson, a family friend is also there for the birthday.
Owing to a storm, the two guests have to spend the night in the Curlew House. Later that night Mabel is discovered by Charlotte. She was apparently strangled with a scarf 🧣, her mouth filled with tape, and a Dracula novel beside her.
DI Frank Miller and his partner Sergeant Paul Riddle are called in to investigate. At the Curlew House, Riddle is determined to find out why his new boss has excluded Charlotte from the investigation and allowed her to go home.
A few days later, one of the Downing children is found dead by the pier, impaled on a spike. She was discovered by a journalist. As the police investigate they discover a link to Dracula in both murders. Then another Downing is found dead in his study. Who is targeting the Downing family and why? An interesting traditional British mystery.
Set in the coastal town of North Yorkshire of Whitby, Mabel Downing is celebrating her seventieth birthday 🎂 in her home, Curlew House 🏡 and her whole family has gathered to celebrate: her sons, Henry, a bank manager, and Peter; her daughter Stella. Henry’s wife, Jennifer, and Stella’s boyfriend are also there. Charlotte Sanderson, a family friend is also there for the birthday.
Owing to a storm, the two guests have to spend the night in the Curlew House. Later that night Mabel is discovered by Charlotte. She was apparently strangled with a scarf 🧣, her mouth filled with tape, and a Dracula novel beside her.
DI Frank Miller and his partner Sergeant Paul Riddle are called in to investigate. At the Curlew House, Riddle is determined to find out why his new boss has excluded Charlotte from the investigation and allowed her to go home.
A few days later, one of the Downing children is found dead by the pier, impaled on a spike. She was discovered by a journalist. As the police investigate they discover a link to Dracula in both murders. Then another Downing is found dead in his study. Who is targeting the Downing family and why? An interesting traditional British mystery.
December 29, 2025
3.5*
Bonus half point for being set in Whitby.
The revised version was not revised sufficiently in my opinion, and there was an undertone of sexism (every female character's attractiveness just had to be considered!) but I would not shy away from reading the sequel.
Not a bad murder mystery...although at least part of me had an inkling of 'whodunit'.
Bonus half point for being set in Whitby.
The revised version was not revised sufficiently in my opinion, and there was an undertone of sexism (every female character's attractiveness just had to be considered!) but I would not shy away from reading the sequel.
Not a bad murder mystery...although at least part of me had an inkling of 'whodunit'.
January 26, 2015
This was a good mystery set in Whitby which is somewhere that I have always wanted to go, but never yet managed to visit so it was great to hear about the area.
There were only a limited number of characters so this ended up being quite a quick read. I prefer books to be the "right" length instead of containing loads of waffle that doesn't really add anything to the story. This was only of those books that didn't contain and unnecessary pages to help fill it out and therefore the pace was just right. Having said that, this was the type of story where the reader isn't given enough clues to work out who the murderer is and therefore, although it would have given the game away, some back-story on a number of the characters may have helped. In truth, this was done for a good number of the characters with the main exception being the actual murderer so I should have guessed by it's absence.
There were only a limited number of characters so this ended up being quite a quick read. I prefer books to be the "right" length instead of containing loads of waffle that doesn't really add anything to the story. This was only of those books that didn't contain and unnecessary pages to help fill it out and therefore the pace was just right. Having said that, this was the type of story where the reader isn't given enough clues to work out who the murderer is and therefore, although it would have given the game away, some back-story on a number of the characters may have helped. In truth, this was done for a good number of the characters with the main exception being the actual murderer so I should have guessed by it's absence.
May 15, 2021
I actually enjoyed this book and would describe it as a cross between "Cluedo" and "Midsomer Murders"! Although the actual killings were particularly gory the plot did not invoke any sense of shock and horror. Indeed, I felt it was written in the style of Agatha Christie. The story even concluded with all the suspects being brought together in the same room and the murderer dramatically unmasked. Cheesy but, enjoyable.
October 26, 2024
I quite enjoyed this first one of the series and I will read the others. The setting of Whitby and the link with Dracula worked well for the plot. The only thing was that a couple of wrong words were used in the narrative, such as 'tact' rather than the correct word 'tack'. I know it might sound ridiculous, but using the wrong vocabulary changes the meaning and the fact that writers do it - and proof readers don't notice - is worrying!
July 27, 2021
CHIEF MILLER IS IN A PICKLE, THE WOMAN HE LOVES MIGHT BE A KILLER, NOW HE HAS TO PROVE HER INNOCENT OR MAYBE GUILTY. CAN YOU SAY CONFLICT OF INTEREST. THIS REMINDED ME OF ALL THE OLD MOVIES I USE TO WATCH; “HOUNDS OF THE BASKERVILLE, SHERLOCK HOLMS, CHARLIE CHAN, CHINA TOWN, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GASLIGHT, AND REBECCA”, TO NAME A FEW. I COULD GO ON AND ON CAUSE I LOVE OLD MOVIES. THE COPS IN THIS WERE VERY SLOW IN DOING ANYTHING TO CATCH THE KILLER THEY SPENT MOST OF THE TIME WALKING AND ENJOYING THE SITES AND SCENERY OF THE TOWN. GEEZ! I KNEW WHO THE KILLER WAS EARLY ON IN THE BOOK, I HAD TO WAIT FOR THEM TO CATCH UP. ;<
March 3, 2018
I thought the book had an excellent, well-thought-out plot and a surprise ending that was very feasible. For me, it was a little blood thirsty and I'm not sure I'll read any more of the series. Maybe at a later date. I found the writing interesting because at the beginning it was a little stilted, particularly the dialogue; but it certainly got better over time and the narrative was actually excellent in places. So I'll think about giving him another try. I like mysteries but not quite as ugly as this one got in places.
There: reader be warned.
There: reader be warned.
January 16, 2019
A good old style mystery.
A solid mystery with an old style feel to it just like the great mysteries mentioned in its pages. Although it was easy to guess the culprit very early on, Whitworth dribbles out the clues as to motive, keeping that little voice alive asking, "Have I got it wrong?" right up until the final scene. I'm definitely moving on to the next in the series as the overarching storyline and main characters are so well fleshed out that you care what happens to them and want to know more. This is a series that will get better with each book that is published.
A solid mystery with an old style feel to it just like the great mysteries mentioned in its pages. Although it was easy to guess the culprit very early on, Whitworth dribbles out the clues as to motive, keeping that little voice alive asking, "Have I got it wrong?" right up until the final scene. I'm definitely moving on to the next in the series as the overarching storyline and main characters are so well fleshed out that you care what happens to them and want to know more. This is a series that will get better with each book that is published.
April 13, 2020
Excellent
A freebie from Lume Books in their Easter giveaway so thought I’d give it a try in lockdown and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Another new author for me in James Whitworth and I certainly liked his character Detective Inspector Frank Miller and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Paul Riddle. The book starts with the murder of Mabel Downing at a party for her 70th birthday. The only people at the party are her family plus a couple of other close friends and the murderer had to be one of them. Follow the mystery through to the end to discover who the murderer actually is,
A freebie from Lume Books in their Easter giveaway so thought I’d give it a try in lockdown and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Another new author for me in James Whitworth and I certainly liked his character Detective Inspector Frank Miller and his sidekick Detective Sergeant Paul Riddle. The book starts with the murder of Mabel Downing at a party for her 70th birthday. The only people at the party are her family plus a couple of other close friends and the murderer had to be one of them. Follow the mystery through to the end to discover who the murderer actually is,
November 12, 2020
Death’s Discipline by James Whitworth is the ideal book to get your mind off what’s happening in the world right now. Detective Inspector Frank Miller is called to the home of a wealthy old family to investigate the murder of the family matriarch - on her 70th birthday. The book reminded me of those wonderful old British police procedural murder mysteries you can get lost it. Twists. Turns. Dracula. Some gore. And an interesting ending. James Whitworth is my new favorite.
May 26, 2023
Cracking Story. Very well told. I suspected each person in turn and was surprised by the result.
Please could I order the following
For Leo Shihtzu
2 kg Hills Livercare I/D
For Mac lab-x- collie
Vet pro stress tablets
(I will take a box if you have them or a card will do me if the are in short supply)
Thank you,
Jim Cleary
3 Maywood Drive
Raheny
Dublin 5
tel 0868324171
gmail jimcleary50@gmail.com
Please could I order the following
For Leo Shihtzu
2 kg Hills Livercare I/D
For Mac lab-x- collie
Vet pro stress tablets
(I will take a box if you have them or a card will do me if the are in short supply)
Thank you,
Jim Cleary
3 Maywood Drive
Raheny
Dublin 5
tel 0868324171
gmail jimcleary50@gmail.com
June 20, 2023
Great ending!
I wish the rest of the book was as good as the conclusion. Not only was the killer revealed, but the characters became real.....every emotion felt by the reader. Sadly, the majority of the story, to me, was rather boring although the premise was interesting. I may try another by this author, the ending was that good.....also the main reason for four stars rather than three.
I wish the rest of the book was as good as the conclusion. Not only was the killer revealed, but the characters became real.....every emotion felt by the reader. Sadly, the majority of the story, to me, was rather boring although the premise was interesting. I may try another by this author, the ending was that good.....also the main reason for four stars rather than three.
May 4, 2020
Interesting police procedural!
This book captured my attention pretty quickly. It combined the story of the lead detective's efforts to solve the murders and his personal story. The description of one of the murders in the book was pretty graphic, and therefore the book might not appeal to some people. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.
This book captured my attention pretty quickly. It combined the story of the lead detective's efforts to solve the murders and his personal story. The description of one of the murders in the book was pretty graphic, and therefore the book might not appeal to some people. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.
August 31, 2020
The morning after her birthday, Mabel Downing is discovered murdered. With only family and a friend staying the night who is the guilty party and what could be the motive.
DI Frank Miller and Sergeant Paul Riddle investigate. their first case together
A solid modern mystery though I thought the police were a little slow in identifying the murderer.
A good start to a new series
DI Frank Miller and Sergeant Paul Riddle investigate. their first case together
A solid modern mystery though I thought the police were a little slow in identifying the murderer.
A good start to a new series
September 29, 2020
Terrific story!
If you love British who dun it's ala Agatha Chritsie this book is a must read! The characters are fleshed out, the storyline flows smoothly . The red herrings are there! It's a good book to read to take your mind off things. It's reminiscent of older detective British mysteries which adds to its flavor! Enjoy!
If you love British who dun it's ala Agatha Chritsie this book is a must read! The characters are fleshed out, the storyline flows smoothly . The red herrings are there! It's a good book to read to take your mind off things. It's reminiscent of older detective British mysteries which adds to its flavor! Enjoy!
October 7, 2020
Keeps you guessing
This review was hard as I couldn’t decide if I would go to Book 2. It did have many twists and turns and I kelp thinking it was over when it wasn’t however I didn’t fall in love with the primary character. He seemed a lot older than he was. Still trying to decide.
This review was hard as I couldn’t decide if I would go to Book 2. It did have many twists and turns and I kelp thinking it was over when it wasn’t however I didn’t fall in love with the primary character. He seemed a lot older than he was. Still trying to decide.
November 27, 2020
Excellent
Great read. A very well written mystery with a shocking ending I didn't expect. Well developed character you can begin to understand and appreciate that you could welcome as friends.liked this book and recommend this author highly,I plan on reading the next in the series.
Great read. A very well written mystery with a shocking ending I didn't expect. Well developed character you can begin to understand and appreciate that you could welcome as friends.liked this book and recommend this author highly,I plan on reading the next in the series.
April 6, 2022
An enjoyable detective mystery set in England that mostly held my interest.
The author makes great use of his knowledge of the town of Whitby and that a section of Dracula is set in the town in this modern-day murder mystery.
Recommend to readers who enjoy British police procedurals and/or have visited Whitby in Yorkshire.
The author makes great use of his knowledge of the town of Whitby and that a section of Dracula is set in the town in this modern-day murder mystery.
Recommend to readers who enjoy British police procedurals and/or have visited Whitby in Yorkshire.
July 1, 2022
language warning
Ok, first off, because of the terrible language used in the very beginning of this book I stopped reading immediately. I know a lot of people just ignore it. But a lot of us don’t! Why authours bother putting it in books I don’t know. It doesn’t add edginess, suspense, realism, context, frustration or anything else, good writing skills do that!
Ok, first off, because of the terrible language used in the very beginning of this book I stopped reading immediately. I know a lot of people just ignore it. But a lot of us don’t! Why authours bother putting it in books I don’t know. It doesn’t add edginess, suspense, realism, context, frustration or anything else, good writing skills do that!
Read
May 14, 2023According to the brief biography above, this author is a university graduate with a degree in English and Literature, and also a post graduate degree in English.
Given the high number of mispellings, malapropisms and catachreses throughout, I suggest that the work was not in fact written by the author but dictated by him for publication to someone who couldn't pass an English O level.
Given the high number of mispellings, malapropisms and catachreses throughout, I suggest that the work was not in fact written by the author but dictated by him for publication to someone who couldn't pass an English O level.
June 3, 2023
Average
This was a bit tedious, somewhat unbelievable, and a very average read. The hint at who was the killer was there right from the start, so it was frustrating that Miller didn't pick up on it. Not much in the way of police procedure, but a blatant breaking of protocol. Errors in editing, also.Not wanting to read any more, given this was book 1.
This was a bit tedious, somewhat unbelievable, and a very average read. The hint at who was the killer was there right from the start, so it was frustrating that Miller didn't pick up on it. Not much in the way of police procedure, but a blatant breaking of protocol. Errors in editing, also.Not wanting to read any more, given this was book 1.
Want to read
September 21, 2023Oh man, that's stressful! First thing, if you chose the Cloud option, check the 'Recordings' section of your Zoom account online. If it's local, look in your Zoom folder (usually in the Documents section on your computer). Zoom typically stores local recordings there unless you've manually changed the save location.
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October 17, 2023
This is my first book that I have read by this Author and now have just got the second book in the series. Congratulations on a brilliantly written book which once I started reading it I could not put it down until i knew who the killer is Absolutely enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to other avid readers like 😊📖
June 15, 2025
Excellent story
I was thoroughly captivated reading this book, especially with the author's descriptions of areas in England. Murders started occurring with one family and the detective in charge was unable to put the pieces together until the very end. A very good book and I'll look for more books by this author. Read it, you'll love it as I did.
I was thoroughly captivated reading this book, especially with the author's descriptions of areas in England. Murders started occurring with one family and the detective in charge was unable to put the pieces together until the very end. A very good book and I'll look for more books by this author. Read it, you'll love it as I did.
October 2, 2020
Mystery with a twist
Well crafted mystery. I did guess the killer, but I read a lot of mysteries including those written by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Although this novel was set in the present time, it was more similar to those books than to most modern procedural.
Well crafted mystery. I did guess the killer, but I read a lot of mysteries including those written by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Although this novel was set in the present time, it was more similar to those books than to most modern procedural.
October 9, 2020
Vana hea klassikaline krimka, mida oli üllatavalt põnev lugeda.
Rikkad ja viisakad inglise inimesed.
Tänu sellele klassikale oli muidugi mõrvar kohe selge. Aga, see kuidas lahenduseni jõuti oli köitev.
Rikkad ja viisakad inglise inimesed.
Tänu sellele klassikale oli muidugi mõrvar kohe selge. Aga, see kuidas lahenduseni jõuti oli köitev.
October 13, 2020
Evocative; Atmospheric; Enjoyable
Atmospheric procedural/whodunit which pays homage to the golden age of crime fiction; paints Whitby very well indeed; and has plenty of twists and surprises along the way
Atmospheric procedural/whodunit which pays homage to the golden age of crime fiction; paints Whitby very well indeed; and has plenty of twists and surprises along the way
October 18, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this well conceived tale. However, there were entirely too many careless mistakes in verbiage due to reliance on spell checkers rather than good proof reading. They were distracting and distorting to the plot line throughout.
October 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this. There were a couple of occasions on which the dialogue didn’t make sense because there was either a word missing or words in slightly the wrong order but other than that, this was flawless.
October 22, 2020
This story does keep you on the edge of your seat.
This story was believable and kept the interest going from one person to another.
The killer is the last you'll guess.
Great detective work in figuring the clues are there.
Thank the author very good written.
This story was believable and kept the interest going from one person to another.
The killer is the last you'll guess.
Great detective work in figuring the clues are there.
Thank the author very good written.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews