Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Harry Black #1

The Cheat Killers

Rate this book
Cheating Husbands Beware!
Married men are being murdered in an unusual fashion. Clues are deliberately being left at the scene. Why? - Does this serial killer want to be discovered, or are they just taunting the police?
After a strange encounter with a woman on a plane, Detective Inspector Harry Black returns to London and takes over the investigation.
It seems unfaithful husbands are being targeted, but by whom? Who will be next?
Harry must find out quickly, but in the course of his investigation, events are thrown off balance by the arrival of a zealous new boss, and a life-threatening situation.
In addition, an attractive new colleague catches Harry’s eye. But is romance forthcoming?
The final scenes will leave you reeling and wanting more.
"This rollercoaster novel starts off slowly and sedately, then dramatically picks up pace. Before you know it, you’ll be twisting and turning at speed and find yourself clinging on by your fingertips!"

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

379 people are currently reading
239 people want to read

About the author

Gordon Warden

5 books2 followers
Hi, I'm Gordon Warden. I was born in Scotland, but have lived mostly in London and the home counties.
I am the author of the Harry Black Thriller series. The protagonist, Harry, is nothing like me, he is much smarter. The only thing we have in common is a love of single-malt whisky. Oh and the occasion pint of real ale.
His work is his life, anything else seems to be a distraction, including romance.
That said, there seems to be a distant inevitability that he will be snared, but by whom?
You can download a free novella from my website that will give a huge insight into Harry's personal life. It's also a buccaneering story that should only take an hour or so to read.
Get it at https://gordonwarden.com where you will discover more.







Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
676 (51%)
4 stars
455 (34%)
3 stars
148 (11%)
2 stars
31 (2%)
1 star
8 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
100 reviews
July 15, 2023
It's not bad for a quick read. May try book 2 on the serious of detective Harry grant.
81 reviews
Read
February 22, 2024
Full of surprises, well thought out. Kind of off beat but that's part of it's charm, I enjoyed it. Works great as a standalone but leaves you glad there are more to come,
52 reviews
March 21, 2022
Enjoyed the storyline, a lot of twists that kept you guessing until the end. I feel like there was a lot of talk from “before” and backstories that we don’t know considering this is book 1 in the series. Although a little confusing at times it did help to add depth to the characters.
49 reviews
January 31, 2024
A British Mystery ToEnjoy

I have read many novels written by British authors but this book was really the most interesting one I have read. Police procedures in England were outlined in the story and were carefully followed. The characters in the story were developed to the extent it made the reading easy to understand and follow. I didn't think I would like it but II thoroughly enjoyed it. The author left me wanting to read more as I didn't want the book to end.
269 reviews
January 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this book with a story line that kept me interested and encouraged me to read the next chapter. I thought the plot was really good with strong characters though a bit confused as to the sudden change in one character but can see the reason behind her ‘new’ personality! I thought the storyline was original and well written so will be happy to read more by this author. If you like murder mystery then I do recommend giving this a go.
576 reviews6 followers
February 19, 2022
Loved this book

Many authors have adopted smart-aleck styles of writing. I found Gordon Warren's style of writing to be clear straight-forward English, which I admire. The story line intrigued me as well as the interpersonal relationships between Harry, his superior and colleagues. His potential relationship with Alex from Scotland was heartwarming. Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Eirlys.
1,763 reviews16 followers
June 30, 2022
Exciting read

Harry Black was a good detective and he was facing murders with several anomalies. The victims were married men, who were drugged and then strangled. Harry and his colleagues were dedicated, and followed the trail towards solving the cases. Good characters and storyline.
94 reviews
October 9, 2022
Cheats

Good book. Kept the pace going and focused on police work. Must admit I didn't guess the killers but understood at the end. Characterizations were good and the story flowed well. The book would have benefited from a little more time to develop the characters more but maybe this will happen in subsequent stories.
Profile Image for Dorothy Rushforth.
30 reviews
November 20, 2022
Sorry but this was a good story ruined. The police characters were all nervous, scared, terrified or hospitalised. What a bunch of spineless idiots. The story was too predictable and knew who the killer was right away before any murders had been done!
This could have been a great book if the characters were toughened up just slightly and you didn’t have them all scared at the least little thing!
865 reviews9 followers
April 10, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the simplicity of the storyline. Nothing complex, easy to follow and it introduced the characters with ease and interest. A nice steady pace that was amusing in places and kept the story light despite the murders! I'll probably invest in book two and see how the characters develop as the series progresses.
Profile Image for Diana Stone.
Author 12 books9 followers
February 10, 2024
Several plots, all good!

There's a lot going on in this book. It's well written and easy to follow, with the main characters being likable and down to earth. Some nice parts where the other players may not be as bad as we think. Also, some insights from the bad guys. Not that it excuses them, but we can get their point of view.
421 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2021
Promising new author

Very enjoyable storyline and interesting characters, although I was left mystified about the reason for the change in character of one person. Their is the open end left for future possible romance and change of scenery. One to watch.
Profile Image for Jah (_soshereads_) Thomas.
71 reviews
December 17, 2022
This book could have been a great book but It was pretty predictable and weak story line. The murderer was given away from the start. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a bad read and I liked the ending with Harry and Alex.
298 reviews2 followers
October 3, 2023
British style

Liked everything about this. Just enough description to get the picture but not enough to scar your brain. The writing is good, characters are good. All good. Reads like a British detective television show, which I like very much.
66 reviews
April 18, 2022
Great introductory novel

Really enjoyed the book from cover to cover. Harry is a memorable character and will only get more engrossing in future adventures.
1 review1 follower
May 15, 2022
Great!

Refreshing. Really loved it. I love crime novels and it was intuitive to get a reason for the crime even though it's wrong
12 reviews
May 19, 2022
good

I came upon this book by chance, I enjoyed it from the first page to the last,such a good read.I will definitely be reading more of Gordon wardens books.keep up the good work.
1 review
June 12, 2022
Great read

Excellent story line, characters were well thought out, one or two surprises which kept you involved and interested, looking forward to continuing the series.
Profile Image for Jim.
1,108 reviews18 followers
September 26, 2022
Really enjoyed reading. Was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the world of D.I. Harry Black. Hope second book in the series is half as good as first. Check it out.
181 reviews
August 16, 2023
Read it!

I unusable books set in other countries. But DI Black grew on me quickly and the funny way he talks is actually endearing lol
Profile Image for Emily.
223 reviews
May 3, 2025
Good premise, and interesting main character. I liked there was a couple of investigations simultaneously, while maintaining a core theme. Relatively quick but enjoyable.
Profile Image for Gordon Warden.
Author 5 books2 followers
February 6, 2021
I feel slightly embarrassed about reviewing my own book. I think the best thing I can do is give a quick synopsis of the story. When a man’s body is found lying outside the back of a house with a rope around his neck, it’s up to Harry Black to find the murderer. The killer has left a clue, the rope used to strangle the victim has been looped to form an unusual word.

Harry and his team investigate, but then find that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Other murders are happening, each very similar to the first. It becomes obvious that the killer is targeting married men, men who are prone to being unfaithful. Could the wives all be in on it, or is there something much more sinister at large?

Having had a strange encounter with an attractive woman on a plane journey, Harry returns to work where he finds that he has a new, over-zealous new boss, who seems to have taken a dislike to Harry and his methods. Despite this, it’s business as usual for Harry and his loyal team and after risking his life to save one of the suspects, Harry finds himself embroiled in a situation with a local family, who, as it turns out, have very dark deathly secrets.

There is also the issue of a missing man. George Evans has mysteriously vanished from his home just after winning the lottery – still wearing his pyjamas! To complicate matters he is a favoured relative of his new boss, who wants results – fast.

Will Harry be able to wade through all of these issues and discover the identity of the Cheat Killers before they strike again? – And will he survive the attentions of an attractive new colleague?

Hope this helps. By the way, as soon as it's published, you can get my next book, "Who is the Tigerman" totally free, (full version) by going to https://gordonwarden.com

Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.