The Monument Murders

Dorset Crime #4

by Rachel McLean

When a body is found draped over Swanage’s iconic Globe monument, DCI Lesley Clarke is called in. A message points to the motive: Go Home.

Is this a hate crime? Or something closer to home?

Lesley must find the killer before he or she strikes again, all while dealing with a mutiny in her team and political pressure from her boss.

At the same time, she’s becoming increasingly aware that her predecessor was involved with an organised crime gang, and that people close to her are covering it up.

Will Lesley come out of this case with her reputation, her team, and her career intact?

The Monument Murders is the fourth instalment in the bestselling Dorset Crime series, essential reading for everyone who loves Dorset… and gripping crime novels.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Audiobook, Procedural, Detective, Contemporary

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2021

About the author

My name's Rachel McLean and I write stories you can't put down, with characters you'll be rooting for.

I'm best known for my Dorset Crime series, which has sold over a million copies. The first book in that series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the 2021 Kindle Storyteller Award.

Here's what Clare Balding (the lead judge) had to say about the book:

'I particularly enjoyed the detail of the landscape and the humorous oddities of Dorset life. I enjoyed the richness of the characters, complexity of life for a working mother who is thrown into a new environment and has to prove herself, all over again.'

But The Corfe Castle Murders is by no means my only book. I've published five series and am working on two new ones, all of which connect. You'll find characters from each series in one or more of the other ones, so you (and I) get to follow them as they take on new challenges.

For example:

DCI Lesley Clarke is Zoe's boss in the DI Zoe Finch series and then moves to Dorset where she becomes the star of the Dorset Crime series.
DS Mo Uddin is Zoe's best friend and sidekick, then moves to Scotland for the McBride & Tanner series.
DC Tina Abbott is a key character in the Dorset Crime series and plays an important role in the new Lyme Regis Women's Swimming Club series of mysteries which stars her mum, Annie.
Zaf Williams starts off in the DI Zoe Finch series then moves to London and is one of the stars of the London Cosy Mysteries series (along with his colleague Diana and Gus the cat).
Dr Petra McBride appears in no fewer than three series and I'm planning a new series for her in 2026.
And not to be outdone, Zoe Finch has two series in which she stars: the DI Zoe Finch series of 'Deadly' books, and the Cumbria Crime series.
Once you get to know these characters, you'll find plenty of books to keep you entertained. And I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

You can read a full list of the series and books on my books page. Each series is designed to be read in order but which series you go for first is really up to you.

Reviews

[Eva Durham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot, a little unbelievable in places and a massive inconsistency in the description of one of the characters! Maybe there’s a reason for that as the books aren’t entirely unique. Generally though, I loved it, read it very quickly and will start the next book in the series straight away! It’s exactly my genre and set in a location I know pretty well, so ideal escapism.

[Emily Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced easy read, would defo read more of the series and go back to the start!!

[Rosie Lear · Rating 1 out of 5]

I find this series easily forgettable and badly written. Too many characters are cardboard and unrealistic…token people. However, strangely I can’t put them down despite being really annoyed at the number of times they seem to just catch each other’s eye or dig their finger nails in. It doesn’t seem to do Dorset police any favours, either. I keep reading and ordering the next and the next….

[Caroline Mattinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping tale of murder

I enjoyed the various locations that the murder victims were discovered.These books are an easy read but keep you guessing til near the end.
I hope these grizzly murders will not put people off from visiting the area !!

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Think I'm done with this series. The last two books have not caught my interest and especially bothered by the dating of crime bosses lawyer.

[Julie Footner-Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I enjoyed this i thought the end was a bit rushed. Overall a good read and sat well within the series.

[Kirsten Oetting · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this, and I have the next in the series ready to read!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always enjoy coming back to this series. Absolutely nothing fancy but I love that it is set in the sleepy seaside town that my gran lives in!

[Rob Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body is found on a Globe monument in Swanage, with the message 'Go home'. Is it a racist message or a message to 'outsiders' or developers? Was the murderer a local Nimby, or a builder, a councillor, developer os someone else? Enjoyable read.

[Charlotte Parkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best one so far, much more teeth to the plot and I didn’t guess who had done it!
Enjoying the development of the Mackie case as well

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'am still undecided 😕, because I live in Dorset I feel that I should read all in this series and I am. But at times I'm thinking why am I. Then I'll find the next one and I have to get it. No other Author has this effect on me?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been working my way through the series and enjoying them, but this latest one (The Monument Murders) has left me confused. Bella Phipps, the business partner of the victim was visited by DC Chiles at her home in London and described as a short, blond woman with cropped hair. When she was later visited by Lesley at her office Bella was described as a tall black woman. Unless the story carries on in the next book (and in each book there is usually a new victim unrelated to the previous one) or unless Bella is also connected to the recurring thread in the books, which seems unlikely, it doesn’t make any sense……

[Kim J · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's on a roll!

I'm really enjoying this series! I love the fact that the books are not all business. They get personal too! The author gives enough information to see inside the detectives personal lives. Must enough to know and feel their emotions. I think it helps.the reader become invested in those characters. It was a good plot, I again, had no clue! And the Ongoing plot behind the scenes is intriguing. Off to read number 5 in the series, and then I get to wait until April.for the next.installment! I really hate waiting!

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second biggest mystery here is why do I continue to read books from this series when they’re shoddily written and poorly plotted? However the biggest mystery concerns the minor character Bella Phipps who is described as short and blonde on pg 175 and then as tall and black when she reappears on pg 244. See what I mean about shoddy work?

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

A young black architect, responsible for a new development of luxury apartments overlooking the sea, is found murdered on top of Swanage’s Globe monument with a note saying "Go Home". Is the death race-related? Does the "Go Home" note refer to the fact that he is from London? Are the murderers Nimbys out to stop the development or members of the right-wing Wessex Defence League? Or could this be a more prosaic crime of passion related to his wife Sherry or his business partner Bella?

DCI Lesley Clarke must investigate as well as trying to progress her secret investigation into the alleged suicide of her predecessor DCI Mackie.

My reservations about this series continue. Whilst there is a lot of police procedural there doesn't seem to be uncovering of evidence that points to the guilty party, instead there are various clues and then a great leap where the murderer is identified and the motive is briefly given with no explanation of how it was deduced.

Also my initial suspicions about the person behind DCI Mackie's death, which I discounted after one of the more recent books, are now very much in the frame.

Overall, I am enjoying these books still, but they aren't the intellectual exercise that I was hoping for.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I'm a fan of Dorset Crime books I admit that I was disappointed this time. I've decided that I need a break from this series because it has begun to feel too repetitive. I noticed the same phrasing several places and the plot was getting tedious. In this one a body turns up on top of a monument and Lesley and the team investigate. The victim is Black so they begin with a belief that the murder might have been racially motivated. When another body appears on another monument it's clear that race is not the motivator. One of the things I disliked about this book was the snarky interactions between the characters. People seemed to be irrationally sensitive and exasperated with one another. Because the characters are the prime element I like in these book, them being nasty to one another did not draw me in.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great whodunit. The plot is rather dynamic, focussed on the actual case and a few sub plots that will probably continue through several more books of the series and don't take up much space in this title. The characters are great and have potential to develop much more, though there was not much going on in this title concerning character growth, which is fine, due to the well written story. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, but not enough to really bother me. As a reader you won’t get all information until very late in the plot, so it was not possible to solve the case, but you could make more or less qualified guesses, which was good enough for me. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was really well written and had its own kind of flow. It has page-turner qualities, and I will surely read the other books of this series.
5 out of 5 stars

[Nancy]

When a body is found draped over Swanage’s iconic Globe monument, DCI Lesley Clarke is called in. A message points to the motive: Go Home.

Is this a hate crime? Or something closer to home?

Lesley must find the killer before he or she strikes again, all while dealing with a mutiny in her team and political pressure from her boss.

At the same time, she’s becoming increasingly aware that her predecessor was involved with an organised crime gang, and that people close to her are covering it up.

Will Lesley come out of this case with her reputation, her team, and her career intact?

The Monument Murders is the fourth instalment in the bestselling Dorset Crime series, essential reading for everyone who loves Dorset… and gripping crime novels.

Good.

[Dave Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the Dorset Crime Series

The still loveing this series this latest instalment has familiar characters plus a new new one a profiler and obviously new suspects plus Dorsets very keen crime boss Kelvin Auther. We get to know more of Zoe DCI Lesleys's former colleague, the West Midlands. So there's a lot in this instalment, yet it can still be read as a standalone, but I'm enjoying it as a series (an advantage of Kindle Unlimited) ,

The drama builds, but fear not it still starts from the beginning, you don't have to wait till your ½ way through chapter 1 sets the scene when a new body is discovered. There is a lot more in-depth discovering of the team this time which I enjoyed so all in all another highly recommended read.

[Liz Krummell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank goodness Lesley is finally wearing pants. Never explained why Sherry was so distraught - more so than her husband dying. So there were 2 criminals on the board for the build - in a small town. Each book has 2 murders which seems unnecessary. It seems more and more like her boss is involved in Mackie's death. Are the police not going to make the call or check the security video to see if it really was the reporter who got on the plane. Is she going to keep dating Elsa - really does she not see a conflict of interest? Now everyone in Swanage knows Zoe is investigating.

[DAVID TEMPLAR TEMPLAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Thomas Hardy Country more dangerous than ever!!!

An enjoyable bedtime read. Delighted that a professional, experianced, lady detective is on the ball and hasn't got an ameture cook or bottle washer running rings round her. Love the human touches how she struggled to climb up to monument. Enjoyed the cumumdrum of relations with her solicitor lover ending with glass of wine before bed time despite what went on at Cop Shop. Will read next book and can't wait to find out how our heroine DCI defeats local gangster AK.

[Robert Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Lesley Clarke finds herself juggling two investigations in the fourth story in this enjoyable series set in Dorset. Thanks to a persistent and prying journalist, Lesley’s struggling to keep the lid on an investigation into the death of her predecessor.

Then there’s the man who was killed and hauled onto a local monument. While the victim is soon identified, his work with a controversial new development along the coast raises concerns about racism. Or is he simply an outsider who wasn’t liked? They’re complications Lesley could do without, particularly when progress is slow and your partner is the solicitor representing one of your prime suspects.

But just when it looks like a breakthrough is beyond the team, one of them spots something amiss and everything starts to fall into place for a breathless climax.

With lots of personal conflicts and complications to contend with, the backstory issues crackle along, threatening to derail the murder investigation. But it’s also these conflicts that bring the characters to life and make the story more enjoyable and compulsive.

While this story can be read as a standalone, you’ll enjoy the characters and books so much more if you start at the beginning of the series.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure how to categorize this series. It is definitely mystery…not quite a cozy mystery, although there are elements of cozy. Not quite a hard boiled detective…definitely not a thriller, although there can be suspense. I’m also not sure why I like them. I do love very short chapters, and I really like the protagonist. The author particularly shines in writing brief scenes that could easily have been edited out of the book, while the main scenes tend to be pretty clinical and boring. Well, whatever, I enjoy it well enough to keep reading them.

[Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A monumental read!

Really enjoyed catching up with the goings-on in Dorset.

The author maintains your interest with the normal issues within the MCIT, which appear to be developing! And she also adds new ingredients to the storyline, which should prove to be very tasty! The introduction of a cross-over character from her other book series is interesting!

A solid 4-star read.

Looking forward to reading number 5.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

A solid detective story with strong characters makes this book a fun read. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Also, there is an ongoing background mystery regarding the death of the previous DCI. It's starting go look increasingly sketchy and everyone may soon have to watch their backs with respect to a case that no one thinks is a case.

[R Bray · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many plot errors

So many glaring inconsistencies in the plot and the timelines. For instance Bella is either a short blonde lady or a tall black lady depending on which chapter you're reading. Phone calls are made in the evening but are answered in the morning.
Irreconcilable jumps in the timeline were annoying in Book 3 but I wanted to persevere with the characters so gave Book 4 a go. Very disappointed 😞

[Nicola Southall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series of books and it is getting better and better.

A body is found and Lesley and her team have to find out what’s happened.

With lots of twists and turns it left me guessing to the end.

Rachel is a clever writer as these books can be read easily as standalone however the way she links them back to previous stories is clever and I like this.

All the chapters are short making the book fast paced and gripping and easy to read.

5*

[Michael Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Dorset

This 4th Dorset crime novel surpassed the previous 3, in my opinion. Perhaps because the principal characters are becoming more real or perhaps because the plot is becoming more inventive and difficult to second guess. I’m looking forward to reading the next one and recommend this novel as a “can’t put down” read.

[Carol Beckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fast paced story

2 highly macabre murders disturb the quiet of Swanage where these things just don't happen! The story rattled along well interspersed with the ongoing investigation into Mackie's death. There is something not quite right with Lesley's boss. Dennis is still acting strangely. Cant wait for the next episode!

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finding this series really enjoyable - a writing style that i really like, quick to complete and enough of a plot to keep me interested to the end. The characters can be a bit tough going and unbelievable sometimes (that swear jar...) but overall a good read and an overarching story that will keep me reading the entire series.