In the Beginning

The Burnham Files #1

by P.F. Ford

A body. A suspect. A detective who won't stop digging.

It’s April 2005. When newly promoted Detective Sergeant Nolan Cormac discovers a woman's body in a darkened house, the evidence points clearly to one Jimmy Archer. Text messages, motive, opportunity—it's an open-and-shut case. At least, that's what DI "Sid" James wants to believe.

But Cormac isn't convinced.

As he digs deeper into the murder of Marie Simpson, nothing adds up. The text messages came from a phone that wasn't switched on. The forensics don't match. And the prime suspect has an alibi that nobody bothered to check.

Working against a superior officer with a personal vendetta and his own exhaustion after covering night shifts, Cormac must navigate office politics, questionable evidence, and his own inexperience to uncover the truth. Because in the quiet town of Windover, someone may have committed the perfect murder—and they're about to get away with it.

In the Beginning is the first in a series of crime thriller novellas featuring DS Nolan Cormac—a detective who will learn that understanding monsters comes at a terrible price.

Sometimes you catch the monster, but sometimes the monster catches you.

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2025

About the author

Having spent most of his life trying to be what everyone else wanted him to be, P.F. (Peter) Ford was a late starter when it came to writing. He had tried writing a novel many years ago (before the advent of self-publishing), only to be turned down by every publisher he approached. It was very much a case of being told by those around him, ‘now you know you can’t write, so get back to work!’

Even at an early age, Peter felt very much like the proverbial square peg being forced into a round hole. This resulted in the creation of a Grammar School drop-out who then drifted through a succession of unfulfilling jobs, finally ending up in a totally unsuitable role which eventually sapped his energy and self-confidence. There followed a brief foray into self-employment (not a good idea for someone lacking in self-confidence!) which ended in total financial melt-down, a mountain of debt, and a lapse into depression.

Faced with the fact that he’d never be happy as he was, Peter finally decided he had no intention of continuing that way, and things just had to change. This was achieved by closing the door on his old life and starting over. Fast forward a few years and you find a man transformed, his newly found positive attitude enabling him to find new partner (now wife), Mary, who shares his belief that dreamers should be encouraged and not denied.

He first wrote, (under the name Peter Ford), and self-published , several short books about the life changing benefits of positive thinking. Now, completely free of the hindrance of worrying about what other people think, he’s blissfully happy writing the D.S. Dave Slater mystery novels and what he calls the ‘digital fiction marmite’ (people tend to love it or hate it!) that is the Alfie Bowman Novella series.

Peter and Mary recently completed a shared dream when they married and moved to a beautiful region of Wales where they spend much of their spare time walking their three dogs, and relaxing and having fun with friends. They believe they are living proof that you should never give up on your dreams, because it’s never too late!

Reviews

[Roroblu'sMum · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* If you like Norman Norman from the Slater and Norman series, you'll like this.

I've bought and read this short series of 3 books in one go. Book 1 has some red herrings that made me wonder why a DI would act with such prejudice, and why he could get away with being an arse, but hey, it's set in 2005 and the Cormac character is a young DC, still learning the ropes and still a bit in awe of hierarchy.

The storyline is simple, stuff seems easy to debunk although I wonder if 2025 technology hasn't crept into the book a little. I'm pretty sure burner phones weren't as cheap or used as much 20 years ago. Pretty sure cctv wasn't as prevalent 20 years ago, or that the quality was that decent. Pretty sure that a DI bullying his subordinates, especially one who's on the radat of higher-ups wouldn't get away with it. Still, there's some potential to this series, and the DI seems to be less of an arse as the series goes on.

[J Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting start of a new character.
I make no bones about it, I'm a big fan of Peter Ford's writing, so I was very keen to read something with his new character Nolan Cormac. This introductory novella seemed an ideal starting point, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Here, Peter Ford brings new life to the well worn theme of a newish junior office up against his superior who is set in his ways who resents newer technology and ways of working.
I really did enjoy this novella and will now go straight into The Scarecrow which starts the new series.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Beginning grabbed me from the first line! DS Nolan Cormac is a compelling, determined detective, and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. The tension, plot twists, and well-crafted suspense make this a must-read for crime thriller fans. Can’t wait for the next in the series.

[Robert Polhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent first book and an easy read. I found the story line was good and it was interesting to see how the characters came together. I’ve ordered the next book as I’ve read others my this author and not been disappointed

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by P F Ford

I have read many books that PF Ford has written. Always a compelling story with great characters. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.

[pe allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story

I'm not the sort of reader who likes short stories. However, this really got me intrigued. Looking forward to reading the others in the series.