Murder in Adland

DI Skelgill Investigates #1

by Bruce Beckham

When a high-flying ad agency boss is brutally murdered on a company weekend in the English Lake District, Detective Inspector Dan Skelgill finds himself wrenched from his rural Cumbrian comfort zone.

As the investigation unfolds, DI Skelgill is led a merry dance between London and Edinburgh, at every turn confronted by uncooperative suspects – colleagues, wife and lovers of the deceased – each of whom are possessed of motive and opportunity.

Was this a crime of passion, a professional hit, or a cleverly calculated killing borne of out greed and jealousy? In this traditional whodunit, the case can only be solved by carefully piecing together the essential clues – but Skelgill is running out of time. The patience of his superiors wears thin, while the actions of an anonymous agent provocateur serve only to advance the moment when the killer must strike again.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Procedural, Audiobook, Ebooks, Cozy Mystery

268 pages, ebook

First published October 18, 2012

About the author

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@live.com

To sign up for his monthly newsletter please click the website link above, or send a friend request or click 'follow' - to receive updates of free Kindle downloads and Goodreads giveaways.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

Detective Inspector Daniel Skelgill, and his partner Detective Seargeant Jones, are called in to investigate an incident at a swanky hotel.

The incident is a murder. The head of an advertising agency is killed in his bed and no one is charged with his murder. Though it appears that everyone is a suspect.

DI Skelgill and DS Jones are both hardworking and they put a lot of effort into finding the killer. But they are running out of time.

Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This police procedural opens with the discovery of a dead man at a posh resort in the Lake District in England. Daniel Skelgill, 37, Detective Inspector with the Cumbria CID(Criminal Investigation Dept.) is called to the scene, interrupting his favorite pastime, fishing on Bass Lake. He is partnered with Detective Sergeant Emma Jones, a 26 year old very attractive woman. DI Skelgill's regular partner is on leave, so he is is with DS Jones, who is eager and competent. The murdered man worked for an advertising agency with offices in London and Edinburgh. The book has them going back and forth to all 3 places tracking down suspects and clues.

I liked the camaraderie between Skelgill and Jones. The two make a very good team, as he is somewhat easily distracted, while she is focused. Skelgill eats a prodigious amount of food. But he is also a jogger and jogs up hills/mountains including "The Haystacks." "Skelgill is proficient at talking while eating--he claims it is an essential quality for efficiency in police work."

There are several suspects and Skelgill and Jones work effectively to find the killer. There is an attraction between the two which may develop in book 2. I would classify this as a cozy mystery as there is very little sex or violence. I plan to read more of this series. I purchased this book during an Amazon flash sale

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining police procedural set in England's Lake District with trips to London as DI Skelgill works with DS Emma Jones on a complicated murder case. So many elements I appreciate finding in a crime book such as this include ample descriptions of landscape, particularly in the Lake District where Skelgill loves to get away to fish, as well as convivial episodes spent with co-workers in the pub or on the cricket field.

Loved these featured characters and their working relationship and look forward to reading more of this series. There is a continual touch of humour running through the hard work they do trying to solve a high-profile murder and I always appreciate that.

Kindle Unlimited
Note: I was looking over content on goodreads and found back years ago I had thought this took place in Scotland rather than the Lake District so I took the chance to edit that misinformation!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book that introduces DI Skelgill and DS Jones.

The head of an advertising company is murdered at a corporate retreat, and Skelgill and Jones traipse all over Albion looking for clues and questioning people.

Pretty decent, you can see why it became a series.

[T.A. Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superior by virtue of its originality of characters, Edinburgh venue, and the feel for the environment. The clues were detailed and the suspects were many, so a real fan of armchair deduction would appreciate this.

I didn't know who did it but I sort of let it all be fuzzy while I enjoyed the journey.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery was my first introduction to author Bruce Beckham and his creation of Detective Inspector Daniel Skelgill. The reader's introduction to DI Skelgill is as a pike-angler out in the early dawn hours on Bassenthwaite Lake. Interrupted from his fishing delights he arrives at the scene of the crime to meet Detective Sergeant Emma Jones as Skelgills's usual DS is on annual leave. At first it seems questionable as to how this working relationship will blend and coordinate the needed activities of the murder investigation. However, the longer they work together traveling between London and Edinburgh the more delightful the repartee.

I enjoyed the mystery immensely with the crafting of multiple red herrings during the investigation. Many investigators seem to skip meals but Skelgill's appetite added to the fun descriptions. The fishing and birding descriptions provided a wonderful atmosphere for the setting and might even create interest for travel for those enjoying holidays with these opportunities.

I wouldn't hesitate to spend more time with DI Skelgill to see where the next investigation will take him. I also hope that his usual DS stays on annual leave for a while longer. I'm sure DS Jones would welcome the opportunity.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another series that I started in the middle and then returned to the beginning. These are stand alone so you really can dip in anywhere you want.

This is fun mystery about the head of an Ad agency who is murdered during a corporate retreat. It introduces DI Skelgill and his partners. It has them bouncing around the country from the Lakes to London to Edinburgh.

One really funny thing to look for is the name of the ad agencies one is TW&T in my previous review I praised it for being clean there was a funny bit where I thought Oh NO we're about to go dirty but it was a fake out and funny.
The mystery keep me guessing to the very end.

A bit of a deduction for an excessively long description regarding A Cricket match. Now I have watched Big bash Cricket so I wasn't completely lost BUT it was excessive kind of like the Golf bit in Goldfinger.

[John Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why don't we men listen?

My wife recommended this author quite a time ago and at regular intervals since but, as I always had other books or series on the go, it has taken until now to start his books.

I went into the book a bit blind and not knowing what to expect but within the first couple of chapters I felt at home in a welcoming style of narration. Was it because the setting in The Lake District was near where I had lived for almost 10 years, I dont think so. Neither do I think it was because unlike other fictional DIs I could identify with this one. Fishing, cricket and I could even understand the accent, even if the need for fell running is absent.

The storyline was easy enough to follow and the characters all came alive for me. I liked the gentle humour that came mainly from D I Skelgill but I have to ask myself would Advertising Companies so keen on their image really use their partners initials if it made the firms name WNKR or TW&TS ?

Most enjoyable and straight on to the next I think.

[Kay (Brigidsmomma) Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a really good start to a new series that i think I will enjoy. A British whodunit, Inspector Skelgill and his DS, Emma Jones are on the case of a man brutally murdered in his bed in a hotel where his company is having a get-together. There are lots of clues and a few red herrings to sort through, but with perseverance, and much thought, they get there in the end. Really good, and in classic whodunit form.

[Jen - Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Too full of fluff for me. The book itself was soooo long but almost half of it had mothing to do with the mystery - for example the author decided to write around 35 pages depicting a cricket match within the police department. Another 20 pages describing the main character's fishing trip (on more than one occasion) and 30 or so pages for some other useless event that had nothing to do with the mystery. It became quite tiresome. Won't be reading another book from this series.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

We get straight to the police case in this police procedural novel. Any detours from the case are less interesting to this reader. The central character, police inspector Skelgill, is a wonderful creation. I've read a later book, and I like how the author shaped him up later, making him less always the man-of-the-hour, as he is in this book.

The story has much humor, often in the witty banter between the police, and the author recreates various regional accents for the reader's entertainment. There is much local color, but many parts of the book might be too difficult for those unfamiliar with British lingo and culture. Not least of which is the use of single quotes in place of double quotes for dialog, and the drink-til-drunk culture that seems like rampant alcoholism.

Most of the characters are realistic, with the exception of a central character who, sadly, comes across as a caricature reminiscent of TV's Hyacinth Bucket, which is unfortunate, as is the ignorant representation of the character's weight problem. In fact, there is a strong underlying superficiality concerning people's appearances, that nags a bit on the decency level of the story.

The author uses the fashionable present tense expertly, with a narrative point of view that varies from 3rd person omniscient to the objective. He leads us along the police investigation, interviewing suspects, examining evidence, etc. from Penrith in the Lake District in Cumbria, to London and to Edinburgh. Each location is represented in detail, and from Skelgill's perspective.

I wasn't fond of the relationship built between the detective and his female subordinate, and thought is was very out of character for her, a high-flyer, Fast-Tracker. I can see that male readers might enjoy it more along with the other women who seem to fall before the hero's feet, a la Bond. And the two long sections on cricket and fishing might entertain those who share those hobbies, but they were gibberish to me.

I'll keep reading the series, which has a strong central character from a unique background, and a lovely setting in Cumbria, with lots of local flavor. I was a fan of the Dalziel stories, and I find the same appeal with this series.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. I was a little uncertain at first--I've read quite a few mysteries over the years, and this one starts off a touch on the generic side. Once I got to know Skelgill and Jones a bit, though, it started to get fun.

So Ivan Tregilgis is dead. He's the award winning creative person for an up-and-coming ad agency, all of them on retreat in the Lakes district. Inspector Skelgill is called away from an early morning's fishing to investigate. Naturally there are plenty of suspects. Nearly everyone seems to have a motive, and it's up to Skelgill to sift through the evidence and determine the truth. The climax of the book is a suspenseful race through the rain slicked streets of Edinburgh in an attempt to stop the killer from striking again ...

There's a strong sense of place in this book. The settings have a weight to them, a sense of observed detail that brings them to life. There's also a dry sense of humor throughout. The initials of the various ad agencies are clearly meant tongue in cheek, and the banter between the inspector and his colleagues is quite entertaining at times.

Although this book is a bit on the quiet side, it's quite fun and well worth the read. I enjoyed spending time with these characters, and, as this is the first of a series, I look forward to their future adventures.

[Karen Plummer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beckham excels at description, from the scenery of the Lake District to the solitude of fishing on the only real lake in the Lake District; from a chase scene to the streets of Edinburgh and finally to the streets to London -- all of which makes me want to give this book 4 stars instead of the 3 I gave it... the mystery itself was just all over the place. I couldn't figure out who did it which doesn't bother me too much but the investigation just seemed to go nowhere. Too many suspects, too many possibilities for motive, too many locations (from the Lake District to Scotland then to London), and yet no evidence to link anything together. The first half of the book was very frustrating to read for me, but the second half seemed to get moving in a more positive direction. Still, the solution to the case was both out of nowhere and not surprising, if that makes any sense. The murderer wasn't someone I suspected, but when revealed, I wasn't at all surprised at who it was or why it was done.

I'm going to try the next book in the series and hope for better. The first book in any series may not be as good as it could be because the author has to begin building the characters. Not that this is always the case, but some authors do take a while to settle into their stories.

[Dwayne Wojtowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first story that I read on my Kindle.

When Bruce Beckham offered me a link to his story, I accepted his offer. I just got done with reading a fact-based story and I needed something different. What I didn't realize what I was getting myself into was a story, that was based in England, with a twist, accents and a flair for murder.

I had a hard time at the beginning, but once I was able to understand the writing style of the author, the rest of the story was all down hill. A very well developed story along with its characters. Even the settings in which the two main characters travel to, are splendidly described. It felt like I was there with them.

The main story line is about a murder of an ad exec. Many suspects around. But it takes the skill of Inspector Daniel Skelgill and his partner, DS Jones, to solve this crime.

"Murder in Adland" is a story that will keep the reader yearning for more.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Detective Inspector Skelgill is a bit quirky with his fishing, cricket, and eating habits, but he is very likable and knows what he is doing. Looking forward to more books in the series.

[Neil Plakcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't much care about the murder victim, but Inspector Skelgill and his DS kept me reading-- I loved the way the author was able to get into both their heads without it seeming too obvious, and I was only lost during the chunk about cricket toward the end.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This brings to mind a Miss Marple offering from what I've seen on the TV, since I've never read an Agatha Christie. Perhaps what they call a cozy mystery with a cast of millions and one cop mostly investigating alone. I stuck with it till I reached 27% but a little way into it Amazon downloaded an update making all the fonts tiny and deleting all my notes and changing the hotel owner's name as well, just to confuse things !
I was pretty bored of reading all about Edinburgh and travelling every street with Skelgill and also having to know every single morsel that passes his lips at any given time. He doesn't stop eating for too long, either.
There were some missed speechmarks peppered here and there but I can't recall if there were other errors since my notes were wiped out. It was all a bit too cozy for my liking, though. As it states, it's a traditional whodunit so I think would appeal more to Christie fans. I prefer a bit more murderation myself.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series from a new author to me. DI Skelgill is based in Cumbria's lake district and is a keen fisherman. He finds himself paired with a bright young female Sergeant when a murder is committed at a local hotel where an advertising company is having a corporate event. Painstakingly the pair sift through the evidence and make enquiries locally, in London and Edinburgh. Eventually settling on the murderer.

A very good read, fast pace, and lots of clues that didn't seem to go anywhere but the twists led to an interesting book. 4 stars.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as I was travelling to Windermere from London and I had a lot of empathy for DI Skelgill who has to follow his case to London. The contrasts were ones I too was feeling. I did enjoy reading about the Lakes while staying there. Skelgill could begin to get on my nerves however. Surely no one eats THAT many bacon and egg rolls without it showing!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old read

Enjoyable mystery set in the Lake District, a good plot and surprise ending. Interesting characters and I am looking forward to the next in series

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the present tense, including a full blown narration of a cricket game [or is that match?] just because I guess, a book where the characters do more eating than any book [even cook books] I've ever read and a mystery that is solved, as far as I can tell, by divine intervention. Yet. I kinda like it er... liked it.

[Manander Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks a lot to Bruce the author for helping me get this book as give away.

The paper back cover is too good. When you take the book in your hand you definitely make a promise to yourself that you will read it. Same thing happened with me.

This murder mystery was quite enjoyable due to its lead characters and the somewhat old world feel of the narrative. The description of the lake district and the surrounding areas has made me want to visit the place, some day. The pace of the story was good enough for me. The process of actual detection of the murderer and the back story could have been a lot more detailed; the end felt rather rushed.

The story has much humor, often in the witty banter between the police, and the author recreates various regional accents for the reader's entertainment. There is much local color, but many parts of the book might be too difficult for those unfamiliar with British lingo (very difficult to understand ) and culture.

Love to read more in the series.

[Lydia Granda · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I found this book to be a typical, generic mystery type book, but once it started to progress I found myself really liking the main character Skelgill, I loved his manliness and pub visits, and fisherman stories. I must admit it was predictable that he would be attracted to D.S. Jones who is assigned to assist him in the investigation. I loved the dialects that are in the story, especially from the Midlands (I lived in Worcester when I was a child). I did find the way that D.S. Jones often calls him Gov quite unnecessary and repetitive and I don't know why another character had be named similarly with the initials D. S. it made it a bit confusing. If you like mysteries this book would be one to consider. It did keep me wondering who the killer actually was until the end, there were plenty of suspects with their various motives for the murder, I was surprised at who it turned out to be.
Thank you for the free copy Bruce.

[Argum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mystery is okay but couldn't redeem the prose. Inspector Skelgill is probably a bit of an old school cop not to keen on women officers at least the narration tells us (he doesn't actually act that way), but seems to be a bit of a womanizer (frequently seen to be staring up women's skirts). Heavy on written accents and very specific dialects. Makes it a slog for this American but given that they mention tiny dialect areas I think really for any reader. Entire chapters about cricket games (again entirely jibberish to this American) and fishing that serve no purpose at all. Really very much a sports write up no plot advancing or character development served by describing the minutia of the sport. Murder was okay but the plot moved so slow and characters were just blah.

[Louise Carlson Stowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Skelgill is the absolute die-hard fisherman in the District....that is until his morning ritual is disturbed by a murder to solve.

This time is it sex or is it money...or perhaps a little of both when a millionaire businessman is found dead in a hotel room by his wife and the black panties at the bottom of the bed aren't hers!

We have a possibly perturbed sacked employee, a wanna-be social climbing Financial Director and pretty young things all in a row at this fine establishment. Throw in some African relics, cheesecake, and kukri knives for spice and Inspector Skelgill and DS Jones have got a cracker to solve.

Great smooth read with action that keeps the tension going. Perfect for that late night or reading on the train. Tea and biscuits anyone?

[Marion S. Blackmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugly Baddies, Attractive Goodies

DI Skelgill is a Man's Man. He's a hero, a world class athlete, an expert fisherman, and suspicious of uppity women, until heavy flirtation with his bright and beautiful new sergeant.
There are some good descriptions of Edinburgh and some local lore, but the sexist aspects of Skelgill are hard to take, and the outcome of the story is no surprise. Just pay attention to the descriptions of the characters.

[alan steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

rather cliched plot with overuse of regional stereotypes. Characters were mostly 2-dimensional and there was far too much unnecessary detail on incidentals like cricket and fishing. I find it difficult to criticise someone for putting the effort in to write a book but I really would not want to see people wasting their money on this.

[S Geller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is written in the present tense which I found to be a distraction throughout and led to some clumsy prose. It also meant there was no real background to the protagonists. It was an OK plot. It was not engaging enough to make me want to read the series although, unfortunately. I bought the first two books together.

[Sisterburgess59gmail.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven

Very uneven. Too much fishing theory and the quasi-romance scenes were distracting. It slowed down the plot and
made it hard to finish. It is a good bedtime book since it is so slow.
When the plot finally began to move I'd lost the plot and couldn't remember who was who.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author writes this book in the present tense.

The reader suffers through brilliant phrases like: “In the confined space of the lift, Skelgill breathes through his nose”.

The reader regrets wasting so many minutes of her life on this novel.