The Clock Tower Murders

by Dawn Brookes

A Body at Dawn. Three Clues. One City on Edge.Three women, three faces of the clock, and a city unravelling at the seams.

Step into the shadows of Leicester with The Clock Tower Murders, where a private investigator, his loyal canine companion, a grieving detective, and a wounded police officer must unravel a deadly conspiracy. Carlos Jacobi’s life is upended by the case where the latest victim is a city councillor and opponent of organised crime. As Detective Inspector Fiona Cook is reeling from personal loss and a bungled investigation, she turns to private when she turns Carlos for help.

Together, they uncover a chilling three women, three of the four faces of clock tower, each death masked by orchestrated riots and sabotaged cameras.

With the city’s underworld tightening its grip and trusted allies turning traitor, Carlos and Fiona must race
to stop a fourth murder. Every step draws them deeper into a web of sex trafficking, political vendettas, and police corruption. The next betrayal could cost them everything. In a city on the brink, justice is a dangerous pursuit.


What happens when the city’s most iconic landmark becomes the scene of a chilling pattern of murders? The Clock Tower Murders delivers a pulse-pounding ride through riots, corruption, and betrayal.

Perfect for readers who crave gritty crime, political intrigue, and characters who risk everything for justice.

Can Carlos and Fiona stop a killer before the clock strikes again?

If you love crime fiction with a razor-sharp edge, The Clock Tower Murders is your next obsession. Dive into a city on the brink, where every ally could be a traitor and every clue leads deeper into danger.

278 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2026

About the author

Dawn Brookes is an award winning cosy mystery and crime writer who also writes memoirs and children's books.
She has an MA in Creative Writing with Distinction.

Dawn writes most days and publishes regularly, to keep up to date visit her website.

Rachel Prince Mysteries:

#1 A Cruise to Murder set during a Mediterranean cruise
#2 Deadly Cruise set during a transatlantic crossing to New York.
#3 Killer Cruise set during a Baltic cruise.
#4 Dying to Cruise set during a cruise around Australia and New Zealand.
#5 A Christmas Cruise Murder set on a Canary Island cruise.
#6 Murderous Cruise Habit set on a Caribbean cruise.
#7 Honeymoon Cruise Murder set on a Mediterranean cruise.
#8 A Murder Mystery Cruise set on a cruise to the Norwegian Ffords.
#9 Hazardous Cruise set on a Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise.
#10 Captain's Dinner Cruise Murder
#11 Corporate Cruise Murder set in India.
#12 Treacherous Cruise Flirtation set in Hawaii.
#13 Toxic Cruise Cocktail set on a SE Asia cruise.
#14 Cruise into Darkness

The Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries

#Prequel Novella Death of a Blogger
#1 Murder at the Opera House
#2 Murder in the Highlands
#3 Murder at the Christmas Market
#4 Murder at a Wimbledon Mansion
#5 Murder in a Care Home
#6 Murder at the Regatta
#7 Murder on a Bus Tour

Carlos Jacobi PI

#1 Body in the Woods Award winning novel.
#2 The Bradgate Park Murders
#3 The Museum Murders

Nursing Memoirs

#1 Hurry up Nurse: memoirs of nurse training in the 1970s

#2 Hurry up Nurse 2: London calling
#3 Hurry up Nurse 3: More adventures in the life of a student nurse

Books are available in paperback, hardback, large print, kindle ebook, and audiobook.

Dawn grew up in Leicester, England and trained as a nurse. She later moved to London to undertake further training in the East End. Dawn worked in the NHS in England for the best part of thirty-nine years and during that time gained a wide range of experience as well as academic and professional qualifications. She also holds an MA in Creative Writing.

Dawn's website can be found at: https://www.dawnbrookespublishing.com

Children's Books

Dawn has written a number of children's books including:

Suki Seal and the Plastic Ring

Gerry the One-Eared Cat

Danny the Caterpillar

Ava & Oliver's Bonfire Night Adventure

Ava & Oliver's Christmas Nativity Adventure

Jesus Feeds a Big Crowd

Jesus Heals a Man on a Stretcher

Dawn founded a literature festival in her locality which aims to engage readers and authors with all things literature.

Reviews

[Kevin Cannon (Monty's Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. An excellent plot and some great characters that grab your attention and whisk you along for an exciting murder mystery ride

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us were introduced to Dawn Brookes' novels via her Rachel Prince series of cruise ship mysteries, but her two spinoff series (the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe books and the Carlos Jacobi books) are mostly set firmly on land. For readers unfamiliar with Carlos, he's Rachel's husband and runs a private detective agency in Leicester, where he (along with his gorgeous springer spaniel, Lady) sometimes consults on Detective Inspector Fiona Good's more tricky cases.

And the Clock Tower murders are certainly tricky. Bodies of young women are showing up at intervals at the base of Leicester's famous clock tower, and the police are struggling to make sense of it. There are signs that the case might be tied in with a dangerous criminal whose nefarious activities have provided a throughline for this series of books, and that there might be police involvement in the latest crime, leaving Fiona uncertain about which of her colleagues she can trust.

As Carlos and Fiona investigate and start to make sense of the clues, they find themselves facing danger as the perpetrator sends underlings to warn them off. Of course they carry on anyway, but between witnesses lying to them, a colleague so spooked that he flees the country, friends who may not really be friends, and the case developing unexpected layers of complexity, the going isn't easy. By the time they finally figure out what was going on and who was responsible, they end up solving more than one mystery.

This book has plenty of action as well as the police procedural side, and it'll keep readers guessing as the case expands in scope and more people are dragged in. Certainly one to read and enjoy!

[Ashli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos Jacobi is back on the case in a dark, gritty, and deeply atmospheric mystery set in the shadows of Leicester. Murder, scandal, and political corruption collide as hidden agendas come to light, drawing you into a captivating race against time. With orchestrated riots, sabotaged investigations, and shifting loyalties at every turn, the story keeps you questioning every motive until the very end.

[Anne Tompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn brought another Carlos story to life. Carlos is appoached by DCI Fiona to help with some suspicious murders. She thinks there arch nemesis is back. Can they figure it out? Read to find out.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos Jacobi is a darker series than either of Dawn's other two best selling series, Rachel Prince and Lady Marjorie. In this book, Carlos teams up with his friend DI Fiona Cook, to track down the reasons for random violence, robberies and the deaths of 3 women.