The Marsh: Cumbria Crime, Book 8

by Rachel McLean, Jan Cramer (Narrator), Joel Hames

An explosive conclusion to the gripping Cumbria Crime series

DI Zoe Finch has enough on her plate as the trial of her deadliest enemy gets underway.

But when a birdwatcher stumbles across a body in the shifting flatlands of the Solway coast, the evidence takes her team in some disturbing directions.

Has the victim fallen foul of the same organised criminals Zoe has spent the last two years trying to put behind bars? Or could there be a connection with the disappearance of a man from a local caravan park years earlier?

With shocking developments in court, unpredictable politics in the police and her relationship with DI Carl Whaley in uncertain territory, Zoe finds herself facing some of her biggest challenges yet, both personal and professional.

The Marsh is the eighth book in the gripping Cumbria Crime series, featuring DI Zoe Finch from the best-selling "Deadly" books.

Audible Audio

Published February 17, 2026

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.