DOUBLE JEOPARDY

A body is found in the nave of Leicester Cathedral. For Detective Sergeant Lounds, the case begins as a single murder and rapidly spirals into something far more sinister.

The dead man is an identical twin. His brother has vanished. As the investigation unfolds, a web of fraud, secret affairs, and corruption tightens around a growing list of suspects, each with something to hide.

When a key suspect is suddenly found dead in suspicious circumstances, the investigation takes a dangerous turn and the focus shifts closer to the team than anyone is prepared for. Trust fractures. Fear spreads. And the killer’s reach feels uncomfortably near.

At the same time, DS Lounds is being watched. A stalker from her past has resurfaced, testing her resolve and threatening to dismantle the careful control she keeps over her life and her work. With pressure building on all sides, she is running out of places to hide.

Two brothers. Two deaths. A detective with everything to lose. When the past and the present collide, how far will the killer go to keep the truth buried?

The author has worked within the criminal justice system for their entire professional life, including roles as a lawyer, Crown Court clerk, and police officer. Writing crime fiction was a natural choice—both the genre they know best and the one they most enjoy reading.

Influenced by authors such as Angela Marsons, Faith Martin, Leigh Russell, and Kate Ellis, the author set out to write crime novels that feel as true to life as possible. To reflect real policing structures, the lead character, DS Lounds, is written as a Detective Sergeant rather than the more commonly used Inspector—a deliberate choice to maintain authenticity.

The author thoroughly enjoyed writing the first book and learned a great deal from the process, lessons that are already shaping the second installment currently in progress.

When not working or writing, the author enjoys live music, comedy gigs, cooking, spending time with others—and their cat.

The novels are set in Leicestershire, where the author has lived all their life, allowing locations, routes, and settings to be described with accuracy and realism.

• Title: Double Jeopardy
• Author: Marie Goodacre
• Format: Hardcover
• Release date: 28 Nov 2025
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G4PDCMD3