Major Weller plays bridge and plays it very well. He isn't a major, and his name isn't Weller, but Hooky Hefferman doesn't know this. In fact, so impressed is he with the self-possessed major that he is completely unaware of the crime being committed under his nose. The potential victim is Hooky's formidable aunt, the Hon. Mrs Page-Foley, but she doesn't seem to be the 'victim' type, and from most people's point of view, including Hooky's, she appears more than capable of looking after herself. But the crime goes wrong, and Hooky soon finds himself in the midst of an impending disaster. A disaster he must prevent if anyone - including his aunt and his latest love interest - is to take him seriously as a private detective again.
Hooky Hefferman, private detective, is, as they say in the theatrical profession, 'resting'. So when the thin little man in the shabby blue suit calls to ask for professional advice, though he looks by no means promising as a provider of much-needed funds, Hooky is at least prepared to listen - and finds his interest at once held. Edward Rider wants to stay alive until the following Friday, and asks Hooky to help him achieve this modest ambition. On that day, he is anxious to meet a certain person arriving from Berlin, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that someone is determined to prevent this.
A man's journey intertwined with contemplation of his father's life and their relationship. From the Back Cover HIGHEST PRAISE FOR The Little Man By ANDY LITTLETON "This is indeed the story of a 'little' man. But it is far more than that. It's the story of the son of a 'little' man sorting out what truly matters in his life. It is as much Andy's story as his father's. Throughout the beautiful and gentle weaving of this tribute you will meet many obscure 'little' people whose lives richly matter. You will visit back roads and hidden away places few ever see or know. You will walk away from the book with your own haunting longing to see the world as small, quiet, and full of grace. --Rod Hugen Pastor at The Village Community in Tucson "The Little Man" presents a man whose simple life is a pleasant contrast to the models of manhood and fatherhood usually presented to us today. Leroy, was a down to earth man who achieved what every father desires - the admiration of his son. This story gives fathers an oportunity to reflect on the way their life teaches their kids. For children it reminds us to celebrate and enjoy quiet lessons taught to us over a lifetime." --Jesse Wood Pastor of Naco Christian Church & Founder of Cafe Cultiva "It's rare to get a peak inside the head of the quiet, of the unassuming and the overlooked. "The Little Man" does much to bring out beauty in small places, wonder and grace in the dusty, quiet in-betweens of open spaces and the people that fill it. The story is told through a tender relationship of son to father, which makes the usually unspeakable all the more heartfelt." --Amy Smith Owner / Manager - Exo Roast Co.
When Bunny, disguised as Major Beresford, fails to con a lady out of £500, his partner and bedmate becomes extremely discontented. Dolly was after a bigger game, and she sets out to enliven their partnership with a far more ambitious plan. She is going to use her feminine wiles to persuade a young peer to cough up £20,000 of investment in a non-existent company. For the extortion to happen Bunny and Dolly have to separate. But the separation has unforeseen consequences, and soon it's apparent that the master plan is doomed to go hopelessly awry. 'His best yet' The Times 'Well written, thoroughly enjoyable' Sunday Telegraph
Hooky Hefferman, amiable old Etonian, womaniser, layabout and occasional private eye is despatched by his formidable aunt to discover what a not-so-young woman, Monica, in Buckingham has been up to. When Hooky arrives at Cropover Farm he finds eccentrics are three-a-penny, including Monica herself. Then there's Jill Dawson, a woman on a quest for money. This young gold-digger is using her sexual magnetism to gain some. And when a violent death occurs and money goes missing, Hooky is on the case.
The man in the dock up on an arson charge considers that Sebastian Wrighton, who owned the building, is responsible for his daughter committing suicide. What he's done, he says, is an act of justice. Sebastian next turns up as an antiques dealer in the Cotswold village of Bardbury. Once again he has a young woman in tow and therefore (some think) in danger. Spurred on by his terrifying aunt, Hooky Hefferman finds himself in Bardbury too, and soon he is investigating another case of arson ...
Stella Brendan was accustomed to a comfortable unearned income and she was fifty-two years old when it vanished. How could she survive? She could survive by marrying Sir Loder Cholerton, tycoon and ageing bachelor. But Stella has skeletons in her past, skeletons that would not appeal to Sir Loder should they come out. When that threat occurs Stella calls Hooky Hefferman, who finds himself trying to protect Stella's interests. Then there's a murder. A man has been shot and there are several people who could have fired the fatal bullet ... 'Thoroughly civilised writing, managing to up-date the easy, humorous, engaging mood of pre-war days, floods this pleasant country house mystery with a sunny glow' Glasgow Herald
When Lady Darley asks for Hooky Hefferman's help, he wonders what sort of trouble she can be in. She doesn't look the sort to have a very grisly skeleton in her cupboard, but you never can tell ... Hooky's insatiable curiosity is soon aroused by her story, and he is easily persuaded to go down to Monkhamblin Hall, the old family mansion. Once there, a corpse and the odd behaviour of the present owner are quite enough to keep his famous nose glued to the trail.
Diana Gael, aged twenty-two, is the youngest cub reporter on the Barling Gazette. She's met Hooky Hefferman previously at a cricket match, so when she comes to Sayle Place she is able to recommend him as a player in the village's annual cricket game. The squire of Sayle - Sir Colyn Collingford - is a miser and an unscrupulous womaniser. On the day of the great match Hooky's dual role is to make runs for the squire's team and guard the treasures of Sayle against burglars. Soon, though, Hooky has far more than would-be burglars on his hands ...
Hooky arrives in the Sussex village of Sweeting by accident, the consequence of winning a bizarre bet and being nearly killed by a speeding limousine. Herbert Aston arrives there on purpose and in disguise, seeking revenge for a wrong done years ago to his dead brother - a wrong that has led indirectly to the suicide of Herbert's young niece. The ruthless tycoon who had made himself squire of Sweeting village soon becomes the quarry they are both looking for. Others have been looking for him too, and someone's killed him. And now it's up to Hooky to solve the crime. 'Booze, gusto and humour again as the roguish adventurer Hooky Hefferman wins a bet and stumbles across murder' Yorkshire Post
