Chrome, Clues & Catastrophes
Paperback
Series: Ascombe Classic Cars Cosy Mystery, Book 4
Publisher: Reading Lamp
Published: Feb 26 2026
Pages: 484
Weight: 1.41
Height: 1.08 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
A vanished prototype. A fractured family. A legacy engineered for murder.
The Ashcombe duo are back - and this time the danger comes with chrome trim.
When Billy and Ollie Ashcombe receive an unexpected delivery - a mysterious stopwatch linked to a long-forgotten automotive project - they're pulled into the troubled world of the Rennicks, a once-prestigious engineering dynasty teetering on the edge of collapse. Their late patriarch, Lionel Rennick, was obsessed with perfecting the Shadow Car, a prototype whispered about in motoring circles and feared by those who knew the truth: it was beautiful, groundbreaking... and fatally flawed.
What begins as a favour turns into a full-throttle investigation when old blueprints surface, a critical heir vanishes, and someone starts using the Shadow Car's deadly design as inspiration for murder. With sabotage, family feuds, and long-buried frauds rising to the surface, Billy and Ollie must navigate an increasingly dangerous trail of lies - all while avoiding the killer who would very much like to keep the Rennick secrets buried.
From derelict workshops to midnight chases on forgotten roads, Chrome, Clues & Catastrophes delivers high-octane cosy mystery with humour, heart, and just enough grease under the fingernails.
Because at Ashcombe Motors, fixing cars is easy - it's the murder attempts that take longer.
