Motte & Bailey Mysteries
Where ancient history meets modern crime in the atmospheric countryside of Kent, England
British Police Procedural Meets Archaeology
Set in the villages and ancient landscapes of Kent, England, the Motte & Bailey Mysteries follow Detective Constables Gordon Motte and Zara Bailey — equal partners, equal rank — as the secrets buried in old earth collide with the crimes of the present day.
DC Gordon Motte has spent twenty-five years in Kent, a Canadian who came to England and never left. He knows every farmer, every footpath, and every face in Hazelden. He works alone. He always has.
DC Zara Bailey is a Direct Entry detective exiled from Canterbury CID for the crime of being right. She has three months to serve in this village before she can go back to the city. She is not here to make friends.
Atmospheric and character-driven, in the tradition of Elly Griffiths and Louise Penny, each mystery weaves together the violence hidden in ancient ground with the quiet complexities of contemporary rural life. From Roman cavalry burials to mosaic floors beneath a Kent field, the past has a way of making itself known — and so do the people who would rather it didn't.
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Current Chapters
New chapters published every Tuesday and Thursday on Patreon
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Prologue: "Early Days & Old Bones"
Published: February 3, 2026Preview Available -
Chapter 1: "New Partnership"
Published: February 3, 2026Preview Available -
Chapter 2: "The Dig Site"
Published: February 3, 2026Preview Available -
Chapter 3: "The Chase"
Published: February 3, 2026Preview Available -
Chapter 4: "Deeper Investigations"
Coming: April 2026Serial Launch
Join the Investigation
Follow Gordon and Zara as they uncover the truth behind mysteries both ancient and modern. Reader discussions and feedback help shape the direction of each case.
Patreon Tiers: $5 for early chapter access • $8 for bonus content & character insights • $10 for plot input & behind-the-scenes access
The World of Motte & Bailey
From the chalk downs of the North Downs Way to the medieval streets of Canterbury, each investigation takes our detectives through landscapes where Romans once walked and Norman lords built their strongholds.
The series explores how past and present intertwine, where a medieval motte and bailey fortification might hold clues to a modern murder, and where archaeological methods become investigative tools.
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