An evening with author Joel Hames

Meet Lancashire author Joel Hames as he introduces us to his latest books, The Boatyard and The Viewpoint.

Joel's crime fiction includes the Dead North series, starring lawyer Sam Williams, and psychological thriller The Lies I Tell. His Cumbria Crime collaboration with award-winning author Rachel McLean concluded with its eighth book in February 2026. It is set predominantly in western Cumbria. 

Tickets include a welcome drink. Book and ticket options are also available.

About The Boatyard:

DS Denise Gaskill is happiest tracking down corrupt cops, not being forced to visit the psychiatrist. She’s getting little sympathy from her boss, DI Carl Whaley, who has problems of his own. And DC Harriett Barnes has a difficult new colleague to handle. Even without investigating police corruption, there’s more than enough to keep Cumbria’s Professional Standards Division busy.

But when a man is found murdered in a Windermere boatyard, it becomes clear that the investigating team have secrets of their own, and with Carl’s team taking over, the case threatens to spiral out of control. Who is the dead man? Why was the emergency call that might have saved him ignored? And is there a connection with the death of a local police officer?

As the investigation takes twist after dangerous twist, working out who they can trust and who’s manipulating them has never been more important. With the pressure mounting, can Carl and the team find a way through the lies before anyone else winds up dead.

About The Viewpoint:

Months after the traumatic events of The Boatyard, the PSD team is beginning to settle down – on the surface, at least.

DI Carl Whaley’s moved into a new flat, with paper-thin walls and miserable neighbours. DS Denise Gaskill seems comparatively untroubled, but that’s only because no one knows about her painkiller addiction. DC Harriett Barnes has become obsessed with unlocking the identity of the so-called Skeleton Key. And the newest member of the team, DC Lynn Hedley, has ended her marriage and started a new job in the space of a few short weeks.

The last thing they need is a complicated new case. And the murder of a known criminal found shot to death in a beauty spot by the Kirkstone Pass looks like the sort of gangland killing that wouldn’t normally involve PSD.

But when one of the investigating officers is attacked and crucial evidence goes missing, Carl and the team are dragged into the heart of the mystery. Why was the dead man targeted? What secrets was he planning to spill? And is there a connection with a recent spate of vigilante attacks?

As the investigation takes the team in unexpected directions, sorting truth from lies becomes a matter of life and death. And with the shadow of recent events haunting their every move, can they unmask the killer before more people die?