Chrome, Clues & Catastrophes

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.