Mark Hayden's Books

Start with The 13th Witch, book one of The King’s Watch, where Conrad Clarke joins the world of magick…

Did you know the Gods can use mobile phones?

They can, and Odin has a message for Conrad…

Conrad Clarke, former RAF pilot and alleged gangster gets a text – and a visit – from The Allfather. Odin has a challenge for Conrad: sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch.

All he has to do is find a missing witch. Simple.

Explore The King's Watch series so far...

Explore more of Mark Hayden's books

Short stories from The King's Watch...

The Operation Jigsaw Series

Once Upon a Time…

My first three published novels, the Operation Jigsaw Trilogy, feature both Tom and Conrad. They are slightly more thriller-oriented than crime, and are definitely not fantasy!

You don’t need to read these books to enjoy either A Serpent in Paradise or The Thirteenth Witch. They’re available at a reduced price on Amazon. Hover over the covers to find out more.

A Piece of Blue Sky, the 13th Witch, Discover the Books of Mark Hayden

A Piece of Blue Sky

A Piece of Blue Sky

The first part of the Operation Jigsaw Trilogy.

A tragic accident and a suspicious transaction: two small pieces of a deadly jigsaw.

DS Tom Morton and his cousin, Captain Kate Lonsdale, are each given one small piece...
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Green for danger, Mark Hayden

Green For Danger

Green for Danger

Part Two of the Operation Jigsaw trilogy.

After the shocking climax to A Piece of Blue Sky, the action moves to the small town of Earlsbury in the Midlands.

Patrick Lynch, captain of the golf club and pillar of the Irish Catholic community, is made an offer he can’t refuse: take on the distribution of large quantities of counterfeit cash.
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In The Red Corner Cover

In the Red Corner

In the Red Corner

Volume III of the Operation Jigsaw Trilogy.

Following straight on from the climax of Volume II, the characters in this final book return to England where their separate actions lead to a shocking climax on Morecambe Bay.

In Earlsbury, the search is on for the senior police officer who was pulling the strings when DS Griffin was murdered, and Patrick Lynch receives an unwelcome visitor.
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The DCI Morton Series

Diffident and always feeling guilty about something, Tom Morton knows that he is a detective with something to prove. His promotion to DCI came with a price — he has to go where he’s sent and make the best of  a bad job.

These are Tom’s first solo cases. Hover over the covers for more details.

the 13th Witch, Discover the Books of Mark Hayden, A Serpent in Paradise

A Serpent in Paradise

A Serpent in Paradise

Tom is sent to the exclusive gated community of 7Bridge in Cheshire to keep the peace and soon finds himself battling to keep an innocent man out of jail when everyone else would rather lock the door and throw away the key...
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Book Cover: Another Place to Die

ANOTHER PLACE TO DIE

Another Place to Die

When an alleged gangster is murdered in Southport, Tom is sent to solve a crime that no one cares about with a team of misfits that no one wants.

The new adventure, The End of Duty will be published shortly.
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Mark Hayden's Books in Reading Order

The best place to start! The Stories (novellas) do not contain any major plot elements, but they do have a lot more to say about some of the characters and background. This is the best order to read them:

  • The 13th Witch
  • The Twelve Dragons of Albion
  • The 11th Hour
  • Tenfold
  • Phantom Stag (1st Story – Vicky)
  • Nine of Wands
  • Wings over Water (2nd Story – Conrad)
  • Eight Kings
  • Ring of Troth (3rd Story – Mina)
  • The 7th Star
  • French Leave (4th Story – Vicky)
  • Six Furlongs
  • Fire Games (5th Story – Vicky)
  • Marshlight (6th Story – Karina Kent, written by Lucy Campbell)
  • Five Leaf Clover
  • Arrow in the Dark (7th Story – Karina Kent by Lucy Campbell)
  • Four Roads Cross
  • Third Eye
  • Three Ring Circus

These three novels form one continuous ‘origin’ story for Conrad, Mina and Tom Morton. They are thrillers and were published before the King’s Watch. Most readers who have started with King’s Watch and who have gone on to enjoy Operation Jigsaw have recommended reading them either just before or just after Eight Kings.

The Jigsaw books:

  • A Piece of Blue Sky
  • Green for Danger
  • In the Red Corner

In the world of the King’s Watch, Tom Morton makes an appearance in 7th Star. The two Tom Morton novels take place after the Operation Jigsaw stories, so readers have recommended that if you’re up for non-magickal crime you might enjoy the Tom Morton books before 7th Star. However, you don’t need to read any of these books to appreciate the contribution that Tom makes to Conrad’s world.

  • A Serpent In Paradise
  • Another Place to Die