Clara Seacroft
Author of The Karen McLaren Cosy Mystery Series
The Karen McLaren Cosy Mystery Series has a recurring set of characters. Find out about them here!
Karen McLaren
Karen moved to the Club Britannia retirement complex on Spain's Costa del Sol after divorcing her husband. Following a 30-year career teaching English Literature and Spanish, she relocated and opened the Sylvia Beach Bookshop (based on Shakespeare & Company in Paris). Due to a progressive hearing loss, she has a cochlear implant and is an expert lip-reader. She is the leading force behind the Jimi Hendrix Supper Club's investigative sleuthing. Her enormous pet cat is named Falstaff.
Beatrice Jackman
Beatrice works as Karen's assistant in the second-hand book trade and lives in the small apartment above the Sylvia Beach. By nature she's quite a private person, but she is an important part of the JHSC and often proffers insightful theories. When the bookshop first opened, it went through difficult times; it was largely due to Beatrice's online expertise that it survived. The organises various themed literary events.
Lady Annabelle Fitzwilliam
Lady Annabelle was raised in the lap of luxury. She and Lord Arthur married when they still held the status of aristocrats. The aristocrat has struggled with her straitened circumstances. When she first moved to Club Britannia, she spent much of her time organising events for her Ladies That Lunch champagne club. Now, though, she has turned her efforts to commerce. Along with Connie Norris, she runs Wine & Dandy.
Lord Arthur Fitzwilliam
Though he retained his title, Lord Arthur does so in name only. He grew up between family residences in a range of luxurious locales and then had a career in the military. He was on the verge of taking up his seat in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer, but then suffered his fall from grace. The exact circumstances still remain a mystery. Lord Arthur has adapted to his new life well; he runs an antiques shop in Castillo.
Craig Sinclair
Although his younger years were characterised by nefarious activities, since moving to Castillo, Craig Sinclair has gone 'straight.' A former art forger and casino manager, Sinclair now has gainful employment as a taxi driver. He runs his business from Club Britannia and much of his custom revolves around runs to Fuengirola and Malaga Airport. Though he only gambles rarely, he remains an expert card counter.
Roy Potter
Roy Potter worked for over three decades as an accountant for a variety of firms in the City of London. An extremely intelligent individual, he likes nothing more than to sink his teeth into the accounts of companies he believes have been operating illegally. It's a skill that the JHSC has made use of many times. He works regular shifts for Diana at The Milltown Diner to supplement his pension, and he enjoys making model railways.
Connie Norris
A later addition to the line-up of the Jimi Hendrix Supper Club, Connie actually moved to Club Britannia after being embroiled in a case that Karen was investigating. Having had her name cleared, she realised she liked Castillo so much, she decided to move there. It's a decision she's never regretted. Of late, she's gone into business alongside Lady Annabelle to run Wine & Dandy.
Cheryl Dunk
Cheryl is the no-nonsense manager of the Club Britannia complex. During the season, she is not only responsible for servicing the apartments, but she also runs holiday bookings. Having dealings with all and sundry means that she is perfectly placed to listen to gossip around the resort. A formidable figure, she doesn't suffer fools gladly, and is happy to stand up to anyone who threatens her friends.
Jolanta
Cheryl's cleaning assistant is a Castillo resident. Both she and Karen are fluent in Spanish and so serve as an important bridge between the expat world of the Club Britannia complex and the Spanish-speaking world of Castillo itself. Though she presents as quiet, she is shrewd and courageous, and has used her local knowledge to assist the JHSC in uncovering the misdeeds of a range of suspects.
Mantero Pérez
When his predecessor retired, Police HQ in Fuengirola were not keen on maintaining the position. In short, Castillo and Club Britannia were so devoid of crime, nobody wanted the posting. Owing to his haplessness (and his English fluency), Pérez was given the job. Ironically, with the JHSC's help in investigating cases, he now has some of the finest crime solving figures in the whole of the country!
Comisario Hernandez
When Karen first arrived in Castillo and discovered her penchant for sleuthing, she and Hernandez locked horns. The Comisario believed that investigation was a police matter, and derided Karen and the JHSC as a group of 'amateur Miss Marples.' Since seeing their success in solving crimes, his attitude has thawed a little, but the alliance between him and Karen's eccentric organisation remains a little uneasy.
Amy Striker
As proprietor of Club Britannia's tanning salon, Amy is someone who endlessly confuses Karen. After all, why - when there is a giant orb in the sky which bronzes people for free - would anyone need a simulated version? They clearly do, though. Amy has become something of a fitness devotee; she started out with Tai Chi under Karen's instruction, but has since moved onto gym work and marathon training.
Lexi Deville
Lexi and her husband ran a high-end hairdressing salon on Floral Street in London's Covent Garden for many years. Following their split, Lexi intended to open a new business in the same locale. However, following a holiday visit, she chose to relocate to Castillo. She began her new life by styling the hair of the last remnants of the Costa del Crime - including Club Britannia's oldest resident, Barbara Starr. She now runs a salon in Spain.
Carlos Zaragoza
An extremely refined and cultured gentleman, the dapperly-dressed Carols Zaragoza is a second-hand book dealer. As such, he is a regular visitor to the Sylvia Beach and he and Karen are firm friends. His bibliophile Holy Grail is an original copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (complete with dust jacket). A sometime member of the JHSC, he often has local knowledge to impart which aids investigations.