Historical Detective

Murder is never pretty In the vibrant chaos of French Quarter Fest in Orleans, P.I. Wyatt Thomas faces a daunting task—recovering a stolen treasure that transcends the boundaries of mere literature. The missing item is no ordinary book; it’s the priceless first edition of Mosquitos, William Faulkner’s legendary tale of New Orleans dynasties. As Wyatt delves into the underbelly of the city’s secrets, he discovers that a powerful patriarch from the Garden District is willing to pay a staggering million dollars for its return. The question looms: What dark revelations lie within the ...

Monsters create monsters; Frank kept telling himself. Since his father was killed by a serial killer when he was only fourteen, Frank was on the path of becoming a monster himself. Then, on Easter Sunday of 2019, less than two years after The Schuylkiller wreaked havoc on the City of Philadelphia, a new killer reared his head and began his own reign of terror. When Frank settles into a quiet life with his former partner, Penny, and their infant daughter, he is pulled out of retirement and must go it alone if he’s to save his family and his soul. What Frank discovers next will have him ...

In this sci-fi thriller short story, L.A.'s hard-boiled, World War II-era private detective Geno Richter faces down a new paranormal Nazi enemy, one that he must stop before it can deal a deadly blow to the American war effort. After narrowly surviving a fight with a vicious Nazi thug, Geno Richter soon learns he's on the trail of a dangerous, racist-inspired assassination plot. But then the mystery deepens as Richter encounters a Nazi agent whose evil talents are unlike anything he has ever seen or imagined. In addition to his tough, no-nonsense approach, Richter has a few tricks of his ...

Returning home from a luncheon, Hercule Poirot is met at his door by an imperious woman who introduces herself as Sylvia Rule. "How dare you? How dare you send me such a letter?" Ignoring his denials, Mrs. Rule insists she received a missive claiming he had proof she murdered a man named Barnabas Pandy and advising her to confess her crime to the police. Threatening the perplexed Poirot with a lawsuit, she leaves in a huff.

"The combination of devious plotting with religious reflection and self-deprecating wit is unique in today's cozy field, and it's one that deserves plenty of plaudits." Criminal Element on the Max Tudor series A Murder at Morehead Mews is a novella starring Magdalene Duchateau, an amateur sleuth at large in between-the-wars London - although Magdalene would bristle at the suggestion she is an amateur. The story appeared originally in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and was nominated for a 2020 Derringer Award. It was also shortlisted for the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Award.

Some say vampires came to America through New Orleans. Many believe they are still there. When French Quarter private investigator Wyatt Thomas is hired by the Greater Archdiocese of New Orleans to investigate a possible satanic ceremony that may have occurred at the Old Ursuline Convent, he soon learns that more is involved than Satan, The platform where the ceremony allegedly occurred is possibly a satanic altar placed in the convent by a secret society for the specific purpose of devil worship. The Order of the Blood, an offshoot of Freemasonry, has a centuries-old secret guarded by ...

Paranormal investigator Wyatt Thomas treks into the dangerous Honey Island Swamp in search of a forbidden convent where all the sisters are vampires When French Quarter detective Wyatt Thomas is awakened from a dark dream by his cat Kisses, he witnesses an eerie funeral procession from the balcony of his Chartres Street apartment. Riding in the limousine ahead of a hearse is his former lover, Desire Vallee - the first time he’s seen her since she became a nun and entered a convent. Desire’s skin is ashen, her once dark hair now ghostly white. He's left with a single clue. Is Desire in ...

In 1870s London, Scotland Yard’s famous Detective Department is still in its infancy. Surrounded on all sides by critics and detractors, it has yet to earn its reputation. Lord Riley Rochester, younger son of a marquess, works as one of its first detective inspectors—but his uniformed colleagues view him with suspicion and his immediate superior resents all he stands for. With his career choice frowned upon by his own social class, Riley has his work cut out proving himself. Attacked on all sides, Riley’s only respite comes in the form of attractive widow, Amelia Cosgrove, and his ...

"Murder Mountain" takes readers on a journey to the deadly and beautiful landscape of 1886 New Mexico, where troubles are always looming. Oliver Redcastle, a sharpshooter and ex-Pinkerton detective, seeks a quiet life on a sheep ranch with a mountain view, hoping to leave his violent past behind and provide a healthy environment for his asthmatic daughter. However, his fickle lady love, Marietta Dumont, joins him, and their problems begin. As the winter turns brutal, and a vicious viscount and two kidnapped twins enter the picture, Marietta's discontent grows, and she longs for the ...

World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue.

This latest novel in the Bangalore Detectives Club mystery series takes the listener deep into the historical era surrounding the visit by Edward, Prince of Wales, to Bangalore in 1921. When the prince begins a tour of a number of Indian cities, he encounters passionate crowds demanding independence from Britain, with rioting on the streets of Bombay in November 1921.

Maze Investigations has been operating for six months and has been an exciting international success. Maggie is still doing her weekly radio slot. Zelah has discovered a new talent and Nick is still slogging away at what he does best: finding the truth in hidden places. Maggie announces some unexpected news but it isn't well received, particularly by Zelah. There is an argument and a standoff. Nick has been planning news of his own and asks Maggie for help. He has decided to open up about his past and resolve his own family mystery.

In December 1941 an enemy attack launched the United States of America into World War II when the Imperial Army of Japan surprised the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Americans had been watching the Europeans battle for two years already; hopes were high that the US could remain out. But on December 7 all that changed. Later that week Germany and Italy declared war against the US. For Dorie Lennox, a private detective in Kansas City, like all Americans, the sudden and tragic entry into the war was traumatic. This short story takes place two weeks after Pearl Harbor, as the country ...

What happened to Catherine’s sister? TJ O’Connell flew into Kansas City to win aerial races. Instead, he runs into a corrupt political machine and the mob as he risks his life to solve the mystery of the missing girls As the Great Depression grips America, something more sinister grips Kansas City. The political machine controlling the city is supported by the mob and funded by graft, corruption, and vice. Ace pilot TJ O’Connell becomes embroiled in a gripping mystery that propels readers into a world where determination, courage, and violence may be the only path to justice. Prepare ...

When junior barrister Daniel Pitt is summoned to the scene of a murder in the slum area known as Mile End, he knows only that the victim is a senior barrister from his firm. To Daniel's relief, it is not his close friend Toby Kitteridge, but the question remains: What was this respected colleague doing in Mile End? The firm's head, Marcus fford Croft, may know more than he admits, but fford Croft's memory is not what it used to be. And so Daniel and Kitteridge must investigate on their own, lest the police uncover something they should not.

In the shocking finale to the best-selling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer - or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

New York City private detective Jack Ryder must deal with a murder and a woman he might love. Except she has a husband who is missing. It is 1943 and the Nazis are also after Ryder. He wanders the dark streets of Greenwich Village trying to save his own life and the lives of those he is supposed to protect.

As the 19th century draws to a close, reporter Emma Cross is sent by the Newport Observer to cover an elite house party at Rough Point, a "cottage" owned by her distant cousin Frederick Vanderbilt that has been rented as an artist retreat. To her surprise, the illustrious guests include her estranged Bohemian parents - recently returned from Europe - as well as a variety of notable artists, including author Edith Wharton.

Penrose and Pyke go together like fire and kerosene in this first-in-series Victorian era mystery. Trouble’s brewing in the Devil’s Half Acre. A death in an alleyway, a tragic accident in a factory, rumours of a murderer loose on the streets. It’s enough to give a genteel lady a fit of the vapours. Fortunately, Grace Penrose isn’t one to swoon at the sight of blood. All she wants is the chance to become the first female doctor in the colony. Instead, she must confront the harsh realities of the city’s most notorious sweatshop. When the police prove reluctant to investigate the ...

Hugh and Ellen Kerr promised themselves this time they would get it right. Not only was it their daughter’s first Halloween celebration, they were going to hold the party in Lodi, California, far from the Los Angeles debacle which had ruined last year’s celebration. Everything seemed to be going their way when they discovered an old mansion they could rent and transform into a spooky haunted house. The owner of the property, Lob Finnian, a former Major League baseball player, seemed eager to help and with the assistance of family and friends, decorations and Halloween-themed games were ...