Allison Busby: 459 books

Derby Day at Epsom Downs. A multitude of people crowd to watch the races: dukes and dustmen, bishops and beggars, privileged ladies and prostitutes. The gamut of Victorian society and a hotbed for crime and crooks of all kinds. With the nation a-flutter in the run up to this national event, a disembodied...

When fire destroys their London theatre, Lord Westfield's players must seek out humbler venues in the countryside. But stage manager Nicholas Bracewell is distracted by a shocking tragedy – a mysterious messenger from his native Devon, murdered by poison. Though the messenger is silenced, Nicholas...

This collection of stories, allegedly written by Doctor Watson, includes the theft of the Vatican cameos, the arrest of Huret the Boulevard assassin, and the terrible death of Crosby the banker.

As war spreads across the globe, Harry Ludlow joins the struggle for the richest trade in the world. When half his crew is illegally pressed into the Royal Navy by the vicious Captain Toner, Harry sets off in pursuit. Toner’s ship reaches the West Indies with Harry close behind, and they sail into...

Cambridge, 1892. Four years have passed since Vanessa Duncan's memorable introduction to detective work, and her success at proving the innocence of the wrongly accused has not gone unnoticed. With the arrival of the formidable Mrs Bryce-Fortescue, Vanessa is once again called on to help solve a perplexing...

Butchery outside a London brothel leaves Westfield’s Men in disarray While England is brought low by rumours of Queen Elizabeth's declining health, celebrated theatre company Lord Westfield's Men suffer their own bitter blows. A vicious feud between players causes chaos; a rival company launches...

‘You’ve killed before, I fancy,’ he said. ‘It’s my trade.’ Theatre troupe Westfield’s Men take on a new actor, Francis Quilter, after reaching new heights of success. But with the new member, brings new trouble. Quilter’s father, Gerard, is on trial for the murder of...

This collection of stories, allegedly written by Doctor Watson, includes the tragic tale of Lord Deerswood's unwanted legacy, the account of the jealous contortionist, the affair of the beautiful housekeeper, the deadly doings of the costumed Russian, the Aladdin's Cave episode, and the extraordinary...

‘Murder, mayhem, fire, riot and ruination!’ Westfield’s men are in dire straights, and their playwright appears to be suffering from a lack of creative inspiration. Thankfully, the company is offered a new play, The Malevolent Comedy, which they believe will drag them out of their rut...

‘I hoped that we might be safe but we have not seen the last of them, after all. They want more blood.’ During a performance of their new play, A Trick to Catch a Chaste Lady, Westfield’s Men are sabotaged, and they find themselves in the throngs of an audience-player melee. In the midst...

Alexander Marwood, the cantankerous landlord of the Queen’s Head is away, leaving the Westfield’s Men theatre troupe free to play. Marwood’s replacement, Adam Crowmere, is a welcome change and Westfield’s Men being to dread their landlord’s return. But strange occurrences begin to...

In the final installment of the series, our beloved book keeper, Nicholas Bracewell takes his final bow as the curtain closes on Westfield’s Men; but not before he solves just one more crime. Following a disastrous fire that burns down The Queen’s Head, the players must take their talents...

‘London is a veritable cesspool … A swamp of corruption and crime’ When Sir Julius Cheever’s son, a notorious rake, goes missing, and a blackmailer begins terrorising London’s most dissolute fops, it seems plausible that the two events are connected. Divided by politics but united...

On the LNWR train to London, a criminal is being escorted to his appointment with the hangman. But the wily Jeremy Oxley, conman, thief and murderer, has one last ace up his sleeve – a beautiful and ruthless accomplice willing to do anything to save her lover, including cold-blooded murder. When...