Allison: 698 books

And then there were eight… Understandably, Lord Burford had some misgivings about hosting another house party at Alderley, his beautiful country mansion. After all, the previous two could at best be described as disastrous. But with family members travelling down for a relative’s funeral,...

Summer, 1858. Young Imogen Burnhope and her maid Rhoda board a non-stop train to Oxford to visit Imogen’s Aunt Cassandra, who waits on the platform at the terminus to greet them. All the passengers alight at Oxford, but the two women are nowhere to be seen. The train is searched and the coachman...

On New Year’s Day, 1900, the brilliant violinist Sebastian Cavendish is found dead. The last few days of his life are a mystery, but in the final hours of 1899 he wrote a cryptic suicide note mentioning a ‘cursed inheritance’, took poison, and died in agony. Yet his friends and relations...

The Railway Detective faces his most dangerous adversary yet Inspector Robert Colbeck and his assistant Sergeant Victor Leeming are faced with their most complex and difficult case to date. As a train speeds over the Sankey Viaduct, a man is hurled from a carriage and plummets into the canal...

The discovery of an abandoned Spanish merchant ship off the coast of America plunges the Ludlows into a far-reaching conspiracy fueled by jealousy, ambition and nationalistic fervor. The Bucephalas lies trapped under the gaping muzzles of the 32-pounder Spanish guns of New Orleans’ harbor fort. It...

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...