Gower St Detective
5 primary works • 6 total works
Book 1
It is 1882 and London is at its murkiest yet most vibrant, wealthiest yet most poverty-stricken. No sooner does March arrive than a case presents itself: a young woman has been brutally murdered, and her husband is the only suspect. The victim’s mother is convinced of her son-in-law’s innocence, and March is so touched by her pleas she offers to cover Sidney’s fee herself.
The investigations lead the pair to the darkest alleys of the East End: every twist leads Sidney Grice to think his client is guilty; but March is convinced that he is innocent. Around them London reeks with the stench of poverty and gossip, the case threatens to boil over into civil unrest and Sidney Grice finds his reputation is not the only thing in mortal danger.
Book 2
Sidney Grice once had a reputation as London's most perspicacious personal detective. But since his last case led an innocent man to the gallows, business has been light. Listless and depressed, Grice has taken to lying in the bath for hours, emerging in the evenings for a little dry toast and a lot of tea. Usually a voracious reader, he will pick up neither book nor newspaper. He has not even gathered the strength to re-insert his glass eye. His ward, March Middleton, has been left to dine alone.
Then an eccentric member of a Final Death Society has the temerity to die on his study floor. Finally, Sidney and March have an investigation to mount — an investigation that will draw them to an eerie house in Kew, and the mysterious Baroness Foskett...
Book 3
'Delightful and original ... A series that could well become a cult' DAILY MAIL.
125 Gower Street, 1883.
Sidney Grice is London's foremost personal detective. Called away to Yorkshire, he leaves his ward, March Middleton, to run his house. But hearth and home hold little charm for March, who harbours dreams of becoming London's foremost, and first, lady detective.
So, when a mysterious letter arrives from her long-lost uncle, she accepts his invitation to stay at the palatial Saturn Villa. Her new Uncle Tolly is sweet, eccentric and – come the morning – very, very dead. But March is not called upon to solve the case, instead she's in the frame for murder.
Praise for DEATH DESCENDS ON SATURN VILLA:
'Think Lemony Snicket meets Neil Gaiman for tea in Dracula's castle' BOOKLIST.
'Packed full of delicious dialogue and many laugh-out-loud moments. My adoration of Sidney and March remains unshaken' HISTORICAL NOVELS SOCIETY.
Read the whole series:
THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS.
THE CURSE OF THE HOUSE OF FOSKETT.
DEATH DESCENDS ON SATURN VILLA.
THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE.
DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE.
Book 4
'Delightful and original ... A series that could well become a cult' DAILY MAIL.
125 Gower Street, 1883.
All is quiet at 125 Gower Street. Sidney Grice is swotting up on the anatomical structure of human hair whilst his ward, March Middleton, sneaks upstairs for her eighth secret cigarette of the day. The house is, perhaps, too quiet.
So when a beautiful young woman turns up, imploring London's formost personal detective to solve the mystery of her father's murder, Grice can barely disguise his glee.
Mr Nathan Garstang was found slaughtered in his bed, with no trace of a weapon or intruder. A classic locked-room case... or is it?
Praise for THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE:
'So refreshing ... These stand out in what is a heavily populated genre ... Clever and beautifully written' CRIME REVIEW.
'Atmospheric writing, quirky characters, droll wit, and macabre touches. A treat for series fans' LIBRARY JOURNAL.
'Pure amusing enjoyment' NEW BOOKS MAGAZINE.
Read the whole series:
THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS.
THE CURSE OF THE HOUSE OF FOSKETT.
DEATH DESCENDS ON SATURN VILLA.
THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE.
DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE.
Book 5
'Delightful and original ... A series that could well become a cult' DAILY MAIL.
125 Gower Street, 1884.
Sidney Grice - London's foremost personal detective - is restless. Having filed his latest case under 'S' for 'Still To Be Solved', his ward, March Middleton, remains determined to uncover the truth.
When an attacker strikes on the murky streets of Limehouse, and a new victim is discovered in an overcrowded cafe, it's clear that the duo are on the trail of a serial offender. A trail that leads them to a Prussian Prince, an Armenian gangster, and the shadowy ruin of a once-loved family home, Steep House...
Praise for DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE:
'Ingenious and atmospheric ... Packed with delicious humour, red herrings and devious twists and turns' BOOKISH JOTTINGS.
'Strikes the perfect balance between humour and tension ... A real page turner' PORTABLE MAGIC.
'Quirky humour, eccentric characters and a compelling plot' WHAT CATHY READ NEXT.
Read the whole series:
THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS.
THE CURSE OF THE HOUSE OF FOSKETT.
DEATH DESCENDS ON SATURN VILLA.
THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE.
DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE.
Sidney Grice, London's most famous personal detective, is expecting a visitor. He drains his fifth pot of morning tea, and glances outside, where a young, plain woman picks her way between the piles of horse-dung towards his front door. Sidney Grice shudders. For heaven's sake – she is wearing brown shoes.
His caller is March Middleton, Grice's recently orphaned goddaughter. With her sharp tongue and even sharper mind, March is certain she could help her guardian solve his cases – if only he did not think women too feeble for detective work. But even Grice must admit some puzzles are too great for even him to solve alone...
Set between the refined buildings of Victorian Bloomsbury and the stinking streets of London's East End, The Gower Street Detective is for those who like their crime original, atmospheric, and very, very funny.
THE GOWER DETECTIVE SERIES OMNIBUS INCLUDES:
The Mangle Street Murders.
The Curse of the House of Foskett.
Death Descends on Saturn Villa.
The Secrets of Gaslight Lane.
Dark Dawn Over Steep House.