Tag: victorian novel

Congratulations to Linda Stratmann!

Congratulations to Linda Stratmann, whose absorbing Victorian mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Power Principle, is out now!

Sherlock Holmes and the Power Principle is the ninth book in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series.

1878

Sherlock Holmes and his good friend Mr Stamford are close to completing their education at London’s St Bartholomew’s Medical College, and Holmes is keen to begin a serious career as a detective.

So when a solicitor contacts him about a new case, he quickly accepts.

Mr Ineson is concerned for his client, the widow Mrs Beauregard, who is considering investing most of her considerable assets in a new company called Baumann Motors Ltd.

In an age of industry, machines are rapidly transforming the Victorian world, and fortunes can be made – or lost – by speculating on the latest enterprise.

The Baumann motor promises to change the world transport, make manufactured goods cheaper and allow trains to run without the need for coal.

But it has not been tested, and Ineson is worried that Mrs Beauregard has fallen for the charm of its inventor.

Holmes and Stamford attend a demonstration under the pretence of being interested in investing to try and discover if the motor is as miraculous as it sounds. But soon they are involved in an even deadlier mystery…

With Holmes’ reputation as a highly intelligent and intuitive detective at stake, can he discover the truth about the highly secretive company? Or will this case prove too challenging for even the most astute of men?

Congratulations to David Field!

Congratulations to David Field, whose twisty Victorian thriller, The Retirement Murder, is out now!

The Retirement Murder is the ninth instalment in the Esther and Jack Enright Mystery Series – a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.

London, 1898

The time has finally come for Percy Enright to retire from Scotland Yard. His nephew, Jack, is sad to lose a partner in the force, but Jack’s wife Esther is glad Percy won’t be getting her husband into any further scrapes.

It seems Esther’s relief might be short lived, though, when a senior officer collapses at Percy’s farewell ceremony.

It soon becomes clear that the officer was poisoned, and Percy delays retirement to help Jack track down the culprit.

It’s a daunting task that involves trawling through all the murdered officer’s recent cases in the search for someone who may still bear him a grudge.

But when it becomes clear the dead man may not have been the intended target, the investigation suddenly turns in a new direction.

Why are the police being targeted? Can Percy make one final arrest before he retires?

Or will the murderer outwit the Enrights in their latest case…?

Sherlock Holmes and the Cabinet of Wonders is Out Now!

Congratulations to Linda Stratmann, whose absorbing Victorian mystery, Sherlock Holmes and the Cabinet of Wonders, is out now!

Sherlock Holmes and the Cabinet of Wonders is the eighth novel in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series.

1878

Sherlock Holmes is in a slump of despair and self-doubt following his recent encounter with his brother Mycroft and his good friend Mr Stamford is determined to snap him out of it.

When Stamford hears of a new show being put on at the Egyptian Hall Theatre, he brings Holmes with him for a night of diversion.

But for Holmes, the outing leads to something much more stimulating…

A few days later, a corpse is found inside the cabinet used for one of the conjuror’s acts at the theatre, and at first it appears the death was accidental.

But Holmes soon realises it was the result of something more sinister. And lurking beneath the surface of the magician’s code of conduct is a murky world of false identities and professional jealousy.

There are secrets in the world of illusion that people would kill to keep hidden…

And if they are not careful, Holmes and Stamford could be the next targets…

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs!

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose atmospheric Gothic mystery, The Legacy of Foulstone Manor, is published today!

Westmorland, England, 1970

Dark and imposing in a bleak landscape, Foulstone Manor stands abandoned on the edges of the Lake District.

Reclusive Joan Goss inherited Foulstone, but her fragmented memories of her childhood there still disturb her and she keeps her distance in a cottage on the outskirts of the land.

Joan was brought up by adoptive parents after her mother died and her father abandoned her.

And she has spent her adult life haunted by the dark rumours of her past.

When Joan’s niece Amanda comes to stay with her, she is finally forced to confront the secrets behind Foulstone Manor.

Records show that Joan’s father committed suicide. But what happened to her mother? And why was Joan never told the truth about her childhood?

As Joan uncovers her mother’s diary, the full truth of her parents’ marriage is revealed.

Did his traumatic experiences in the First World War force her father into an early grave? What caused Joan’s mother’s untimely death?

Can Joan come to accept the inheritance that she has always rejected…?

Sapere Books Sign New Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Books by Linda Stratmann

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed three new instalments of the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series by Linda Stratmann.

Book 1 in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series

The series follows the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his acquaintance Mr Stamford during their years at St Bartholomew’s Medical College.

In Linda’s words:

“I am delighted to have signed with Sapere for three more books in the Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes series, my chronicle of his youthful adventures.  In these next three we will meet a young Mycroft, enter the world of theatrical illusions, and encounter a devious confidence trickster with a mysterious device.

“My grateful thanks are due to the dedicated team at Sapere Books, for their invaluable support, and the friendly encouragement of the growing family of Sapere authors.”

Happy Publication Day to J. C. Briggs!

Congratulations to J. C. Briggs, whose thrilling Dickensian adventure, The Jaggard Case, is published today!

The Jaggard Case is the tenth urban mystery in J. C. Briggs’ literary historical series, the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.

London, 1851

With Superintendent Sam Jones away in Southampton on the trail of missing murderer Martin Jaggard, his wife, Elizabeth, enlists the help of Charles Dickens when her beloved servant, Posy, goes missing.

Meanwhile, Jones apprehends Jaggard’s mistress, Cora Davies, who is in possession of stolen jewels belonging to Jaggard’s murder victim, Sir William Pell.

But Jones is no closer to finding the man himself, so he returns to London where he believes Jaggard may be hiding.

Dickens and Jones discover that their separate cases both have links to Clerkenwell – a notorious haunt for criminals and forgers.

And when they suspect they are being followed, they realise Jaggard may be onto them.

Was Jaggard behind Posy’s abduction? Is the servant girl still alive?

Or will more victims be found dead in the mysterious Jaggard Case…?