The Murder Pit

“Enthralling . . . an alternative Sherlock Holmes, who, instead of relying on physical clues and logic, focuses on the psychology of the people involved.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) 1896: Sherlock Holmes has once again hit the headlines, solving mysteries for the cream of aristocracy. But among the workhouses and pudding shops of South London, private detective William Arrowood is presented with far grittier, more violent, and considerably less well-paid cases. Arrowood has no doubt who is the better detective, and when Mr. and Mrs. Barclay engage him to find their daughter, Birdie—who married a pig farmer and hasn’t been seen since—he’s sure it won’t be long before he and his assistant, Barnett, have tracked her down. But this seemingly simple missing-person case soon turns into a murder investigation. Far from the comfort of Baker Street, Arrowood’s London is a city of unrelenting cruelty, where evil is waiting to be uncovered . . . Praise for Arrowood “A new series that historical crime fans will be clamoring to read more of.” —The Times of London “A wonderful premise: a downscale Sherlock Holmes for the rest of us.” —Kirkus Reviews “Fiercely edgy . . . Finlay captures the filth, frustration, and dark humor of the Victorian-era slum . . . Doyle’s fans will be entertained.” —Booklist “The Victorian workingman’s answer to the higher-class Sherlock Holmes—a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, shabby detective with a seriously bad attitude toward his more famous counterpart . . . It’s a terrific premise . . . Finlay has fun referencing the Holmes canon, and he gives his hero a skill that the more famous detective lacks.” —The Seattle Times

A detective tracks a vicious killer through the slums of Victorian London in this “fiercely edgy” mystery that adds grit to the world of Sherlock Holmes (Booklist). London, 1865. The city is terrified. A killer haunts the streets, crime bosses are taking control, and the police force is stretched to the breaking point. Those who have means turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer. In these precincts, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes and everything he represents: his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime. Arrowood is a self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard, and private investigator. When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood’s best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London . . .

When scholar Terry Williams arrives in Iverness, Scotland, to complete her research on a woman burned at the stake for "congress with the Devil" in the seventeenth century, she finds the city in an uproar over the very recent murder of a young "Wiccan" woman. By the author of The Poison Tree. Reprint.

"Clever, frisky, and fun! Pit Perfect Murder is a spirited paranormal mystery jam-packed with witty characters and rollicking twists." --Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Deadwood Mystery Series When cougar-shifter Lily Mason moves to Moonrise, Missouri, she wishes for only three things from the town and its human population. . . to find a job, to find a place to live, and to live as a human, not a therianthrope. Lily gets more than she bargains for when a rescue pit bull named Smooshie rescues her from an oncoming car, and it’s love at first sight. Thanks to Smooshie, Lily’s first two wishes are granted by Parker Knowles, the owner of the Pit Bull Rescue center, who offers her a job at the shelter and the room over his garage for rent. Lily’s new life as an integrator is threatened when Smooshie finds Katherine Kapersky, the local church choir leader and head of the town council, dead in the field behind the rescue center. Unfortunately, there are more suspects than mourners for the elderly town leader. Can Lily keep her less-than-human status under wraps? Or will the killer, who has pulled off a nearly Pit Perfect murder, expose her to keep Lily and her dog from digging up the truth? Fall in love with Lily Mason, the shifter who only wants to live as a human, and her pit bull Smooshie, a rescue dog who in the end may be the one doing the rescuing! Keywords: cozy mystery books, animal mysteries, dog mysteries, dog rescue, pit bulls, shifters, werewolf mysteries, small town, sweet romance, clean read, cozy mysteries, murder mystery books, small-town secrets, witches and familiars, magical mysteries, paranormal cozies, fantasy book series, shifter books, paranormal mysteries, bestseller, thriller, suspense, small town mystery, humor, drama, female sleuth, amateur sleuth, peculiar mysteries, series, dog lover mystery Fans of Amanda M. Lee, Tegan Maher, Barbara Anino, Annabel Chase, Samantha Silver, Kathi Daley, Kelty Kells, Nic Saint, Sara Bourgeois, J.A. Whiting, Danielle Garrett, Patricia Fry, Nola Robertson, Addison Moore, Amy Boyles, CeeCee James, Leighann Dobbs, Samantha Silver, J.L. Collins, Corrine Winters, Elle Adams, Mara Webb, Leanne Leeds, Clementine Moore, Chris Behrsin, Erin Johnson, Nyx Halliwell, S.W. Hubbard, Constance Barkerwill, Kate P. Adams, enjoy this series!

Julia Kogan, a brilliant young violinist, teams up with opera-loving cop Larry Somers to solve the high profile murder of a famous opera conductor. In the process, Julia and Larry discover an opera house rife with with a dangerous web of secrets, intrigue, lethal rivalries, and danger.

London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood. ‘Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times

No case is too strange or too baffling for the policeman George Felse and his son, Dominic. Over 13 instalments and two decades, the Felse Investigations will take them from their home on the Welsh Borders to the southernmost tip of India. It is 1952, the shadow of World War Two still lies over the green fields of the small village of Comerford on the Welsh borders. When ex-prisoner of war Helmut Schauffler is murdered, local policeman Sergeant George Felse has his work cut out: Schauffler was Nazi to the core and the majority of the villagers had good reason to despise him. Sergeant Felse's fourteen-year-old son Dominic – who found Schauffler's body in a shallow brook – is fascinated by the case. Much to his father's disapproval, he resolves to find the murderer – a decision that places his own life in great danger... 'Highly recommended to those who still like a proper five-course whodunnit with all the trimmings' Sunday Times 'A cult figure of crime fiction' Financial Times 'Charm is not usual in murder mysteries, but Ellis Peters' stories are full of it' Mail on Sunday

‘Brimming with dark humour, fast-paced action ... this is a top-class series that grows in stature with every new book’ Lancashire Evening Post SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA GOLD DAGGER