London, 1922. Draper’s daughter and former grammar school scholarship girl Marjorie Swallow has emerged from the First World War determined to live life to the full. A secretarial position with the enigmatic American lady detective, Mrs Iris Jameson, looks just the ticket.
Apprentice sleuth Marjorie is soon in the thick of it, from death over afternoon tea at The Ritz Hotel to peril in the illegal late-night clubs of Soho. She may be quick-witted, but her naïvety can lead her into danger – unless she learns fast. Fortunately Mrs Jameson is at hand to impart her hard-won life lessons. There’s one thing Mrs Jameson isn’t telling her, though, and that’s what happened in Rome…
This new series, inspired by classic murder mysteries from the Golden Age of British crime writing, is sure to delight fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers.
Book 1: BLACKMAIL IN BLOOMSBURY. Everyone at the party had a secret. Someone killed to keep theirs.
When a bohemian party ends in murder, there’s no shortage of suspects. Half of Bloomsbury wanted Mrs Norris dead – but who wielded the knife? Was it the handsome but troubled artist? The vivacious young actress? Or the brilliant historian who hosted the gathering?
When the police arrest the wrong man, apprentice sleuth Marjorie vows to find the true killer. From the garden squares of Bloomsbury to the seedy backstreets of Soho, she navigates the glamour and peril of Jazz Age London in a thrilling story of secrets and lies. Blackmail In Bloomsbury will keep you guessing to the very last page.
Published October 2023. Order Blackmail In Bloomsbury now!
Book 2: THE SOHO JAZZ MURDERS. Flappers meet gangsters in the hottest jazz club in Soho.
When Marjorie goes dancing with the flapper niece of the American ambassador to London, she thinks that The Charleston may be her biggest challenge. But when the night ends in tragedy, she goes undercover as a dance hostess at the notorious Harlequin Club, plunging into a shady world of cocaine deals and opium dens.
Who is dealing cocaine to the club’s patrons? What is the role of the terrifying Armstrong Brothers? And does the answer lie closer to home than Marjorie and Mrs Jameson suspect?
The Soho Jazz Murders will be published in January 2024. Pre-order now!
Prequel novella: MURDER AT THE RITZ. Tea, cake and a spoonful of cyanide…
When Marjorie is summoned to an interview over afternoon tea in the Palm Lounge, she’s expecting to be grilled about her secretarial skills. But her would-be employer, the mysterious Mrs Jameson, is a private investigator – which comes in handy when one of the guests keels over among the cucumber sandwiches.
Marjorie’s job interview turns into an impromptu test of her detective abilities. Will she get the job? Will they solve the murder? And will Marjorie ever get to try the chocolate fondant cake?
This classic murder mystery evokes the Golden Age of crime, and introduces the Marjorie Swallow series. Murder At The Ritz is available as an e-book and is exclusive to members of my Readers Club. Sign up below.