DS Billings Victorian Mysteries Series

The year is 1890. Detective Sergeant John is an honest and hard working man who has risen swiftly through the ranks to become one of Scotland Yard's youngest detectives. But in his private life he struggles with the demons of loneliness and morphine addiction. While Scotland Yard is in the midst of foiling a Russian counterfeiting operation, Billings is asked to investigate the cold blooded murder of Lord Palmer. The main suspect is a rough looking vagrant called Brendan Lochrane who was employed by Lord Palmer to live as an 'ornamental hermit' in a grotto in his estate. When Billings visits Lochrane in his holding cell, he is moved by the look in the man's eyes. This is not the 'Wild Man' the press have made him out to be. Lochrane is mute, docile and unresponsive. A gut feeling leads Billings to suspect that the man is being framed. But who is framing him? And why? Billings travels the length and breadth of Britain investigating the case. As he pieces together the fragments of Lochrane's extraordinary life, he slowly finds himself becoming embroiled in a web of corruption and deceit which goes right to the heart of Scotland Yard. 'The Ornamental Hermit' is a thrilling mystery which leads the reader on a colourful journey into Victorian England. This is the 1st full length novel in the D.S.Billings Victorian Mysteries series, but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone story.

On the 21st of November 1890, Julius Dunne-Smythe – a wealthy coffee manufacturer – his wife, his sister in law and his butler creep quietly out of their home in the middle of the night, sneak into a carriage and drive off, never to be seen again. When a few weeks later Dunne-Smythe's business partner discovers some discrepancies in the company's book keeping, Dunne-Smythe is suspected of embezzling the company and running away. The case is swiftly handed over to Detective Sergeant John Billings of Scotland Yard. As Billings delves deeper into the case, he finds that all the clues to the mysterious disappearance lead back to one man; the enigmatic German butler who had recently been employed by Dunne-Smythe. The butler appears to have had a disproportionate amount of influence on the family. After looking into the butler's past, Billings discovers a dark and disturbing secret which may well put the lives of Dunne-Smythe and his relatives in danger. What initially seemed like a simple case of theft, now looks like something far more sinister. This is the second full length novel in the D.S. Billings Victorian Mysteries series, but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel.

The year is 1892. While touring Britain with her production of Macbeth, the famous American actress, Carola LeFevre, receives an anonymous death threat . Detective Sergeant John Billings from Scotland Yard is appointed as her personal security guard. Billings is thrown into a theatrical world of gossip, intrigue and temper tantrums, but things take a darker turn when the tour heads for Edinburgh. A great tragedy befalls Miss LeFevre and Billings becomes embroiled in a horrific crime which appears to be the consequence of an ancient Scottish curse. Blurring the line between reality and superstition, The Campbell Curse is a dark, gothic mystery which touches on our deepest fears. This is the third full length novel in the series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone story.

The year is 1894. Europe has been suffering from a series of Anarchist terror attacks, the latest of which was the bombing of a Parisian textile mill which killed twelve people. The perpetrators of this act - the seven Hirsch Brothers - are believed to be on the run in London. Billings, Flynt and Clarkson are called in by Special Branch to help locate them. But the investigation goes spectacularly wrong. One by one, the Hirsch Brothers are found dead and the police have no idea who is killing them.

Detective Sergeant John Billings is an honest and hard working man who has risen swiftly through the ranks to become one of Scotland Yard's youngest detectives. But in his private life he struggles with the demons of loneliness and morphine addiction. In these three full length mysteries he will lead you on a thrilling journey into the darkest recesses of Victorian society. Included in this bundle are: The Ornamental Hermit, Something Sinister and The Campbell Curse. ★★★★★ 'I'm a lover of Victorian mysteries when they're well researched and well written. The Ornamental Hermit meets both those requirements and then some.' ★★★★★ 'The prose draws a foreboding atmosphere. Each character has a unique voice and the author captures them all well.' ★★★★★ 'The main character, John Billings, is extremely sad and extremely likable. I'll be so looking forward to more books about him.' ★★★★★ ' If you love historicals, mystery, character growth, and just an overall intriguing story then this series is definitely worth reading.' ★★★★★ 'Bosman meshes the mystery with the personal character study intricately. Neither ever dominates the page. Each scene follows logically from the previous. The reader doesn't wonder what's happening just offstage. An excellent book' ★★★★★ 'There are so many factors that will keep you on your toes trying to figure out what each new page will bring' ★★★★★ 'The protagonist has just the right amount of personal demons to spice up the tale, plus the author gets the late Victorian era details just right.'