Penrose and Pyke go together like fire and kerosene in this first-in-series Victorian era mystery.Trouble’s brewing in the Devil’s Half Acre. A death in an alleyway, a tragic accident in a factory, rumours of a murderer loose on the streets. It’s enough to give a genteel lady a fit of the vapours. Fortunately, Grace Penrose isn’t one to swoon at the sight of blood. All she wants is the chance to become the first female doctor in the colony. Instead, she must confro...

How far would you go to save your family and a priceless heirloom?“Absolutely loved it and devoured it quickly.”France, 1830. A young woman is facing a difficult decision about her future, when the turmoil of the July Revolution overturns her tranquil world.Her family is called upon to protect a precious heirloom for an aunt who has been forced into exile, throwing them into the path of a powerful enemy. To save her family, and fulfil a pro...

A blackmailer’s threat to expose intimate secrets throws Penrose and Pyke’s lives into disarray at the worst possible time.Private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke has vowed not to take on any new cases while his wife is in a delicate condition. But how can he refuse a desperate plea for help? Hopes for a quick resolution fade when they uncover further blackmail victims, all terrified their reputations will be destroyed.And there’s worse to come. Nothing shor...

Penrose and Pyke’s wedding dream turns to ashes when the local women’s refuge goes up in flames.Grace Penrose is used to protesters at Lavender House, but she never expected them to set the refuge on fire, especially not on her wedding day. And her mother’s carefully orchestrated wedding plan definitely did not include Charlie Pyke disappearing into an inferno.The discovery of a woman’s body in the smouldering ruins rouses Grace and Charlie’s detective inst...

Penrose and Pyke’s honeymoon takes a dangerous turn when they investigate the most notorious robbery in Central Otago history.Grace and Charlie had been looking forward to a blissful break away from their hectic lives. Instead, watchful eyes follow their every move from the moment they step off the stagecoach in Clyde. Rumour has it that the Pyke family knows more about the robbery than they are telling. With a fortune in gold still missing, and destitute miners on...

Penrose & Pyke are flung into an explosive new mystery during the campaign for women’s suffrage.Politicians are worried that women voters will oust them, liquor barons are terrified that women will favour prohibition, and the man in the street fears his wife will no longer be content with home and hearth. Just how far will they go to stop women from getting the vote? Medical student Grace Penrose and Detective Constable Charlie Pyke are about to find out.Th...

Penrose and Pyke must put aside their own problems in a race against the clock to rescue a kidnapped infant.When private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke is asked to investigate the kidnapping of a child, his instinct is to refuse. As their first wedding anniversary approaches, Charlie fears for the fragile state of his wife, Grace, for whom this heart-breaking case could be the final straw. But how can he let the desperate parents down, when they have struggled for ...

Penrose and Pyke are under siege. A mischievous gossip, a series of robberies, and now a callous murder and a looming epidemic. How much worse can it get?When a shopkeeper is killed during a robbery, Detective Charlie Pyke is desperate to track down the killer for reasons close to his heart. If only it was that simple. A tell-all article in the local ladies’ journal threatens both his investigation and his private life. Charlie needs Grace Penrose to stand by him, ...

Penrose and Pyke’s hopes of a quieter life are dashed by a spate of baffling burglaries and a persuasive charlatan promoting a miracle cure.Dunedin society is up in arms as their valuables vanish without a trace from locked homes. Although the trail leads to an apparent dead end, private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke catches the scent of a shadowy figure lurking behind the scenes.Meanwhile, Grace Penrose Pyke’s curiosity leaves her in a precarious position...

Penrose & Pyke have until Christmas Eve to save the orphans’ home, by unravelling a tangle of tinsel and trickery.Private detective Charlie Pyke was looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas with his fiancée, Grace Penrose. Instead, Charlie and Grace must stop a dubious deal, find a sneak thief and foil a mischievous brother, with the help of a pair of inquisitive orphans and the spirit of a dear departed grandmother.If they can decipher the clues and m...

Whispers of misconduct swirl around Grace Penrose, when a prominent surgeon has a fatal seizure on their moonlit stroll together.Grace and the victim are on opposing sides of a feud over hospital services for women. How could she refuse his invitation to resolve their differences in private? When he dies despite her attempts to save him, and his unusual symptoms further implicate her, it’s not only her personal and professional reputation at risk.As the cas...

Penrose & Pyke venture to the edge of madness, when they reunite to investigate two tragic deaths and an old mystery.The last words of a frightened woman may be a vital clue to the disappearance of an old friend, if they aren’t the ravings of delusional lunatic. Detective Constable Charlie Pyke is desperate to find out. But is he desperate enough to risk the life of his sleuthing partner, medical student Grace Penrose? More to the point, can he stop her?The...