"What a thoroughly charming book! A beautiful combination of entertaining characters, minute historical research, and a powerful evocation of time and place." —New York Times bestselling author Barbara HamblyBoston, 1868: The dawn of the Gilded Age, an era of burgeoning commerce and invention, of unimaginable new fortunes and lavish excess—for some. Born into poverty, young Nell Sweeney scratches by on her wits and little else until fortune blesses her wit...

“Nell is one of the strongest, most honorable, and dearest heroines to grace the pages of an amateur sleuth novel.... P.B. Ryan knows how to write a tale that will grip and keep readers’ interest throughout the novel.” —Midwest Book ReviewsNell Sweeney, a young Irish-born governess in post-Civil War Boston, may not have much, but she does possess both a keen mind and a brave heart. As governess to the wealthy Hewitt family, she finds plenty of opportunities to use both—especially w...

"As always, the author excels at setting the scene, evoking the time and place by use of the day-to-day details as well as historical events. The resolution of the central mystery is almost secondary to the revelations about Nell's past and the way the author ties up all the loose ends of her present situation. Longtime readers will enjoy this aspect immensely; I know I did. This has been a gorgeously written series, populated with unique and unforgettable characters." —CA ReviewsS...

“Death on Beacon Hill continues Ms. Ryan’s excellent Nell Sweeney series. The rich characterization and her strong evocation of place, coupled with a well-plotted tale, make for a rich story. Add a clever conclusion and Ms. Ryan delivers a fascinating read.” —Fresh FictionBoston, 1869: As governess to the wealthy Hewitts, Irish immigrant Nell Sweeney belongs to no particular caste—hers is halfway between her brethren and the Brahmin. But now, a double murder involves both maid and ...

“It’s always a good day when a new Nell Sweeney book arrives.” —CA ReviewsJuly 1870: Nell Sweeney’s position as governess for the venerable Hewitts of Boston affords her a unique perspective in an era of sharp class distinctions. Neither servant nor gentlewoman, she can fit in among the denizens of a waterfront tenement or the bluebloods of Colonnade Row. But there are many of the latter who regard her as just another good-for-nothing Irisher.Nell is shocked to learn that h...

“A mesmerizing mystery. Not only does Ryan provide readers with a tightly wound, suspenseful novel peopled with multidimensional characters, she writes about an era whose problems mirror our own. This is a historical period she knows and brings to life so clearly that readers are totally immersed. Nell is an ideal heroine: smart, intrepid and human. Be on the lookout for her return.” —RT BookReviewsOn Sept. 24, 1869, the gold market crumbles, and fortunes are lost in a matter of mi...

Captain Gabriel Lacey accompanies famous dandy Lucius Grenville to Egypt, a land Lacey has long anticipated visiting. Lacey travels there for more than a simple holiday, however—James Denis has tasked him with finding an "object" from ancient Alexandria and procuring it, whatever the cost.The task does not turn out to be so simple. Locating what Denis wants proves difficult, sending Lacey and Grenville exploring tombs along the Nile. Lacey must deal with treasure hunters, a shadow ...

1818: Captain Lacey is asked by Peter Thompson of the Thames River Police to help him investigate a cold case–the murder of a woman found near the docks Thompson patrols. The investigation was sidelined, considered unsolvable, but Thompson has long wished to find her killer.Captain Lacey joins him in the hunt, entering a part of society that is closed to outsiders. Meanwhile, he must deal with his daughter’s come-out and more developments in his new domestic life, including a black...

In April of 1817, a Bow Street Runner summons me to a Berkeley Square ballroom where a young dandy had been stabbed to death during a society ball the previous night. The prime suspect: my former commander, Colonel Brandon.Instead of denying the charges, Colonel Brandon allows himself to be arrested, and claims, to my amazement, that the lady he’d stayed protectively near at the ball all night is his mistress. It soon becomes clear that I am the only person not convinced of Brandon...

Book 9 of the Captain Lacey Regency mysteries.Captain Gabriel Lacey begins Spring 1818 preparing for a duel. But while he focuses on the affair of honor, darkness, greed, and death stalk the streets of London and bring tragedy to a family Lacey has grown close to.With the aid of Lucius Grenville, London’s most famous dandy, and Brewster, a ruffian employed by an underworld criminal, Lacey’s investigation takes him from the elegant mansions of Grosvenor Square to the squalid...

On a cold January night in 1817, I am summoned by a Bow Street Runner to the banks of the Thames to identify the body of a young woman. It turns out I do not know her, but discover that she is the wife of a Middle Temple barrister, as well as dear to one of Grenville’s friends, who begs me to find out who killed her.My search for the murderer takes me to Whitechapel and a place called The Glass House, a sordid gaming hell that attracts gentlemen of the haut ton and plays a large pa...

In the spring of 1817, I take a post as a secretary at the Sudbury School in Berkshire, a school for sons of the wealthiest merchants and bankers in England. However, as soon as I arrive, I discover that I’ve been hired for more than letter-writing skills.A series of disturbing pranks have kept the school in an uproar, and the headmaster expects me, to my dismay, to discover the identity of the prankster. The problems intensify when a groom of the school’s stables turns up dead in ...