Alex Reeve

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 'Enthralling, exciting, extraordinary and utterly convincing. Everything a great book should be' Sarah Hilary 'Wonderfully atmospheric, each page carries the whiff of sulphur and gaslight' Red Everyone has a secret... Only some lead to murder. Introducing Leo Stanhope: a Victorian transgender coroner's assistant who must uncover a killer without risking his own future When the body of a young woman is wheeled into the hospital where Leo Stanhope works, his life is thrown into chaos. Maria, the woman he loves, has been murdered and it is not long before the finger of suspicion is turned on him, threatening to expose his lifelong secret. For Leo Stanhope was born Charlotte, the daughter of a respectable reverend, but knowing he was meant to be a man – despite the evidence of his body – he fled his family home at just fifteen and has been living as Leo ever since. Desperate to find Maria's killer, he now stands to lose not just his freedom, but ultimately his life.

A Richard and Judy Book Club 2019 pick

The House on Half Moon Street

It's been a year since Leo Stanhope lost the woman he loved, and came closing to losing his own life. Now, all he wants is to keep his head down and stay safe. But Leo's hopes for peace are shattered when the police arrive unexpectedly at his lodgings. A woman has been found murdered at a club for anarchists, and Leo's address is in her purse. Who is she, and how did she know Leo? And what other secrets was she hiding?

A Leo Stanhope Case

The Anarchists' Club

Butcher of Berner Street

The House on Half Moon Street [May 03, 2018] Reeve, Alex

'Exceptional' Sarah Hilary 'Don't be ordinary, Leo. Passion has its price.' 1883. Two young people have been killed near Portsmouth's docks. When journalist and amateur detective Leo Stanhope arrives, the police have already dismissed the victims as a 'molly-lad' and a misfit. As Leo begins to investigate, what he uncovers will lead him to the dangers of the Navy shipyard, the temptations of Portsmouth's underground nightlife - and even the family of his wife, Rosie. But can he risk the people he loves for the sake of justice?PRAISE FOR ALEX REEVE'Highly original' Guardian'Enthralling, exciting, extraordinary, and utterly convincing' Sarah Hilary'An entertaining and ingenious psychological drama of gender identity enfolded within a dexterously plotted and deeply satisfying Victorian murder' Rachel Holmes'Leo is a brilliant hero: clever and flawed, infuriating and at the same time someone I root for at every turn' Stephanie Butland'One of the most inventive series out there' i

The Blood Flower

Kriminalroman

Das Haus in der Half Moon Street

Rond 1880 in Londen spelend misdaad verhaal met in de hoofdrol de transgendere assistent-lijkschouwer Leo Stanhope die op zoek gaat naar de moordenaar van zijn geliefde, de prostituee Maria.

De schaker en het meisje

In two classic mysteries, an English teacher by profession discovers that sleuthing—of the strictly amateur variety—may be where her truest passions lie. J. S. Borthwick’s debut novel, The Case of the Hook-Billed Kites, takes Sarah Deane, still a grad student at this point, out of her natural New England habitat and into the wilds of Texas, where her maybe-boyfriend is keen on a spot of birdwatching. But birds are not all that she spies through her binoculars, and so the adventures begin. In The Down East Murders, Sarah is glad to be back on home ground, but somebody, it appears, is not happy in any way at all, and Sarah is forced (and secretly thrilled) to put her newfound detecting skills to use again. Praise for the first two mysteries featuring Sarah Deane “Miss Borthwick has a keen eye and a sharp pen.” —The New York Times “Borthwick . . . has the right stuff.” —The Washington Post Book World “A top-notch mystery that also gives the smell of the sea fresh in your face.” —The Houston Post “Very much in the Christie tradition . . . will challenge the wits of the most veteran of armchair detectives!” —Library Journal “Witty, appealing, and thoroughly delightful . . . an ingenious, richly satisfying mixture of the classic elements of a murder mystery.” —Mystery News

An F&M Duet

The Case of the Hook-Billed Kites / The Down East Murders

“Reeve’s outstanding third Victorian mystery featuring journalist Leo Stanhope . . . Reeve never makes the amateur sleuthing less than plausible.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Cold-hearted murder.” That’s what was promised in the anonymous note, and Leo can’t resist. He may be a working journalist at last, but it’s a precarious gig, and a good story could bring in the readers. What he finds on Berner Street, though, is a dead body that isn’t, not to mention a lady wrestler who’s quite a bit more. The crowd is angry: They like things cut and dried. But Leo knows all about things that are one thing and also another. He’s got a secret himself, and if he’s found out, an angry crowd will be the least of his worries. This is Queen Victoria’s London, and the courts are not kind to young men who are . . . quite a bit more. “Intriguing and vivid, an excellent addition to a wonderful series” —The Guardian “As entertaining a historical mystery as I’ve read this year” —NB Magazine, UK “Reeve weaves a strong storyline built on the twin foundations of good characterisation and impeccable research. Victorian London comes alive in his hands. It’s dark, dirty, smelly and threatening. It’s also endlessly fascinating.” —Crime Review

The Butcher of Berner Street

A blackmailer and a corpse found carrying his name and address stir up trouble for a transgender man living in Victorian London. It’s tough to be a preacher’s kid, and for Leo Stanhope it may be harder than for most. He was born Charlotte, and in the Reverend Pritchard’s home—as in all of Victoria’s England—there is little room for persons unwilling to know their place and stick to it. And things are about to get harder: There’s a gentleman who knows the secret that could get Leo locked up for life, and this so-called gentleman is not above a spot of blackmail. There is a bright spot, though, in the form of two little kids who are teaching Leo’s heart to open again after a wretched year. In warming to them, he realizes how much more he has to learn. Leo knows how to be a man. Now he must learn to be a father. “Well-crafted. . . . In this nicely plotted puzzle, Reeve movingly explores Leo’s inner life. Readers will hope he’ll return soon.” —Publishers Weekly “The Anarchists’ Club culls dark Victoriana and the warped effects of love in its story that features classic red herrings, chases, and Leo’s unflinching sense of justice, all adding up to an intricate, satisfying mystery.” —Foreword Reviews

'Don't be ordinary, Leo. Passion has its price.' 1883. Leo Stanhope, transgender journalist and amateur detective, and his wife Rosie have come to Portsmouth – but this is no simple seaside retreat. While Rosie's sister expects them for dinner, two young people have been killed by the docks. Having learned from experience, Leo wants to leave this to the police. When detectives dismiss the victims as only 'molly-lads' and misfits, though, he knows he has to help. But what connects the two victims, a boy from the streets and a young woman with a strange tattoo? And why is Leo himself being watched? As he begins to uncover a web of theft and secrets surrounding the murders, Leo's investigation draws him deeper into Portsmouth's underground nightlife, the dangers of the Navy dockyard – and uncomfortably close to the in-laws he had just begun to get to know. Can he find the truth without losing his chosen family? Just how much will he risk to bring the right people to justice? PRAISE FOR ALEX REEVE 'Highly original' Guardian 'Enthralling, exciting, extraordinary, and utterly convincing' Sarah Hilary 'An entertaining and ingenious psychological drama of gender identity enfolded within a dexterously plotted and deeply satisfying Victorian murder' Rachel Holmes 'Leo is a brilliant hero: clever and flawed, infuriating and at the same time someone I root for at every turn' Stephanie Butland 'One of the most inventive series out there' i

The latest atmospheric mystery from the author of the Richard and the Judy Book Club choice, The House on Half Moon Street. 'Exceptional – you hear and smell and taste Victorian London' Sarah Hilary The headlines scream warnings about the 'Butcher of Berner Street!' and the journalist behind them – Leo Stanhope – is secretly thrilled to see the effect his words are having. Leo is used to covering more mundane issues, but when an anonymous letter summons him to a club in East London, only for the owner of the club to be found murdered shortly afterwards, Leo sees a story worth pursuing. Not to mention an opportunity to make a name for himself. Yet the more Leo digs, the stranger the story becomes, taking him from the club to a nearby convent, and into the past of a very unusual woman. But he is not the only one hunting for a killer. And it seems Leo's newspaper reports may have put someone else in grave danger... The Butcher of Berner Street is a brilliantly atmospheric, characterful Victorian mystery, perfect for fans of Antonia Hodgson, Abir Mukherjee and Andrew Taylor.

Alex Reeve

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