His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: “Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I’m being followed.” Hours later, the man’s cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn’t save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth. Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother’s notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what “milky way” meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed? Fans of Andrea Penrose, Deanna Raybourn and Carole Lawrence will be hooked on this intricate, compelling mystery set in Victorian London.

The chill of winter has descended on London. But for Sebastian Bell and Gemma Tate, there will be little cheer this season… Gemma Tate has a new job and a new address. She is putting her past – her memories of nursing in the Crimean war – behind her. Until Jacob Harrow, a journalist with ties to Crimea, is found brutally killed, and Gemma is pulled into the investigation. Police inspector Sebastian Bell works alone. But when all signs point towards a dark secret Harrow brought back from the war, he realizes he needs Gemma’s help to untangle the mystery. But raking up the past has devastating consequences when Gemma’s friend, another nurse from Crimea, is found murdered in her boarding house… As dark betrayals come tumbling out, Gemma and Sebastian are on a dangerous race to uncover the truth. In her determination to solve the case, could one rash act by Gemma place her next in the killer’s sights…? The second addictive and atmospheric Tate and Bell mystery is perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke

Gemma’s boots slip on uneven ground and her black cape catches in the wind as she runs. “Please, not Lucy,” she prays. Nurse Gemma Tate is heartbroken when she hears that one of her young charges at the Foundling Hospital has been killed. She knows that police inspector Sebastian Bell will work tirelessly to uncover the truth, but, obstructed by the curt matron, he’ll need her help navigating the cloistered world of the orphanage. The mystery thickens when Sebastian finds a small wooden doll clutched in the murdered girl’s hand and Gemma hears whispers of a shadowy romance. But that isn’t the darkest secret hidden behind the high hospital walls. As time runs down on the investigation, Gemma won’t give up. But could the shocking discovery she makes be her last? A gripping gas lit Victorian mystery, perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

She looks hardly more than a child, sleeping, her lashes long and thick as they rest against her rounded cheeks. But in the flickering gaslight, she is unnaturally still… For Inspector Sebastian Bell and nurse Gemma Tate, a night at the theater becomes a deadly spectacle when the two lead actors are found dead on the stage, murdered before a stunned audience. Drawn into a shadowy backstage world, they encounter a cast of suspects, each with desperate secrets to hide… Sebastian is determined to get justice, and to keep Gemma safe from the dangerous killer circling the cobbled streets of Covent Garden. But she is already too deeply involved, and, in a world where everyone wears a mask, could she have trusted the wrong person…? Be drawn into a heart-pounding Victorian mystery. With its richly drawn characters and simmering romance, this thrilling tale of murder and redemption is perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

A mysterious woman’s murder leads Sebastian and Gemma to risk everything to find a remorseless killer. Inspector Sebastian Bell arrives at Paddington station through thick Victorian mist, hoping to reconcile with his estranged brother. Instead, he discovers a young woman’s body in an abandoned trunk, stabbed with a peculiar bone-handled knife. But with no clues to her identity and his new boss dismissing the case, Sebastian’s investigation seems doomed. Nurse Gemma Tate is at work when the nameless woman is brought in for an autopsy. Realizing how desperate Sebastian is for a lead, she risks a forbidden examination and makes two tragic discoveries: the woman recently gave birth, and she wears a wedding ring with the inscription “G loves H”. Has this brutal act of violence shattered not just one life, but an entire family? Determined to get justice, Sebastian and Gemma pursue answers to the woman’s wretched fate. But when the trail of clues leads them uncomfortably close to home, Sebastian realizes too late the danger they are in. By ignoring his superior to follow this case, has he fatally doomed the woman he loves…? Gemma and Sebastian confront their most heartbreaking case yet in this atmospheric, gripping and romantic mystery perfect for fans of the Lady Sherlock, Veronica Speedwell, and Lady Darby mysteries. Readers love the Tate and Bell “So good I could hardly put the book down… Once you start, you may as well forget everything else.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Highly recommend this for anyone interested in historical mystery… and for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Andrea Penrose, and Anna Lee Huber.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I was absolutely gobsmacked at who the killer was… I really couldn’t put the book down till the end, a real page-turner. I can’t wait to get the next book… must-read series.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Absolutely in love with this book and halfway through I bought another book by this author. Now to read all things Irina Shapiro!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Grips you from the very beginning and pulls you in… If you’re a fan of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and Enola Holmes, then you will love Gemma Tate’s wits and tenacity.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I loved this one. The mystery was fantastic, and I read as quickly as I could to discover whodunit… I was shocked when the killer was revealed. I never saw it coming! The suspense really kept me on edge. As wonderful as the mystery was, however, it’s the characters in this series that will keep me returning for more.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I was hooked… The story is so extremely gripping that it’s hard to put the book down.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I’m in this one for the long-haul folks and I cannot get enough of Tate and Bell!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Whew nonstop action!… Keeps you guessing until