Colleen Gleason

Lady Bridgerton meets The Thursday Murder Club in the first of a charming, Victorian-set mystery series from bestselling author Colleen Gleason. Lady Darling is a woman "of a certain age." Fifty, to be specific-which, in the eyes of London society, makes her uninteresting, eccentric, and a little intimidating. She's a widow. An empty-nester (all of her children very successfully married-off). She's titled, influential...and very, very rich. Now she just wants to be left alone to enjoy her pets and her gardens and her books. Until someone turns up dead at a dinner party, and Lady Darling is on the scene. What's a smart, responsible, capable woman to do? Find the killer, of course A thrilling, witty romp of a mystery series, the Lady Darling books will find fans with readers of historical cozies, Bridgerton, and The Thursday Murder Club. "Gleason is really on a roll " - Publishers Weekly

Lady Bridgerton meets Miss Marple meets The Thursday Murder Club in this charming, Victorian-set mystery series from bestselling and prolific author Colleen Gleason (who also writes historical mysteries as Colleen Cambridge).The widowed marchioness of Darling has successfully married off all of her children, and her son's wife is the new marchioness--making her the dowager, and giving her absolutely no responsibilities. As a woman who was not born into the peerage, but, against the mores of Victorian London society wed Lord Darling in a love match thirty years ago, Lady Darling chafes at the restrictions of the gentility and is looking forward to her "retirement" to the country--at least until the grandchildren come along.Unfortunately, fate has other plans for her. When an old friend implores her to sponsor her daughter into society, Lady Darling agrees. Not long after she commences with this project, Lady Darling and her charge, Miss Bedwith, attend a dinner party where a man is found dead.

Jacqueline Finch and her mystical, magical bookshop is back in this third entry of the bestselling Three Tomes Bookshop series Spring is in full swing in lakefront Button Cove, and Jacqueline is embracing her new life-her friends, her new home, the crones down the street, and especially the detective with a hot-Viking vibe. It's not half bad, considering the fact that she has the bickering literary characters of Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock's landlady) and the dour, creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca "helping" her to run the bookshop, and her nemesis Egala Stone is opening her own store down the block.And then there's the handsome new undertaker-er, mortician-who's taken over the town funeral parlor and who has all the women ga-ga over him-including Jacqueline's friends. Things get a little weird when Detective Massermey's daughter seeks out help from Jacqueline, but surely she can handle that...right?But when legendary mandrakes mysteriously begin to start growing in her garden, and then a woman is found dead...with puncture wounds on her neck, Jacqueline finds herself caught up in a surreal mashup of the undead, animated book character, s and the rest of her messy, messy life...

Jacqueline Finch is a lifelong book lover, which is why it was a literal gift from the Universe when she inherited Three Tomes Bookshop at the ripe old age of forty-eight.But she's had a few adjustments to make along the way, including the fact that her bookshop seems to be a haven for literary characters to come alive...and to stick their noses into things that aren't any of their business-including Sherlock Holmes's landlady, Mrs. Hudson, who is constantly bickering with the dour housekeeper from Rebecca, Mrs. Danvers.And then there are the three old ladies down the street, whose resemblance to Macbeth's Witches Three cannot be ignored.Nevertheless, Jacqueline is happy in her new life and everything seems to be going well...even when she discovers that Dickens's the Artful Dodger has come to life at Three Tomes Bookshop.Why Dodger is here and what problem he's meant to solve for some real-life person is the question-but in the meantime, Jacqueline has to figure out how to keep the light-fingered pickpocket from dipping his hands into her customers' pockets and purses She manages to keep Dodger under wraps until a young woman bursts into the shop claiming her husband is trying to kill her. Jacqueline springs into action, but it turns out the threatened young woman wants a specific kind of assistance that Jacqueline has no idea how to provide...the sort of assistance not found in books...Things get even worse when Cinderella shows up at the shop and the Artful Dodger falls for her...and neither of them have any intention of returning to their books in a timely manner-if ever.Jacqueline's got her hands full, but with the help of the three crones and her two best friends, she's determined to muddle through...somehow.

At forty-eight, Jacqueline Finch has a nice, easy life with few responsibilities: she's been a librarian in Chicago for twenty-five years, she doesn't have a husband, children, or pets, and she's just coasting along, enjoying her books and a small flower garden now that she's over the hill.That is, until the Universe (helped by three old crones) has other ideas.All at once, Jacqueline's staid (and boring) life is upended, and the next thing she knows, she's heading off to Button Cove to start a new life as the owner of Three Tomes Bookshop.The bookstore is a darling place, and Jacqueline is almost ready to be excited about this new opportunity...until Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers show up. Somehow, the literary characters of Sherlock Holmes's landlady and Rebecca deWinter's creepy and sardonic housekeeper are living persons who work at the bookshop (when they aren't bickering with each other). Not only does Jacqueline have to contend with them-and the idea that people regularly eat pastries while reading books in her store -but the morning after she arrives, the body of a dead man is found on her property.Things start to get even more strange after that: Jacqueline is befriended by three old women who bear a startling resemblance to the Witches Three from Macbeth, an actual witch shows up at her bookshop and accuses Jacqueline of killing her brother, and the two women who own businesses across the street seem determined to befriend Jacqueline.And then there's the police detective with the very definite hot-Viking vibe who shows up to investigate the dead body...The next thing Jacqueline knows, her staid and simple life is no longer quiet and unassuming, and she's got crones, curses, and crocodiles to deal with.And when a new literary character appears on the scene...things start to get even more hairy and Jacqueline is suddenly faced with a horrible life and death situation that will totally push her out of her comfort zone...if she's brave enough to let it.After all, isn't forty-eight too late for an old dog to learn new tricks?From the bestselling author of the Wicks Hollow series, Tomes, Scones & Crones is the first book in a new paranormal women's fiction series about coming into one's own when you're over the hill, and owning one's "croneness."

Jacqueline Finch and her mystical, magical bookshop is back in this third entry of the bestselling Three Tomes Bookshop series Spring is in full swing in lakefront Button Cove, and Jacqueline is embracing her new life-her friends, her new home, the crones down the street, and especially the detective with a hot-Viking vibe. It's not half bad, considering the fact that she has the bickering literary characters of Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock's landlady) and the dour, creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca "helping" her to run the bookshop, and her nemesis Egala Stone is opening her own store down the block.And then there's the handsome new undertaker-er, mortician-who's taken over the town funeral parlor and who has all the women ga-ga over him-including Jacqueline's friends. Things get a little weird when Detective Massermey's daughter seeks out help from Jacqueline, but surely she can handle that...right?But when an old book falls off the shelf, signaling the arrival of yet another literary character Jacqueline has to deal with, and strange accidents and thefts begin to happen in Button Cove, Jacqueline once again finds herself in a big, fat mess.

Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker return in their final-and most exciting-adventure together."Gleason has vamped up the familiar world of Holmes and Watson...to paranormally exhilarating effect " -The New York TimesIt's a cold, blustery day in January of 1890 when Mina Holmes receives an invitation to Evaline Stoker's wedding. The two young women-partners and occasionally friends-haven't spoken for nearly two months, since the events at the Carnelian Crow.Shocked, Mina is still looking at the invitation when constables from Scotland Yard begin pounding on her front door. They've arrived to arrest her for the murder of a man she's never even heard of.Meanwhile, Evaline has her hands full with wedding plans (boring) and an overbearing sister who wants to manage her every move-including a dizzying array of social activities. In the midst of all this, she receives an invitation to visit Lady Isabella Cosgrove-Pitt, a most villainous woman.With Pix in jail, Mina being hunted by Scotland Yard, and Evaline dining with the murderous Lady Isabella what more can possibly go wrong?Plenty. And when the mysterious black zeppelin appears once again in the night sky, things are about to get even more dangerous for Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak.In this third installment of the Stoker and Holmes series, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes have reluctantly agreed to act as social chaperones and undercover bodyguards for Princess Lurelia of Betrovia, who has arrived in London to deliver a letter that details the secret location of an ancient chess queen that's been missing for centuries. But when the letter-which will heal a centuries-old rift between England and the Betrovians-is stolen out from under Evaline and Mina's watchful eyes, the two girls are forced into a high-stakes race to ensure they find the chess queen before anyone else does.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak.In this third installment of the Stoker and Holmes series, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes have reluctantly agreed to act as social chaperones and undercover bodyguards for Princess Lurelia of Betrovia, who has arrived in London to deliver a letter that details the secret location of an ancient chess queen that's been missing for centuries. But when the letter-which will heal a centuries-old rift between England and the Betrovians-is stolen out from under Evaline and Mina's watchful eyes, the two girls are forced into a high-stakes race to ensure they find the chess queen before anyone else does.

Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker return in their final-and most exciting-adventure together."Gleason has vamped up the familiar world of Holmes and Watson...to paranormally exhilarating effect " -The New York TimesIt's a cold, blustery day in January of 1890 when Mina Holmes receives an invitation to Evaline Stoker's wedding. The two young women-partners and occasionally friends-haven't spoken for nearly two months, since the events at the Carnelian Crow.Shocked, Mina is still looking at the invitation when constables from Scotland Yard begin pounding on her front door. They've arrived to arrest her for the murder of a man she's never even heard of.Meanwhile, Evaline has her hands full with wedding plans (boring) and an overbearing sister who wants to manage her every move-including a dizzying array of social activities. In the midst of all this, she receives an invitation to visit Lady Isabella Cosgrove-Pitt, a most villainous woman.With Pix in jail, Mina being hunted by Scotland Yard, and Evaline dining with the murderous Lady Isabella what more can possibly go wrong?Plenty. And when the mysterious black zeppelin appears once again in the night sky, things are about to get even more dangerous for Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes.

"Gleason has vamped up the familiar world of Holmes and Watson...to paranormally exhilarating effect." -- The New York TimesThe girls are back Evaline Stoker (sister of Bram) and Mina Holmes (niece of Sherlock) return in the fourth volume of the steampunk adventure series set in an alternate Victorian London.Ever since the debacle of the Chess Queen Enigma, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker have laid low, trying to settle back into their quiet lives as young ladies of London. But the Holmesian deductive abilities won't remain dormant for long, and when Mina receives a strange package from a winged, midnight visitor, she is catapulted into a new, dangerous adventure: the search for The Carnelian Crow.Meanwhile, Evaline has received some very disturbing news--news that will change her life forever. Along with that unpleasant knowledge is the strange disappearance of her nemesis, the disreputable pickpocket Pix.When it becomes clear the arch-villainess the Ankh has made her next move, it will take all of Mina's Holmesian ingenuity and Evaline's courage and determination to stop the criminal from executing her boldest and most dangerous plan yet PRAISE FOR STOKER & HOLMES"This book has it all...the vivid setting and the finely drawn, compelling heorines make this a fine choice for reaaders who like their stories with steampunk spice and smart, strong women." -School Library Journal"There's lots of fun to be had from this odd-couple investigative team's snarky banter, the well-imagined setting's steampunk details, and Gleason's flashes of satiric humor." -The Horn Book

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak. And when two young society girls disappear-one dead, one missing-there's no one more qualified to investigate.Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve a murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab.The pressure is on, and the stakes are high-if Stoker and Holmes don't figure out why London's finest sixteen-year-old women are in danger, they'll become the next victims.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak.After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa appear lunatic using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected?As Uncle Sherlock would say, there are no coincidences. It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay..."This book has it all...the vivid setting and the finely drawn, compelling heroines make this a fine choice for readers who like their stories with steampunk spice and smart, strong women." -School Library Journal"The mishmash of popular tropes (steampunk Vampires Sherlock Holmes ) will bring readers in, but it's the friendship between the two girls that will keep them." -Kirkus Reviews"The author's writing exudes energy, romance, and humor, and she gives her heroines strong, vibrant personalities as they puzzle out the expansive mystery unfolding before them." -Publishers Weekly"If Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sherlock Holmes ever met, this book would be the result. If you loved 'Nancy Drew' or 'The Hardy Boys' as a kid, you're going to love this sci-fi/fantasy mystery series." -SLJ Teen

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak. And when two young society girls disappear-one dead, one missing-there's no one more qualified to investigate.Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve a murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab.The pressure is on, and the stakes are high-if Stoker and Holmes don't figure out why London's finest sixteen-year-old women are in danger, they'll become the next victims.

"Gleason has vamped up the familiar world of Holmes and Watson...to paranormally exhilarating effect." -- The New York TimesThe girls are back Evaline Stoker (sister of Bram) and Mina Holmes (niece of Sherlock) return in the fourth volume of the steampunk adventure series set in an alternate Victorian London.Ever since the debacle of the Chess Queen Enigma, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker have laid low, trying to settle back into their quiet lives as young ladies of London. But the Holmesian deductive abilities won't remain dormant for long, and when Mina receives a strange package from a winged, midnight visitor, she is catapulted into a new, dangerous adventure: the search for The Carnelian Crow.Meanwhile, Evaline has received some very disturbing news--news that will change her life forever. Along with that unpleasant knowledge is the strange disappearance of her nemesis, the disreputable pickpocket Pix.When it becomes clear the arch-villainess the Ankh has made her next move, it will take all of Mina's Holmesian ingenuity and Evaline's courage and determination to stop the criminal from executing her boldest and most dangerous plan yet PRAISE FOR STOKER & HOLMES"This book has it all...the vivid setting and the finely drawn, compelling heorines make this a fine choice for reaaders who like their stories with steampunk spice and smart, strong women." -School Library Journal"There's lots of fun to be had from this odd-couple investigative team's snarky banter, the well-imagined setting's steampunk details, and Gleason's flashes of satiric humor." -The Horn Book

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you're the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak.After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa appear lunatic using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected?As Uncle Sherlock would say, there are no coincidences. It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay..."This book has it all...the vivid setting and the finely drawn, compelling heroines make this a fine choice for readers who like their stories with steampunk spice and smart, strong women." -School Library Journal"The mishmash of popular tropes (steampunk Vampires Sherlock Holmes ) will bring readers in, but it's the friendship between the two girls that will keep them." -Kirkus Reviews"The author's writing exudes energy, romance, and humor, and she gives her heroines strong, vibrant personalities as they puzzle out the expansive mystery unfolding before them." -Publishers Weekly"If Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sherlock Holmes ever met, this book would be the result. If you loved 'Nancy Drew' or 'The Hardy Boys' as a kid, you're going to love this sci-fi/fantasy mystery series." -SLJ Teen

At forty-eight, Jacqueline Finch has a nice, easy life with few responsibilities: she's been a librarian in Chicago for twenty-five years, she doesn't have a husband, children, or pets, and she's just coasting along, enjoying her books and a small flower garden now that she's over the hill.That is, until the Universe (helped by three old crones) has other ideas.All at once, Jacqueline's staid (and boring) life is upended, and the next thing she knows, she's heading off to Button Cove to start a new life as the owner of Three Tomes Bookshop.The bookstore is a darling place, and Jacqueline is almost ready to be excited about this new opportunity...until Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers show up. Somehow, the literary characters of Sherlock Holmes's landlady and Rebecca deWinter's creepy and sardonic housekeeper are living persons who work at the bookshop (when they aren't bickering with each other). Not only does Jacqueline have to contend with them-and the idea that people regularly eat pastries while reading books in her store -but the morning after she arrives, the body of a dead man is found on her property.Things start to get even more strange after that: Jacqueline is befriended by three old women who bear a startling resemblance to the Witches Three from Macbeth, an actual witch shows up at her bookshop and accuses Jacqueline of killing her brother, and the two women who own businesses across the street seem determined to befriend Jacqueline.And then there's the police detective with the very definite hot-Viking vibe who shows up to investigate the dead body...The next thing Jacqueline knows, her staid and simple life is no longer quiet and unassuming, and she's got crones, curses, and crocodiles to deal with.And when a new literary character appears on the scene...things start to get even more hairy and Jacqueline is suddenly faced with a horrible life and death situation that will totally push her out of her comfort zone...if she's brave enough to let it.After all, isn't forty-eight too late for an old dog to learn new tricks?From the bestselling author of the Wicks Hollow series, Tomes, Scones & Crones is the first book in a new paranormal women's fiction series about coming into one's own when you're over the hill, and owning one's "croneness."