Second Sons Series by Amy Corwin

An inquiry agent is asked to expose a spiritualist as a fraud only to uncover a murder. In 1815, an inquiry agent, Mr. Knighton Gaunt, is asked by Lord Crowley to attend a séance with the express purpose of revealing the spiritualist as a fraud. When the séance ends abruptly, Lord Crowley is poisoned during the turmoil by an unseen killer. Gaunt is now left to investigate not only fraud, but murder... moreAn inquiry agent is asked to expose a spiritualist as a fraud only to uncover a murder. In 1815, an inquiry agent, Mr. Knighton Gaunt, is asked by Lord Crowley to attend a séance with the express purpose of revealing the spiritualist as a fraud. When the séance ends abruptly, Lord Crowley is poisoned during the turmoil by an unseen killer. Gaunt is now left to investigate not only fraud, but murder. Suspicion turns first to the spiritualist, Miss Prudence Barnard, but as Gaunt digs deeper into the twisted history of the guests at Rosecrest, he discovers more deadly secrets. Inevitably, long-time friends turn against one another as the tension mounts, and Gaunt is challenged to separate fact from fiction before another death at Rosecrest. The Vital Principle is the first mystery in the Second Sons Inquiry Agency series and features coolly intellectual Mr. Knighton Gaunt, the agency’s founder. This witty, historical whodunit in the tradition of Bruce Alexander’s Blind Justice, will keep you guessing until the unexpected end. less

Only Sir Edward had the motive, the opportunity, and a garden full of the identical roses sent to each victim before their death. The first victim was Sir Edward’s ex-mistress, a woman who threw him over for a younger man. After receiving a mysterious rose, she dies while alone with Sir Edward. Then a second rose is delivered and a deadly game commences, where roses are the only clues to save the next victim... moreOnly Sir Edward had the motive, the opportunity, and a garden full of the identical roses sent to each victim before their death. The first victim was Sir Edward’s ex-mistress, a woman who threw him over for a younger man. After receiving a mysterious rose, she dies while alone with Sir Edward. Then a second rose is delivered and a deadly game commences, where roses are the only clues to save the next victim. However, Charles Vance, Earl of Castlemoor, refuses to believe his uncle, Sir Edward, could commit the murders, even when the renowned head of the Second Sons Inquiry Agency warns him there may be some truth behind the rumors. "The roses are Sir Edward’s attempt to cast suspicion elsewhere. " "Misdirection. " Or so the whispers say. Convinced he can prove his uncle’s innocence, Vance enlists the aide of notable rosarian, Ariadne Wellfleet, little realizing his actions will involve the Wellfleet household in the killer’s game. Before the week is out, another rose is delivered. And someone else is missing. A Rose Before Dying is a witty, fast-paced historical whodunit in the tradition of Bruce Alexander’s Blind Justice and Victoria Holt’s The Mistress of Mellyn. This addition to the Second Sons mystery series includes an unwilling detective who refuses to let his earldom stand in the way of catching an elusive killer. It will keep you guessing until the unexpected end. less

It's 1819, and when Eric Knibbs invites his second cousin, Prudence Barnard, to a house party, she’s pleased to discover that she has a family, even if it is a distant one. Since her father’s death, Pru has struggled to maintain her existence without the affection and support of relatives. Unfortunately, their reunion is cut short when Eric is found dead, hanging from a noose outside his bedroom window... moreIt's 1819, and when Eric Knibbs invites his second cousin, Prudence Barnard, to a house party, she’s pleased to discover that she has a family, even if it is a distant one. Since her father’s death, Pru has struggled to maintain her existence without the affection and support of relatives. Unfortunately, their reunion is cut short when Eric is found dead, hanging from a noose outside his bedroom window. The coroner and his jury believe Eric hung himself, but Eric was afraid of heights and could never have committed suicide in such a manner. He won’t even allow the drapes to be opened in his bedroom, so how could he have jumped out of the window with a noose around his neck? After a quick examination of his room, Pru finds too many anomalies and can’t help questioning the positioning of the body outside his window, facing the hedge maze in his garden. Pru doesn’t have any answers, but she knows her cousin was well-liked and generous, so she seeks help from her old friend, Knighton Gaunt of the Second Sons Inquiry Agency. Pru soon learns the maze had a dark past and neither Pru nor Knighton are prepared for the strange paths they must follow to discover what deadly truth lays hidden in the shadows at Kennington Manor. Was the dead man’s view of the maze at the heart of the mystery or simply the killer’s ruse to suggest suicide? less