The Evynsford Chronicles Series by Julianne T. Grey

Evynsford was a nearly forgotten hamlet on the coast of the Irish Sea when the troubles began. First the dead ship rolled into the dock, then fog swallowed the community and then the disappearances occurred. One child vanished from her bed before sunrise. Then twin brothers did not return from their chores. As the cries for the local watchmen to do something – anything – grew, so did the number of abducted children... moreEvynsford was a nearly forgotten hamlet on the coast of the Irish Sea when the troubles began. First the dead ship rolled into the dock, then fog swallowed the community and then the disappearances occurred. One child vanished from her bed before sunrise. Then twin brothers did not return from their chores. As the cries for the local watchmen to do something – anything – grew, so did the number of abducted children. By the time the local watchmen called to Preston for professional constables, there were more children missing than accounted for in the panicked township. When Inspector Arthur Eldermann arrives in the mist-choked community, not a single child under the age of thirteen but older than three remains, and there are no witnesses, no bodies and no clues as to why. The Inspector, a lapsed clergyman of cold demeanor and sneering wit, has his work cut out for him among the surly and insular townsfolk. His one ray of hope lies in Miss Regina Hollferd, governess of the rural schoolhouse, whose dedication and knowledge may hold the key to the disappearance of so many of her students. Her zeal and diligence begin to touch something in Inspector Eldermann long left to the dark, and he finds himself enthralled and repelled in equal measure by the soft-spoken yet potent woman. He will need all the help he can get, as things are moving in the mists around Evynsford, and the great wheels of a dark, terrible engine have already been set in motion. Can daring, wit and rekindled faith find the stolen children and perhaps even forestall the shadow looming ever closer? less

It has been over a year since Inspector Arthur Eldermann was sent to find the vanished children of Evynsford and the fingertips of some shadowy will were revealed. It could almost be believed that whatever darkness had come to that secluded hamlet had been driven off. Yet the mists endure, an oppressive smothering blanket, and as the pale summer of 1899 spreads up the British Isle, another ill wind blows across Evynsford from the Irish Sea... moreIt has been over a year since Inspector Arthur Eldermann was sent to find the vanished children of Evynsford and the fingertips of some shadowy will were revealed. It could almost be believed that whatever darkness had come to that secluded hamlet had been driven off. Yet the mists endure, an oppressive smothering blanket, and as the pale summer of 1899 spreads up the British Isle, another ill wind blows across Evynsford from the Irish Sea. Something has been tearing apart the fields, and so three farmers set out to end the menace. When they don’t return, searches begin, and in a prospector’s lodge a grisly scene is uncovered. It could not have been the work of any man, but no such creature haunts those shores. The Watchman placates and consoles, but the cries of the widows and the fatherless grow too loud. Something must be done. Once again, things which cannot be explained are plaguing Evynsford and a call goes out for a constable to help. Well, not a constable. Inspector Eldermann has not been idle this past year, his professional triumph and spiritual revival in Evynsford having landed quite a bit more in his lap. Case after gory case has been handed him, sending him wading waist-deep into human depravity even as his soul strives to rediscover what it means to be holy. Wrestling with the black night inside himself and the world around him, the Inspector is called back to the place where his life began its new road. Someone is waiting there for him, and she has been very patient ... but can she and the man she longs to love stand together when darkness comes for them from within and without? less

Things seem to be at their tipping point in Evynsford, as the final pieces are revealed in a drama of shadowy intrigue which has played out across the lives of those dwelling within that sequestered hamlet. An organization, one which has manipulated and maneuvered the very existence of the community, has shown its hand, whose fingers reach toward the very souls of the people dwelling on the cold shores of the Irish Sea... moreThings seem to be at their tipping point in Evynsford, as the final pieces are revealed in a drama of shadowy intrigue which has played out across the lives of those dwelling within that sequestered hamlet. An organization, one which has manipulated and maneuvered the very existence of the community, has shown its hand, whose fingers reach toward the very souls of the people dwelling on the cold shores of the Irish Sea. Rumors of experimentation, subterranean repositories and grand plans to make “better men” circulate around Evynsford, but still so much remains in the shadows. If only a keen investigator could drag things into the light… However, such a man seems to be busy at the moment, with his recent marriage and his time away from the Constable Offices of Preston being spent erecting a new schoolhouse. No leads have been chased down, no evidence scrutinized, no prisoner interrogated, but for all this, Inspector Eldermann has never been happier. Perhaps Eldermann has given up the chase, lost in the wedded bliss he has found in the arms of the former Miss Regina Hollferd. Yet that which moves in the dark will not be denied and Arthur Eldermann has stood in its way for the last time. When news comes that the only captured member of the organization, the Seraph, has begun talking of dire events to come, Eldermann is drawn back within the web, though things have already been set in motion. Even if the Inspector can uncover what lies ahead, there may not be enough of Evynsford, or himself, to save. less

The hunt is on. Sergeant Bartholomew Moore’s prey was within his grasp, but the elusive and deadly Aiden Woolbury slipped away after claiming his first target in Preston. With the bark of a rifle and the roar of a flame, Preston finds itself in the midst of a new conflict – the spark that may set off a powder keg of criminality and political unrest which has been growing for decades... moreThe hunt is on. Sergeant Bartholomew Moore’s prey was within his grasp, but the elusive and deadly Aiden Woolbury slipped away after claiming his first target in Preston. With the bark of a rifle and the roar of a flame, Preston finds itself in the midst of a new conflict – the spark that may set off a powder keg of criminality and political unrest which has been growing for decades. Now it is a race against time between the Constable and the Assassin, one determined to claim more targets in a bid for his ultimate goal and the other bound to move all heaven and earth to stop the killing … even if it requires just one more death to bring the chaos to an end. And all this commotion causes something else to move in the dark. An old foe stirs from his own machinations and brooding, realizing that the little empire he has carved out for himself may be under threat. Like any would-be despot, he will suffer no such challenge. He proved three years ago that the only rule of engagement to which he adheres is the maxim of victory before everything else. The streets of Preston grow gloomy with fog, but only these three men can determine whether the streets will also run red. less