Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe Murder Mystery Series by Carla Simpson

London 1889 — Murder, mystery, and two people in a most unlikely partnership.She's an unconventional lady who has traveled the world, practices the art of self defense most excellently, and has an interesting tattoo in, ahem... a very unusual place.He's a former member of the Metropolitan Police, now a private investigator, who grew up on the poverty ridden streets of Edinburgh and has worked the dangerous back alleys of London's notorious East End... moreLondon 1889 — Murder, mystery, and two people in a most unlikely partnership.She's an unconventional lady who has traveled the world, practices the art of self defense most excellently, and has an interesting tattoo in, ahem... a very unusual place.He's a former member of the Metropolitan Police, now a private investigator, who grew up on the poverty ridden streets of Edinburgh and has worked the dangerous back alleys of London's notorious East End.A vicious murder brings them together in a race against time that takes them from the sordid back streets of London into the elite private clubs of the powerful and rich, to find the killer before he strikes again and prevent a deadly scheme.A scandalous affair, deceptions, and secrets will challenge what they know and what they believe.Come along as the lady and the detective join forces in an amazing time of new inventions, startling discoveries, and unexpected revelations, where a young woman who doesn't rely on anyone is forced to trust the irascible Scot who is a tough as they come and just might learn a thing or two from her... if they both don't end up dead! less

A severed foot. Fingerprints left on a wine glass. A secret cypher code. The scent of orange and cinnamon left behind by the murderer.Mikaela Forsythe, adventuress, author, and now private investigator, is back, pulled into a deadly case that may just see her friend, actress Theodora Templeton, sent to prison for murder when that severed foot is found in her bed and a high-ranking official has gone missing... moreA severed foot. Fingerprints left on a wine glass. A secret cypher code. The scent of orange and cinnamon left behind by the murderer.Mikaela Forsythe, adventuress, author, and now private investigator, is back, pulled into a deadly case that may just see her friend, actress Theodora Templeton, sent to prison for murder when that severed foot is found in her bed and a high-ranking official has gone missing.But is it a crime of passion or something far more sinister?There is only one person who can assist--former police inspector Angus Brodie, the irascible Scot who challenges her at every turn. But Brodie is reluctant to take the case of a woman who communicates with the dead and keeps a four foot iguana as a pet. Until there is another murder, and then another.As the body count rises Mikaela and Brodie are forced to undertake a dangerous scheme to expose the murderer. But secrets lie in wait, and desperate people will take desperate measures to protect those secrets.All the while Mikaela's great aunt has decided to go on safari, the Mudger and Rupert are caught up in the case, and a brilliant young man--Bloody hell! Another Scot!-- has joined the team.Then there is that undeniable attraction to deal with that lies simmering just beneath the surface for two people who could not be more different...What is an independent lady to do? less

London, 1890:It's a New Year, but murder never takes a holiday.The past reaches out to the unlikely investigative team of Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe when a man Mikaela was once engaged to seeks her assistance to find his young runaway son.What starts out as a seemingly simple case of following the clues becomes far more as the search unravels secrets Mikaela’s former fiancé intended to keep hidden... moreLondon, 1890:It's a New Year, but murder never takes a holiday.The past reaches out to the unlikely investigative team of Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe when a man Mikaela was once engaged to seeks her assistance to find his young runaway son.What starts out as a seemingly simple case of following the clues becomes far more as the search unravels secrets Mikaela’s former fiancé intended to keep hidden.Mikaela is determined to find the answers they need, but Brodie can’t keep his mind off of his own set of questions…questions about this woman who is too darn independent; who aggravates him to no end with her lists, theories, and ideas; who puts her life at risk too often; and who may still have feelings for the man she might have once married…questions that complicate this already complicated partnership of theirs.When the boy's father is found dead, everything they thought they knew about the case is turned on its head and new motives start to take form.It's a race against time when the boy's school jacket is discovered with a note, and Mikaela and Brodie must work side by side with his mother—a woman who makes no attempt to hide her dislike for Mikaela and is determined to protect her late husband's legacy at all cost—sending them into a place where the hunters become the hunted and they must work together once more in order to survive. less

What is real or only an illusion?Ghostly images that appear and float across the stage, objects that levitate into the air, and a beautiful assistant who disappears inside a glass box, then reappears inside a second glass box. All while the audience at the Crystal Palace, including amateur investigator Mikaela Forsythe, watch the performance... moreWhat is real or only an illusion?Ghostly images that appear and float across the stage, objects that levitate into the air, and a beautiful assistant who disappears inside a glass box, then reappears inside a second glass box. All while the audience at the Crystal Palace, including amateur investigator Mikaela Forsythe, watch the performance.Is it real? Can the audience believe what they see?Then, an evening with her friend, Theodora Templeton while attending the one-night performance by master illusionist, Jean Luc Betard, takes a ghastly turn and plunges Mikaela headlong into murder when the illusionist's young assistant is found dead at the end of his newest stunt.The police, specifically Chief Inspector Abberline, who is also in attendance, declare it a tragic accident in an illusion gone wrong. But after making her own observations Mikaela is not convinced and places a call to Private Investigator Angus Brodie.Their's is a complicated partnership, more so with his latest work with the Special Services organization at the conclusion of their previous case, and that particularly complicated conversation he insisted on having with her.Irritating man!Never the less, Mikaela is certain there is more amiss than merely a tragic accident, and Brodie is forced to admit that she may be right, pulling them together once more, personal feelings aside. Or possibly not...That certainty takes both of them on a dangerous trail of clues that appear and then just as quickly disappear much like the illusionist's tricks.The case is no slight of hand, but a series of dangerous illusions meant to deceive both Mikaela and Brodie, and perhaps make them both disappear for good, while the murderer goes about his deadly scheme.And then, there is that conversation that she walked out on before, but he insists on having, even in the midst of murder.Oh my! less

A THIRTY YEAR OLD MURDER...Old Town, Edinburgh, in a squalid tenement where poverty, rats, and disease are rampant, a young woman who worked in a local tavern lies dying. Just another number and bound for a pauper's grave in Greyfriar's kirkyardA BOY FOUND STANDING IN HIS MOTHER'S BLOOD.. moreA THIRTY YEAR OLD MURDER...Old Town, Edinburgh, in a squalid tenement where poverty, rats, and disease are rampant, a young woman who worked in a local tavern lies dying. Just another number and bound for a pauper's grave in Greyfriar's kirkyardA BOY FOUND STANDING IN HIS MOTHER'S BLOOD...Alone, his grandmother the only family left, young Angus Brodie hides in the shadows nearby, the bronze medallion his dying mother pressed into his hand clenched in a tight fist as the constables carry her body from the tenement. And a name overheard--the man who was there that night, seen by the woman who collected the rents.A VOW MADE, A PROMISE TO BE KEPT...As his mother lay dying, Angus Brodie vowed that he would find the one responsible for her death no matter how long it took. less

A photograph taken of the daughter of one of London’s most prominent citizens in a private setting sets Brodie and Mikaela off on a new inquiry case to find out who took the photograph and then sent it to the family.The case begins simply enough until the young woman goes missing. Days later the distraught family receives another photograph of their daughter lying in a pool of blood, and that simple inquiry has now become an investigation of murder... moreA photograph taken of the daughter of one of London’s most prominent citizens in a private setting sets Brodie and Mikaela off on a new inquiry case to find out who took the photograph and then sent it to the family.The case begins simply enough until the young woman goes missing. Days later the distraught family receives another photograph of their daughter lying in a pool of blood, and that simple inquiry has now become an investigation of murder.But this is no routine investigation to follow the clues as another photograph is received, and another body is found.Then another, and Brodie and Mikaela must confront the fact that the murderer is brilliant, talented with those startling even beautiful images, and quite possibly insane as the murders do not appear to be for the usual reasons of robbery, blackmail, or an assault.What then is it that drives a cold-blooded killer to pick his victims, take those enigmatic photographs that catches them so perfectly? Then take another photograph once they are dead?Brodie has his own thoughts from years of experience with the MP of London as an investigator, while Mikaela has an entirely different take on the murders.Their inquiries take them from the struggling photographer who takes iconic photos around London then sells them for the stereopticons that have become so popular in Victorian London, to the casual photographer on the street with his box camera, and into the galleries where photo exhibits are shown.All the while they are exploring the next step in their relationship.As the murderer becomes bolder, the photograph of his next victim appears in the Times of London, setting off even more inquiries, and prominent London families fear the worst.Then, Brodie receives a photograph of Mikaela… less

Sir James Redstone has recently returned from abroad. He is handsome, well-educated, heir to the Redstone title and family fortune, and a fellow traveler of Mikaela Forsythe. He is also a member of the royal inner circle, close friend of the Prince of Wales, and well known to Mikaela’s aunt, Lady Antonia Montgomery. In the past he and Mikaela traveled in the same group to Egypt and the Far East. They share the experience of that adventure that she has written about in her first novel... moreSir James Redstone has recently returned from abroad. He is handsome, well-educated, heir to the Redstone title and family fortune, and a fellow traveler of Mikaela Forsythe. He is also a member of the royal inner circle, close friend of the Prince of Wales, and well known to Mikaela’s aunt, Lady Antonia Montgomery. In the past he and Mikaela traveled in the same group to Egypt and the Far East. They share the experience of that adventure that she has written about in her first novel. Now, Redstone has returned with tales of other travels that Mikaela might have made if not for the recent change in her relationship with Brodie. Redstone is everything Brodie is not as far as society is concerned, and it drives a wedge between the two when he becomes suspicious of the man’s activities—a series of telegrams covertly sent and received, meetings in the middle of the night in places that are dangerous and frequented only by foreigners. Is it jealousy and envy? Or are Brodie’s suspicions valid? At the same time, Mikaela has noticed undeniable changes in Sir James—a forgotten experience aboard a ship they were on, an encounter with Bedoins in the desert, and the death of a fellow traveler. Small things to other people, but it raises her own suspicions of the man who has the appearance and manners of Redstone, and yet...Is it simply the intervening years and other travels that have dimmed the memories, or is it something more? Lily, now Mikaela’s ward, who is young and far more worldly than she should be, makes a startling claim about Redstone, well-learned from her previous experiences at that brothel in Edinburgh. Then a member of the royal inner circle is found dead, last seen in the company of Redstone, and both Brodie and Mikaela are forced to look at their own suspicions of the man. Is he who he claims to be? Or is he an impostor? If so, how and what does that death mean? Who will be next? It’s a race against time for Mikaela and Brodie to set aside their suspicions of one another, follow the clues no matter where it takes them, and discover a horrifying deception that reaches beyond London and could change the course of everyone’s lives. less

"Ghosts of the past…The very case that made Brodie leave the Metropolitan Police returns to jeopardize his private inquiry business, his relationship with Mikaela Forsythe, and perhaps even his life.Ten years earlier, after Brodie refused to divulge the name of his source in a murder case, Chief Inspector Abberline threatened to have charges brought against him for withholding evidence... more"Ghosts of the past…The very case that made Brodie leave the Metropolitan Police returns to jeopardize his private inquiry business, his relationship with Mikaela Forsythe, and perhaps even his life.Ten years earlier, after Brodie refused to divulge the name of his source in a murder case, Chief Inspector Abberline threatened to have charges brought against him for withholding evidence. The case might very well have won Abberline the coveted new title of Commissioner of Police, and when the “source,” a woman, suddenly disappeared, Abberline couldn’t forgive Brodie.Now the woman has returned and says the man she could have helped put behind bars is stalking her and she’s afraid for her life. Determined to save her, Brodie searches for her stalker, only to become the prime suspect himself when she turns up dead. With Abberline about to have him arrested, Brodie goes into hiding, insisting he can find the real killer.Can Mikaela trust that Brodie’s telling the truth? Why won’t he tell her everything he knows? And what does this all mean for their partnership as well as their personal relationship? She’s about to find out as she undertakes her own investigation to prove Brodie’s innocence. And when the case takes her into the back streets of London, to the private salon of a man who knew the mysterious woman, is she prepared for what she will find? less

Murder is such a nasty business…Mikaela Forsythe has returned from safari in Africa with her great aunt, and Lily.The continent survived, but not so the victim in a new murder investigation that she is asked to undertake – that agreement she made with Sir Avery of the Special Services Agency to save Brodie’s life.A particularly sensitive case, the victim is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, and a man who apparently led a double life... moreMurder is such a nasty business…Mikaela Forsythe has returned from safari in Africa with her great aunt, and Lily.The continent survived, but not so the victim in a new murder investigation that she is asked to undertake – that agreement she made with Sir Avery of the Special Services Agency to save Brodie’s life.A particularly sensitive case, the victim is a close friend of the Prince of Wales, and a man who apparently led a double life.Questions only mount as the trail to find the murderer leads to Brussels, then Frankfurt, and uncovers an affair with an exotic actress, a clandestine scheme, smugglers, and the disappearance of a priceless diamond.Who really was Antony Collingwood? What was the scheme that got him killed? Did it involve the Prince of Wales?Murder and scandal threaten to undermine the succession to the throne. And there is a further complication.Sir Avery insists that Angus Brodie assist Mikaela in this very delicate investigation that could have far-reaching consequences.Their first meeting since the sudden ‘change’ in their relationship and her return from Africa, is less than cordial. There are difficult feelings to work through.In addition, it seems that Brodie has not changed at all, in spite of his new role with young Rory, that requires infinite patience and understanding -- two characteristics that Brodie arguably is not known for. At least as far as Mikaela is concerned.After a heated conversation, she tells him exactly what he can do with his expertise and the instructions from Sir Avery to work together, and she is determined to continue the investigation on her own.Angus Brodie is forced to confront an immovable force – Mikaela, in order to follow the orders he’s been given from Sir Avery, and to confront the fact that he might just have been wrong in that previous argument that sent her off to Africa and out of his life. As the investigation exposes both to secrets, danger, and choices, what will Brodie and Mikaela discover is most important as smugglers and assassins are determined to stop them at all cost? less

A young woman has been murdered at the prime of her life, striking fear into the hearts of women across London and anguish into the heart of her dear fiancé.There are no answers, only a single red rose left on the young woman’s body, the calling card once used for a cold-blooded killer who left a trail of dead women across the East End years ago.Could the Whitechapel murderer be stalking the streets of London once more?For Mikaela and Brodie, the crime is highly personal... moreA young woman has been murdered at the prime of her life, striking fear into the hearts of women across London and anguish into the heart of her dear fiancé.There are no answers, only a single red rose left on the young woman’s body, the calling card once used for a cold-blooded killer who left a trail of dead women across the East End years ago.Could the Whitechapel murderer be stalking the streets of London once more?For Mikaela and Brodie, the crime is highly personal. The victim was an accomplished musician who gave lessons to ladies of society, including their ward, Lily. As more victims come to light and the police remain empty-handed, Mikaela’s great aunt insists that they take up the inquiry case before the murderer can strike yet again.The clues trickle in and it seems the killer may have already chosen their next victim. Unbeknownst to Mikalea and Brodie, street-wise and fearless Lily has been running her own little investigation, only this time she hasn’t returned home.And what should arrive instead? A red rose along with a she shouldn’t have interfered. less

The British Museum gets one more corpse than they bargained for as doors open for their new Egyptian exhibit.Excitement is palpable among London Society as the opening of the exhibit draws near. An invitation-only affair, it will be attended by the likes of the Queen, foreign dignitaries, and high-placed people in society, which most certainly includes Mikaela Forsythe and her great aunt, Lady Montgomery... moreThe British Museum gets one more corpse than they bargained for as doors open for their new Egyptian exhibit.Excitement is palpable among London Society as the opening of the exhibit draws near. An invitation-only affair, it will be attended by the likes of the Queen, foreign dignitaries, and high-placed people in society, which most certainly includes Mikaela Forsythe and her great aunt, Lady Montgomery.The artifacts are magnificent—gold sarcophagi, statues, canopic jars, and a mummified cat line the hall, along with a legendary Book of the Dead found at Saqqara in Egypt. The day finally arrives and the attendees eagerly await an appearance by the explorer Sir Nelson Lawrence.And quite the appearance they’ll get…Sprawled at the foot of a statue of Ramses II, a funerary mask covering his face and a gold handled Egyptian dagger protruding from his chest, Sir Nelson’s body is now on display alongside his life’s work.While other attendees might be scandalized, Mikaela keeps a cool head, for murder has become an all-too-familiar part of life and questions and suspects are already queueing up inside her mind.It’s time for Mikaela and Brodie to take on the world of smuggling, a world with no loyalty that will challenge them at every turn. And while everyone feuds over who has a claim to the artifacts, rumors spread of an ancient curse set to claim them instead… less

Ghosts from the past have the nasty habit of refusing to stay buried.Returning from an extended stay in Scotland, life for Mikaela and Brodie picks up right back where it left off. Brodie is immediately tasked with a new case for the Agency, while Mikaela must attend a reception for the release of her latest novel. But, as it always does, intrigue has begun to creep its way back in.While at the reception, Mikaela encounters a mysterious woman who bares a striking resemblance to her... moreGhosts from the past have the nasty habit of refusing to stay buried.Returning from an extended stay in Scotland, life for Mikaela and Brodie picks up right back where it left off. Brodie is immediately tasked with a new case for the Agency, while Mikaela must attend a reception for the release of her latest novel. But, as it always does, intrigue has begun to creep its way back in.While at the reception, Mikaela encounters a mysterious woman who bares a striking resemblance to her. But, before she can ask any questions, the woman disappears.Days later Mikaela’s sister Lenore sees the same woman, raising more questions and bringing back painful memories. The woman claims to be a long-lost half sister, with old letters and documents that seem to support her claim. And there is that undeniable resemblance.But is she who she claims to be?Mikaela sets out to investigate, drawing Brodie in to support her even as he cautions that the woman might be telling the truth.Their search takes them into the past as old secrets come to light, from a private hospital in the south of France to a grave in Highgate Cemetery, desperate to expose the truth.But as they both know only too well, awaking old ghosts can be deadly... less

An anonymous advertisement appears in the Personals Column of the Times of London, known for arranging clandestine meetings, illicit messages, and trysts between lovers.It promises escape from the dreariness, poverty, and crime of London with travel and adventure for a young woman as companion, all expenses paid. Interested parties are to respond to a box number at the Times of London newspaper... moreAn anonymous advertisement appears in the Personals Column of the Times of London, known for arranging clandestine meetings, illicit messages, and trysts between lovers.It promises escape from the dreariness, poverty, and crime of London with travel and adventure for a young woman as companion, all expenses paid. Interested parties are to respond to a box number at the Times of London newspaper.It is an enticing lure and the only clue in the disappearance of three young women who could not be more different from one Gwen, the daughter of a shopkeeper who sells brushes from his shop in Piccadilly, determined to see other places rather that waste away in a shop in London;Charlotte, an educated young woman from a well-placed family whose fiancé died and need to put the past behind her;Lizzie, the flower seller at Covent Garden who has collected postcards from the penny machines on the street of France, Portugal and Spain, places she’s told everyone that she’s going to see one day.They have names and faces, all longing to escape their lives. Not unlike another adventurous young woman years before--Mikaela Forsythe. A favor for a friend to make inquiries turns into a dangerous and deadly case as other clues are gradually uncovered, and Mikaela is able to learn that none of the young women ever left London, but have simply vanished.Who is behind the disappearances? And another nagging question—are there more out there who have disappeared?When the ad appears again, there seems to be only one way to find out what might have happened to the women, by responding to the advertisement herself.However, it is a decision that puts Mikaela at odds with Brodie, as well as in grave danger as she becomes the next ‘young woman’, in a dangerous scheme that could turn deadly. less