Spencer & Reid Mysteries Series by Cara Devlin

An acquaintance with death. Haunted by the unsolved murder of her family fifteen years ago, Leonora Spencer has always been familiar with death. And now, as an assistant to her uncle in his London morgue, she uses her photographic memory to catalogue details for his coroner’s reports... moreAn acquaintance with death. Haunted by the unsolved murder of her family fifteen years ago, Leonora Spencer has always been familiar with death. And now, as an assistant to her uncle in his London morgue, she uses her photographic memory to catalogue details for his coroner’s reports. When a thief steals a seemingly worthless locket off a young woman’s corpse but leaves valuable jewels behind, Leo is determined to understand why—even if it means going against Detective Inspector Jasper Reid’s express orders to keep her nose out of it. A closely guarded past. Born and bred on the streets, Jasper Reid’s recent promotion to the detective’s branch at Scotland Yard is a long step up from his murky past, and he’s resolved to prove he earned his chance fair and square. The last thing he needs is a convoluted case concerning the well-known eccentric Leo Spencer. And to make matters worse—the criminals he once associated with as a lad may also be involved. A murderer closing in. When the missing locket and a handful of suspicious deaths point to a mysterious buried object that could ruin a prominent figure, Jasper grudgingly accepts Leo’s help to locate it. But after another break-in at the morgue, they realize someone is watching them, and the more they uncover about a deadly blackmail plot, the closer Leo and Jasper get to becoming the killer’s next targets. Shadow at the Morgue is the first book in Cara Devlin’s new Spencer & Reid historical mystery series. less

Murder never shocks Leonora Spencer. Violence is a fact of life in Victorian London, and most of the corpses Leo attends to inside her uncle’s city morgue are its victims. But when she witnesses a woman’s death at a popular night club, and then follows a suspicious hooded figure retreating from the scene, Leo lands herself in the center of another complex Scotland Yard investigation—right where Detective Inspector Jasper Reid doesn’t want her... moreMurder never shocks Leonora Spencer. Violence is a fact of life in Victorian London, and most of the corpses Leo attends to inside her uncle’s city morgue are its victims. But when she witnesses a woman’s death at a popular night club, and then follows a suspicious hooded figure retreating from the scene, Leo lands herself in the center of another complex Scotland Yard investigation—right where Detective Inspector Jasper Reid doesn’t want her. In the several weeks since the unconventional Leo Spencer helped him solve an explosive case, Jasper has kept the willful morgue assistant at arm’s length. Now, the bride of one of the city’s most dangerous crime lords has been poisoned, and his primary witness is the very woman he’s been trying to avoid—if only because she is as fascinating as she is irritating. Disregarding strict warnings to stay out of it, Leo insists on helping Jasper sort through his inquiry. When a death portrait of two mysterious children is found in the victim’s handbag, and an unsolved Jane Doe case that haunts Jasper resurfaces, he and Leo begin to question if more than one crime—and killer—is at play. But discovering the truth might also mean walking into a carefully laid trap. Method of Revenge is the second book in Cara Devlin’s new romantic historical mystery series set in Victorian London. The Spencer & Reid Mysteries are perfect for fans of PBS Masterpiece Mystery’s Miss Scarlet & the Duke, and readers of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and C. S. Harris. less

Months after a devastating discovery about the murder of her family, Leonora Spencer is still struggling to cope. She has kept her distance from Scotland Yard—and from Detective Inspector Jasper Reid—just as she has vowed to do. But when a bomb kills a young constable outside police headquarters, and a prominent suffragist is wrongly fitted for the crime, Leo is compelled to prove the woman’s innocence—even if it means working with the detective inspector she no longer trusts... moreMonths after a devastating discovery about the murder of her family, Leonora Spencer is still struggling to cope. She has kept her distance from Scotland Yard—and from Detective Inspector Jasper Reid—just as she has vowed to do. But when a bomb kills a young constable outside police headquarters, and a prominent suffragist is wrongly fitted for the crime, Leo is compelled to prove the woman’s innocence—even if it means working with the detective inspector she no longer trusts. Weathering Leo’s silent fury has been more of a hardship than Jasper would care to admit—especially to her. He’s muddled through by putting his head down at the Yard and focusing on his demanding caseload. But when the persistent morgue assistant begins to interfere in another detective’s high-profile inquiry, Jasper is torn between warning her off as he should, or lending a hand. As ties between the bombing and a seemingly unrelated murder case Jasper is investigating begin to emerge, so does a connection to one of London’s most dangerous organized crime syndicates. Leo and Jasper’s hunt for the true mastermind behind the bombing plot has drawn unwanted attention from the East End gang, along with a dire warning: Solving this murder will come with deadly consequences. Courier of Death is the third book in Cara Devlin’s new romantic historical mystery series set in Victorian London. The Spencer & Reid Mysteries are perfect for fans of PBS Masterpiece Mystery’s Miss Scarlet & the Duke, and readers of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and C. S. Harris. less

When masked men storm a charity dinner for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphanage, Leonora Spencer and Detective Inspector Jasper Reid are among the many guests forced to witness the pandemonium—and a brutal murder. Although she is shaken by the apparent robbery gone wrong, Leo insists on helping Jasper and the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard by tapping her photographic memory for clues... moreWhen masked men storm a charity dinner for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphanage, Leonora Spencer and Detective Inspector Jasper Reid are among the many guests forced to witness the pandemonium—and a brutal murder. Although she is shaken by the apparent robbery gone wrong, Leo insists on helping Jasper and the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard by tapping her photographic memory for clues. But the pieces aren’t adding up, and in her resolve to find answers, the risks Leo takes leave Jasper questioning his decision to assign her an unofficial role in the investigation. After an old letter found on the victim points to the mysterious death of an infant at the charity orphanage over a decade before, a complex web of deceit and conspiracy begins to emerge. And when another child is targeted, Leo and Jasper realize they have no choice but to confront a killer set on vengeance. Cloaked in Deception is the fourth book in Cara Devlin’s new romantic historical mystery series set in Victorian London. The Spencer & Reid Mysteries are perfect for fans of PBS Masterpiece Mystery’s Miss Scarlet & the Duke, and readers of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and C. S. Harris. less

After Leo and Jasper are summoned to the reading of a last will and testament for a woman they do not know, they are stunned to receive not only a joint bequest, but also a bidding from the grave: to find out if the woman’s young son fell to his death a dozen years ago…or if he was, as she always suspected, pushed... moreAfter Leo and Jasper are summoned to the reading of a last will and testament for a woman they do not know, they are stunned to receive not only a joint bequest, but also a bidding from the grave: to find out if the woman’s young son fell to his death a dozen years ago…or if he was, as she always suspected, pushed. Faced with hostility from the grieving family, Leo and Jasper launch an unusual investigation, placing the morgue assistant and the detective inspector on equal footing for the first time. It’s a thrilling change after their budding relationship had been on pause for months while Jasper handled a case in Liverpool. But when a new murder complicates things, and Leo takes on a separate private inquiry, they discover working together is more challenging than either of them anticipated. As Leo and Jasper untangle a web of family secrets, they unearth a vile truth connecting two deaths, separated by a decade—a truth the killer will stop at nothing to bury, once and for all. Tears for the Forsaken is the fifth book in Cara Devlin’s romantic historical mystery series set in Victorian London. The Spencer & Reid Mysteries are perfect for fans of Miss Scarlet & the Duke, and readers of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and C. S. Harris. less