John Hudspith

Harriet Steel

Jane Dixon Smith

After a whirlwind courtship and marriage to dashing Frenchman Emile Daubigny, Anna, the teenage daughter of a Russian furrier, moves to Paris with her new husband, looking forward to a life of gaiety, love and comfortable affluence. Married life and the social scene in the most fashionable city on earth is everything Anna hoped it would be, but when Emile vanishes without trace and she is evicted, Anna is forced to discover the city's poverty-stricken dark side of harsh streets and squalid tenements, where the temptation for a penniless young lady to become a kept woman is overwhelming. To make matters worse, war with Prussia looms and Anna and the city she loves will both struggle to survive. (City of Dreams is the first in a series of novels that will follow the stories of Anna and her descendants in Paris and further afield.)

City of Dreams

Taken in Nuala

Much to the delight of the locals, a colourful Russian circus rolls into Nuala, but the fun ends abruptly when, on the opening night, a tragic accident takes place.Shanti de Silva and his wife, Jane are among the crowd to witness the accident. Or was it an accident? Inspector de Silva senses murder, and soon, he's juggling with the evidence. Will the trail lead to the circus's dashing stunt rider and master of horse, Alexei Goncharov, or to Alexei's brother Boris, its boisterous ringmaster? Throw a string of jewel thefts and some deadly snakes into the mix and the list of suspects grows.De Silva will need to keep his wits about him to unravel yet another absorbing puzzle in this charming and addictive mystery series set in the 1930s in exotic Ceylon.

High Wire in Nuala

It is autumn 1940, and Inspector de Silva and his wife Jane are looking forward to a well-earned holiday. But their hopes of a relaxing break in the picturesque city of Galle beside the Indian Ocean are dashed when death, mysterious illnesses, and a missing guest cast a gloomy shadow. As they're drawn into the investigation, the mystery deepens. Is there a villain amongst their fellow guests or further afield? The search for answers will lead them into great danger that has repercussions far beyond the island of Ceylon. Please note that this paperback edition of Break from Nuala includes Christmas in Nuala previously only published on Kindle Christmas in Nuala The little town of Nuala is full of Christmas good cheer, until murder overshadows the festivities. The mystery he needs to solve baffles Inspector de Silva. It's just as well he has his wife Jane to support him in his race to unmask the villain and save an endangered romance.

Break from Nuala

A celebrated Indian film company comes to Nuala, sprinkling its stardust over the quiet little town and keeping Inspector de Silva busy. With the end of the visit at last in sight, he looks forward to returning to a more peaceful existence, but a sudden death dashes his hopes. With JaneU+2019s help and that of a new ally, heU+2019s drawn into the turbulent affairs of a warring family. Meanwhile, a mysterious intruder is causing trouble at the Residence.

Stardust in Nuala

Inspector de Silva's peaceful evening is disrupted when he is called up to the Royal Nuala Golf Club where a wealthy member has been found brutally murdered.Is this a bungled robbery, a private feud, or does the killer have another motive that will cause them to strike again?With the help of his resourceful wife, Jane, and a new and unexpected ally, de Silva must navigate his way into the heart of the privileged British establishment to find the answer, and there's no time to lose. Rough Time in Nuala is another colourful and exciting mystery in this series set in the exotic location of 1930s Ceylon.

Rough Time in Nuala

Inspector de Silva and Jane embark on a cruise to Egypt to visit the pyramids, excited at the prospect of two weeks of sun, sea and relaxation. With Nuala, and de Silva's duties as a police officer, far behind them, what can possibly spoil their plans? Then a writer is found dead in his cabin, suffocated by newspaper thrust down his throat. Once again, de Silva must swing into action. The Inspector de Silva Mysteriesis a colourful and absorbing series, spiced with humour. Set in Ceylon in the 1930s, it will appeal to fans of traditional and cozy mysteries. What readers say about this series: Pure Enjoyment "Pure enjoyment to read the unfolding of mysteries with happy outcomes set in exotic Ceylon. The good-hearted Shanti is assisted by his capable wife Jane. Together they bring harmony and humour to East meets West. As refreshing as a cup of light Ceylon tea!" Annmarie Wharton A Breath of Fresh Air "What a delightful change of pace. I really liked the characters and the location. It took place during a gentler time without all the cruelty and violence that defines far too much of the books we see being published now. There is more than enough violence surrounding us today without having our escape to the land of books filled with it." Puzzler Wonderful reads. "I have now read the first two books in this series and have enjoyed them immensely. They are easy to read, and yet plot-wise, keep you captivated until the end. The 1930s Ceylonese setting, and its characters are a delight. Highly recommended." DRG "A delightful read - can't wait to devour the next one!" JJ McKay Must read police procedural set in pre-war Sri Lanka/Ceylon "I started reading this series after a quick trip to Sri Lanka. Now I am hooked and read them as fast as they come out. Even if you have never been to Sri Lanka these books evoke an interesting period in history and the low-tech state of forensics in the 1930's. The clash of cultures is interesting as well. I can't say enough good things about this series." S.Smith Layers upon Layers "I don't remember how, exactly, I came upon the Nuala books, but just an hour ago I finished a binge read of all four of them. I love a well-written mystery, and these don't disappoint with their frequent literary allusions, interesting characters, and realistic sets of interpersonal challenges and conflicts.... There's always a new thread to be pulled, and all kinds of insights and events result from each pulling. These are absorbing stories, and I hope there will be more of them." Julie M. Drew

Passage from Nuala

Christmas in Nuala

Inspector de Silva's back with a new case to solve when the arrival in the hill town of Nuala of the heir to an English earldom leads to a mysterious death. Throw in a mega-rich Romanian count, his glamorous countess and an enigmatic British army officer and the scene is set for another colourful and entertaining mystery. Praise for Trouble in Nuala: The Inspector de Silva Mysteries #1 "This is an unexpected treasure. Set in 1930s Ceylon. It is an interesting look at colonialism from the colonial side. I was engaged from the first page and kept in thrall until the end. Inspector DeSilva and Jane are well drawn characters and I plan on following them through further adventures." "The sweltering heat and dazzling light of Ceylon in the 1930s pour out from the pages of "Trouble in Nuala." Shanti de Silva, Nuala's police inspector, navigates the complexities of colonial society under British Imperial rule even as he unpicks the threads of a classic murder mystery. First-class entertainment, with a memorable mix of characters." "A captivating, relaxed read which was thoroughly enjoyable to the last page, set in a charming era, with an endearing lead character and in an interesting location." "Clever plotting, sharply defined characters and luscious description make this a hugely enjoyable read. I look forward to volume 2."

Dark Clouds Over Nuala

"In this third installment of The Inspector de Silva Mysteries, there's great excitement when a professional theatre company comes to Nuala. However matters take a dark turn when the company's actor manager is murdered. Inspector de Silva has a new case to solve and he has to consider some very unpalatable motives for the crime. He will need all his persistence, coupled with his wife, Jane's, invaluable help to unmask the villain of the piece."--Amazon.com.

Offstage in Nuala

In this fourth instalment of the Inspector de Silva mysteries, it is monsoon season in the Hill Country. One stormy night, a ghostly encounter on a lonely road leads de Silva into a case of murder, and a mystery that stretches back to Ceylon's distant past. To uncover the truth, he will have to face death and his inner demons. Fatal Finds in Nuala is another absorbing and colourful mystery in this series that vividly portrays Sri Lanka's Colonial past.

Fatal Finds in Nuala

It's January 1941 and the day of Nuala's famous motor rally. Excitement is at full throttle, but matters take a dark turn when that same evening, human remains are found buried in a lonely corner of a local tea plantation. Inspector de Silva has a cold case to solve. Add a playboy racing driver, a missing Bugatti and a family scandal hushed up years ago into the mix and he has plenty to think about. You can be sure that whatever happened in the past, now de Silva's in the driving seat, you're in for a gripping ride.

Cold Case in Nuala

Becoming Lola is the true story of an extraordinary woman who resolutely defied the conventions of her day, determined to wring every drop of excitement from life and love.Born in 1821 in modest circumstances, Eliza Gilbert, as she then was, became the nineteenth century's most notorious adventuress.At sixteen, she ruined herself in the eyes of society when, to avoid an abhorrent arranged marriage, she ran away with one of her mother's admirers. He married her, but she abandoned any chance of forgiveness when she refused to be trapped in an unhappy union and left him.Many women would have vanished into increasingly desperate obscurity, but Eliza was no ordinary woman. She reinvented herself as Lola Montez, a Spanish aristocrat fallen on hard times. In that guise, she blazed like a firecracker through the courts of Europe and beyond, reputedly taking hundreds of lovers, including King Ludwig of Bavaria and the composer, Franz Liszt. She was a dancer, an actress, an intrepid traveller and, by the time of her early death, the second most famous woman in the world after Queen Victoria.'Throughout Becoming Lola I had to remind myself that the story was based on historical fact. It is a fascinating journey following a woman's single-minded determination to get the very best for herself at all costs.' Historical Novel Society'A fascinating read. Lola was such a gutsy character, and Harriet Steel has captured her times and adventures very vividly. It's a must read if you like wild women and strange adventures.' Beth Webb, Author of the Star Dancer trilogy

Harriet Steel

Books

Your next favorite book is out there