Step into the past through three historical mysteries that reach from Imperial Rome to Victorian London.Blood Debts(Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries)Leonidas, freedman, once the most popular gladiator in Rome and champion of the games, now must fight for his life outside the arena. A man who owed him money was murdered, and Leonidas is a prime suspect. With the assistance of Cassia, daughter of a … of Cassia, daughter of a Greek scribe who has been bestowed upon him as his slave, Leonidas fights for justice in the back lanes of Imperial Rome.
A Soupçon of Poison
(Kat Holloway Victorian Mysteries)
Kat Holloway, a young cook who is highly sought after by the wealthy of Victorian London, becomes embroiled in murder and must clear her name. Only the mysterious Daniel McAdam, who is much more than he seems, can come to her aid.
The Necklace Affair
(Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries)
Captain Lacey agrees to help a society matron discover what has become of her cherished diamond necklace and to clear her maid, who has been arrested for its theft. Lacey quickly becomes enmeshed in scandal and past secrets, and finds himself competing with the underworld criminal, James Denis, for the necklace’s retrieval.
This collection includes three novellas of 25,000-30,000 words each.
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Fantastic trio of mysteries – I was hooked from page one. The first features a cook as a the heroine, and I loved the way the mystery tied in with the food (poison, of course!) and how the mystery was solved. The characters were wonderful, really a great start to a terrific series. The second story was my favorite – book I in the Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries -and here Ms Gardner shows her flair for creating unusual characters in unusual settings – and making everything work. The research was terrific, and it really helped the story along, making it incredibly realistic even though it was set in ancient Rome! Kudos! The third story was (in my opinion) the weakest, but it was still a page-turner, with a stolen necklace, a love triangle, and an ex-soldier detective who is wonderfully drawn. All in all a great read. I’m thrilled to have discovered this author!
It’s Very good.
Past Crimes appealed to my love of historical fiction. Three novellas in one book made it a real treat and did not disappoint. Clean reading without dependence on sex scenes was an added bonus to really good plots. I must remember this author!
I love this series. The author writes cleanly and with humor when appropriate. I read this straight through.
its amazing
about a murderer that kills people and a mystery book who was the person i guess
It is so good
Good reading
Interesting three totally different stories. Enjoyable.
Three mysteries are set in three historical time periods with one common denominator, the wrong person has been accused. I enjoyed reading all three stories because the author did an outstanding job of presenting the era of each story with authentic scenarios. The first story involves a freed Roman gladiator who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Was he set up to take the fall for the murder of a shady money lender? The second story involves a young Victorian cook, a murder by poison, and a mystery that she must solve to clear her innocence. The final story concerns a British Army officer back from the Napoleonic wars who is recruited by a society matron to find her stolen necklace and prevent her maid from being unjustly convicted.
All are unique and very enjoyable prose. I am looking forward to following futures episodes of each tail.
This trilogy of stories held my interest with endearing characters and details for the time in which they lived. I enjoyed each one!
I found this book to be quite informative. The stories were well researched and n an easy to read format. It seemed the writers were not judging, but, only being as informative as possible. Allowing the reader to find their own opinions. A good read, well suited to a few nights of…’There, but by the grace of God.”
This contained three different novellas. I only finished one of these but enjoyed it. The other two did not appeal to me.
It’s 3 novellas with different sleuths, set in different time periods. It is mildly entertaining, easy reading, but somehow stilted – as if modern characters were stuck back into historical ages and don’t quite fit. I could have saved my time.
I Wes transformed to different times in history in order to solve murders. The characters involved seemed so real making it so easy to believe them as historical people. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it a second time.
Haven’t read hit yet.
Not for children to hear but at least educational somewhere
‘Ashley Gardner’ is a fabulous of the novel writers that keeps glued the readers with unpredictable thrilly feel….Excellent.
Dinesh Kumar, MBA, IAP
Chief Editor…infraLOG
Author – ‘The Stream’ a coffee table – Poetry+Paintings
OK historical collection. I forgot I had already read this but don’t remember any stand out stories.
Creative, original, held my interest and very entertaining.