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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I enjoyed this anthology very much! I had not realized that the author, who I have only read the Captain Lacey series under her pen name Ashley Gardner, wrote under another name and had other interesting characters to follow! Not only was the familiar Capt. Lacey in one of the stories but two other characters entirely different from him were shared in their own stories about their lives and mystery adventures. For any Capt. Lacy fan, this is a must to read another of his adventures and to be introduced to other characters that you could very well enjoy!
3.5 stars.
I picked this up for the Romanceopoly reading challenge. Historical fiction is one of my least favorite to read so I wasn’t too excited when I started this book. I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the two stories I read (I might come back to read the third one at a later date.)
A Soupçon of Poison (Kat Holloway Victorian Mysteries): 3/5
Blood Debts
(Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries) 4/5
A retired gladiator trying to survive. I really liked this one. I might pick up the first book of the series.
The Necklace Affair
(Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries)
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This is a compendium of three more-or-less prequels to series the author is working on. The bad part is that all are very well crafted and now I have three *more* series to follow. So many books, so little time. Bv)=
I love Captain Lacy! He is a humble man who can, and will, protect those he loves, usually to his detriment. Here is hero you can truly believe in.
Three very different stories in this book, each in a different time. One has a recurring character of the author which I’ve read before.
Loved the authors style especially the English characters
Immensely enjoyed all three of these historical mystery novelettes. Each setting was meticulously researched. I believe all three novelettes are tied to different series of mysteries with the same characters. Interesting character choices and development. Gardner does a great job!
Ashley is a talented writer, whose talents are wide ranging. This one volume contains three stories, all richly varied. A great way to be introduced to some wonderful reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Well developed and witty characters. A good mystery and rounded knowledge of the time periods.
Loved this book!!! Loved this author!!!
Thought because of the author, this collection would have been better written. I was wrong. There were 3 novellas introducing new book series. Wouldn’t waste my time reading them.
I have enjoyed reading many of these stories featuring Captain Lacey and recommend them.
Different stories, could read one then put the book down until ready to read another.
This wa 3 crime stories done very well.
A collection of novellas set in different time periods. Quite enjoyed the section with the gladiator as investigator and hope she follows up with a series about him. I’ve read many of the Captain Lacey novels (he is featured in one of the novellas) and find them fast and engrossing reading.
Clever. I enjoyed the historic settings and engaging characters.
Wish author would think about a sequel to at least one of these short stories
A mediocre read
Good mysteries,with engaging characters. A good introduction to each series.
enjoyed it