Murder on Skinner Lane

The first in a brand-new Victorian mystery series introduces Virginia Cooper — mother, wife, and Leeds Police’s secret weapon. Leeds, 1862. A glamorous American couple. Two secret lists of names. A conspiracy that could end in murder.Virginia Cooper is no ordinary Victorian wife.She works secretly alongside Leeds police, going where male detectives cannot easily follow and asking questions where the truth could prove deadly.Now she faces her most perilous assignment yet.William and Marcella Fontaine have arrived from America, charming their way into the highest circles of Leeds society. Officially, they’re here to drum up support for the Confederate cause as civil war tears America apart.But a secret search of their hotel room uncovers a fortune in hidden cash — and two lists of names.One contains some of Leeds’s most notorious criminals.The other is far more chilling.Two names have already been crossed out. The last belongs to Asa Daniels, a celebrated abolitionist who fled America after three attempts on his life.Then a local gang leader is brutally murdered on Skinner Lane, in the grimy heart of the city.With only days before the Fontaines leave England, Virginia races to uncover what they are really doing in Leeds.But the closer she gets to the answers, the greater the danger becomes. Someone has crossed an ocean to kill. And Virginia may be the only person who can stop them.This page-turning Victorian mystery is perfect for fans of Sherry Thomas, Irina Shapiro, C.S. Harris, Emily L. Finch and Nancy Bilyeau.MEET THE SLEUTHIntroducing Virginia Cooper — mother, wife, and Leeds Police’s secret weapon. Working unofficially, she questions female suspects, reads between the lines, and uncovers the truths hidden beneath their stories. But her sharp instincts and understanding of human nature make her invaluable far beyond the interview room. Virginia proves that solving crimes isn’t about wearing a badge — it’s about knowing the right questions to ask. THE SETTINGLeeds, 1862 — a city of smoke-filled skies, towering mills, grand ambitions, and dangerous secrets. Behind the respectable façades of Victorian society lies another world of crowded streets, poverty, criminal networks, hidden alliances, and scandal. In this booming industrial city, fortunes are made, reputations destroyed — and some secrets are worth killing for.