Anne Cleeland – författare

Chief Inspector Acton and Detective Sergeant Kathleen Doyle know firsthand how the administration of justice can often follow a labyrinthine path. As they pursue a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner, Acton''s own questionable methods may prove his undoing.

The notoriety of being married to the enigmatically brilliant Lord Acton presents its own challenges as newly promoted Detective Sergeant Doyle contends with a series of homicides that seem to point to a vigilante killer. The victims are all criminals who eluded justice—until they ran afoul of an avenger whose modus operandi is a bullet to the back of the head. The key to the vigilante''s identity lies in connecting the cold cases and searching for an event that may have triggered retribution after all these years—a daunting task.

Meanwhile, Doyle finds herself shadowed by a mysterious figure. After the man steps forward to rescue her from harm, she wonders why he is invested in protecting her. But when she learns he''s in contact with Acton''s nemesis, she fears she''s being used in a plot against her husband, whose personal code of justice has the potential to put his reputation—and his life—at risk.

For his own part, Acton must outmaneuver an unscrupulous reporter being fed information from someone within the ranks of Scotland Yard. The stakes are high, and both Doyle and Acton must work independently to outwit the players before their lives are brought crashing down like a house of cards.

From Anne Cleeland comes a captivating new mystery series following the perilous exploits of two Scotland Yard detectives as they track down London''s most elusive killers.

First-year detective Kathleen Doyle is a plucky Irish redhead of humble origins and modest means. Chief Inspector Michael Acton is her antithesis: a British lord turned cop. He''s tall, handsome, and enigmatic—to a fault. He also has a knack for solving London''s most high-profile crimes. Acton selects Doyle out of the newbie squad to partner with him on a series of investigations because she always knows when someone is lying—a trait that comes in handy when interviewing suspects and witnesses.

Acton and Doyle are sent to investigate the murder of a trainer at a racetrack, and soon new killings related to the first start unfolding, dragging the two investigators into ever more perilous situations. But the real danger is the unlikely attachment that develops between the ultrareserved, aristocratic chief inspector and his spirited, working-class sidekick … a relationship that will raise plenty of eyebrows—and hackles—among their colleagues at the Yard.

Despite their investigative prowess, Scotland Yard''s Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair, Lord Acton, and rookie detective Kathleen Doyle stir more than a few feathers at CID Headquarters when their relationship comes to light. But office politics quickly become trivial when a rash of underworld murders shatters London''s normally austere façade.

With a growing list of successfully solved cases to her name, the ever-dauntless Doyle shakes off the gossip and sets out to investigate the escalating turf war. As the body count climbs, Doyle uncovers a seedy world where fractious members of the Russian Mafia and an Irish terrorist group are fighting for control of a lucrative underground business. But their crooked deals and volleying acts of revenge are almost too much for Scotland Yard to keep up with, and when Doyle notices that Acton seems unusually troubled by the crimes, she begins to wonder what sparked the conflict in the first place.

Perhaps there''s nothing more to the murders than under-the-table business dealings gone awry. Or perhaps a single act of vigilante justice fanned the flames that ignited a vicious turf war. As Doyle and Acton fight to not become the next victims, they''ll find that the truth may be best left unspoken and retribution may be best left to fate.

Scotland Yard’s most unlikely pair of detectives must hide a blossoming romance as they hunt for a dangerous killer. An Irish redhead of humble beginnings and modest means, Kathleen Doyle is the antithesis of Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair, as known as Lord Acton, the brilliant but enigmatic lord with a knack for solving London's most high profile homicides. When a horse trainer is found dead at a racetrack, the duo’s investigation does little to deter the killer at large. Jeopardizing the case are their colleagues at CID headquarters, whose nosing into the nature of Doyle and Acton’s after-hours relationship threatens to lay bare the most classified information of all. As the murders pile up, Doyle and Acton uncover something far more sinister than they could have imagined. Now that they know too much, their partnership could be very brief indeed. . .“Thrilling…Will keep you guessing until the very last page.”—Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries

Two of Scotland Yard’s finest—who happen to be married—navigate darkest London to solve a series of murders that blur every line between right and wrong.  Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair, also known as Lord Acton, and rookie detective Kathleen Doyle ruffle more than a few feathers at CID Headquarters when their relationship comes to light. But office politics quickly become trivial amid a rash of underworld murders. As the body count climbs, Doyle uncovers a vicious war over lucrative turf between the Russian mafia and an Irish terrorist group. But their acts of revenge are almost too much for Scotland Yard to keep up with—and when Acton seems unusually troubled by the crimes, Doyle wonders what sparked the conflict in the first place.   Perhaps there’s nothing more to it than under-the-table business dealings gone awry. Or perhaps a single act of vigilante justice ignited a brutal battle. As Doyle and Acton fight not to become the next victims, they’ll find that the truth may be best left unspoken, and retribution may be best left to fate…