Steve Merrifield – författare

The Ghosts of the Black MuseumIrene Reuben, spiritual medium, and friend and ally to Darkwood and Hobbs, encounters spiritual tormentors through Scotland Yard's crime museum. Are phantom children unknown victims of the historic Creeping Ghost Killer? Has the executed murderer returned as an actual ghost? Reuben, Darkwood, and Hobbs investigate as spiritual prompts become a harrowing haunting that risks their lives... The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Ghosts of the Black Museum is a novella in the series.

The Silence of the Veiled LadyProfessor Meredith and his wife supported Emily Darkwood's entry into her surgical studies. Both are now tormented. Mrs Meredith is trapped by a covenant she was sworn to maintain into death and beyond. The professor is haunted by a missing box and the apparent supernatural force that has taken it. What is the secret, and what is in the box? Darkwood is determined to find out—and see justice done. The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Silence of the Veiled Lady is a novella in the series.

The Philanthropy of the DeadProfessor Meredith and his wife supported Emily Darkwood's entry into her surgical studies. Both are now tormented. Mrs Meredith is trapped by a covenant she was sworn to maintain into death and beyond. The professor is haunted by a missing box and the apparent supernatural force that has taken it. What is the secret, and what is in the box? Darkwood is determined to find out—and see justice done. The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Philanthropy of the Dead is a novella in the series.

The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear. The Thief of FacesWhy is Emily Darkwood keeping vigil at her friend's tomb? Darkwood hunts a killer with a gruesome signature mutilation. What does a murderer want with his victim's faces? With her suspect protected by his position in society, Darkwood and her servant-companion, Jack Hobbs, must confront him alone. Four dark-haired and dark-eyed women are dead. Will Darkwood become the fifth? The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Thief of Faces is a short story in the series.

The Peacock CabalDarkwood's latest patient is a young man drained of vitality. He is soon dead. He is not the first to suffer such a fate. What killed him? Men of the green carnation—men who love men—are dying and the secrecy surrounding their love hides the cause. Darkwood finds the truth, not in medicine, but in her patient's tomb. Darkwood and Hobbs discover a conspiracy and a sinister predatory threat... The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Peacock Cabal is a short story in the series.

The Posthumous ChildWhat secret haunts the country estate of Cecil House? Darkwood, friend to the family, administers to a cherished servant of the household on her deathbed. After her death, the Cecil family experiences a ghostly tormentor, and Darkwood receives leading messages from the other side that she determines to follow to a dark truth. What does a spirit child want to be known? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Posthumous Child is a short story in the series.

The Wrath of the DragonWho or what is causing terrible fires in the slums of London's East End?With Chinese characters found at the scenes of devastation, London's immigrant population falls under suspicion. Darkwood and Hobbs discover British and Chinese agents on the streets hunting a criminal, while a superstitious fear haunts Londoners—could there really be a dragon in London? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Wrath of the Dragon is a novella in the series.

The Hag on the HeathDarkwood is called upon by an acquaintance, Patrin Deakin, to his daughter's sickbed. What ails Florica? The wild of Hampstead Heath is beyond their door, as is something else; a supernatural crone. Why is Florica her target? Darkwood, Hobbs, and the family's Romany kin embark on a hunt for a witch. But is all as it seems? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Hag on the Heath is a short story in the series.

The Luminous MarksWhy have curious glowing marks been left at sites of peculiar petty thefts? Darkwood has deciphered them and searches for their maker in London's fog shrouded night—only to find they have a terrifying source. Darkwood, Hobbs, and Detective Inspector Duggan take their pursuit into dangerous slums, and within they find themselves on the threshold to an altogether different world...The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Luminous Marks is a short story in the series.

The Cult of the ScarabDarkwood attends the unwrapping of a mummified ancient Egyptian at the British Museum. The spectacle is soon followed by the brutal death of a museum attendant and a missing mummy. How do the events connect to Darkwood's nightmarish visions of metallic beetles swarming a foreign red land? The answer is found in death... The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Cult of the Scarab is a short story in the series.

The Conspiracies of Shadow & FireDarkwood is visited by her once intended husband, the disgraced Paul Whittacker. He warns that a conspiracy thought foiled was not given up on. Plots in the past unfold in the present and pitch Darkwood and Hobbs into a desperate struggle. Who can they trust? As the Hellfire Club and agents of darkness manoeuvre Darkwood and her stone into their traps, will she escape the ultimate evil? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Conspiracies of Shadow & Fire is a novel in the series.

The Spindly-SnatcherWhy is a writer burning down bookshops? Why does insanity and death surround the answer? Darkwood and Hobbs investigate a creeping madness that no asylum can tame or contain, and in doing so they find a terrible something stalking between fear and insanity. To know of the Spindly-Snatcher is to be known to it—have the hunters become the hunted? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Spindly-Snatcher is a novella in the series.

The Rat KingBoard members of a charity suffer tragic ends. Where others see unfortunate coincidence, Darkwood suspects murder most strange—death through the mischief of rats... Have rats turned upon us, or is someone or something behind the attacks? What is driving the rat king swarm to kill? With Darkwood's aunt made a member of the board, the stakes become personal... The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Rat King is a short story in the series.

The City of the DrowningDarkwood has sent Hobbs away. In the care of Inspector Duggan, Hobbs questions the unconvincing reason for his exile and potentially a life without Darkwood and his duty to her—but danger remains. Great sums of money are being left on the streets of London, creating rich from the poor. Who is doing it, and why? With growing tension between the haves and have-nots, Duggan and Hobbs investigate... The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The City of the Drowning is a novella in the series.

The Hound at the DoorWhy are former attendees of séances being hunted by a phantom hound and disappearing? Darkwood, Hobbs, and a reluctant Inspector Duggan pose as grieving relatives to visit the spiritual medium who hosts the seances to find out. Together, they enter the pitch black of the séance room and sit among spirits, in wait for the prowl of a spectral beast. What does the dog in the dark want of its victims? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear.The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery.The Hound at the Door is a novella in the series.

The Rise of the DragonWhen a child abduction inflames racial tensions between the London mob and the city's Chinese population, Darkwood suspects her old foe, the terrorist the Mandarin. Reunited with her ally, Captain Carstairs, a man duty-bound to take risks, Darkwood contemplates life without responsibility for Hobbs. With a missing child a cog in a larger, explosive plan, can anyone prevent the rise of the Dragon? The Darkwood MysteriesEmily Darkwood is already resisting the expectations Victorian society places upon women of the upper classes when, in the wake of her parents' disappearance, she receives a strange and life-changing inheritance: a stone of amber that draws her into supernatural, cosmic, and criminal mysteries. Armed with this guidestone, her wits, revolver, sword-stick umbrella, and faithful servant-companion, the streetwise, scrappy, and young Jack Hobbs, Darkwood sets out to uncover the origin of the stone, its power, and its connection to her parents—and their fate. Yet dark forces circle the stone, seeking its power for themselves. Darkwood and Hobbs determine to stand against them in their relentless pursuit of answers, but in doing so, they risk everything they hold dear. The Darkwood Mysteries are a series of short-stories, novellas, and novels that can largely be enjoyed as standalone tales of horror and adventure from any point, or together in order as part of a deeper mystery. The Rise of the Dragon is a novel in the series. A reader's enjoyment of this story will be enhanced by having read The Wrath of the Dragon.