Three mysteries set in nineteenth-century Philadelphia: From elegant drawing rooms to tragic slums, an heiress investigates a string of shocking crimes.
The first three instalments in the acclaimed Martha Beale Mystery series are "a feast for those fans who enjoy engaging characters and... readers who loved Caleb Carr's attention to detail in
The Alienist and Jacqueline Winspear's appealing sleuth, Maisie Dobbs" (
The Philadelphia Inquirer).
The Conjurer: When Martha's father disappears from the family's country estate, she begins an investigation that takes her from the pinnacle of society-abuzz with the arrival of a European conjurer who communicates with the dead-to the city's poorest neighborhoods where a killer is targeting prostitutes.
"Biddle wonderfully evokes the color and culture of the time." -
Publishers Weekly
Deception's Daughter: Now the guardian of two young children, Martha returns to Philadelphia to find it torn apart by the disappearance of a young heiress and a succession of unsolved robberies. Martha acts as liaison between the mayor's aide and the missing girl's parents, but the investigation takes a darker turn as rich and poor alike face a deadly threat.
"A good read... skillfully evokes the elegant society salons and grubby streets of 1842 Philadelphia." -
Philadelphia Magazine
Without Fear: When a mill worker's corpse is found on an estate outside Philadelphia, Martha joins the investigation. But a friend also needs help escaping her abusive socialite husband. As Martha navigates the growing divide between classes, she comes face-to-face with an evil that touches everyone, including her own adopted daughter.
"The setting is unfolded as vividly as the characters.... A fine mix of history and mystery." -
Booklist
