Penrose & Pyke Mysteries

Penrose and Pyke go together like fire and kerosene in this Victorian-era mystery with heart.Trouble's brewing in the Devil's Half Acre. A death in an alleyway, a tragic accident in a factory, rumours of a murderer loose on the streets. It's enough to give a genteel lady a fit of the vapours.Fortunately, Grace Penrose isn't one to swoon at the sight of blood. All she wants is the chance to become the first woman doctor in the colony. Instead, she is plunged into the harsh reality of the city's worst sweatshop, where tensions are running as hot as a steam engine.When the police prove reluctant to investigate the deaths, she turns to a constable who is already up to his neck in trouble. As the clock ticks, Grace Penrose and Constable Charlie Pyke must figure out which deaths are accidents and which are murders, because the next victim might well be one of their own. The Penrose & Pyke Mysteries are a new series of historical mysteries, for fans of authors like Andrea Penrose and Laurie R. King. The fight for women's rights has never been such deadly fun. "I know I'm reading a good book when it mentally captures me – I develop really strong mental images and impression of how the scene or place looks. I really did that with this book – I got a vivid sense of the gritty slums of Dunedin, but also the lovely garden, the elegance of the grand houses, and the steepness of the streets. The characters were well developed and felt really authentic and three dimensional." ARC review"A great read. I was totally engaged." ARC review"Beautifully written, authentic setting and characters." ARC review

Penrose & Pyke venture to the edge of madness, when they reunite to investigate two tragic deaths and an old mystery. The last words of a frightened woman may be a vital clue to the disappearance of an old friend, if they aren't the ravings of delusional lunatic. Detective Constable Charlie Pyke is desperate to find out. But is he desperate enough to risk the life of his sleuthing partner, medical student Grace Penrose? More to the point, can he stop her?The answers lie behind the locked doors of an asylum for wealthy young women of delicate sensibilities, where high walls and dark corridors conceal more than one shocking secret.The 'Penrose & Pyke Mysteries' are a series of heart-warming, pulse-racing historical mysteries, set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand. The fight for women's rights has never been such deadly fun.

Penrose & Pyke are flung into an explosive new mystery during the campaign for women's suffrage.Politicians are worried that women voters will oust them, liquor barons are terrified that women will favour prohibition, and the man in the street fears his wife will no longer be content with home and hearth. Just how far will they go to stop women from getting the vote? Medical student Grace Penrose and Detective Constable Charlie Pyke are about to find out.The 'Penrose & Pyke Mysteries' are a series of heart-warming, pulse-racing historical mysteries, set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand. The fight for women's rights has never been such deadly fun.

Whispers of misconduct swirl around Grace Penrose, when a prominent surgeon has a fatal seizure on their moonlit stroll together.Grace and the victim are on opposing sides of a feud over hospital services for women. How could she refuse his invitation to resolve their differences in private? When he dies despite her attempts to save him, and his unusual symptoms further implicate her, it's not only her personal and professional reputation at risk.As the case becomes ever more baffling, the only thing Grace needs more than Charlie Pyke's sleuthing skills is his uncanny knack of appearing when she needs him most.The 'Penrose & Pyke Mysteries' are a series of heart-warming, pulse-racing historical mysteries, set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand. The fight for women's rights has never been such deadly fun.

Penrose and Pyke are under siege. A mischievous gossip, a series of robberies, and now a callous murder and a looming epidemic. How much worse can it get?When a shopkeeper is killed during a robbery, Detective Charlie Pyke is desperate to track down the killer for reasons close to his heart. If only it was that simple. A tell-all article in the local ladies' journal threatens both his investigation and his private life. Charlie needs Grace Penrose to stand by him, but she has her hands full preventing a deadly outbreak of measles.The rash of clues only starts to make sense when they combine forces. The problem is, neither knows quite what is at stake.The 'Penrose & Pyke Mysteries' are a series of heart-warming, pulse-racing historical mysteries, set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand.

Penrose & Pyke have until Christmas Eve to save the orphans' home, by unravelling a tangle of tinsel and trickery.Private detective Charlie Pyke was looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas with his fiancée, Grace Penrose. Instead, Charlie and Grace must stop a dubious deal, find a sneak thief and foil a mischievous brother, with the help of a pair of inquisitive orphans and the spirit of a dear departed grandmother.If they can decipher the clues and make it through the dessert course, they just might survive their first family Christmas together.Tinsel and Trickery is a half-length book in the Penrose & Pyke Mystery series (Book 5.5), set in 1890s New Zealand.

Penrose and Pyke's wedding dream turns to ashes when the local women's refuge goes up in flames.Grace Penrose is used to protesters at Lavender House, but she never expected them to set the refuge on fire, especially not on her wedding day. And her mother's carefully orchestrated wedding plan definitely did not include Charlie Pyke disappearing into an inferno.The discovery of a woman's body in the smouldering ruins rouses Grace and Charlie's detective instincts. With marital bliss on their minds, an investigation is the last thing they need. But how can they ignore a murder, especially when a second victim has links to the notorious importer selling opium to the Chinese community? The 'Penrose & Pyke Mysteries' are a series of heart-warming, pulse-racing historical mysteries, set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand.

Penrose and Pyke must put aside their own problems in a race against the clock to rescue a kidnapped infant.When private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke is asked to investigate the kidnapping of a child, his instinct is to refuse. As their first wedding anniversary approaches, Charlie fears for the fragile state of his wife, Grace, for whom this heart-breaking case could be the final straw. But how can he let the desperate parents down, when they have struggled for years to conceive only to have their baby snatched away? Besides, Charlie is their only hope, because the ransom note threatens their precious son's life if they contact the police.A family torn apart, a case taking fresh twists and turns by the hour, and only four days to identify the kidnapper. Could it possibly get any worse? And then, the unthinkable happens.The Penrose & Pyke Mystery series is set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand.

A blackmailer's threat to expose intimate secrets throws Penrose and Pyke's lives into disarray at the worst possible time.Private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke has vowed not to take on any new cases while his wife is in a delicate condition. But how can he refuse a desperate plea for help? Hopes for a quick resolution fade when they uncover further blackmail victims, all terrified their reputations will be destroyed.And there's worse to come. Nothing short of a general anaesthetic will prevent Grace from joining the hunt when the blackmailer strikes a target close to their hearts. As the harrowing truth of a dark past emerges, it's only a matter of time before the situation takes a deadly turn.The Penrose & Pyke Mystery series is set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand. Rose Pascoe writes historical mysteries seasoned with medical mayhem, women's rights, and a dash of romance. She lives in beautiful New Zealand, land of beaches and mountains, where long walks provide the perfect conditions for dreaming up evil plots, when she isn't plotting real-life adventures. After a career in health, justice and social research, her passion is for stories about ordinary women who meet the challenges thrown at them with determination, ingenuity, and humour.