Alex Reeve Books

'Exceptional' Sarah Hilary 'Don't be ordinary, Leo. Passion has its price.' 1883. Two young people have been killed near Portsmouth's docks. When journalist and amateur detective Leo Stanhope arrives, the police have already dismissed the victims as a 'molly-lad' and a misfit. As Leo begins to investigate, what he uncovers will lead him to the dangers of the Navy shipyard, the temptations of Portsmouth's underground nightlife - and even the family of his wife, Rosie. But can he risk the people he loves for the sake of justice? PRAISE FOR ALEX REEVE 'Highly original' Guardian 'Enthralling, exciting, extraordinary, and utterly convincing' Sarah Hilary 'An entertaining and ingenious psychological drama of gender identity enfolded within a dexterously plotted and deeply satisfying Victorian murder' Rachel Holmes 'Leo is a brilliant hero: clever and flawed, infuriating and at the same time someone I root for at every turn' Stephanie Butland 'One of the most inventive series out there' i

"Leo Stanhope, a young transgender man in Victorian London, faces blackmail and potential exposure while he tries to protect the vulnerable children of a murdered woman"--

The latest atmospheric mystery from the author of the Richard and the Judy Book Club choice, The House on Half Moon Street. 'Exceptional - you hear and smell and taste Victorian London' Sarah Hilary The headlines scream warnings about the 'Butcher of Berner Street!' and the journalist behind them - Leo Stanhope - is secretly thrilled to see the effect his words are having. Leo is used to covering more mundane issues, but when an anonymous letter summons him to a club in East London, only for the owner of the club to be found murdered shortly afterwards, Leo sees a story worth pursuing. Not to mention an opportunity to make a name for himself. Yet the more Leo digs, the stranger the story becomes, taking him from the club to a nearby convent, and into the past of a very unusual woman. But he is not the only one hunting for a killer. And it seems Leo's newspaper reports may have put someone else in grave danger... The Butcher of Berner Street is a brilliantly atmospheric, characterful Victorian mystery, perfect for fans of Antonia Hodgson, Abir Mukherjee and Andrew Taylor. ____________________ The latest Leo Stanhope case, The Blood Flower, is available to pre-order now - out July 2022! ____________________

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 'Enthralling, exciting, extraordinary and utterly convincing. Everything a great book should be' Sarah Hilary 'Wonderfully atmospheric, each page carries the whiff of sulphur and gaslight' Red Everyone has a secret... Only some lead to murder. Introducing Leo Stanhope: a Victorian transgender coroner's assistant who must uncover a killer without risking his own future When the body of a young woman is wheeled into the hospital where Leo Stanhope works, his life is thrown into chaos. Maria, the woman he loves, has been murdered and it is not long before the finger of suspicion is turned on him, threatening to expose his lifelong secret. For Leo Stanhope was born Charlotte, the daughter of a respectable reverend, but knowing he was meant to be a man - despite the evidence of his body - he fled his family home at just fifteen and has been living as Leo ever since. Desperate to find Maria's killer, he now stands to lose not just his freedom, but ultimately his life. ____________________ The latest Leo Stanhope case, The Blood Flower, is available to pre-order now - out July 2022! ____________________