The witch at wayside cross - Lisa Tuttle

Jesperson and Lane have just solved their first major case when a man bangs violently on their door - and almost immediately drops dead. The police rule death by natural causes, but the detectives are determined to find out what really happened . . . Mr Manning was screaming about witches before his death.

The case takes them to Mr Manning’s Norfolk home, a land of mysterious Shrieking Pits and ancient knowledge. Mr Manning was himself a member of the enigmatic School of Ancient British Wisdom, and not the first to suffer a similar fate. Local gossip suggests that he was secretly engaged to one of the three lovely sisters who reside at Wayside Cross - but which one? Are they really witches, as the gossips also claim? And what does all this have to do with the mysterious Shrieking Pits and a mother desperate to find her missing baby? Jesperson and Lane, at your service. 

My thoughts:

Jesperson and Lane have a new case when a man drops dead on their doorstep and screams about witches. Intriguing. So they set out to Norfolk.

Yes this is book 2, but I do feel like it works as a stand alone too. You just read it as a mystery then, and do not know how they come to become detectives together.  But then who wants to miss out on that.

It really is Miss Lane doing most of the groundwork and we see things from her POV. Jesperson is out there solving things (and finding some amazing answers, I did NOT expect that.) She is a clever woman. I like them both.

As for the mystery. Yes who killed him. The 3 witches? Or are they witches?  The man running the society of magic? Someone else? Oh and then this baby disappears too. Another puzzle to solve and yes I sure did not solve it. I can tell you that.

Conclusion:
A nice historical mystery with a twist.

Paperback, 360 pages
Published August 10th 2017 by Jo Fletcher Books
The Curious Affair Of #2
Historical mystery
For review

The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief - Lisa Tuttle

Should you find yourself in need of a discreet investigation into any sort of mystery, crime or puzzling circumstances, think of Jesperson and Lane . . .

Should you find yourself in need of a discreet investigation into any sort of mystery, crime or puzzling circumstances, think of Jesperson and Lane . . .

For several years Miss Lane was companion, amanuensis, collaborator and friend to the lady known to the Psychical Societs only as Miss X - until she discovered that Miss X was actually a fraud.

Now she works with Mr Jasper Jesperson as a consulting detective, but the cases are not as plentiful as they might be and money is getting tight - until a case that reaches across the entirety of London lands in their laps.

It concerns a somnambulist, the disappearance of several mediums, and a cat stuck up a tree . . . the links with the cat are negligible, but there is only one team that can investigate the seemingly supernatural disappearances of the psychics and defy the nefarious purpose behind them.

Jesperson and Lane, at your service. 

My thoughts:

Miss Lane was a clever and practical woman, all good things in a main character. She realised that the woman she worked for was a fraud and left before everything fell apart. Not the most practical thing to do, I confess, but Miss Lane is lucky and found a new job.

Mr Jesperson was more the Sherlock Holmes of the two. He sees things others misses, he is an original to be sure. But also a perfect gentleman, and gives her a chance as his assistant.

They were a perfect mix and completed each other so well. She was the yang to his ying. I also kind of wish now that in future books they will fall madly in love with each other and have cute clever babies, awwww. But hey friendship is good too, just awww!

These two set out to solve their first crimes. A sleep walker, and mediums disappearing. Two cases that proves hard to crack. And it was nice watching them trying to solve these cases and the heat turns up at the end of the book.

Conclusion:
A great story, and I do want to read the next book to see what kind of case they get. Two great main characters and a lovely atmosphere through out the book

cover
meh

Paperback, 416 pages
Published June 16th 2016 by Jo Fletcher Books
The Curious Affair Of #1
Historical mystery
For review