Showing results by author "David Ashton" in All Categories

Inspired by the real-life memoirs of Edinburgh's first detective, James McLevy, here are more fantastic fictional adventures featuring the tenacious Victorian crime-solver. Once again, McLevy and his faithful sidekick Constable Mulholland patrol the dark wynds and back alleys of 1840s Leith tracking down evildoers—aided by a surprising ally: the beautiful and resourceful brothel-keeper Jean Brash.

Based on the real-life memoirs of the 19th Century investigator who inspired Sherlock Holmes, Inspector James McLevy, this atmospheric mystery series features the fictional casebook of Edinburgh's finest thief-taker. Accompanied by his loyal partner, Constable Mulholland, McLevy prowls the murky streets of 1840s Leith bringing criminals to justice—assisted by the madam of Edinburgh's finest bawdy-house, the deliciously immoral Jean Brash.

London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. Known as the father of forensics and a likely influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, real-life police inspector James McLevy is here reinvented by David Ashton in a thrilling mystery - the third in a series - set in dark, violent Victorian Edinburgh. Halloween 1881, Edinburgh, and the dead are restless. In respectable Edinburgh society, beautiful young American spiritualist Sophia Adler is causing a furore with her dramatic séances.

Forced to run for his life after killing two suspects, assaulting the Chief Constable and inadvertently causing the death of Lieutenant Roach, McLevy has fled Leith for San Francisco. Somewhat rashly, and against her better judgement, Jean Brash has decided to accompany him. Arriving in America, it seems they’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. San Francisco is as cold and foggy as Leith, and home to just as many criminals. With the Gold Rush at its height, the city is a madhouse, its inhabitants driven by greed. 

If there's one thing dragons fear, it's a kraken. Even lowly hull-scrubber Zee Tarrow knows that. Like everyone on the island kingdom of Tosh, he grew up frightened by fables and horrible tales of the great beasts of the deep. It seems an odd thing to impress upon the children of the realm, because–luckily for the dragons and their riders–no one has seen a kraken in a thousand years.

New Year's Day - and through the misty streets of Victorian Edinburgh, an elegant female figure walks the cobblestones with a certain vengeful purpose. Jean Brash, the mistress of the Just Land, brings her cool intelligence to solving a murder, a murder that took place in her own bawdy house (the best in Edinburgh and her pride and joy). A prominent judge, strangled and left dangling, could bring her whole life to ruin, and she didn't haul herself off the streets, up through low, dirty houses of pleasure and violent vicious men, to let that come to pass.

London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. Known as the father of forensics and a likely influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, real-life police inspector James McLevy is here reinvented by David Ashton in a thrilling mystery - the first in a series - set in dark, violent Victorian Edinburgh.

Zee Tarrow’s dreams are finally coming true. While the road to acceptance into Triumf’s Citadel Academy has been filled with pain, suffering, and more joy and surprises than Zee could’ve possibly imagined, now is his time to shine. After all, he’s the first kraken rider in more than a thousand years! Who could possibly defeat him? Except now he must be separated from his best and most loyal friend, the kraken, Jessup, as they both must complete basic training individually in order to pass and become full-fledged cadets.

For fans of Elementary, Ripper Street and Sherlock Holmes - meet Jean Brash, a feisty, self-made woman turned sleuth in murky Victorian Edinburgh where crime and high society meet. After Mistress of the Just Land, the second adventure in David Ashton's Jean Brash series.... A theatre company arrives in Leith to perform King Lear. A robbery is planned, a gruesome murder committed, both of which set Inspector James McLevy on the prowl....

Counterfeiters, spies, murderers...and Isaac Newton must use his brilliant mind to defeat them all in this pair of full-cast historical crime dramas. In Master of the Mint, a new figure of justice is walking the streets of 17th-century London—Isaac Newton, scientific genius. After thirty years as a Cambridge academic, Newton takes up a new post at the Royal Mint in the Tower of London. In Nemesis, Isaac Newton must contend not only with opponents to his currency plans, but also with a French secret agent who is aiding the theft of England's entire supply of silver.

Known as the father of forensics and a likely influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, real-life police inspector James McLevy is here reinvented by David Ashton in a thrilling mystery - the second in a series - set in dark, violent Victorian Edinburgh. A burglary and murder at the home of Sir Thomas Bouch, the enigmatic architect of the ill-fated Tay Bridge, sets Inspector James McLevy off on a train of brutal killings, lethal liaisons, and double suicide which leads to a violent encounter with an old enemy, Hercules Dunbar.

London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. Known as the father of forensics and a likely influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, real-life police inspector James McLevy is here reinvented by David Ashton in a thrilling mystery - the fourth in a series - set in dark, violent Victorian Edinburgh. It's 1887. The streets of Edinburgh seethe with anarchy as two gangs of students rival each other in wild exploits.

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. "A scarlet garter," she remarked suddenly. "Whit?" "Always thought she was a cut above the rest. Aye, wore a...

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. "End of the line, sir. Rouse yourself!" A moment and then the entity slowly fell to land with a thud on the...

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. "There are many reasons for seeking out the belly of the beast," McLevy remarked to his constable. "Goodness...

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. No one moved. Joy froze on every face. The bulky man levered himself out of the cubicle and walked over to...

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. Like a butterfly in a case - such specimens as festooned the walls in their caskets, splayed out in bright...

A thrilling short story featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash, available exclusively in audiobook. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. "Shelly-coat, Shelly-coat! Gang awa' hame, I cry no' yer mercy, I fear no' yer name." Every child in Leith...

A thrilling short story set in Victorian Edinburgh, featuring Inspector James McLevy and Jean Brash. Available exclusively in audio. London had Sherlock Holmes. The dark alleys of Edinburgh had Inspector McLevy. "Murder. The simpler it looks, the more suspicious I get." New Year celebrations are...

Exclusive interview with David Ashton, author of the Inspector McLevy series.