Martin Davies

London is sweltering and housemaid Flotsam longs for a break from the oppressive heat, although housekeeper Mrs Hudson remains unruffled. However, Baker Street is about to be consumed by an extremely weighty matter: the last Will and Testament of armaments tycoon Charles Belladonna. Belladonna left his considerable fortune to an only son who went missing, stolen from his cot, years before. Now not one but seven young men appear, each claiming to be the long-lost heir. The tangled case draws the War Office's attention, and a demand for Mr Sherlock Holmes's assistance. Only the razor-sharp minds above and below stairs at Baker Street stand a chance of uncovering the truth and foiling the sinister forces at work. For readers who treasure Conan Doyle, the Holmes & Hudson series offers a loving homage, enriched by fresh voices in the Holmes and Watson household.

A shadow falls over fog-bound London, reaching from the distant jungles of Sumatra to the cobbled streets of Limehouse, where merchants lie dead and whispers of a curse abound. Sherlock Holmes seems the obvious man to dispel superstition with logic - yet it is his housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, and orphaned maid Flotsam who uncover the truth behind the menace. From venomous snakes to silver daggers, peril surrounds them, and the game is once again afoot. Intricate and witty, the Holmes & Hudson series pays homage to Conan Doyle's classics while offering a fresh glimpse into Baker Street's unsung lives.

The famed Malabar Rose, a priceless ruby destined for Queen Victoria, is placed under the protection of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Yet, in the most baffling of circumstances, the jewel vanishes without trace. Could the theft be linked to illusionist extraordinaire the Great Salmanazar? While Holmes and Watson wrestle with the mystery, it is Mrs Hudson - sharp-witted as ever - and her resourceful maid Flotsam who uncover the grand deception at work. For devotees of Sherlock Holmes, this series offers both a faithful echo of the original mysteries and an inventive reimagining of life below stairs at Baker Street.