'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 is a wonderful creation, his world atmospheric and terrifying, and his own story as powerful and enthralling as the mysteries he investigates' Sam Blake

The second book in the acclaimed new historical crime series following on from the Richard & Judy Book Club 2019 pick, The House on Half Moon Street

It's been a year since Leo Stanhope lost the woman he loved, and came closing to losing his own life. Now, more than ever, he is determined to keep his head down and stay safe, without risking those he holds dear. But Leo's hopes for peace and security are shattered when the police unexpectedly arrive at his lodgings: a woman has been found murdered at a club for anarchists, and Leo's address is in her purse. When Leo is taken to the club by the police, he is shocked to discover there a man from his past, a man who knows Leo's birth identity. And if Leo does not provide him with an alibi for the night of the woman's killing, he is going to share this information with the authorities.

If Leo's true identity is unmasked, he will be thrown into an asylum, but if he lies... will he be protecting a murderer?

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! ____________________

'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. Knowing he was meant to be a man - despite the evidence of his body - and unable to cope with living a lie any longer, he fled his family home at just fifteen and has been living as Leo ever since: his secret known to only a few trusted people.

Desperate to find Maria's killer and thrown into gaol, he stands to lose not just his freedom, but ultimately his life.

Leo Stanhope is rich in dreams but poor of pocket. He dreams of making a home with Maria, the prostitute he loves. And he dreams of a world where no one cares what is tucked between his legs. Leo has a secret and in Queen Victoria's England, that secret could get him locked up for life...if nobody kills him first. But it's a prostitute who's killed instead, and Leo who becomes the prime suspect. Desperate to clear his name and find the murderer, Leo is forced to sacrifice his books, his job, his home.

It's tough to be a preacher's kid, and for Leo Stanhope it may be harder than for most. He was born Charlotte, and in the Reverend Pritchard's home-as in all of Victoria's England-there is little room for persons unwilling to know their place and stick to it. And things are about to get harder: There's a gentleman who knows the secret that could get Leo locked up for life, and this so-called gentleman is not above a spot of blackmail. There is a bright spot, though, in the form of two little kids who are teaching Leo's heart to open again, after a wretched year. In warming to them, he realizes how much more he has to learn. Leo knows how to be a man. Now he must learn to be a father.

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's previous work has largely been concentrated on 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... Praise for the Leo Stanhope series 'Reeve has not only crafted a brilliant crime novel, but has created a character who has made me see the world with new eyes' i 'Exceptional - you hear and smell and taste Victorian London' Sarah Hilary 'A deeply atmospheric thriller with more twists and turns than the grubby streets of London, and a central character we really care about' Heat