Longlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger 'An intelligent and intriguing crime novel set in the heart of Victorian London. Its atmospheric and twisting narrative had me hooked.' Sarah Ward London, 1863: prostitutes in the Waterloo area are turning up dead, their sexual organs mutilated and removed. When another girl goes missing, fears grow that the killer may have claimed their latest victim. The police are at a loss and so it falls to courtesan and professional detective, Heloise Chancey, to investigate. With the assistance of her trusty Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen, Heloise inches closer to the truth. But when Amah is implicated in the brutal plot, Heloise must reconsider who she can trust, before the killer strikes again. Tjia brings us a pacey and exciting murder mystery set in Victorian London. This historical crime thriller sees a young female detective work with the police to evade a violent killer. What Reviewers and Readers Say: `Tjia transports the reader to the mid nineteenth century so effectively through all the senses; sound, smell, touch, vision and feeling; contrasting the opulence of London's Mayfair with the squalor of Thames-side Waterloo ... The writing is accomplished and economic, taking the reader on various twists and turns on the journey ... We have discovered a new sleuth in Heloise Chancey.' David Evans, author of The Wakefield Series, shortlisted for CWA Debut Dagger in 2013 `Compulsive reading ... I was enthralled from the very first page. A beautifully written book with such authenticity, that each page whisked me back in time. The story galloped along as I followed the characters that were all too real. I could not put it down.' Caroline Mitchell, author of the DC Jennifer Knight series `A gripping and refreshingly different historical crime novel.' Angela Buckley, author of The Real Sherlock Holmes `Fun, thrilling and very well written - She Be Damned is a carefully crafted adventure that I hugely enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing what the delightful Mrs Chancey gets up to next.' Luke Marlowe, TheBookbag `If you like your heroines flamboyant, your servants mouthy, and your murders bloody, She Be Damned is the perfect book to get both your historical fiction fix and a head start on an excellent upcoming series.' The AU Review `an entertaining tale with entertaining characters and many plot twists.' Historical Novels Review

The Continent, 1864: Two bomb attacks, three deaths. Clues to an elaborate assassination plot are intercepted in Paris and the authorities believe the assassin's lair lies in Soho, London. Heloise Chancey, courtesan and professional detective, must go undercover to spy upon the nest of suspects and end their murderous conspiracy. Meanwhile, her Chinese maid, Amah Li Leen finds herself trapped in a deadly nightmare of deceit and madness. Will she be able to escape before time runs out? Danger keeps Heloise close company as she hunts evil down to its devilish source.

Move over Shelock Holmes... the latest from detective and former courtesan Heloise Chancey... Stoke Newington, 1863: Little Margaret Lovejoy is found brutally murdered in the outhouse at her family's estate. A few days later, a man is cut down in a similar manner on the doorstep of courtesan and professional detective Heloise Chancey's prestigious address. At the same time, Heloise's maid, Amah Li Leen, must confront events from her past that appear to have erupted into the present day. Once again Heloise is caught up in a maelstrom of murder and deceit that threatens to reach into the very heart of her existence. In this second instalment of the Heloise Chancey Mysteries, M.J Tjia brings us another enthralling historical crime where the twists and turns are as numerous and dark as the London streets which serve as their setting. What Reviewers and Readers are saying: `Full of lush historical detail and brimming with breathless suspense, A Necessary Murder is a perfectly splendid read. Heloise Chancey is a sleuth for the ages,' Tasha Alexander `A Necessary Murder is dark and terrifying with a compelling heroine. I couldn't wait to return to the world of Heloise Chancey,' Sarah Ward `Another clever and compelling read by M.J. Tjia. This expertly written historical crime novelweaved an evocative story that put my life on hold until I finished the very last page,' Caroline Mitchell `As with the first in this series, Tjia captures the contrasting atmosphere of mid-Victorian London to great effect - the opulence of Mayfair as before, but this time exploring Limehouse and the East India Dock Road. As a reader we are there with all our senses stimulated by the writing,' David Evans