Showing results by author "Steve Leadley" in All Categories

Inspector Lestrade considers a young man's death merely accidental but his rival Tobias Gregson is not completely convinced and solicits the opinion of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes concludes that Lestrade is mistaken but even the great detective is unaware of how deep the waters run in the affair. As he and Watson tug at the thread, they uncover a plot of murder and deception intended to bring down an empire. PRAISE FROM GOODREADS.COM: "A great and exciting Sherlock Holmes story, that I really enjoyed reading. The story and mystery, keeps you guessing and flipping through the pages, to see how ...

Ocean City is truly a wonderful place, full of summertime adventure. The beaches, the boardwalk, swimming, surfing, fishing, music, amusements... the possibilities are endless. However in 1941, these pleasures are tempered by the likelihood that the US would soon join World War II. With their parents employed in the country’s defense, Stacy and Walter are sent to stay in Ocean City with their great-aunt at the majestic Flanders Hotel. It seems like the best place possible for the children to have some semblance of summer fun despite the gathering clouds of conflict. However, the brother ...

Sherlock Holmes is in Washington D.C. on a discreet mission for the British government when a telegram arrives from Emlen Physick, a wealthy doctor and leading citizen of Cape May. A mysterious murder has been committed in the seaside town and Dr. Physick hopes that Holmes and Watson will journey to Cape May to investigate the matter. Holmes agrees and the game is afoot!Accompany the most famous literary character of the Victorian Age as he tests his investigative talents amidst the charm of the nation’s oldest resort.VISIT STEVE LEADLEY'S WEB PAGE: www.steveleadleyauthorpage.weebly.com

"A Coming of age tale set in the antebellum South" When a young prodigy in 1850s Virginia begins to question the morality of slavery, will he have the fortitude to take action? Gideon Covington is embroiled in the bloody siege at Vicksburg during the Civil War and is not confident that he will survive the battle. He has therefore decided to reveal the extraordinary events that brought him here. Gideon’s tale begins when he is twelve years old. The boy is considered to be a genius and although he longs for a university education, he seems destined to remain in rural Virginia as he is heir ...

June 1778- The Continental Army had survived the brutal winter at Valley Forge and spring has brought a welcome change of fortune. The French have joined the war and the British have abandoned Philadelphia. With the Patriots again in control of the young nation's de facto capital, it should be a time of elation. However, the intrepid Quaker-warrior Ezra Fox learns there may be an enemy plot aimed at the city and his scant clue could even implicate its new military governor, Benedict Arnold. With fortitude and cunning, Mr. Fox and his dutiful partner Captain Shelby race to uncover a scheme ...

Like many wealthy Philadelphians of the Victorian Era, seventeen year old Kate MacIntyre, her younger sister Julia and their Aunt Clementine have decided to holiday in Cape May. Kate and Julia are excited about the prospect of a delightful summer in the seaside resort, but their aunt has a special purpose: to find Kate a husband from amongst the upper class vacationers. When the handsome aristocrat Frederick Van Riem shows an interest in Kate, Aunt Clementine is ecstatic. However, Kate also meets and enterprising young man from the working class. As she struggles to sort out her feelings ...

Wildwood, summer of 1960! It’s the heyday of rock and roll and there’s no place quite like Wildwood. By day vacationers soak up the sun on the beautiful beaches and by night they thrill to the sights and sounds of the boardwalk or frequent the clubs where the nation’s top singers and comedians perform. But has something sinister reared its head in this wondrous playground? When an aspiring vocalist disappears, Rick Walker, a former military policeman is tasked with finding out what happened. Join Rick and his friends from South Philadelphia in a nostalgic romp through the Wildwood of ...

Could the mysterious death of a young woman hold the key to the outcome of the American Revolution? In the summer of 1777 British general John Burgoyne aspires to execute an elaborate plan to grab control of New York State thereby driving a wedge between New England and the rest of the colonies. If successful, the stratagem could doom the idealistic rebellion. However, north of Albany the general’s Indian scouts return to camp with the scalp of a young woman, Jane McCrea. They claim that they only took the scalp after the colonial militia accidentally killed her but the Americans contend ...

SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH- A Sequel to The Saratoga Deception. November 1777- A double agent working under the Governor of Connecticut is murdered, but not before muttering a cryptic phrase: “French mission… Charts… Passage below structure…” Who killed the spy? Was his position compromised? Had he stumbled upon a secret too vital to allow him to live? What is the meaning behind the man’s dying words? These vexing questions prompt the governor to appeal to his friend General Washington for aid. The Commander-in-Chief assigns the task to the men who had solved the puzzling ...

December 1777- When a militiaman is found murdered outside of the Valley Forge encampment a clue could link the killing to a plot against General Washington. Just twenty miles away in occupied Philadelphia, a soldier from Captain Andre’s company is murdered, as is his personal valet. Impressed with his previous investigative successes the commander of the Pennsylvania militia enlists Captain Shelby to solve the murder of the militiaman and determine if there is indeed a conspiracy against Washington. Meanwhile, Shelby’s old investigative colleague the Quaker-warrior Ezra Fox is plying ...

Could the mysterious murder of a British diplomat decide America's role in World War I? Winter 1917- The Great War has been raging in Europe for two and a half years. The United States has struggled to maintain its neutrality; it’s idealistic President longing to mediate an end to the horrific conflict. However when a British embassy worker is murdered in Washington D.C., the American position becomes even more tenuous. With uncanny political instinct Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt realizes that the crime could hold a secret with international implications. He ...

An Abe Lincoln Mystery: The Better Angels of Our Nature It is late at night as John Hay, Lincoln’s personal secretary retires to his White House quarters after yet another exhausting day helping the President navigate the business of conducting the war. However, in the middle of the night he is awakened by a visit from the President. The appearance is not altogether unusual as Lincoln often made such visits when plagued by bouts of insomnia. Yet Hay quickly learns that this occurrence is vastly different. Lincoln has brought a clemency appeal made to him regarding a double homicide ...

Karen Chirelli is a very somber young lady. Although the Christmas holiday should be a joyous time of year, the pandemic quarantine has left the college student confined and alone. As the gloomy girl tries her best to keep up her spirits a mysterious present appears on her doorstep: an old book entitled The Gift of Christmas. Karen begins to read the volume and becomes immersed in its uplifting and inspirational content but little does she realize that the book holds a special magic--one that will involve her directly-- and enlighten her to the true “gift of Christmas.”