Edwardian-era murder mysteries
featuring a cutting-edge socialite and a troubled ex-soldier.
THE BACKWARD HOUSE
(BOOK 1)
A fiery young socialite.
A savvy ex-soldier, damaged by war.
Bright and Wallace’s first case is a conundrum
in the countryside.
In 1920s Scotland, Wylie Wallace is a shrewd and worldly veteran of the Great War, struggling to find his place in Edwardian society.
When his childhood friend Sylvia Bright meets him for tea and cakes, Wallace is shocked to find Sylvia escorted by police. She tearfully explains that her husband Michael has been murdered at their lavish home close to Edinburgh – and she’s the prime suspect.
As Michael’s eccentric family are summoned to the off-kilter homestead, Bright and Wallace bond over Sylvia’s pluck and intelligence, and Wallace’s courage and wisdom.
But as they delve deeper into the guests’ quirks and grudges, violence erupts, and Bright and Wallace forge an investigative partnership, determined to shed light on a house full of shadows.
THE MURDER STONE
(BOOK 2)
A killing at a mysterious landmark.
A village built on secrets and lies.
Can Bright and Wallace uncover the truth behind
the local legends?
In the winter of 1922, amateur sleuths Sylvia Bright and Wylie Wallace have established the Bright & Wallace Detective Agency, along with Sylvia’s manservant Thomas.
When an ex-soldier friend of Wallace’s, Jack Murray, sees their newspaper advert, he calls the team to his cottage in the remote Scottish village of Langstane.
Jack is under house arrest after helping a stranger he discovered shot and dying on nearby moorland, near a brooding landmark known as the Murder Stone.
Who was the dead man and what was he doing alone on the moor? Why are the close-knit locals so keen to mark Jack as the key suspect and drive him out of their village?
As the investigation shakes out Langstane’s secrets, Bright and Wallace unearth a murky conspiracy of corruption, folklore and tangled family ties that soon leads to violence and tragedy.
The Bright & Wallace Detective Agency is officially in business. But if the pair of mismatched amateurs aren’t careful, their first official outing might be their last.
James Magnus is a retired lecturer.
He lives in Scotland in an old house with his wife, Deborah and cat, Rauridh and when not writing he does voluntary work, spends far too much time on computer games, and reads excessively.
Writing as James Magnus check out his dystopian crime Corsa Moran series HERE.
