Amy Corwin

Historical Mysteries

My historical mysteries take place in the waning years of the Regency and early Victorian period in England and revolve around the fictitious Second Sons Inquiry Agency.

Second Sons Inquiry Agency Series ~

Every mystery series has an underlying concept and Second Sons is no exception.  Second Sons, Discreet Inquiries, is a fictional Regency-period inquiry agency, founded by Knighton Gaunt in 1814.  Knighton is a “second son” who elects to become an inquiry agent rather than choosing one the more acceptable careers in the church or military after his Knighton is nearly hung for his father's murder. The experience left him determined to find the truth for others facing similar, horrific circumstances. 

And he is not the only “useless second son” who decides that making inquiries is more a more interesting choice.  The agency continues to grow as new inquiry agents are hired and their adventures are added to the series.

As a unifying element, The Second Sons inquiry agency allows for a broader mixture of characters, while still maintaining a common thread throughout this series and even connects it to the Archer Family Regency Series on occasion.  The combination of familiar characters such as Knighton Gaunt and the Archer family,  creates a Regency milieu with interconnected, familiar faces across a broad spectrum from high-born dukes to commoners.

Since the stories take place before Peel’s revision of the laws and official formation of a modern police force in the U.K., the use of private inquiry agents in a murder investigation would not have been out of the question.  And there is the element of conflict with society for the high-born men who chose this line of work, and perhaps women, as well.  The agents elect to “lose their place” in polite society in order to dedicate their lives to finding the truth—but every such decision carries with it a personal cost the characters must reconcile.

Despite the interconnected threads, each book in the series stands alone.  Readers need never fear that they will miss something when they pick up a book.  And each story presents a mystery as the main plot, with a romance as a subplot.  Reading previous books may add depth to the characters, but it is never a necessity for understanding the story.

Timeline:  Sometimes it is nice to see how an author's books are related.  I've included a timeline so readers can see how my historical mysteries and romances are related. The Second Sons Inquiry Agency series has "bifurcated" into two branches with one branch following the adventures of Knighton Gaunt and Prudence Barnard and the second branch following the adventures of various other inquiry agents.

A Honeymoon with Death

Historical Mystery - Second Sons Inquiry Agency series (5)
Published: 2015 

Pru and Knighton's honeymoon turns deadly when a fellow traveler is murdered.

 

The Illusion of Desire

Historical Mystery - Second Sons Inquiry Agency series (4)
Published: 2014 

Murder brings Captain Ainsley into the morass of jealousy and intrigue surrounding the life of a dead earl...

The Dead Man's View

Historical Mystery - Second Sons Inquiry Agency series (3)
Published: 2013 

Was the dead man’s view of the maze at the heart of the mystery or simply the killer’s ruse to suggest suicide?

A Rose Before Dying

Historical Mystery - Second Sons Inquiry Agency Series (2)
Published: 2011

 An earl becomes enmeshed in a deadly game where the only clues are roses when his uncle is accused of murder.  

The Vital Principle

Historical Mystery - Second Sons Inquiry Agency Series (1)
Published: 2011

 An inquiry agent is called to a séance to prove fraud only to discover murder.

  

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Amy Corwin

Mystery Writers of America Member