The John Rawlings Historical London Mysteries, Volume One: Books 1-10 (John Rawlings #1-10)

John Rawlings is a young apothecary in 18th century London. Found at the scene of a murder, he’s marched to Bow Street to face Sir John Fielding. The blind magistrate, known as ‘The Blind Beak’, is a vast, powerful, yet fair man. He quickly perceives Rawlings’ innocence and his nose for detective work.Follow their escapades in these heart-pounding historical mysteries full of twists and turns. This box set contains these 10 novels:BOOK 1: DEATH IN THE DARK WALKFreed from his apothecary indentures, John Rawlings is celebrating at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens when he trips on the corpse of a beautiful young woman. Summoned to the magistrate’s office as a suspect in the case, he walks away its chief investigator.BOOK 2: DEATH AT THE BEGGAR’S OPERA1754, Drury Lane. A philandering actor is halfway through a performance of ‘The Beggar's Opera’ when he falls from the stage to his death. Rawlings cries murder and begins an investigation into the Theatre Royal’s vicious rivalries.BOOK 3: DEATH AT THE DEVIL’S TAVERNThe Devil’s Tavern is an infamous haunt for smugglers, so Rawlings tries to dismiss the noise in the night as the shifting of contraband. But his detective’s instincts urge him to investigate — and he happens across the bloated corpse of a bridegroom.BOOK 4: DEATH ON THE ROMNEY MARSHRawlings is at Romney Marsh to attend a patient — until he discovers a dead body bearing a coded document. Fielding orders him to investigate which locals might be harbouring secrets explosive enough to attract the attention of a French spymaster.BOOK 5: DEATH IN THE PEERLESS POOLRawlings is at the local swimming baths when he's disturbed by the discovery of a woman drowned – later identified as Hannah Rankin. At the asylum where she worked, Rawlings discovers a clue linking Hannah’s past to a mysterious closed case.BOOK 6: DEATH AT THE APOTHECARIES’ HALLAt a dinner for the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, an outbreak of food poisoning claims a member's life. Fielding suspects murder. But were they targeting the whole society? Rawlings is in the perfect position to investigate.BOOK 7: DEATH IN THE WEST WINDDevon, 1759. Rawlings is on his honeymoon when the discovery of a woman’s body draws him into an investigation. His suspects include the mysterious Society of Angels – but snooping into their affairs puts him in the line of danger.BOOK 8: DEATH IN ST JAMES’S PALACE1761. On the steps of St James’s Palace crowds clamber to get a glimpse of Queen Charlotte. Nobody sees Goward fall to his death. The only witness is the blind magistrate. The only clue to suggest he was a few whispered words.BOOK 9: DEATH IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOWSOne afternoon, a man rushes into Rawlings’ Piccadilly shop to hide from his tenacious former lover. John is shocked when a few days later the man is found dead. His plans to question the pursuer are scuppered when she’s fatally poisoned.BOOK 10: DEATH IN THE SETTING SUNRawlings is at an illustrious party to see his wife on stage. But the evening ends in tragedy when he’s found crouching over a dead body. Seized as the guilty party, John knows that the real killer is out there, close to his beloved family.