A Morbid Passion by Robert Holtom

Signed copies
 
A gripping 1930s-set whodunnit and love letter to Golden Age crime, this sequel to A Queer Case features amateur sleuth Selby Bigge, who must solve a murder at Lady Malcolm's Servants' Ball in London's Royal Albert Hall. Perfect for fans of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey novels.
 
London 1930.

Selby Bigge and his aristocratic sidekick Theodora Smythe are invited to dine with Doctor Hector Fortescue and his family, discovering a web of unrest in the household. The good doctor is adamant that homosexuals can be 'cured' of their perversions, oblivious to the fact his son Lancelot is 'as fruity as a pineapple'. Later that evening Theodora becomes Theo and attends the Servants' Ball with Selby - a fancy-dress dance for servants, which attracts queers of all classes.

Lancelot makes a surprise appearance dressed as Harlequin, as do other members of the Fortescue household. And before the night is out Selby and Theo will have another murder to solve. Digging deeper, the duo - assisted by the impossibly glamorous nightclub singer Lady Splendid - discover that secrets abound both above and below stairs in the Kensington home of the Fortescue family.

And the stakes get even higher when Selby encounters policemen he's met before, who'd love to arrest him for being queer. Can Selby solve the crime or will this be his last dance?
 
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'I was hooked from the first page...' - Alex Pavesi, bestselling author of The Eighth Detective
 
'Robert Holtom has written a mystery that sparkles with wit, compassion, and (my favorite) delicious intrigue. A Morbid Passion brings queer history vividly to life, reminding us that even in the most restrictive times, courage, humor, and love find a way to flourish. Selby Bigge is the sort of detective you want by your side when secrets start unraveling.' - Jeffrey Marsh
 
'Holtom's shimmering sequel to A Queer Case effectively grounds a historical whodunit in the social prejudices of its era... Wodehousian prose provides levity to a story that's tragic at its core. It's clear that this series has staying power.' - Publishers Weekly