Alexander Marwood, the cantankerous landlord of the Queen’s Head is away, leaving the Westfield’s Men theatre troupe free to play. Marwood’s replacement, Adam Crowmere, is a welcome change and Westfield’s Men being to dread their landlord’s return.But strange occurrences begin to take place within the company and book holder Nicholas Bracewell fears something sinister is afoot. Then the company’s costumes are stolen from a locked cabinet and they are forced to perform without them. Nick delves deeper into the mysterious events happening around London because for Westfield’s Men, the show must go on.

Domesday Books

December 1860. Headed for the morning shift at the Swindon Locomotive works is an army of men pouring out of terraced houses built by the GWR, a miniature town and planned community that aims to provide for its employees from cradle to grave. Unfortunately, boiler smith Frank Rodman is headed for the grave sooner than he'd expected, or he will be once his missing head is found.Inspector Colbeck, the Railway Detective, finds his investigation into Rodman's murder mired in contradictions. Was the victim a short-tempered brawler, or a committed Christian and chorister who aimed to better himself? On the trail of Rodman's enemy as the season starts to bite, Colbeck finds little festive cheer in the twists and turns of this peculiar case.

June, 1917. While another daylight air raid batters London, the body of respected businessman Gilbert Donohoe is fished from the Thames. Inspector Marmion struggles with the murder case alongside his anxieties for his now-missing son, Paul, but the pressure increases when the Metropolitan Police are the target of a series of vicious press attacks. As Marmion is pilloried in the press, he uncovers a seedy path through London which will lead him towards the killer.

It is the juiciest piece of gossip the citizens of Norwich have heard for a long time. The two golden elephants that robber baron Richard de Fontenel was using to lure the beautiful Adelaide into marriage have been stolen. Also missing is de Fontenel's steward Hermer. Desperate to try and ignore this growing crisis are Domesday Commissioners Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, who are keen to resolve a land dispute involving de Fontenel and Mauger - a man also, trying to woo Adelaide. De Fontenel, however, refuses to co-operate until the thief is found. But is Hermer the steward really missing or has something more sinister happened? In Ralph and Gervase's most baffling case yet, nothing is what it seems and no one is free from suspicion...