Beverley Watts
Shackleford And Sons Daughters
Welcome to the Victorian Shacklefords...
My latest series - Shackleford and Daughters features the Reverend's grandson who is definitely a chip off the old block...
A retired policeman turned private detective with six daughters - what can he do but bring them into the business...
In the seaside town of Paignton, England, 1891, twenty-two-year-old Alexandra Shackleford faces an uncertain future when her father, Chief Inspector Henry Shackleford, is forced into early retirement from the police force. Living with her five sisters and their outspoken Aunt Charlotte at Cliff House, Alex has resigned herself to spinsterhood—until fate brings the enigmatic Baron Tavistock back into her life.
Three years earlier, Lieutenant Rhys Gould stole Alex's heart during a brief, passionate encounter before vanishing without explanation. Now he returns as the newly inherited Baron, desperately seeking help for his mother who has fallen victim to a mysterious blackmailer. What begins as a simple case of fraud soon unravels into something far more sinister, drawing the Shackleford family into a dangerous web of secrets that threatens everything they hold dear.
As dark truths emerge about the past, Alex must navigate not only the perils of their investigation but also the painful mystery of why Rhys has kept her at arm's length.
With her father's investigative skills, her aunt's decidedly unconventional methods, and her own fierce determination, Alex finds herself at the heart of a deadly game where love and justice hang in the balance.
Set against the backdrop of Victorian England's rigid social conventions, Alexandra weaves together romance, mystery, and family loyalty in an unforgettable tale. With memorable characters—from the razor-sharp Charlotte to the irrepressible young Billy—this atmospheric story combines the charm of a period mystery with the emotional depth of a passionate love story, complete with Beverley Watts’s trademark wit and humour.
A tale of courage, redemption, and the power of love to overcome the darkest secrets, Alexandra marks the thrilling beginning of the Shackleford and Daughters series—where one family's quest for justice will change their lives forever.
When Shackleford and Daughters Detective Agency takes on its first real case — the theft of an emerald necklace from a wealthy Torquay widow, Arabella Shackleford expects nothing more complicated than a drawing room mystery. She is, in every possible sense, about to get more than she bargained for.
Within days, what begins as a series of jewellery thefts from four prominent widows unravels into something far darker... missing servants, a murdered woman, and the shadowy reappearance of a fugitive from their most dangerous previous case. Worse still, the threads all seem to lead back to a nameless, faceless figure known only as Jacob.
Unexpectedly, the newly appointed Chief Inspector Benedict Hartley becomes an ally the Shacklefords desperately need, Tall, handsome and maddeningly principled, Arabella quickly realises her feelings towards him are becoming something rather more complicated than professional admiration. As the investigation deepens and the danger escalates, the connection between them becomes something neither of them can easily dismiss.
Arabella has spent her whole life perfecting the art of charm and social grace, always believing her value lay in making a good marriage. Now, faced with missing children, a ruthless criminal organisation, and feelings she is struggling to hide, she is discovering that her greatest gift was never a winning smile but the ability to see the truth in people.
Between a nine-year-old boy with a genius for eavesdropping, a golden retriever with no respect for authority, and an aunt with no respect for the law, Arabella and her twin sister already have quite enough on their hands, but with a killer who knows the Shacklefords are closing in, the stakes have never been higher...
Warm, witty, and genuinely gripping, Arabella is the story of a woman finding her purpose, a family refusing to be silenced, and a case that will change everything... soon...
