Summary:
The sole survivor of his family’s gruesome murder years earlier, “Poor Little Ned Lawton” has struggled to put the dark events behind him. So when a brash New York detective darkens his doorway demanding an interview, the wealthy young gentleman immediately shuts him out. But a rash of murders in America are mirroring of the London killings, and Patrick Kelly knows Ned might be the key to stopping the bloodshed.
Lawton, now called Edmund Sloan, is a wealthy young gentleman and philanthropist. He’s spent most of his life pushing all memories of his old family and that horrific day from his thoughts. Now a brash, provocative American detective insists he dredge up the past.
Together, Patrick and the unwilling Edmund must uncover the truth of the murders before the killer strikes again, whether it is in New York or London. As they hunt down secrets from his past, Edmund can’t hide his other secret from the sharp-eyed detective: the attraction he feels for men and the enticing Patrick in particular.
Summary:
Colm Kelly, a popular constable, is happy to be a big fish in his little pond of an Irish village—until his secret sin is revealed by his best friend. Overnight, his happy life is ruined. He loses his job, and even his family, and flees to England.
Colm might get another chance in London as an inquiry agent. His first job: watch the honorable Q.R. Marrill, the next heir apparent to a fortune, who lives under a cloud of family deaths. It’s unclear if Marrill is the perpetrator or the next victim of a killer who has struck before. Colm must discover the truth, and the best way to do that is to act as the man’s valet, a menial job Colm is ill-suited for. Worse, the young gentleman is nothing like Colm’s image of an aristocrat and more like his idea of perfection. He has no desire to ruin his life again with unwelcome passion.
The bookish Quade Marrill, fourth son of a wealthy landowner, has led a contented solitary life in London separate from his family. But as his family members die one by one, he becomes heir. Even as he mourns his dead brothers, uncle, and cousin, he wonders if the deaths were more than bad luck. Someone sinister might be on the hunt, and he would be the main suspect The only way to discover the truth is to allow the alarmingly intrusive Colm Kelly into his life.
* * * * *
This book is the second in a series. Patrick Kelly, a hero in the first His American Detective, is Colm’s annoying cousin—and now his employer. 
Summary:
Joshua Smith had no reason to trust the cop who’d saved his life. After all, to the son of a criminal, a rozzer is the enemy. But when ex-Sergeant Ross Munro is hired to discover why Joshua’s bride disappeared, Joshua agrees to help. Guilt-ridden because he’d vowed to protect Matilda, the pregnant girl he was forced to wed, Joshua is driven to help her. Partnering with the Scottish detective might solve one problem…and raise others.
Haunted by the memory of a woman he couldn’t save, independent investigator Ross Munro is determined to locate Matilda. Her marriage to Joshua is clearly a sham, but Joshua’s role in her disappearance is less obvious . Worse, muddying it all is Ross’s unexpected attraction to the scowling, growling bruiser. An attraction that Joshua seems game to explore.
On a desperate search for the missing woman, their tenuous bonds of trust are tested when betrayal is unearthed, murder’s afoot, and loyalties are questioned. Unraveling this mystery may unite two men from opposite sides of the law…or drive the cop and the criminal apart.
Original Review September 2017:
Poor Little Ned Lawton became Edmund Sloan after being the only survivor when his family was viciously murdered. Patrick Kelly has come across the pond looking for clues that he thinks will help solve a series of murders in America that resemble the Lawton slayings. Naturally Edmund is not eager to revisit his past but he's not willing to let anyone else die if he can help. But will the answers they uncover help or destroy the new found connection between the two?
I have only read a few solo stories by Summer Devon but I have loved every one of them. She has a way of bringing history to life, letting the reader experience the era. His American Detective is no different. Along with the historical atmosphere I could feel Edmund's pain and Patrick's determination as well as their obvious attraction despite Edmund's denial. I won't lie, perhaps the story could have been a bit better had there been more detecting but it could have also made certain factors redundant so I was more than satisfied with the story as is. Her passion and respect for history comes through every page with the small details in every scene and each character's attitudes and emotions, and it's this kind of passion that makes His American Detective amazing and will keep you mind guessing even if you think you figured out(and you may have) there's more to keep your interest piqued right to the end.
Some might find Patrick's constant use of Ned when referring to Edmund to be a bit confusing or odd but truth is I've known more than one Edmund/Edward who used the nickname "Ned" so it never even occurred to me that it might be seen as odd. Also, I think it started out as Patrick's way of making sure Edmund realized what he lost and what was at stake in his quest for answers.
If you are in the mood for a good old fashioned mystery with just the right amount of romance then Summer Devon's His American Detective is definitely for you and I for one am intrigued to see what else she has in store for this new Victorian Gay Detective series.
His Irish Detective #2
Original Review March 2018:
Colm Kelly has fled to England after his life is torn apart when his best friend reveals his secret. His cousin has given him a job: watch and protect Quade Marrill. Quade's family has nearly been picked off one by one and unfortunately as he remains one of the few left he lingers between next victim or quilty party. Together they find an unlikely connection and while they search for the true guilty party will that connection blossom or will hearts be broken?
Now as this is a mystery I won't go into much detail of the plot but I will say that it completely hooked me in. As I often say, I have read/watched so many murder mysteries in my 44 years on this earth that very few mystery plots surprise me anymore. His Irish Detective, though it didn't completely surprise me it did keep me seesawing between a couple of possibilities right up to the reveal. I personally can't ask for more but whether you figure out the who done it, the journey getting from point A to point Z is anything but a straight line and will keep you reading to the very end.
Colm and Quade are such lovely characters that I just want to wrap them up in a massive bear hug to keep them safe and feel loved. That's not to say you won't want to whack them upside the head once in a while to get them to see sense, because you will but the author balances those feelings so well that you can't help but have a smile whenever you set the book down. Quade losing himself in his work, whether its out of love for what he does or to forget his family situation, is oddly endearing. Usually when a character is so immersed in what he's doing that he doesn't really see what or who is around him I want to shake the living daylights out of them but not so much with Quade. As for Colm, well I can't think of a better word than just plain lovely. He has his faults, his filter between his mind and his mouth doesn't always work but mostly he's just trying to do his job, keep his place in his cousin's company, and do right by Quade. These three things don't always mesh for Colm but he still tries to accomplish them.
Is His Irish Detective better than or as good as book one, His American Detective? Probably not, but it comes very close. Is Irish a standalone? Yes. Would I recommend reading American first? I would. Does American have to be read first? No. Having said all that, its just a personal preference to read a series in order even when each installment features a different duo at its core. The characters from book one are only in a dozen or so scenes and although they have their purpose to the plot their backstory is not a necessity to the case but as I said its just a personal preference of mine to read them in order, I just find knowing their journey enhances the reading experience but it is not a must. I don't know how many stories the author has planned for this series but any future installments will definitely be at the top of my reading list.
His Scottish Detective #3
Original Review August 2018:
When Joshua Smith is caught where he shouldn't be it's a cop who comes to aid but then his family makes a deal with an enemy, Joshua finds himself married. When Ross Munro decides to leave the force he takes a job with Patrick Kelly and his first case is to find a missing woman. Joshua and Ross' paths cross once again, will they be able to trust each other enough to find the truth about Joshua's missing wife? Will their attraction be a hinderance or a blessing?
His Scottish Detective is a wonderful tale of good guys and bad guys and watching the line between muddy. Joshua Smith was born into a family of bad guys and as much as he wants to get out, he finally accepts that there is no way out for him and as much as I wanted to shake him to see that he does have opportunities to be free of them I also got why he couldn't let himself see those choices. When it comes to Ross Munro, well I wanted to do the same to him but to see that walking away isn't always the right choice even if it is the easy one. However, the author knew best and in this case having the men do exactly what you think they shouldn't do put them in a position to meet again which ended up being what they both needed.
Summer Devon takes history, mystery, love, lust and stirs them together pretty perfectly to make this story come alive. One of the things I love about her work is that it is pretty obvious she has a healthy respect for the past with her attention to detail. This is fiction so there might be bits and pieces that get a bit blurry but as a whole His Scottish Detective is an amazing story that is entertaining from beginning to end. Was is as good as His American Detective or His Irish Detective, books 1 and 2 in her Victorian Gay Detective series? Probably not, but I wouldn't want to put money down on the difference.
Do you need to read American and Irish before Scottish? No, but its a personal preference of mine to read a series in order. In the case of this series, Patrick Kelly from American does appear again, his involvement in Scottish is pretty much only one scene with a few references to by Ross Munro, so it is not necessary to know his story to understand this one but for me I think it flows better knowing who he is and what he went through to get where he is, but that's just my personal opinion. Whatever order you read this series in, I highly recommend adding these tales to your TBR list, you won't be sorry.
RATING:
Summer Devon is the pen name writer Kate Rothwell often uses. Whether the characters are male or female, human or dragon, her books are always romance.
You can visit her facebook page, where there's a sign up form for a newsletter (she'll only send out newsletters when there's a new Summer Devon or Kate Rothwell release and she will never ever sell your name to anyone).
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EMAILS: summerdevon@comcast.net
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His American Detective #1
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His Irish Detective #2
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iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
His Scottish Detective #3
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iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
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iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
His Scottish Detective #3
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iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
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