Martin Davies Books In Order

Publication Order of Mrs. Hudson Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Martin Davies is an English author best known for writing the Holmes & Hudson Mystery series. The book series began in 2004 with the release of Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits’ Curse. The series of books is about Sherlock Holmes’ housekeeper and the adventures that she gets into.

He was born on the Wirral and grew up in North West England. His early writing career had some speed bumps as when he was at Barnston Primary School his creative writing was considered very poor. He didn’t improve right away, but storytelling came to him in other ways. His father was a great storyteller and he spent a lot of time listening to him which taught him that a sense of fun could be had through telling people stories and hearing other people’s stories. Still, he didn’t return to the world of creative writing after that and he wouldn’t for almost thirty years.

Davies instead went to university where he studied English and History. After graduation, he would move to London and find work in broadcasting. Also at this time, he read a lot of novels. In his late thirties he finally decided to give writing another try. He had an idea about Sherlock Holmes’ housekeeper and sat down to writing Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits’ Curse. He wrote it for his father who had often had questions about her as he figured she would have great stories to tell. As Davies has since proven, his father was right.

That book earned him an agent who encouraged him to try and write something that she considered bigger. He took her advice and wrote The Conjurer’s Bird which became a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. He would follow that book up with The Unicorn Road which was one of the top 100 paperback books of the year as listed by The Times/WH Smith list. He went on to write an espionage thriller called Havana Sleeping which made the CWA Historical Dagger Award shortlist.

After all this writing, Davies didn’t give up on the world of Mrs. Hudson and continued writing the series. After a ten year break, Davies returned to the series with the third book Mrs. Hudson and the Lazarus Testament.

Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits’ Curse is the first book in the Holmes & Hudson Mystery series. A group of merchants in London are dying with rumors of giant rats, malign spirits, and evil haunting the streets. The common thought to investigate this mystery is, of course, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, but their housekeeper Mrs. Hudson and her assistant Flotsam are better suited to the case. As she sets out to investigate, she’ll do it under the nose of Sherlock himself.

The second book in the series is Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose. It is winter in London and snow is falling on Baker Street. The city is abuzz as the Malabar Rose has been sent as a gift to Queen Victoria by the Marharajah of Marjoudh. However, there is one condition attached to the gift: the ruby must be displayed at the Blenheim Hotel. To ensure the safety of the jewel, the authorities enlist the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. They are assisted in the case by Holmes’ housekeeper Mrs. Hudson and her assistant, Flotsam, the housemaid. In addition to the ruby, the town is also excited for the arrival of world famous magician the Great Salmanazar and fire dancer Lola Del Fuego. All this excitement plus a peculiar disappearance have Mrs. Hudson and Flotsam busy this season.

Mrs. Hudson and the Lazarus Testamen is the third book in the Hudson & Holmes Mystery series. The story begins as a man is knocked down outside Baker Street and his dying words warn of a man who has risen from the dead. The rumors of a dead man haunting the streets are all around and Mrs. Hudson finds herself with another mystery on her hands. She teams up with Holmes, Watson, and Flotsam to race against the dark forces and uncover the truth behind a document known only as the Lazarus Testament.

The Conjurer’s Bird is a standalone novel from Martin Davies. The story is inspired by one of the great puzzles of natural history, the mystery of the Bid of Ulieta. The bird was seen only once on Captain Cook’s second expedition of the South Seas and only one was captured to be brought back to England. The bird was displayed by naturalist Joseph Banks until it had an unexplained disappearance. Two hundred years later, naturalists wonder if they will ever see the bird again. This mystery books captures the intrigued surrounding Banks, his secret love affair, and the legendary bird.

Havana Sleeping is a historical novel set in 1850s Cuba that is based on a real story. The city is as dangerous and exotic place where the murder of a night watchman doesn’t bother the Consul nor the police. However, there is one person who cared for the old man and sets out to find out what happened. That person is the enigmatic courtesan Leonarda and they won’t rest until they figure out who did it. While in wintry England, George Backhouse is given an unexpected promotion that will send him to Cuba where he will stand up against an illegal slave trade. The powers of the region are conspiring against each other to control the island and a war could happen in the blind of an eye. Leonarda won’t back down. Will Backhouse?