Joe Swallow Books in Order

In Dublin during Queen Victoria's jubilee year, detective Joe Swallow investigates mutilated bodies found in Phoenix Park. What appears to be an ordinary murder case becomes entangled with political interests as evidence suggests involvement at higher levels.

The murder of a Dublin pawnbroker and a suspect's disappearance place Sergeant Joe Swallow under pressure from officials, newspapers, and frightened residents. His inquiry into the killing exposes corruption and tests his use of emerging scientific methods.

Newly promoted Joe Swallow investigates violent attacks on women that unsettle Dublin and disrupt his private life. Meanwhile, British efforts to discredit Irish leader Charles Stewart Parnell complicate the detective's loyalties within an increasingly volatile political climate.

A gruesome discovery beneath Dublin draws Joe Swallow into a case involving death and diamonds. A journalist's murder and British efforts to undermine Parnell add pressures as the detective struggles to reconcile his career with his marriage.