Crime Mystery set in 1911 Kensington (LONDON)

11th November 2026

The Shadows of Kensington Gore by Ross Montgomery, crime mystery set in Kensington (London).

This is no.2 in the Stockingham and Pike Detective Series.

Stephen Pike is a lad who has come up in the world. He hails from Bow and now finds himself in the role of footman to Miss Decima Stockingham, living in a world of wealth at 89 Kensington Gore.

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Goodness, she is an imperious sort who clearly doesn’t suffer fools and she has a very sharp tongue, loaded with very ripe language. Stephen’s main role is to pander to her and push her around in her bathchair when required. This description actually makes her sound grim, but in fact she is a wonderfully drawn character – a real tartar – who acts as a sleuth, and has cultivated a network of maids dotted around the city who are her eyes and ears. she encourages young Stephen to keep a clear head and a wary eye on things when the two are on an investigative mission.

The novel has hardly opened and the pair are attending a suffragette rally, but the day ends when a policeman is found bleeding out on the pavement at the next door property, a hole in his throat stuffed with a WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union) ribbon. Three women were seen at the scene of the crime.

Soon there is a mysterious invitation and Decima finds herself in the presence of  the one and only Emmeline Pankhurst.

This is a beautifully written story that meanders through clues, revels in the unique relationship between the main protagonists and sets the whole narrative against a well drawn London backdrop, both geographically and culturally. There is a terrific map of the locality in which they live, printed on the inside of both front and back cover – with the Royal Albert Hall at its heart.

This is a well researched novel that brims with heart and humour and is a terrific read.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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