The explosions are all planned for the same day, Easter Sunday, 1916, with the intention of sending Americans an emphatic warning to stay out of the fighting or else the war will be brought to their soil.

A rumor about the impending plot begins to circulate in the New York City Police Department. It is also said a German spy, a specialist with a new type of explosive, is making his way to New York to lead the conspiracy.

Fearing the department's own undercover men are known by the Germans, New York City police officials turn to an outsider, John Nolan, a Brooklyn private detective and a recent arrival from Ireland, to somehow infiltrate the German spy ring and prevent the bombings.

REVIEWS for the first two books in the series.

FIRE IN THE RECTORY and two more John Nolan detective novellas

"⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎" - 5 out of 5 stars "Excellent ... Set in the 1910s, the book captures the time and place beautifully ... Each tale has twists and turns I could never manage to predict. Was the fire an accident or arson? Is Mr. Hughes truly the sort of man he seems? If the most obvious suspect did indeed commit the murder, where is his weapon? I didn't even try to guess the answers to these questions but merely let the story take me along for the ride." - THE MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW

"Engrossing ... One of Fire in the Rectory's strengths lies in its historical accuracy, which brings the era and its culture to life ... All the stories excel in a fine balance of whodunit, politics, cultural inspection, and a sense of 1900s America." - THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

"Ingenious writing ... Set during the time of World War I when immigrants were arriving in force to the United States, the author shows how bigotry, poverty, and corruption prevailed with his well-researched historical facts." - READER VIEWS REVIEW

"Fans of classical detective novels and who-done-its should enjoy these stories ... The period detail is extremely accurate, giving a nice feel of New York in the early 20th century, and photo illustrations add to this sense of the era .... The dialogue is well written, and the plots move along nicely ... Competently crafted." - HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

THE DUTTON GIRL

"Deftly entertaining . . . Certain to be an immediate and popular addition to both the personal reading list of dedicated mystery buffs and community library mystery/suspense collections." - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

"A classic whodunit . . . The author does a fantastic job at intertwining historical facts through this story. . . Progresses at a steady pace, giving just the right amount of clues and action to keep you entertained . . . Interesting and believable." - READER VIEWS

"(John Nolan has) the quiet, self-possessed demeanor of a star detective with an understated talent for his craft and an appealing habit for being right when others are wrong. His slow, methodical investigation is fun to witness . . . Competently crafted, with a bevy of suspicious characters and a pleasing variety of bum leads . . . However, the most compelling aspect of the book is not who took a spoiled heiress or even Nolan himself, but, rather, how rich, poor, and working-class New Yorkers lived and interacted in the World War I era." - MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW