Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Blue and the Grey | 2014 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 2 | The Circle | 2016 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 3 | The Angel | 2016 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 4 | The Island | 2017 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 5 | The Ring | 2018 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 6 | The Black Hills | 2020 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
| 7 | Last Nocturne | 2021 | M.J. Trow | Buy |
Grand and Batchelor pairs an American ex-soldier with an English journalist-academic as a detective duo, giving Trow a transatlantic framework that distinguishes this series from his other Victorian mystery work. The Blue and the Grey opens in 1865, immediately after the American Civil War, and follows the two men as their investigations take them to different locations across seven books.
The partnership dynamic is central to the appeal. Grand brings a directness and outsider’s perspective to Victorian England, while Batchelor offers local knowledge and a more cautious approach. Their friendship deepens across the series, and the books have an episodic quality — each mystery is distinct, but the characters develop continuity.
Seven books across 2014 to 2021 gives the series a satisfying run. Readers who want Victorian mystery with a slightly different angle than the Lestrade books will find the dual protagonist setup and the transatlantic scope a good alternative.