AustLit

'This book is the first in a series set in the 1960’s, which introduces ex-Oxford professor Neptune King who always dreamed of being a detective greater than his fictional hero, Sherlock Holmes. When Neptune’s wealthy aunt dies and leaves him her fortune, he finally has a chance to realize his dream. He hires handsome blond-haired Australia hunk, Shark Bateman Johnson as his assistant and the shy green-eyed, redhead, Rachel Green as his secretary and sets out to solve any cases that come his way. These range from a strangely immobile stepmother to drug runners, murderers, embezzlers, German spies and even ventures into the vicious competitive world of ballroom dancing.

Neptune's deductions amaze, Shark's strength and courage delight and Rachel's charm enamours, as the three quickly become close friends in their quest to become the best private investigative firm in the country.' (Publication summary)

'This is the second book in the Neptune King series. It starts with our heroes, Neptune King and Shark Johnson starting the New Year full of optimism at the success of King's Investigations.

'Once again the team tackles a variety of cases with Shark complicating matters by risking his and the agency's reputation by stepping over the line of the Agent-Client relationship during his body guarding of their first client, the volatile Dr. Valerie Henderson, who is being threatened by an anonymous letter writer in The Desperate Doctor.

Neptune's detective skills are challenged in The Perfect Murder, where a woman with an unusual medical condition dies of presumed of natural causes. He proves otherwise and as a side bar encounters The Scourge of London, a serial killer murdering young women with Rachel as his next target.

The next client to walk through their door captures their interest immediately as he dramatically announces that he fears he is engaged to The Angel of Death. This was the name dubbed on the unfortunate Lucy Hancock, a young Irish girl accused of murdering her entire family and fleeing Dublin.' (Publication summary)

'Neptune's mettle is tested as he crosses paths with the international jewel thief known only as The Shadow.

'Twice he bests him only to win the Shadow's enmity and the war of nerves begins. Neptune lives in fear as his loved ones-friends and family are targeted. An attempt is made to abduct Rachel, and Shark is assaulted, then his brother-in-law is seriously injured in a hit and run. As a coup de grace Shark and Neptune's sister Mermaid are kidnapped.

'He doesn't hesitate to pay the exorbitant ransom, but is doublecrossed by the Shadow who tries to kill him. The tension rises as Neptune and Rachel begin a desperate bid to find Shark and the heavily pregnant Mermaid before their time runs out.

'The suspense and fast paced action in this book will have you o the edge of your seat.' (Publication summary)

'...come to London to take up a position on the London Times. He proves his usefulness by sending them new clients, which is fortuitous as Neptune is broke, having paid his entire fortune to Shadow as ransom for his sister and Shark. Their first case sees them initiated into a cult, hypnotizing and using the followers for the leader's enrichment.

'Unable to afford petrol for his car, Neptune borrows twenty pounds from Shark only to see his own initials on the note. NK in the right hand corner. Every note in the ransom bundle was similarly marked. Following the trail of the money leads them to Epsom racecourse and with the cooperation of the track's manager they eventually get a lead on the punter that paid out the marked money.

'This leads them to the hit and run driver who critically injured Neptune's brother-in-law, and eventually to the Shadow himself as they follow a trail that sends them to Paris, where Shark's dalliance with a couple of French ladies of easy virtue gives them a clue to the Shadow's true identity. The case comes to a head at the Shadow's 12th century chateau in Quercy, Bordeaux, where they risk life and limb to capture him in a climatic showdown of good versus evil.' (Publication summary)

'The Exploits of Neptune King is the fifth book in the series. In their first case our heroes tackle the supernatural, being hired to catch a vampire in Cornwall. In the isolated village of Abernathy, five young women are dead, their blood completely drained and puncture marks in their necks, and if that wasn't enough the locals are being scared by the spectre of a man that transforms himself into a bat. This is the sort of case that Neptune delights in.

While Neptune is off sick, Rachel begs Shark to give her time off so she can nurse him back to health. Against his better judgement she convinces Shark to give her new friend Rebecca Evans a chance, leading to some volatile scenes thanks to her bad habit of conclusion jumping. Naturally she falls for him, and Shark finds he is irritated and attracted at the same time, but what could they possibly have in common? She, the daughter of an earl and distantly related to the Queen, and he the son of a drunken motor mechanic. Shark figures it's a relationship doomed from the start.

'They continue to go from strength to strength cementing their reputation as detectives when the tackle a case multiple murder where residents in a nursing home are being killed for their savings. Rachel goes undercover again as a nursing assistant, and breaks the case wide open, putting herself at risk.' (Publication summary)

'In this 6th book of the Neptune King Series we start the year of 1963 off with a bang when the two couples-Neptune, Rachel, Shark and Becky attend the Queen's New Year's day parade only to spot an Irish dissident bent on assassination. Naturally they can't let that happen and win the Queen's approbation for their bravery.

In The Sound of Death their detective skills are tested when they are called in to investigate the death of Dr. Lennon who was found in his laboratory with no sign of physical injury, but with his bowels melted to a jelly-like substance.

'In The Case of the Desperate Jeweller, their simple cheating husband case turns into murder when the 'other woman' in the case turns up dead and they suspect their client of being the culprit .

'In the final chapter ex Inspector Thiel escapes from prison with revenge on his mind, determined to destroy Neptune and ruin his wedding. Just as the happy couple are pledging their vows, Thiel bursts in and starts shooting turning the ceremony into chaos. Despite the violent interruption, Neptune eventually manages to get his ring on Rachel's finger on the most memorable day of their lives.' (Publication summary)

'In this the 7 th book of the Neptune King series, Neptune and Rachel return from their honeymoon and it's business as usual. In The Case of the Ugly Client, Bernie Taylor enlists their help to find the love her life, clumsy well-meaning Homer Heep. After several attempts are made on Heep's life, one of which is the derailment of the train they're on at the cost of many lives, the detectives realize this isn't a simple missing person's case and look for deeper motives behind the attacks.

'In The Case of the Blackmailed Politician, Shark prevents Becky's father from killing himself. Forcing him to confide, he learns he is being blackmailed to the point of bankruptcy. With Neptune's help they set out to trap the blackmailers and get Earl Evans' money back.

'Intrigue at the Academy sees Neptune and Shark enlist in the police force at the behest of Commissioner Chadworth to ferret out corruption at the cadet level.

When Becky's life is threatened, Shark realizes just how important she is to him and takes the plunge declaring his feelings for her.' (Publication summary)

'In this the 8th book of the Neptune King series. Shark's father is brutally murdered and his younger brother, is arrested for the crime. His motive? His mother was brutally beaten by his father in a drunken rage and Dolph has no alibi.

'Despite having a price on his head by the notorious biker gang, The Banderos, Shark drops everything to rush home to Australia, while Neptune stays in England to keep the agency running. It's Shark's desire to keep this in the family, but when his elder brother Lance is shot by the bikers in a case of mistaken identity, Neptune and Rachel come out to help.

'As the evidence continues to pile up against Dolph, Shark concentrates on his only clue and just as he and Neptune make a breakthrough connecting the murder to organized crime, they are kidnapped by the bikers. Death is inevitable until Rachel buys into it with a little detective work of her own and the help of Shark's sister Suzie and Vessa Kelly.' (Publication summary)

'In this the 9th book of the series, Neptune is delighted when Shark calls and tells him he is returning to England. While awaiting his return, Neptune tackles a missing person case with Rachel as his able assistant and uncovers a murder instead.

'In The Case of the Panicking Princess, Princess Helena of Slovenka is being blackmailed and needs to retrieve a letter before her engagement party to Lord Cumberland. The letter’s trail leads them on a fair chase culminating in unlikely culprits.

'In The Case of the Baby Snatchers, the boys become persona non grata at Scotland Yard when Commissioner Chadworth suffers a heart attack and is replaced by stiff necked, unfriendly Commisioner Talbot. Initially willing to work with the police, they decide to hell with them and go it alone. This is one case where they don’t plan on sharing the credit with the police, especially when the case takes on international proportions.' (Publication summary)

'This is the 10th book in the Neptune King series. In The Case of the Amnesiac Client Neptune's maid introduces him to Mary North a troubled young woman working as a maid with no memory and a vague impression that everything is not quite right. He figures it's a case for K&J. Intrigue, deception and imposters lead them to France and back again to high society in search for her real identity.

'In The Case of the French Blackmailer, Shark's sins come back to haunt him when Monique, the French waitress he met while on the trail of the Shadow in France turns up with a baby, claiming it is his and threatening to tell Lord Evans unless he pays. Shark is shocked and desperate and turns to Neptune for help, while hoping to keep the whole sordid affair secret from Rachel and Becky, but he underestimates the women in his life.

'In The Case of the Deadly Sleepwalker Lisa Hatherly is arrested for murdering her neighbour in her sleep! Philip Briton, Neptune's solicitor hires the boys to investigate. The evidence looks black against her-her footprints in the snow to and from the dead woman's house, the dead woman's jewels hidden in her wardrobe and her own admission that she'd had an argument with the deceased and was sleep walking that night with her soaked slippers matching the prints.

Neptune's boutique is being robbed in The Case of the Shoplifting Shop Assistant, and it doesn't take him long to find the culprit. Meantime, Shark's family have arrived from Australia in time to celebrate Christmas with his friends in his new house.' (Publication summary)

'This is the 11th book in the Neptune King series. In The Case of the Frantic Bride, they are hired by the new bride to find her husband who disappeared on their wedding night. It doesn't take them long to make the connection between the missing man and a spate of robberies occurring at the hotel and at the homes of the hotel's clients. The Buck's Night sees Shark celebrating his last days as a bachelor only to have his party ruined by a group of female thieves who steal their wallets and their trousers! With half the guests being policemen who have lost their police identity cards along with their wallets, Neptune and Shark undertake to retrieve the loot before Commissioner Talbot finds out and the policemen get in trouble.

'In The Case of the Foiled Wedding, they hunt for a missing bride who disappeared on her way to her wedding. They suspect an ex-boyfriend known for his temper and stalking tendencies. Trying to find the boyfriend is a whole other matter as time is running out for the hapless bride. In The Wedding, Shark finally gets married, but not without a few minor hitches beforehand, and just when he thinks he can relax on his honeymoon, he gets involved in investigating the murder of one of the hotel guests staying at the same hotel in Hawaii, after the wife of the deceased befriends Becky. Shark soon learns that this is not the way to please a new wife.' (Publication summary)

'In this the 12th book of the Neptune King series, Neptune and Shark have a 10 year old mystery to solve when Keely Simmonds comes to their office and announces that she has witnessed a murder in a vision. She hires them to search for the body using her description of the place she saw as their guide. Though sceptical they check it out and to their surprise find the skeletal remains of woman. The hunt is on then to identify her and bring her murderer to justice. Meantime, Shark is enjoying married life, except for his wife's cooking, while Neptune is distracted and at the end of his tether trying to cope with Rachel's volatile pregnancy induced mood swings. Will the distractions of their private lives interfere with their work? One hopes not, especially when someone tries to kill the psychic to prevent their identity from being revealed.' (Publication summary)

'The Bizarre Cases of Neptune King is the 13th book in the series and in this they most definitely encounter the outré. Still banned from Scotland Yard by Commissioner Talbot, Shark undertakes an investigation into a missing man, only to learn that he has become a victim of a murderer that the newspapers are calling The Camden Cannibal because he eats his victims, only disposing of the head, hands, and the remnants of his cooking. Neptune is itching to tackle this case and his chance comes when the editor of The Times hires them to investigate independently of the police. This they do with their usual thoroughness and are close on the trail of the cannibal when Talbot issues the cannibal a challenge to eat him! It's too good an opportunity for the cannibal and he abducts the commissioner. Shark and Neptune come to the rescue, but almost become the Sunday dinner in the process.

'In The Case of the Lovesick Necrophile, they are called upon to investigate why a recently young deceased woman keeps getting violated at the funeral parlour. It all comes to a head when Marjorie's body is stolen from her grave. With the Necrophiliac located and on the run, the chase is on to catch him. Unfortunately for Becky, he's seen her and is smitten by her and decides if he can't have Marjorie he'll get himself a new body. She's no good to him alive. Can Neptune and Shark stop him before he can fulfil his sick and twisted fantasies? Start reading and find out.' (Publication summary)

'This is the 14th book in the Neptune King series. In Neptune's Nightmare, he believes his worst fears are realized when he sees Rachel with another man. He becomes even more disenchanted when he finds that he is missing a large sum of money and even witnesses 'Rachel' withdrawing cash from the bank, after she had told him she was going straight home. Is this the end for the pair of lovebirds? All is not what it seems, fortunately, but the solution almost costs Rachel her life.

'In The Case of the Phobic victims, Neptune and Shark go undercover at a phobia clinic, Neptune as a Zoophobic patient, and Shark as an orderly. Someone is terrorizing the patients and turning their phobias against them. Finally in The Case of the Unhappy Unicorn, they go to Exeter to discover why a unicorn has suddenly appeared on Lord Bainbridge's nature reserve. Is it unhappy because he plans to sell ten acres to a furniture factory, or has it something to do with the radical protesters trying to stop the sale. Does a unicorn really exist, or is it a fake? Neptune hopes to prove this one way or the other, and enlists Suzy Johnson's help.' (Publication summary)

'This is the 15th book in the series with three new and challenging cases for the detectives to solve. In The Case of the Crooked Politician, Shark's father-in-law comes to him with a concern that one of his colleagues - the minister for Immigration is extorting money from desperate migrants. The investigation turns out to be a family affair as Shark enlists the aid of his mother, who is still waiting to find out about her own citizenship applications, to help trap the dishonest politician. Once again his little sister Suzy gets involved and shows her courage, mettle and natural aptitude for detective work.

'In The Case of the Oxford Terror, Neptune is once again back at Oxford University as a teacher, and Shark goes undercover as a student. This time Neptune is more than a match for the crotchety old professors who made his life hell when he was there before, and is more comfortable teaching. Two professors have been attacked, the art teacher humiliated and the rowing team coach viciously assaulted. They hope that by blending in they'll be able to catch the culprit, but not before he strikes again and a student is murdered.

In The Case of the Uncertain Killer, young Aysha Daniels comes to them terrified that her father is a murderer as every man she has ever gone out with has ended up dead. The father's behaviour is certainly suspicious, but what their investigation turns up surprises even them.' (Publication summary)

'Neptune King and the Counterfeiters is the 16th book in the series. K&J are hired to find a counterfeiting ring, but they are not too optimistic about their chance of success. Being a lazy day at work, Neptune decides to take a nap and dreams about the future: of a time when he and Shark's children are teenagers.

'Shark's sons Link and his brother Leo accidentally get involved with counterfeiters, while Neptune's daughter Katrina witnesses a murder during a fox hunt. His son Max and Link help to crack down on drug dealers, dealing at their school, while Shark's daughters Jacqueline and Josephine get involved in a Miss Teen beauty pageant, only for Josephine to be almost killed by someone intent on winning. When Neptune wakes, he realizes that his subconscious mind has given him a clue as to who and where the counterfeiters are and they lead the police straight to the counterfeiter's headquarters, once again proving that they're the best in the business. So good in fact, that they can solve crimes in their sleep!' (Publication summary)

'This the 17th book of the series. In A Question of Identity, Neptune King, while on his way home from a fancy dress party with Rachel spots a light on in a bank. He stops to investigate, still dressed in his Sherlock Holmes costume. He spots someone emerging from the side door of the bank a moment before all hell breaks loose as the side wall of the bank is blown out. Neptune is caught in the blast and knocked unconscious. When he revives in hospital, he has no memory of what occurred or who he really is, instead he thinks he is Sherlock Holmes and that Moriarty is out to get him. He escapes from the hospital and returns to his office in Baker St. Deluded, he thinks Shark is Watson and Rachel is Irene Adler. Despite his identity crisis, he still manages to solve the case. Rachel hates Sherlock though, because he is such a misogynist, and takes drastic measures to try and bring him out of his delusion.

'In The Hired Killer, a woman hires Shark to murder her lover's wife, mistaking him for a tough biker. He accepts and then sets about to find out if the woman's husband is indeed out to kill her. In the meantime, the wife, Lucia Stilton comes to their agency and speaks to their insurance operative, Milo Washington about hiring them to protect her because she is in fear for her life. During their investigation they uncover various facts that just don't add up and come to an unexpected conclusion.' (Publication summary)

'Dosvidonia, Neptune King is the 18th book in this series. This time the boys are entangled in the world of espionage when C of MI6 recruits them on a special mission to the USSR. In the year 1963, double agent Kim Philby was discovered working for British Intelligence. Before they could arrest him, he fled to Russia and compromised the British spy network. An informant in Moscow wants to defect and asks the British secret service for help. As an inducement she offers them a list naming all the Soviet spies resident in the UK and USA. Because Philby knows all their operatives they enlist Neptune and Shark to go over to escort Svetlana Roshevsky and her list back to England.

Unfortunately for them, they run into Boris Slovinski who recognizes Shark from the time Shark and his brother exposed him as a spy and had him run out of England. Arrested, tortured, with the threat of being shot as spies, their situation is desperate. Incacerated in the notorious Lubyanka prison, their future looks bleak. Will they be sent to Siberia? Will they get out alive? This is their most dangerous case ever and the stakes are high. Will they survive and make it home? Start reading and find out...' (Publication summary)

'In this the 19th book of the series, we once again see Neptune and Shark at their sleuthing best. In The Cataleptic Client , they are hired by Ben Korr to find out why his daughter has suddenly become cataleptic. The doctors have found no cause and he is desperate. In trying to find the cause of her catalepsy they discover that his son Jason was murdered and that both his new wife and gardener are suspect. Was the murder the cause of little Mariah's catalepsy or was it something else altogether?

'In The Mysterious Assailant, Neptune and Shark are framed for assault. The evidence looks black against them and conviction looks likely as, despite hunting through their files for a likely candidate, the fail to turn up anyone that has it in for them. Someone clearly has a grudge against them, but it doesn't seem to be anyone they know. In the Secret Enemy, the mysterious assailant strikes again, this time at Rachel, Becky and their children, almost killing them. Neptune and Shark are still no closer to discovering who their mysterious enemy is until Rachel is abducted. Then the clues come in thick and fast and a desperate hunt is on to find and rescue Rachel before she's murdered.' (Publication summary)

'The Charity Cases of Neptune King is the twentieth book in the series. While Shark prefers to have paying customers, Neptune, always the soft touch doesn't mind undertaking investigations for those that can't pay. The first case, The Money Trail sees pathetic little Nancy Potts come to them willing to pay them her entire life savings of 20 pounds to find the unrequited love of her life, Jim Rudford, who quit his job after being tricked into thinking he was dying of a rare disease. She is afraid he will do something drastic, which he does. The same day he gets his death sentence he also learns he's inherited 100,000 pounds. Thinking he's dying he decides to give it all away to deserving cases. Can Neptune and Shark find him before he's broke or worse, robbed and killed for the money?

'In Half a Man, they almost hit a body on the highway. They think it's a dismembered body until it moves and proves it's well and truly alive. Oscar Barnett, a victim of a landmine has suddenly become suicidal. Shark believes the reason for this is more in their line than a psychiatrists, which proves to be the case.

'In The Case of the Desperate Movie Star, Neptune's boyhood fantasy comes to life when the old time famous movie star, Vivienne Hart walks into their office. He'd had a crush on her when he was a boy. She claims she is receiving obscene letters and is being stalked, and that someone broke into her home. She's been out of the limelight for a great many years, and now, just as she is about to stage a comeback, she's being terrorized. Shark is not quite so enamoured with her and hopes Neptune won't let his admiration for her cloud his judgement.' (Publication summary)

'There is a serial killer on the loose murdering young, healthy male joggers in and around Battersea Park in this the 21st book in the Neptune King series. Neptune is dying to sink his teeth into the case, but his sister Mermaid insists he stay out of it as it is her husband's, John Griffiths case and she wants him to have the chance to do it without his help. John on the other hand swallows his pride and comes to Neptune for advice. He would rather accept Neptune's help than see another man murdered. Neptune undertakes his own investigation and passes on his findings to John, preferring to stay out of the limelight on this one. Meantime, Shark is working on another case, where a millionaire after a serious car accident is suddenly liquidating his assets. The millionaires brother believes he is being coerced because the new wife and butler won't let anyone in to see him, not even his own family. Shark soon confirms that the brother has cause for suspicion and with Neptune's help sets out to save the millionaire before all his assets are sold and he is murdered.' (Publication summary)

'Neptune King and the Lunatic Asylum is the 22nd book in the series. Neptune and Shark are retained by Mrs Cartwright, a distraught mother grieving the loss of her son who supposedly killed himself whilst an inmate in Willow Downs Asylum. Doubtful at first they undertake a preliminary investigation not expecting to find anything much. To their surprise they learn that there have been eighteen suicides in the past year. That is enough to convince them that something serious is going on. Joining forces with a young enthusiastic policeman who also has doubts about the asylum, they go undercover, Neptune as a patient, Shark as an orderly, and from then on begins their terrifying ordeal. Will they survive the asylum with their health and sanity intact? Their only ally is a deranged patient who thinks he is a spy deep undercover. This is one of their toughest cases yet.' (Publication summary)