Last updated on October 2, 2026
Cosy mysteries, romance, and positive disability representation, all in one place!
Meriva Secaret was once the very best of thieves, until an accident took her limbs.
Now, in the ancient, rain-drenched streets of Draffe, where temple bells mark the hours and secrets lie behind every door, she works as a freelance investigator, along with her retired mercenary partner, Custos. Together, they find lost things, fix injustices, take the side of the weak against the powerful… and still occasionally steal just the right thing from just the wrong person.
She specialises in small problems with big consequences, puzzles and predicaments whose solutions require observation, ingenuity, and, above all, the ability to see people as they really are. Meriva is very good at seeing people. Perhaps because those people all too often don’t see the real her, but only what she no longer has.
What she does have is a mind like a lock-pick, an ex-thief’s instincts, and attitude to spare. Plus a partner who loves every inch of her, and an absolute determination to live life on her own terms.
A full-length collection of six whimsical, warm, and often wryly funny, character-driven cosy fantasy mysteries where the stakes are personal rather than world-ending, and where kindness always matters.
What to expect:
- A clever, funny, disabled female protagonist, over 30, who’s the sharpest, most capable person in any room…
- A healthy, teasing, tender, grown-up mixed-ability romantic relationship (no explicit 18+ content)…
- Positive disability representation without any condescension or romanticising…
- Cosy, small-scale, low-stakes mysteries that resolve to justice rather than revenge…
- A focus on inclusion, empathy and kindness without a hint of schmaltz or sentimentality…
- An ancient city of traditions, landmarks, grudges and gossip that feels like a real, lived in community…
- Bakeries and bookshops. Books. Lots of books…
- An occasional cat
Content warnings
Meriva, the protagonist of this book, lives with a significant disability, and the stories – while always firmly kind and positive in outlook – try not to look away from what that means. As a result, there are references to:
- Acquired disability (limb loss, in the past, not depicted graphically)
- Ableist comments and attitudes (occasional, and always challenged within the narrative)
- Past trauma: fire, building collapse, bereavement (occasionally referenced in thoughts or speech, not depicted graphically)
- Grief and regret (occasional)
- Brief mild physical peril (occasional and non-graphic)
378 pages
No AI was used in the writing of this book, nor in the cover, or any other associated artwork.