Mistress of the Just Land, David Ashton
Mistress of the Just Land, David Ashton
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Mistress of the Just Land
A Jean Brash Mystery 1

Author: David Ashton

Narrator: David Ashton, Siobhan Redmond

Unabridged: 10 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: John Murray

Published: 09/15/2016

Synopsis

The first book in a new series by the creator of Inspector McLevy.

New Year's Day - and through the misty streets of Victorian Edinburgh an elegant, female figure walks the cobblestones - with a certain vengeful purpose.

Jean Brash, the Mistress of the Just Land, brings her cool intelligence to solving a murder, a murder that took place in her own bawdy-house (the best in Edinburgh and her pride and joy).

A prominent judge, strangled and left dangling, could bring her whole life to ruin and she didn't haul herself off the streets, up through low dirty houses of pleasure and violent vicious men - to let that come to pass. The search for the killers will take Jean back into her own dark past as she uncovers a web of political and sexual corruption in the high reaches of the Edinburgh establishment.

A young boy's death long ago is demanding justice but, as the body count increases, she has little time before a certain Inspector James McLevy, comes sniffing round like a wolf on the prowl.

Jean may be on the side of natural justice but is she on the side of the law? Or will the law bring her down?

(P) 2016 John Murray Press

About David Ashton

DAVID ASHTON was born in Greenock in 1941. He studied at Central Drama School, London, from 1964 to 1967, and most recently appeared in The Last King of Scotland and The Etruscan Smile. David started writing in 1984 and he has seen many of his plays and TV adaptations broadcast - he wrote early episodes of EastEnders and Casualty, and twelve McLevy series for BBC Radio 4.inspectormclevy.com

Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on January 13, 2017

Brothel Madame Jean Brash discovers a body in her Edinburgh establishment. Decides not to involve the police especially James McLevy and goes in search of the murderer, this I couldn't understand as in the radio series, Brash and McLevy have some sort of relationship and she might mention something.......more

Goodreads review by Ian on November 13, 2016

The first book in a new series by the creator of Inspector McLevy. When a prominent judge is found strangled in Jean Brash's bawdy house establishment, Mistress of the Just Land by a couple of her girls, Jean take exception. This could ruin her business, and she's having none of that! And then when......more

Goodreads review by Gary and Sandra Sims on October 06, 2019

Wonderful book This is a story about Jean Brash a madam in 1880's Edinburgh Scotland, where we get a look inside a bawdy house and the women who live there. It is New Years Eve and we have a problem, a dead body of a famous judge has been found in the house and Jean has decided to solve the murder wi......more

Goodreads review by Andy on October 11, 2023

Another great book by David Ashton, this time with Jean Brash, the owner of the “bawdy house”, as the main character. But Inspector McLevy still plays a significant part. A murdered judge is found by some of Jean’s women on her premises. Realising that this may give ammunition to those who want to cl......more

Goodreads review by Deirdre on February 20, 2018

Brothel owner to detective Not content with playing with the detective James McLevy, Ashton turns his attention to Jean Brash, Mistress of the Just Land, a high class brothel. After the New Year's Day celebrations a body is found in the Just Land, one of their clients. Well aware that this could lea......more

Quotes

Here is Jean Brash centre stage in all her splendour - clever, cheeky, generous, alluring, hard-headed, yet prone to the occasional burst of crazy romanticism, an old friend who is full of surprises. I find her as irresistible as McLevy does: she's my favourite character and David Ashton's writing is as delicious, elegant and compelling as she is. Siobhan Redmond (Jean Brash in BBC Radio 4’s McLevy series)

Ashton is an old hand at milking the Old Town, New Town and Leith for their maximum atmosphere, suspense and air of criminality. That, combined with the intriguing premise of a crime-solving brotel-keeper, makes Mistress of the Just Land a most diverting page turner Herald

PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR McLEVY SERIES
Mclevy is a sort of Victorian Morse with a heart, prowling the mean wynds and tenements of the endlessly fascinating city. David Ashton impeccably evokes Edinburgh so vividly that you feel the cold in your bones and the menace of the Old Town's steep cobbles and dark corners Financial Times

An intriguing Victorian story... elegant and convincing The Times

McLevy is one of the greatest psychological creations and Ashton the direct heir to Robert Louis Stevenson Brian Cox, CBE - Award-winning actor

David Ashton's writing is excellent, his characters thoroughly convincing and his narrative grabs you The Sherlock Holmes Society

Ashton's McLevy is a man obsessed with meting out justice and with demons of his own Scotsman

A real page-turner Sunday Post

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List