The Eliza Doolittle & Professor Henry Higgins
Cozy Historical Mysteries
Behind the Series...
Two authors. Long-time friends from college. Anglophiles. All they needed was an idea to collaborate -- and they'd been toying with pairing up two unlikely amateur sleuths in a cozy historical mystery series.
While listening to the My Fair Lady soundtrack, Meg wondered if anyone had considered teaming clever Eliza Doolittle with the irascible Professor Higgins. Certainly NOT as romantic partners, but solving mysteries. In Edwardian London. 1913.
No one had considered the possibility before. And so Meg (Spur Award-winning author of a western historical mystery) and Sharon (Rising Star Award-winning author of historical romance) began researching. Yes, George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalionwas in the public domain. Yes, Shaw had never intended the pair to "hook up" in marriage -- far from it, given their natures. And yes, the play had a natural "murder victim" in the form of the "hairy Hungarian" Nepommuck who admits to blackmailing his clients.
Sharon and Meg decided that after Emil Nepommuck publicly took credit for transforming Eliza into a lady, an enraged Professor Henry Higgins would prove him a fraud in a London newspaper. But when Nepommuck is soon found with a dagger in his back, Higgins becomes Scotland Yard's prime suspect -- and that means Eliza Doolittle must prove his innocence.
Sharon and Meg researched the characters, expanded their backstories, and added painstaking details. Only a few hours after contacting an agent, they received an offer of representation - and chose the pseudonym D.E. Ireland for their collaborative team.
Their new agent sold WOULDN'T IT BE DEADLY to an editor within three weeks time. Published in September 2014, the debut novel was nominated for the Best Historical Agatha Award in 2015 against the top names in the field of historical mysteries - Victoria Thompson, Rhys Bowen, and Charles Todd.
MOVE YOUR BLOOMING CORPSE, published next in 2015, and sends Eliza and Higgins into the exciting world of Edwardian horse racing, suffragettes, and the dangerous East End of London.
GET ME TO THE GRAVE ON TIME, published in 2016, was also nominated for a Best Historical Agatha Award in 2017, and includes four weddings and a funeral - plus murder.
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD, published in late 2017, is the latest adventure of Eliza and Higgins set at an English country house - but they had no idea murder would be on the menu.
D.E. Ireland is the pseudonym of long time friends and award-winning authors, Meg and Sharon. In 2013 they decided to collaborate on a unique series based on George Bernard Shaw's wonderful witty play Pygmalion, which inspired the classic musical My Fair Lady.
Meg Macy wrote the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy series, and Sharon Farrow wrote the Berry Basket cozy series for Kensington. Meg also wrote western historical mysteries (as Meg Mims) and also writes pet rescue cozy and sweet romance novellas (as Meg Macy). Sharon wrote several romances as well (as Sharon Pisacreta/Cynthia Kirk.) The two Michigan authors have patient husbands, brilliant daughters, and share a love of tea, books, and history.
Follow D.E. Ireland on Facebook, BookBub, Amazon.
ABOUT US
After Eliza Doolittle won Professor Henry Higgins' bet of passing a Cockney flower seller her off as a duchess, she becomes an assistant to his chief rival phonetics instructor. After Higgins proves the man is a fraud, Emil Nepommuck is found with a dagger in his back - and Higgins is now Scotland Yard's prime suspect. Eliza and Higgins realize they must discover which of his rival's many blackmail targets could have been the real killer.
Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins attend the posh Royal Ascot, the biggest horse racing event of the season, to see if Alfred Doolittle's champion racehorse will win. However, one of Alfred's co-owners of the racehorse is found murdered in the stable. Eliza and Higgins investigate jealous spouses, suffragettes and the other co-owners. Can they outrace the murderer, or will there be another corpse at the finish line?
Eliza still refuses to marry Freddy Eynsford Hill, but everyone else is heading for the altar. Her cousin, Freddy's younger sister Clara, Higgins's niece, and a duchess who plans to marry a fellow half her age. But when the groom is found dead, a jealous mistress is blamed - until trouble happens at the next wedding. Is someone targeting bridegrooms?Higgins and Eliza must track down the killer and get the next couple to the church on time.
When Eliza and Higgins attend a country house party, they had no idea that murder was on the menu. Eliza is also dismayed to see Freddy with a beautiful actress. And Higgins is shocked to see the woman who once stalked him. But every guest hides a dark secret. Who hated him more? The French aviator, the actress, an Austrian count, an Amazon explorer? Eliza and Higgins must discover who may have a little bit of blood on their hands.
Wouldn't It
Be Deadly
Move Your
Blooming Corpse
Get Me to the Grave
On Time
With A Little Bit
of Blood
REVIEWS
I could have read all night! A delightful homage to these beloved characters--putting this classic duo in the midst of a murder is terrifically clever and authentically charming. Loverly.
Hank Philippi Ryan