The midnight hour : a Brighton mystery
(Book)

"First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Quercus"--Title page verso.

Series information from jacket. Series was originally published as: Magic men mysteries. On Amazon, this series statement is still shown on covers of the first five books. For #5, Goodreads listed the series as: Stephens & Mephisto mystery but has changed it to The Brighton mysteries.

"Newly minted PI Emma Holmes and her partner Sam Collins are just settling into their business when they're chosen for a high-profile case: retired music-hall star Verity Malone hires them to find out who poisoned her husband, a theater impresario. Verity herself has been accused of the crime. The only hitch: the Brighton police are already on the case, putting Emma in direct competition with her husband, police superintendent Edgar Stephens. Soon Emma realizes that Verity's life intersects closely with her own -- most notably in their mutual connection, Max Mephisto, who has returned to England from America with his children and famous wife, Hollywood star Lydia Lamont. Lydia, desperately bored in the countryside, catches wind of what Emma and Sam are up to and offers her services. What secret does Lydia know about Verity's past? The team of female PIs circle closer to the killer, with the Brighton police hot on their tail. The clues suggest they're looking for a criminal targeting the old music-hall crew. How long will it be before that trail leads straight back to Max?"--,Provided by publisher.