A Queer Case
The Selby Bigge Mysteries series
Published on 3. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-83541-317-3 (ISBN)
Description
A gripping 1920s-set whodunnit, this debut features a queer sleuth who must solve a murder in a mansion on London's Hampstead Heath without revealing his sexuality, lest he be arrested as a criminal.
Nominated for the 2026 Crime Writers of America Dagger Award, the debut title of The Selby Bigge Mysteries series will leave readers eager for the next installment. Perfect for fans of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey novels.
London, 1929.
Selby Bigge is a bank clerk by day and a denizen of the capital's queer underworld by night, but he yearns for a life that will take him away from his ledgers, deathly interactions with colleagues and a dreary bedsit in which his every move is scrutinised by a nosy landlady. So when he meets Patrick, son of knight of the realm and banking millionaire Sir Lionel Duker, he is delighted to find himself catapulted into a world of dinners at the Ritz and birthday parties at his new friend's family mansion on Hampstead Heath.
But money, it seems, can't buy happiness. Sir Lionel is being slandered in the press, his new young wife Lucinda is being harassed by an embittered journalist and Patrick is worried he'll lose his inheritance to his gold-digging stepmother. And when someone is found strangled on the billiard room floor after a party it doesn't take long for Selby to realise everyone has a motive for murder, himself included.
Can Selby uncover the truth while keeping his own secrets buried?
Nominated for the 2026 Crime Writers of America Dagger Award, the debut title of The Selby Bigge Mysteries series will leave readers eager for the next installment. Perfect for fans of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey novels.
London, 1929.
Selby Bigge is a bank clerk by day and a denizen of the capital's queer underworld by night, but he yearns for a life that will take him away from his ledgers, deathly interactions with colleagues and a dreary bedsit in which his every move is scrutinised by a nosy landlady. So when he meets Patrick, son of knight of the realm and banking millionaire Sir Lionel Duker, he is delighted to find himself catapulted into a world of dinners at the Ritz and birthday parties at his new friend's family mansion on Hampstead Heath.
But money, it seems, can't buy happiness. Sir Lionel is being slandered in the press, his new young wife Lucinda is being harassed by an embittered journalist and Patrick is worried he'll lose his inheritance to his gold-digging stepmother. And when someone is found strangled on the billiard room floor after a party it doesn't take long for Selby to realise everyone has a motive for murder, himself included.
Can Selby uncover the truth while keeping his own secrets buried?
Reviews / Votes
"An enthralling Golden-Age-style whodunit...Holtom enhances the whip-smart plot with a keen sense of humor...Fair-play mystery fans will be eager for the sequel." -Publishers Weekly"With A Queer Case by Robert Holtom, crime fans can expect a refreshing treat with all the style and class of a golden age whodunit. Slick and clever, it's set in 1920s London, where young gay bank clerk, Selby Bigge, must navigate a dangerous life of forbidden love while solving a puzzling high society murder. Lively, exciting and delightfully written. Five stars."
Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
"Robert Holtom has done something truly special with A Queer Case. This is a novel that doesn't just entertain - it thrills. Imagine the sharp wit of classic whodunits infused with the pulse of LGBTQ perspectives, all wrapped in a world of wealth, scandal and secrets. Selby Bigge is an unforgettable protagonist - caught between two worlds, craving more than his stifling existence, yet tumbling headfirst into a mystery that threatens to expose everyone's secrets, including his own. Holtom masterfully blends suspense, social commentary and a deliciously queer lens, creating a novel that is both a love letter to the golden age of crime fiction and a bold reimagining of its future possibilities... A Queer Case is an instant classic."
Jeffrey Marsh, author of How to be You and Take Your Own Advice.
"A perfectly structured old-school murder mystery with a delightfully decadent twist. It was such a thrill to see the "degenerates" of Hampstead Heath slink out of the woods of the traditional cosy crime story and take centre stage for once. This is a remarkable debut, full of wit and charm, and with prose as vibrant and sparkling as the gorgeously gay characters who grace its pages."
Russ Thomas, bestselling author of Firewatching and Nighthawking
"Brimming with sparkling dialogue worthy of Noel Coward, this deliciously witty, gloriously queer murder mystery is written with all the elegance of Golden Age crime at its best."
Sean Lusk, author of The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley
"Clever, atmospheric and intriguing."
Greg Mosse, bestselling author of the Maisie Cooper Mysteries
"Selby Bigge's yearning for love tugs at the heartstrings, but his irrepressible willingness to settle for sex in the meantime is highly entertaining too. He owes nothing to the cruel world of the 1920s but curiosity, loyalty and goodness combine to turn him into a sleuth, in this clever Golden Age debut, bristling with both clues and charm."
Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of The Edinburgh Murders
"Holtom has written an instant contemporary classic. A queer case, where the mystery goes far deeper than murder."
A. J. West, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Betrayal of Thomas True and The Spirit Engineer
"A tremendous start to an intriguing new series, a Golden Age mystery with more than one trick hidden from sight."
Stuart Douglas, author of Death at the Dress Rehearsal and Death at the Playhouses
"A fantastically fun ride through 1920s London, full of clever plotting and a brilliantly drawn cast of characters, most of all the delightful, acerbically funny Selby. Holtom writes with wit, verve and style."
Eleanor Wasserberg, author of Foxlowe and Light at the End of the Day
"This vibrant, sexy debut thrums with all the edgy glamour of the Golden Age and the visceral danger of living within the queer underworld of the time. Welcome to 1920s London and the new Poirot!"
Stephanie Scott, author of What's Left of Me is Yours
"A marvellously fruity romp through 1920s London. Holtom delivers this alternative take on the Golden Age whodunnit with stylistic panache and assured attention to detail. I'm already looking forward to the next Selby Bigge mystery. Fantabulosa!"
Phil Lecomber, author of Midnight Streets
"Takes the reader on a deliciously unfamiliar path through the Golden Age world of detective fiction - unfamiliar because it has gone unmapped for far too long."
Adam Macqueen, author of the Tommy Wildeblood novels
"One for Golden Age mystery fans, Robert Holtom's witty, glamorous debut twists and turns as lovelorn bank clerk Selby Bigge navigates high society to find a murderer."
Jo Cunningham, author of Death by Numbers
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 127 mm
Width: 194 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
232 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83541-317-3 (9781835413173)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Robert Holtom
The Selby Bigge Mysteries series - A Queer Case
E-Book
06/2025
Titan Books
€11.49
Available for download
Person
Robert Holtom is an award-winning playwright and storytelling coach, based in London. Their play 'Dumbledore Is So Gay' won a VAULT Festival Origins Award for new work and an Offies Commendation. It has since played at the Pleasance and the Southwark Playhouse, receiving five stars from the Daily Express, Broadway World and Theatre Weekly. Robert also runs workshops in writing and communication skills. You can find Robert on Twitter/X at @Robert_Holtom; on Instagram at @robertholtomwriter and at their website robertholtom.co.uk.