Publication Date: January 20, 2026
In 1817 London, Before the Police, There Was Captain Winter.
London, 1817. A city teeming with life, yet lacking a professional police force. When a wealthy young woman is brutally murdered in an alley frequented by prostitutes, a shadowy government bureau in Whitehall dispatches its “special emissary”―Captain Winter. A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars and a gentleman forged by chance and conflict, Winter is uniquely equipped to navigate the treacherous currents of London society, from aristocratic drawing rooms to the city’s grimmest taverns.
Without an army of officers or the aid of forensic science, Winter must rely on his wits and a network of unconventional allies. His childhood friend, a nobleman, opens doors in high society, while a wise Jewish physician uncovers secrets the dead cannot hide.
But Winter’s most intriguing, and potentially dangerous, asset is Barbara Lightwood. Shrewd, beautiful, and operating as a discreet intermediary among the elite, Barbara shares a past with Winter from the war years. Their rekindled affair is fraught with wariness; she offers intimate information crucial to his investigation, but guards her own secrets fiercely. Like Winter, she is both cunning and capable of danger.
From grand houses to dimly lit streets, death stalks Captain Winter. He must tread carefully to unmask a killer, navigate a web of secrets and lies, and perhaps, in the process, save his own soul.
When Captain Edmund Winters discovers a dead female while making an arrest, he gets embroiled in a society mystery.
Author R.J. Koreto focuses on the Regency period prior to England having a professional police force. Winter’s Season offers an intriguing whodunit as the seasoned soldier skillfully navigates the ton in Winter’s Season.
As a character, Winter would be a perfect early James Bond. Although of humble birth, a connection to the Duke of Rockland offers an open door to societal events. His fighting prowess is well demonstrated.
The author accurately portrays the customs of the time period that prevent Winter from barging into titled households and demanding answers. Instead, he must conduct an investigation within strict social guidelines. Through various twists, the culprit is ultimately revealed.
Winter’s Season delivers a multi-layered mystery featuring a well-developed cast of characters.
R.J. Koreto is the author of the Historic Home mystery series, set in modern New York City; the Lady Frances Ffolkes mystery series, set in Edwardian England; and the Alice Roosevelt mystery series, set in turn-of-the-century New York. His short stories have been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, as well as various anthologies.
Most recently, he is the author of “Winter’s Season,” which takes place on the dark streets and glittering ballrooms of Regency-era London.
In his day job, he works as a business and financial journalist. Over the years, he’s been a magazine writer and editor, website manager, PR consultant, book author, and seaman in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Like his heroine, Lady Frances Ffolkes, he’s a graduate of Vassar College.
He and his wife have two grown daughters, and divide their time between Paris and Martha’s Vineyard.
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“As a character, Winter would be a perfect early James Bond.” ~ Oh I love this!!!
Great review! Glad you loved this book! 🙂
I love my character being compared with James Bond. Thank you for your great words on my book.