A Queer Case: The Selby Bigge Mysteries series

The Selby Bigge Mysteries #1

by Robert Holtom

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.

The Selby Bigge mysteries series debut, it 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, loveless trysts and dreary bedsit in 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 billiards room floor after a party it doesn’t take long for Selby to realise everyone has a motive for murder.

Can Selby uncover the truth while keeping his own secrets buried?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2025

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Detective novel with a self consciously clerk-class gay man lead getting mixed up in posh people murder in 1920s London. Obviously I was primed to love this. I didn't quite. There are a lot of good things, strong research and atmosphere and the class sense in particular, but overall it didn't quite float my boat as I'd hoped.

Partly that's the slightly inconsistent tone. The book leans pretty heavily on the misery of being a gay man at this time--rampant homophobia, social and legal oppression, desperate loneliness, profound self loathing--and does so effectively and powerfully, but that for me felt at odds with the very Christie-ish Golden Age plot, with arch banter and murder as an entertainment. Others may disagree on that, it's just vibes. I also wasn't entirely convinced by the specifics of murder plot. And it really needed a thorough line edit to smooth the text out.

It's set to be a series and I very much hope it hits its stride in the next because the concept and setting are busrting with potential and Selby is a likeable lead.

[Alwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A debut novel and first in a projected series from playwright and activist Robert Holtom. Holtom’s convincing homage to Golden Age detective fiction is also an act of recuperation which places front and centre members of the underground queer communities of the era. It’s set in London in 1929 where Selby Bigge’s struggling with his double life, his identity as gay marks him out as a criminal subject to the notorious ‘Lily Law’ and the horrendous prejudice of mainstream society. He hails from a suburban backwater but a spell at Oxford briefly exposed Selby to the circles of the wealthy and privileged. Now he’s renting a shabby room from an over-curious landlady and working as a bank clerk. But after an abortive night of cruising on Hampstead Heath, a chance encounter brings Selby into contact with someone he once loved when a student, drawing him into a web of intrigue and violence.

Like so many debuts this is a little shaky, and overwritten, at times. But it’s also a well-paced, entertaining and insightful whodunnit – and I didn’t even vaguely anticipate the ending. Holtom draws on extensive research to construct a fascinating portrait of 1920s queer London; a narrative which juxtaposes isolation and betrayal with unexpected opportunities for friendship and solidarity. Selby’s a sympathetic figure as is Theo/Theodora who he meets in the course of his amateur sleuthing. Holtom includes plentiful references for fans of vintage crime, and I liked Holtom’s concept of a forcibly-closeted gay man as someone who’s primed to recognise the secrets and subterfuge of people around him, more than able to utilise that ability to solve a murder. I look forward to the next instalment.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Perverts are prone to all sorts of criminality, especially homicidal mania."
Quite right, I didn't say. There was nothing I enjoyed more after a nice bit of sodomy than a spot of killing.

The proposed start of a historical mystery series, this introduces us to amateur sleuth, Selby Bigge, a charming young gay man negotiating 1929 London, a time and place overwhelmingly homophobic and when to be queer was criminalised. Not that that stops Selby from his pursuit of love - even if that means trysts amongst the bushes of Hampstead Heath. His crush on a former fellow Oxford student soon draws Selby into the posh world of dinner at the Ritz and a fraught Hampstead house-party - where, of course, a murder takes place... and Selby is brought to investigate the dastardly inner doings of his friend's family.

What this book does so well is keep the balance between a fun homage to Golden Age detective fiction, and a portrait of a world where blatant anti-queer rhetoric feels no need to even pretend to hide. Selby's loneliness and constant vigilance as to whether he's giving himself away co-exist with a larky and snarky commentary, complete with campy asides and lightly smutty double entendres: 'a dimpled footman had given me the eye before easing my load'; '"Dear me," I said, gripping for the knob. "I didn't know it did that"'.

Special highlights are the deliberately over-the-top portrait of a female crime novelist who announces that Agatha Christie is 'a stain on the name of literature' while blatantly copying her with a book where 'lots of people trapped on an island getting killed off by a madman' and building plots around nursery rhymes - of course, here it's 'Who Killed Cock Robin?'! I also loved the picture of London's gay underground - an evening at the River Styx club sounds so much more fun than a stilted dinner with Patrick's family.

As a debut, this feels a little shaky still: I was disappointed to see consistent mis-use of 'I' and 'me' which are not grammatically interchangeable in sentences: 'she followed her gaze between Patrick and I'; 'she always told my siblings and I the most gruesome of bedtime stories' - if you wouldn't say 'she always told I the most gruesome of bedtime stories', then adding in that 'my siblings' doesn't change the case of 'me' - something that Selby, an ex-Oxford Classics student, would surely know - but this is easily corrected by a decent copy editor in later outings. There is also a bit of a lag in the centre of the book before the plotting picks up again.

But these are easily ignored by me as there's so much else that is enjoyable here. I especially loved Theo/Theodora and really hope that they become a regular side-kick to Selby - their spikiness would be a fine counterbalance to his essential niceness.

[Ditte]

DNF @ 17%

A Queer Case is a debut and you could tell. It has a very cool cover and an intriguing premise but it was written really strangely. A friend compared it to a crack fic which is accurate, only this book appeared to want its readers to think it was legitimately good.

Selby was horny for every man he met up until I dnfed but he also got mad every time they noticed his combover. It was weird.

Some choice quotes:

"He tasted of cigarette and mustard and I assumed I tasted of cigarette and bread sauce. I enjoyed the feel of his plump lips as he enjoyed mine."

Sadly, he got cockblocked by a dog in the above scene and ran off to sit on a bench somewhere else:

"Its wooden slats provided respite for my unsatisfied buttocks and my fast-beating heart."

Then he meets an old acquaintance who he immediately hopes to sleep with.

"His mouth was wide and full of teeth"

- Full of teeth! How many does he have? What else was supposed to be in his mouth?

"All puff and no poof."

- when someone pretends to be gay for the... street cred? Ngl, this is a pretty good line 😂


I was gifted an ARC copy from the publisher.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

Great autumn read, I wasn’t expecting the final twist and loved Theodora’s character. However, really didn’t like Selby and Patrick, which made the book longgg at times. Why is Selby the horniest person on Earth when people are either drunk or hating him?

But still, I would read another from that series as I liked the plot and the writing!

[PaperMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly enjoyable and engaging read in the end - let's hope there will be more of Selby and Theo in the years to come!

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title was a DNF for me. It's a solid mystery with an interesting group of characters, but I just didn't want to spend my reading time in 1920s London with all the associated homophobia and fear of harassment and arrest. If you're made of sterner stuff than me, you may find it worth checking out. See a few of the other reviews for different viewpoints.

[George Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC edition
Selby Bigge is leading the quiet life. He is a clerk at the bank. Lives in an attic room, that he rents from a nosy land lady. Strolls the parks and paths looking for quick interludes with other men like himself. Keeping things quiet is a way of life, if not - he will end up in prison for his meetups.
Then he bumps into his college mate, Patrick - son of a banking millionaire and sporting an enticing body. In college they had shared a moment and Selby can't help but wonder if the spark is going to be rekindled. But Patrick is too wound up about is dad's new wife and the possibility of losing his inheritance. In the hopes for getting an outsiders view on the "gold digging" new wife, Selby is asked to meet them all for dinner. The new wife seems charming, but dinner is interrupted by a journalist from a local gossip rag. Voices are raised and accusations fly.
Unsatisfied with Selby's thoughts on the new wife, Patrick invites him to his father's upcoming birthday party. All is well until late in the evening a body is found in the billiard room and Selby realizes everyone in the house, including his mate from college, has a motive.

I will be looking forward the next book in this series!

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of the mystery genre, but picked this one up to fulfill a cross-genre book reading challenge.

Although I appreciate the setting (London in 1929) and the homage to the grand tradition of the "English country house murder mystery", A Queer Case is ultimately just too obvious and straightforward, subject to the limitations that the genre seems to insist on imposing on itself.

[Riley Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selby’s inner monologue is literally me. “He walked out the door, very handsomely. He washed his hands, very attractively.” This was a super fun period mystery with lots of queer characters and references. I’m excited there’s going to be more!

Selby: I nodded, “He quoted the Bible, something about justice and rivers from the book of Anus.”

Theodora: “Amos, Selby. The book of Amos.”

😂

[Lottie from book club · Rating 3 out of 5]

the note at the end identifying the author as a playwright made soooo much sense as this was a trifle too heavy on the dialogue. could have done with a further edit and a soupçon fewer characters, but a romp.

[J.F. Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this book for several years, having met the author on retreat and sharing their love of all things Agatha Christie. As I'd expected, a well plotted, humorous and bittersweet story with lots of red herrings and a good final twist. A strong first outing for Selby Bigge - hopefully the first of many - and I look forward to seeing the character develop with time (although Theo may be my favourite character!)

[Rue Baldry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely hooked! I wish I’d started this earlier. I ended up staying up until the early hours so I could finish this, both to find out who did it and to be in the company of the great characters and charming prose!

This is well-researched historical fiction, which then wears that research very lightly, avoiding info dumps and detail overloads. It’s also a well-structured whodunnit, hard to guess but logical and with sufficient clues dropped and a lovely twist which Selby has to work out for everything else to make sense.

Selby himself is very likeable, and it’s easy to feel sorry for him when that’s appropriate too. He is witty and charming, and so is his narrative, which is also self-deprecating, which makes him even more likeable. The other characters are also memorable and believable, while giving a nod to their more two-dimensional counterparts in popular 1920s/30s detective novels. There is even a lady detective novelist, who is bitter about Agatha Christie’s success!

There is a lightness and reference to those original cosy crimes, but there’s also an important political message about the suppression and persecution of gay men in history, and all such messages carry the warning that rights can be lost without vigilance (and, indeed, there is a mirroring in the way trans people are currently being treated).

I look forward to reading many more Selby Bigge adventures!

[Verity Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in the Selby Bigge mystery series, mainly because Selby himself was so charming and amusing. He’s a gay man in London in the 1920’s and therefore continually threatened by exposure, social ruin and imprisonment but he still manages to have a good time. He’s clever and has been to Oxford university but he’s a bit vain about his receding hairline and the fact that he comes from middle class Horsham not from the aristocracy. He wears his heart on his sleeve and thinks the best of people, all the while accusing them of murder. He’s great, I love him. Oh and Theo/Theodora and the eccentric mystery-writing aunt are great too.

More please!

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the style of a (queer) Agatha Christie novel, A Queer case follows Selby Bigge, a bank clerk, who is a gay man constantly looking over his shoulder for the law. When he accidentally reconnects with a man he knew at Oxford, Selby is desperate to rekindle that connection with the high class gentleman. But Patrick is more intent on his own sordid life; specifically the pure hatred he carries for his young stepmother, Lucinda.

When Selby inadvertently witnesses the aftermath of a murder at Patrick’s party, he is thrown headfirst into a nest of vipers, with everyone seemingly having a motive for the murder. Desperate to get Patrick’s attention, Selby takes on the role of detective to try and help him figure out the culprit, but can Selby figure it out before he gets implicated himself?

This book is a murder mystery - don’t go into it expecting any sort of romance as you will be disappointed! In fact I found a number of characters (intentionally) deeply unlikeable, and couldn’t understand Selby’s willingness to spend time with them! That being said, there are a host of fascinating side characters, all with means and motives and I enjoyed the twists and turns.

There was a lot of homophobia in this novel, accurate to the time period (1920’s). Sometimes I wanted to scream at the horrible things the characters said to each other and that Selby had to sit and grit his teeth through. Even so, there were some glimpses at London’s underground gay scene as well as a wonderful gender-fluid character, who I loved! This book is a really difficult read in places, as many of the characters are unfairly demonised.

Overall a great murder mystery!

Read A Queer Case for:
✨ Murder mystery, a la Agatha Christie
✨ Gay MC
✨ Gender-fluid key SC
✨ Class differences in action
✨ Dealing with everyday homophobia
✨ Twists and turns, red herrings galore!
✨ (Intentionally) unlikeable suspects

Thanks to Titan Books for an eARC of this book via NetGalley! It’s available on 3rd June ✨

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Queer Case was a fun and cozy mystery perfect for fall. Selby Bigge is a bumbling, foolish, and slightly stupid detective, but I enjoyed his story. The mystery and solution were entertaining and not outlandish, an important factor for mysteries to stick their landings. Although Selby often irritated me with his tendency to jump to conclusions without evidence and seemingly create evidence, it was clearly meant to be a flaw of his character. Given that this is a series, I expect Selby's detective abilities will grow. He was showing progress by the end of the book, but still wasn't the wisest.

The only annoying part of the book was that Selby would not waste any opportunity to remind us of his sexuality. Luckily, this abated as the book went on, but towards the beginning, discussion scenes were often interrupted by Selby making a crass reference to how attracted he was to Patrick, or Arthur, or whomever was around. Patrick being "swallowed" by an armchair made Selby want to swallow Patrick, for example. I enjoyed Selby's queerness and thought it added a crucial and interesting element to the story, but this particular method of reminding the reader of it felt out of place and a distraction to the real story. I wonder if Holtom was afraid the reader would forget the importance of Selby's sexuality without these reminders. If so, it was unnecessary.

But that fault was easily overlooked in favor of the intriguing mystery, extensive vocabulary, and enjoyable characters of Theodora and Selby. I would happily pick up the next book in the series.

[Nadine-Sue Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Selby Bigge mystery. Hopefully many more to come as I really enjoyed this. Selby is a great character and I'd love to see more of his amateur sleuth skills! I think Theo would be a great assistant too. She's great fun.

This is a murder mystery set in the 1920s where homosexuality was a crime and the LGBTQ community was very much hidden to ensure safety. Incredibly sad that those times existed and people were criminalised for the preferences. Selby shows us, through his story, the lengths that he and others needed to go through in order to maintain something resembling a relationship. That in itself felt incredibly stressful and he had some close calls.

His chum from university leads him towards a whole lot of danger although it is Selby that unearths the truth. It is cleverly done and adds a surprise or two in there as well as showing that things aren't always as obvious as they might initially seem. I think Theo and Selby have a great relationship and their interactions are funny. I wasn't sure about Theo to begin with but I think first impressions were at a point where everyone was guarded so it's a case of moving along and getting to know them better!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful mystery overflowing with queer characters!! I KNOW a lot of my mutuals on here from Sherlock days would love this!! Gay detective in 1920s London with a supporting cast of many flavors of the rainbow. And the mystery was great too! I didn't know who did it until the reveal. Please check this out!! I can't believe it has so few reviews.

ironically I saw an Instagram ad for this book and then impulse checked it out when I saw it in the new fiction section at my library. They definitely found their target audience! 🤣

[sydnee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good debut for the series, not sure the writing itself is my cup of tea. Selby Bigge is a funny chap who has some wonderful one-liners and the mystery itself was intriguing. However, I found myself groaning with how stupid Bigge could be, throwing out baseless accusations and then having his whole “whodunnit” speel with no actual evidence and entrapping himself. And yes, it is accurate for the time, but sometimes I wish historical queer fiction was more… fiction. I don’t need to hear about how perverse queerness is in 1950s London every 5 pages.

May tune in for the next book, we’ll see!

[Stevie Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous addition to the burgeoning canon of queer mystery novels. This was witty, charming, and verrryyyy devious. I truly had no idea who did the crime by the end, and I loved the friendships made along the way. I hope Theo appears in every subsequent book, even for a moment.

rep: Bi man MC, gay man LI, genderfluid side character

spice: a couple lead ups to sex scenes and one vivid sex scene

tw: murder, homophobia, racism, unwanted sexual advances, blood

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well done 'Golden Age' mystery, sadly I fear there's far too much 'queer' in this case for it, or if as it promises, this series, to ever capture the current 'cosy mystery' market, but I'm desperate for the next one...

[Mitchell Roemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and cozy. Nothing earth shattering but a decent read.

[Mab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little shaky at times, particularly in the beginning, but fundamentally very fun and I very much hope both that there is a next one and that Holtom hits their stride in it.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this murder mystery a la Agatha Christie. The main character Selby, a bank clerk navigating gay life in 1920s London while trying to solve a murder, is most sympathetic, and his repartee with Theodora was delightful. I look forward to future installments in the series.

[Daniel Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit too much use of a thesaurus but otherwise a delightful book! looking forward to the next!

[Martyn Gore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good old mystery ‘who done it’ with a bit of a twist, involving a visit to the ‘Queer’ world, set just after the First World War.
Some interesting characters and plot line. The finale delivered in the style of an Agatha Christie. ( although I’m still undecided if I felt it was a bit rushed at the end and all blurted out in pretty much one conversation. But perhaps that was just me).
I can however easily see this book being turned into a movie or short television series.
Having said that, I am hoping that there will be a second Selby Bigge mystery in the not too distant future.

[Hugh Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun queer romp! I thoroughly enjoyed Selby's adventures and can't wait for more.

[Gabryel Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful historical queer whodunnit

I’m so glad I picked up this book! I love mysteries, historical fiction and especially gay protagonists in said historical mysteries. Selby is a sympathetic character- he has a big heart, craves connection and love, and is willing to accept a little fun in the woods along the way. Theo/Theodora is an absolute delight. They are clever and cynical and also willing to listen and consider all the options. The mystery keeps you guessing and the reveal is pretty satisfying and realistic. I hope there’s more in this series- I want to see more of Selby and Theo/dora together!

[Jessica James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly, I thoroughly, THOROUGHLY, enjoyed this novel. After finding it by chance and seeing it had a glowing recommendation from the one and only Janice Hallett, I had to try it. With twists, turns, surprises and tongue-in-cheek commentary, it is but a “veritable fruit salad”!

A Queer Case is a thoughtful, witty, historical detective-esque/murder mystery, in which characters are fully developed and defy your expectations. The writing of characters such as Morrow, Patrick and Theo(dora) shadow the complex relationship between sexual orientation and perception, whether public or personal. Where we cannot paint a character such as Morrow in a specific light, given his eccentric persona. In the same way, Patrick’s complex struggle, denial and internalised homophobia is an issue in which we hope, as the reader, he is able to come to terms with, and then run off into the sunset with Selby. But during the 1920s, and even up to present day, human beings are much more complex beings. Robert Holtom, you have gained a veritable fan.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, what this book made new was to center a gay man in the narrative (who had always been there, at this time and at all times). It’s London in 1929, and it’s a murder mystery, and it is very witty.

But the real horror is a man being hunted at all times just for being who he is. And wanting to be loved.

To damn prescient for our times, I’m afraid.