Night Flower

The Coventry Adams Mysteries #1

by Steven Henry

London, 1871

Life in the Whitechapel slums is dark, dirty, and dangerous, particularly for a young woman on her own. To survive, Coventry Adams must rely on quick wits and nimble fingers. Dishonored and damaged, cut off from her family, she makes a perilous living preying on those who would take advantage of her.

But when she steals from the wrong gentleman, Coventry's precarious existence is shattered. The man is a Minister of Parliament, engaged in negotiating a delicate international agreement. He is murdered that very night, and suddenly Scotland Yard wants very badly to find the girl who appears to be an assassin. A keen young detective is hot on her trail, convinced of her guilt.

Pursued by policemen, foreign agents, and criminals, alone in an overcrowded city, Coventry must call on all her skill as a social chameleon, passing through every level of London society in a frantic race to uncover the truth before she is punished for a crime she did not commit. In the process, in spite of the risks, she must open her hardened heart and allow friendship and trust to blossom once more.

Genres: Mystery, Amazon

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2026

About the author

Steven Henry is the USA Today bestselling author of the Erin O’Reilly mysteries and the Clarion Chronicles.

Steven learned how to read almost before he learned how to walk. Ever since he began reading stories, he wanted to put his own on the page. He lives a very quiet and ordinary life in Minnesota with his wife and dog.

Reviews

[Maya Ackerman]

Loved the characters. Pre-ordered the next one!

[Jd]

I loved Coventry. This young woman could scrap. She was smart and brave. Finn was a man with an even temperament. Despite the bruising he got chasing Coventry, he was patient and kind to her.
The author did a great job world building. I really felt like I was back in time in the 1800s on the streets of London. I appreciated that he included a glossary of the cockney terms. I just wish there was a note stating it was at the back of the book.
This book had a lot of action. Solving the case along with Coventry was enjoyable. There was some character development as far as Coventry goes. As her relationship with Finn continues to develop, hopefully she will learn to trust again.

[Tina Miles]

I really liked this book. It’s full of action, has a feisty and clever heroine plus an understanding Irish cop as her love interest.
And I love Whisper, the cat, who turns up whenever needed.
It’s a cozy mystery in the sense that it’s not gritty like Anne Perry or Karen Odden.
I already bought book 2.

[Shelda Sparks]

WONDERFUL STORY!!

I just love love love this story. Absolutely my kind of book. It was funny and happy and scary and exciting and you couldn’t wait to turn the next page and see how she was going to escape.. if you wanna read a good page Turner with a lot of everything in it except filthy language and filthy sex this is a great story and with great characters in it I loved it and I can’t wait to read the next one!

[Tammye]

Wonderful New Book Series

Coventry is quite the cunning character! I enjoyed the first installment of Coventry Adams and I am looking forward to reading another fine series by Steven Henry.

[Carola Moon]

Fun book to read

Very likeable characters and fun story to read. Was also interesting to travel back in time and get a sense of cockney slang.

[Annette Sullivan]

complicated in a good way

I did enjoy the story and plot that unfolded, I particularly liked the way the female fought, very vicious. Nice.
In Australia we arn’t to far flung at all to know some rhyming slang, we often invent our own, what I didn’t like was all the swearing, in any form, rhyming slang or not.

[Bookworm]

Thrillingly gripping story where situations forced an innocent girl to change into a fiery woman with thriving adventures and beliefs!

[Jackson]

Finn fun