Joan Lock

The history of Scotland Yard’s first detective branch, in the nineteenth century. An interesting story of its cases, procedures and police officers.
A NetGalley Book

1880. Inspector Best is sent to Newcastle-on-Tyne to lead the investigation into a missing female - Phoebe Threapleton. Daughter of business man Sir George. Only to find upon his arrival that she has been found dead, in the Bed Department of Bainbridge store. But she was not the first girl to go missing recently.
An enjoyable mystery

1887. D.I. Best is sent to investigate the death of Andrew Myers of the Social Democratic Federation who had been found dead in Trafalgar Square. London. Competing with this is Best's search for Stark, a man guilty of murder, and the only witness is Florence Bagnall, Constable Roberts’s fiancé.
Another enjoyable mystery in this series.

Interesting historical study in how much inter-agency rivalry there was back then. Not unlike some local police forces and the Feds, but much more blatant. The lack of education for some of the people hired - mostly because it wasn't even available at the time - made their work very challenging It's amazing they solved anything it seemed at times. Good read.