After leaving England under a cloud, James Hardy, one-time coachman at a stately home, starts a new life in New Zealand with a woman he met on board ship on the way to New Zealand. After an adventure with his son, Sergeant Frank Hardy, he finds himself in the beautiful town of Napier, on the east coast of New Zealand. Soon after, with the town under the false impression that he is a retired Scotland Yard detective, James Hardy begins to assist the police with unusual cases with help from a young constable recently arrived from Ireland, Constable Patrick Foster.
Book One: Death in the Bush
Book Two: Death in the Marsh
Book Three: Death of the Walk