The City of Fire
A BEN DARLING MYSTERY
Click the Above for PDF
Synopsis
Sir Charles Ellingham believes he is being followed.
He is right.
When the retired surgeon comes to Benjamin Darling for help, he brings a story of surveillance, a midnight attack, a stolen manuscript, and an old Indian patient whose identity should have remained buried. Before Darling can learn the truth, Sir Charles dies at his own dinner table, leaving only two clues behind:
The Flame. And Cole Brennan.
The first is a legend from India — a hidden master of a secret fire-worshipping order whose reach extends from the mountains of the East to the drawing rooms of London.
The second is a wealthy American adventurer who knows far more than he dares to say.
Between them stands Phil Ellingham, Sir Charles’s beautiful daughter, now in the orbit of the hypnotic and dangerous Feroz Khan — a man of exquisite manners, scented flowers, and deadly power.
To save Phil and uncover the truth, Darling must follow the trail from Chancery Lane to Piccadilly, from London society to a hidden house in Surrey, and finally into the shadow of the City of Fire itself.
Because the Flame is not a legend.
He is in London.
And he has already begun to burn away everyone who knows his name.
The City of Fire is a stylish mystery-thriller of secret cults, forbidden love, murder, espionage, and a hidden enemy whose most dangerous weapon is silence.
BOOK ONE – THE SEVENTH YEW
Copyright © 2026 Alan H. Gael
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact