Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #1], (Tools of the Trade) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2017] 978-1546902201 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8795758817
United Kingdom · Fiction author
Cynthia Hurst
Cynthia E. Hurst (born around 1950 and raised in Seattle, WA) - Before writing fiction, she worked as a reporter, copy editor, and columnist for various newspapers and magazines in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She currently divides her time between Seattle and the English Cotswolds (Oxfordshire), which serves as the setting for her 22-volume Silver and Simm Victorian Mysteries series. The main protagonists of the series are Jacob Silver, a Jewish clock and watch repairer living in a Cotswold market town in the 1860s, and Sarah Simms, his housemaid-turned-partner (a former, thief and later his wife). Both are outsiders on the fringes of the fairly rigid Victorian society. Jacob is specifically described as being mistrusted and considered a heretic by the local residents and by the police, reflecting the social prejudices and antisemitism of the Victorian era, and even though his intelligence and skills often make him an essential asset to their investigations. His outsider status allows him to observe the townspeople with a level of detachment that aids his investigative work.
Jacob has settled in a Cotswolds market town, rather than in the East End of London, for example, because there is a demand for his specialized technical skills there. By placing a Jewish tradesman in a provincial Oxfordshire town, Hurst creates a character who is intrinsically distinct from his neighbors, allowing for a unique lens on 19th-century prejudice and community dynamics. Jacob’s profession as a clock and watch repairer leans into the historical presence of Jewish artisans in precision trades. His religion often puts him at odds with the local establishment. For instance, in Writing on the Wall, Jacob is specifically targeted by a venomous newspaper columnist, highlighting the vulnerability of a Jewish man in a position that requires public trust. The series does not shy away from the casual and structural antisemitism of the 1860s, using Jacob’s experiences to reflect the genuine difficulty a Jewish person would face trying to build a respectable life in a small English town. [Google/AI]
Hurst is exceptionally prolific and has several other series in progress. The 22 Silver and Simm Victorian Mysteries were all published between 2017–2024:
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #2], (Forged in the Fire) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2017] 978-1548612177 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8404763188
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #3], (Writing on the Wall) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2017] 978-1977597168 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8406419441
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #4], (Stitched Up In Style) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2017] 978-1981412358 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8407862420
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #5], (Ghost on the Green) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2018] 978-1984942746 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8410533003
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #6], (Pound to a Penny) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2018] 978-1720461326 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8411954210
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #7], (Bolt from the Blue) [pb, CreateSpace Independent, 2018] 978-1725580145 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8413760413
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #8], (Spirit of the Season) [pb, independently published, 2018] 978-1790965892 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8416187460
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #9], (Nothing But Her Name) [pb, independently published, 2019] 978-1798188538 [hc, independently published, 2022]
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #10], (Sins of the Sisters) [pb, independently published, 2019] 978-1070553856 [hc, independently published, 2022] 978-1070553856
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #11], (Letter of the Law) [pb, independently published, 2019] 978-1696888639 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8421734758
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #12], (Because of the Bees) [pb, independently published, 2020] 979-8616026477 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8424898358
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #13], (There for the Taking) [pb, independently published, 2020] 979-8652573881 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8426581708
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #14], (Diamond in the Dust) [pb, independently published, 2020] 979-8698004097 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8430007942
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #15], (Proof of the Pudding) [pb, independently published, 2021] 979-8707379802 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8431984501
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #16], (Grains in the Glass) [pb, independently published, 2021] 979-8511492308 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8434411653
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #17], (Out of the Ordinary) [pb, independently published, 2022] 979-8424399565 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8439533114
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #18], (Ends of the Earth) [pb, independently published, 2022] 979-8842181780 [hc, independently published, 2022] 979-8842388035
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #19], (Cream of the Crop) [pb, independently published, 2023] 979-8386750947 [hc, independently published, 2023] 979-8386752774
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #20], (Last Seen in London) [pb, independently published, 2023] 979-8865616443 [hc, independently published, 2023] 979-8865618669
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #21], (Fit as a Fiddle) [(pb, independently published,2024)] 979-8323256297 [hc, independently published, 2024] 979-8323258031
Hurst, Cynthia E. [Silver/Simms #22], (Return of a Rascal) [pb, independently published, 2024] 979-8340258410 [hc, independently published, 2024] 979-8340306685