9 Historical Mysteries — R.T. Lawton

On the north bank of the Terek River sets the Cossack cordon where they act as frontier guards for the Muscovy empire, but having lost all past rebellions against the Tsar, they are now forced to have Russian troops quartered in their nearby villages as uneasy allies. South of the river in the shadows of the Caucusus Mountains lies the Wild Country, where Chechen Hill Tribes war against all invaders. In this violent land, the Armenian, a trader of goods, interested only in making money, frequently finds himself compelled to solve a crime where cultures clash and his own life is often threatened.
The last 4 mysteries are set in the era of Louis the Fourteenth, France's Sun King. But in the criminal underworld of Paris, there is a self proclaimed king who rules the assassins, beggars, trollops and thieves. All here must tithe to King Jules, or else. To survive in this world, an orphan, incompetent pickpocket finds himself involved in schemes, scams, thefts and even a prison escape.