A TERRIFIC VICTORIAN POLICE PROCEDURAL -
584930
This is a really well written book.

We first meet Felix.  He is a young doctor who has been hired to be a police surgeon.  His duties will include taking care of policemen, their families and other people referred by certain city leaders.  Felix is the natural son of a nobleman, Lord Rothborough,  who wants to become more involved in Felix's life.  Felix is resisting that relationship because he has adopted parents whom he loves.  Felix also wants to create a life for himself by using his skill and knowledge.  Felix likes to solve puzzles and he has come to the right place for that.

The Chief Constable is Giles Vernon.  He is forward thinking and feels strongly that having a physician available to do what today would be an autopsy as well as giving care to the police staff and others is important.  Giles has a difficult personal life which colors his view of the world.

Giles and Felix make an excellent team.  They both are men of integrity and both feel strongly that justice is important no matter the cost.

Each of them run into a matter of conscience and when that happens both of them try to support the other because of their mutual admiration.

There is a dead body found.  It is a man who has been assaulted in a terrible way.  The body is found in a bag by the side of the road with no clothing nor anything which will help identify him.  It is evident that someone hated this man.

As the story moves forward,  we find there are a number of people who had reason to murder this man.  He was a man whose true character was not at all what it appeared.

The reader is taken step by step through the process of talking to people and finding different views of who this man was.  At the same time, we are finding out a great deal about the witnesses.

This story is about a murder and finding the solution, but it is also about human beings.  Since this is during the Victorian Era, the normal relationships of the time are much different than what we see in the 21st century.  The expectations in lives at the time were set at birth.  The hopes of women were very limited by their class and the amount of their education.  One of the repeating themes of this book  no one is exactly who they seem.

This is the first book by Ms Smart that I have read.  I intend to read more of her books because she is a very talented author.

The plot keeps the reader involved.  Each new turn in the book brings another portion of the story to light.  As each layer is peeled back, the reader is immersed in the world of Victorian England.

The character development is terrific.  Felix and Giles are very devoted to trying to do the right thing and at the same time dealing with life as it truly is.  Secondary characters are well done.  I admit I was pretty sure I knew who was a villain  but that may have been because I simply did not like that person.

If you want a really well written mystery that  takes you back to a time when life could be very hard and people could be very human, this is a book for you.
1961561
Brenda Blethyn is wonderful in this police procedural.
4436602
THE DARK ROOM is an excellent police procedural--for me, a rarity among mystery/thrillers, because it held my interest as I read it straight through without ever considering a peek at the ending to see if the rest was worth my time. Set convincingly in the San Francisco Bay Area, the novel introduces a new character, SFPD detective Gavin Cain, who I hope will return in subsequent series novels.

In the novel, Cain is in the midst of exhuming a body, when he's urgently summoned to investigate a blackmail letter received by San Francisco's mayor (Harry Castelli).  The blackmailer doesn't want money; rather, the blackmailer wants the mayor's death.  To encourage the mayor's suicide, there are four photographs of a beautiful, terrorized woman in a dark room that are included with the blackmail letter--and more photos, presumably worse, are promised, with a threat to make the next set of photos public.

The mayor denies any knowledge of the woman, and Cain knows he's lying, but Cain has no choice but to try to investigate and to identify the woman.  A friend with powerful image-searching software provides some help, and then it begins to look like Cain's exhumation may be connected to the blackmail case.  Cain gets more needed help from a sharp FBI agent (Karen Fischer), as he follows the threads that develop into a locked-room mystery and that uncover several more long-ago murders.

This is a well-written novel, with various other well-developed characters (e.g., Grassley, Chun, Lucy, Alexa).  The novel has a plot that resolves into a satisfying reveal, and the tying up of all the loose ends.  The San Francisco setting is well done.  The forensics, mostly involving autopsies, appear to be quite solid.
1100017
Walking in Pimlico is a wonderful novel set in Victorian England. The author teaches performance history and has written non-fiction on Victorian performances as well, but this is her first novel. What is remarkable is that despite that academic interest, not once does she resort to "telling" and lecturing the reader, but always "shows" like a good author should.

The book is told in a number of voices, mostly that of comic Corney Sage. The tone of each voice depends on the narrator and Corney's voice is very much that of the Victorian working class and takes a little getting used to with references that are not explained. This however is a good thing and keeps the authenticity of the voice - although some imagination is needed to guess some of the meanings which may be particularly obscure to US readers. When Corney, who works in some pretty seedy dives, stumbles across the murdered body of working girl Bessie Spooner - a murder that has been witnessed by her friend Lucy. Lucy and Corney flee to different places to avoid the murderer and the whole scene.

We are in no doubt of who the murderer is from fairly early on and the mystery and suspense - and there is plenty of both - surrounds the murderer's attempts to extinguish evidence and witnesses. The author's love of both performance and Victorian England are evident and this comes over as a very authentic and fascinating book, beautifully written, and entertainingly told, taking in the more seedy side of Victorian England, ranging from the Music Halls to circuses and freak shows and the variety of con men - and women - that populate the world. It's as much about pretence and image as anything else - as most performance is. Very highly recommended.
1756827
Pleasant pace, frequent surprises
FINDING good authors is always a delight. This, my first novel by Barry Maitland, is an English police procedural, yet never a plod. The frequent page-turning surprises and lots of character clash kept me alert and eager while the mysteries deepened.
Maitland is a Scottish born author from Paisley, educated in England and his early career was in architecture rising to  head a university department, then migrating to Australia. His knowledge of London past and present serves well in his fictional London cops Brock and Kolla. His narrative has a pleasant pace and the plot twists keep coming as the tale develops. Having the story shared equally by a female protagonist and her male boss pleasantly varies the point of view.
I recommend this one and will be seeking more of Barrys creations.
1161846
I first read "The Inspector's Daughter" with Rose McQuinn as the detective.  Mentions of her famous father, Inspector Fare, intrigued me so I started researching his book. This is an excellent introduction to Inspector Faro and his stepson, Vince. For those who only want one story at a time, this may seem like a long haul but it is worth it.  As a glimpse of Victorian life in Scotland it is superb.  There are also sly bit of humour there too especially when dealing with Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. She is not by any means sugar coated.
The mystery in each story is well written and although by the third book you may guess the villian, the ending is still a surprise. For historical mystery lovers, this is a find.
4356467
Could the desiccated skeleton found in the closed in attic actually be the mortal remains of Beau Nash, eighteenth century dandy and Master of Ceremonies of the resort city of Bath?  That is the question that opens Peter Loveseys latest installment of the Peter Diamond detective series, BEAU DEATH.  Diamond is a detective chief inspector who pounds the not-so-mean-streets of Bath, England, a tourist friendly town with Regency architecture and the remnants of Roman baths.

While not a fan of the cozy, this police procedural has such an intriguing plot that I was willing to forgo the blood, gore and mayhem that are the staple of more hardboiled mysteries.  Diamond is an intriguing character, a large man who casts an enormous shadow over his city.  There is the slightly sycophantic bow to royalty, with the local Assistant Chief Constable aflutter over her new friendship with a peer as well as the concerted protection of ones patch.  There is the battle of modern development versus history.  There is a ludicrous (and fictitious) Beau Nash Society that meets in period costumean almost Monty Python-esque send up.

In addition to the mysterious body in the attic a local impresario is also murder, shot during the finale of a fireworks competition.  That in itself is worthy of more than a few laughssedate Bath hosting a raucous and explosive exhibition that both titillates and sets the populaces collective teeth on edge.

The plot will keep you guessing with a handful of likely suspects paraded through the pages of the novel.  Diamonds fellow police officers are varied and delightful as characters.

My first foray into the series.  Might give the inaugural volume a whirl.
2120941
Beautiful, headstrong and romantic Lady Emily is back. A Victorian woman with modern-day attitudes, Emily Hargreaves has proven herself a worthy crime solver alongside her handsome husband, Colin. She proves her mettle once again in Tasha Alexander's new novel.

Lady Emily's latest escapade begins as she is taking an afternoon ride astride her horse around her mother-in-law's estate in the Normandy countryside. Ostensibly in France to recuperate from a gunshot wound, Emily is also trying to work through her grief over losing their unborn child, a tragedy that did little to endear her to her mother-in-law. While Mrs. Hargreaves may have opened her home to her son and his wife, she shows no attempt to hide her disapproval of the young woman.

It would seem likely that Emily's recovery might be further hindered when she happens upon the bloodied body of Edith Prier, obviously the victim of a violent murder. Instead, it immediately stimulates Emily's desire --- to solve the mystery, to find justice for the unfortunate woman, to catch a despicable killer. And if it means working with her husband in that desire, so much the better.

Following protocol, they summon the authorities, but the investigation falls far short of thorough. Are the police being purposely lax because the victim was a woman who escaped from an asylum? What other explanation could there be, unless it is outright incompetence?

Colin and Emily have their own methods for solving murders. They start off by interviewing the neighbors, George and Madeline, whose home is quite near to the crime scene. The couple claims to have seen nothing, except possibly a child whom Madeline has caught a glimpse of on occasion. That revelation raises eyebrows. In truth, Lady Emily fears for the poor woman's sanity. That is, until she hears a girl crying outside her window.

Soon, the discovery that Sebastian Capet, a supremely charming art thief, was in the area at the time of the murder, leads the authorities to put him at the top of their suspect list. As Emily is well acquainted with Monsieur Capet, she scoffs at the idea of him as the murderer. He might be a romantic cad with a penchant for lifting valuable paintings, but that is only his way of making sure the art finds its way to a home where it will be appreciated. Monet is unimpressed by Capet's argument.

The thread of madness runs through the story, as our sleuths try to separate the truth from the imagined. And family secrets make their job more difficult yet, as do lying witnesses. It seems that everyone has something to hide. Even Lady Emily.

Tasha Alexander's clever dialogue, along with her convincing period detail, brings life to her story and showcases the breathtaking beauty of the Normandy countryside. Considering its incomparable setting and irresistible characters, Lady Emily's fan club is sure to grow by leaps and bounds with DANGEROUS TO KNOW.

  --- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
1202022
A late Victorian murder mystery with overtones of Agatha Christie that engages from start to finish.  Jumps right in to a blossoming scandal with a fancy ball, a soon-to-be dead body and a missing wife, Scintillating! Very disciplined pacing built suspense until about two thirds in I confess to skimming a bit to know what happened next! Enough red herrings to keep you guessing until family secrets are revealed leading to a satisfying conclusion.  Would love to see a Masterpiece Theater adaptation of this one!
3010279
Lauren Willig's latest novel, The English Wife, is an engrossing Victorian era murder mystery with plenty of intrigue and is a perfect companion for a weekend trip or quiet evening. Quickly paced and peppered with a couple of well placed red herrings - it's a good choice for those who enjoy the historical fiction genre with a little bit of romance and mystery.

The plot of the book focuses on a murder mystery - when Janie Van Duyvel's brother and his wife are found dead on the grounds of their freshly built home on the Hudson River. At first glance the scene appears to have been set up as a murder/suicide, but as Janie delves deeper into what she knows about her brother and his wife, she finds herself questioning what she doesn't know. Secretly, she begins searching for the truth about the events of the evening, teaming up with a newspaper man with questionable morals and pretty eyes.

Willig's employment of a dual narrative keeps things interesting. and I found this mechanism to be an effective way to bring the reader into the mystery solving piece of the story, but also allowed the reader to become familiar with the story of the ill-fated Van Duyvel couple. To be honest, I was much more invested in the doomed couple's story than Janie's - overall their chapters seemed to be more intriguing, their characters and story more fleshed out.

Points to Ms. Willig for knowing exactly where to throw the reader off the scent - a couple of perfectly timed red herrings deterred me from being sure of what happened - and I was surprised by the outcome! Definitely a fun read that I would recommend to fans who enjoy lighter historical fiction.
2520736
This was yet another delightful visit with Charles Lenox and his friends in their Victorian London world.
'Stranger in Mayfair', the fourth book in the series, was not a fast paced heart pumping murder mystery, but more of a look into the main character, Charles Lenox's life while he adds a murder crime to his list of duties (and one of his more pleasurable duties I might add) to be accomplished.
The detective/hero of the story is unique in that his persona is not just a detective and the storyline shows how he is pulled about by multiple responsibilities (privately, I think Lenox must be the most accomplished multi-tasker): he is newly married and must feel his way through the change this brings to his life, he is involved in the birth of a baby in his dearest friends' lives, he is a new member of Parliament and must learn the ropes there, he is learning to help the various staff and his detecting protege find their way as they are affected by the changes in his life, and lastly, he is brought in on a very confusing murder.

I like how 'life' interferes with Lenox when he is trying to solve the crime- very realistic. I enjoy how each book while it is driven by the current murder plot also reveals just a little more about each character and all the little subplots. The human frailness that is visible as Lenox makes his way is very appealing.

Looking forward to the next installment.
750030
I like it, a lot! Violet reminds me of Sherlock Holmes with her observing and comments. Cassie is her Watson with bad leg, too. They solved a case, the police had no clue about. There is a police officer and a nice doctor from a morgue, the landlady has a story to tell, too. Very good start  and no pending cliffhangers.
3486887
This is the 8th in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series of Victorian Age mysteries.

Charlotte had embarrassed her family by marrying down when she went against her family's wishes to wed Thomas, a police captain, almost a tradesman by Victorian standards.  Her sister Emily though had pleased them greatly by marrying well, a member of the aristocracy.  That Emily's husband, George, had no qualms about having a dalliance quite publicly humiliating her was unimportant.  This was just something that women were expected to cope with after all.  In fact Emily was quite thoroughly criticized by various members of the household for even acknowledging the fact.  When George was discovered dead one morning all involved assumed that Emily was the responsible party, after all to think anything else would be so inconvenient.  Charlotte (and Thomas) rushed to Emily's aid and not a minute too soon it seemed.  It soon became apparent that there were quite a few other nasty little secrets hidden away that would need to be investigated before the true culprit could be unmasked.

It would be helpful to read this series in order although it certainly is not absolutely necessary to do so.  The characters are interesting, the mystery aspects are handled well and the historical elements are woven skillfully into the story.  This is a worthy additional to an excellent series.
781926
This outstanding historical police procedural is as good a triumph of the genre as I've read in recent years.  Barbara Cleverly is a masterful author and her exotic setting of Simla -- summer capital of the British Raj in the Roaring Twenties -- complements the solid development of a fascinating cast of characters.  But, for me, the highlight of the book was the deviously creative plot, which twisted, turned and surprised me from page one till the end.  Although there were one or two places where I had to suspend disbelief briefly, the book was a masterpiece.  Cleverly is an outstanding author and this is only the second book in her Joe Sandilands series that I've read.  I'm eagerly looking forward to the others.
4290211
I really enjoyed this Historical Mystery.  Detective Inspector Tom Harper has three mysteries to solve and is also supporting his wife as she becomes more involved with the Suffragists.  The first mystery is to find the mother of a stillborn baby that was posted in the mail. In the rubble of the burned railway station the body of woman who was stabbed is found.  A few days later a young woman is raped at the station.  Are the mysteries related?  The author does a very good job with the setting, the back streets of Leeds at the turn of the century.  The story is also well researched with a nice blend of fiction and history.  I really liked the characters.  The mysteries were good and the solutions made sense.  Enjoy this exciting historical mystery.
9750
I loved the setting of this classy, late Victorian-era mystery.  The characters were unconventional, intelligent, and interesting.  My only complaint was Not Enough Nicholas Brisbane!!

Maybe my expectations were too high, as I've seen people raving about this book.  I will certainly keep reading the series.....but not because of Lady Julia, who seems like a place-holder character to me rather than a fully fleshed out heroine I want to cheer for.  I'm reading for More Nicholas.
3694923
I collected Emily Brightwell's Inspector Witherspoon and Mrs. Jeffries series ever since the first book came out and I just fell in love with the series.  It's a combination of Victorian style and atmosphere with a hilarious tone and tons of fun.  I could think of nothing more to do on a weekend than curling up on the couch with a hot mug of coffee and a blanket and just let your mind read the entire series.  Each one of them is full of excitement and fun sleuthing by Mrs. Jeffries and her staff, Betsy, Smythe, Mrs. Goodge, and Wiggles(?) and the household dog Fred along with some of their friends are involved in solving cases that Inspector Witherspoon relunctantly but dutly solves. Including in the series, the ever hilarious Luty Belle Crookshank and her butler Hatchet especially with her wealthy, American attitude and her outspoken views versus his stiff upper lip Brtishiness and that adds up to some really wild exchanges between the two of them.  The joy of this is that the Inspector has no clue that he has help from his devoted staff and their friends.  Even the loyal Constable Barnes clued in to their sleuthing but supports them.