In Deadly Fashion by Rosemary Simpson

 

I love this gilded era and 1891 personified that. For the rich and aristocratic it was a very comfortable, secure life. For the working classes not so. For women, there were rules and regulations galore. Heiress Prudence Mackenzie was never one to bow down to unnecessary demands and her engagement to ex Pinkerton detective Geoffrey Hunter has taken place and the wedding is in two weeks.

Prudence has taken a chance on a dress salon run by Madame Regina hitherto unknown for her wedding gown, but when her gown is found shredded to bits with blood all over it, alongside the body of one of the seamstresses, it seems the attack is a tad personal. And it is.

Uncovering a story of revenge by the twisted mind of a woman who thought she was scorned is dangerous for both Prudence and Geoffrey. Imprisoned and brutally beaten for an imaginary crime brings violence very close to the couple.

A very interesting story set in a very rich setting this was an excellent read.

Sent by Kensington Publishers for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen Cambridge

 

Early 20th century England setting, an old hall and Agatha Christie as a background, battling it out with Hercule Poirot. In the actuality, Phillida Bright housekeeper and sleuth extraordinaire, drawn like a magnet to dead bodies and mysteries, much to the annoyance of the local Inspector.

The dinner should have been straightforward, if not for the parlour game initiated by one of the sisters present. Genevra was a trouble maker, her sister was the mild one. The dinner party comprised of people from the village, all known to each other. At the end one of the party was dead, murdered and the suspect had to be one of the dinner party attendees.  With slow elimination of suspects, plenty of red herrings, more deaths, the pace hots up and Phillida discovers so many secrets and lies that have been cunningly concealed that it seems as if everyone is a suspect. 

The illicit relationship that Phillida has does spice up the story in a very surprising manner, not at all vulgar! A very pleasant read.

Sent by Kensington Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Hunters Club by Alis Hawkins

 

Oxford 1883. It is a most unjust and unequal world. Young men think they own the world and the young women working there are fair game. When a few young men turn up bound and gagged it is only a matter of time when anger turns deadly. A young shop girl is arrested and imprisoned for talking to a man. She seeks help from a young fearless journalist and an older lady who will help in anyway she can. When the Chancellor calls in Basil Rice to investigate the matters which are beginning to get attention and call Oxford into disrepute, it is too late. The discovery of a private club which aids and abets these young men adds to the mix.

Corruption amongst senior staff is rife, and everyone will cover up for boys who are from aristocratic families. The police do not want take action for fear of reprisal and Basil is fearful of discovery of his homosexuality, which will end in disgrace and any chance of a career. It is only Non who will work for justice for the young woman and very slowly the story comes to light. Helped by the Police who have to work very carefully, the whole system of injustice against the working class and the historical importance and rigidity of class is very apparent in the story.

The outcome of the case is far below of what is just but one takes what one gets.

Sent by Canelo for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman

 

Poignant, sad but reflective as well this story combined elements of a forgotten and buried love story which just had to be discovered, the doom and deaths on the Titanic and a present day young student bewildered by the loss of her young boyfriend and trying to maintain a stiff upper lip with her fellow students.

Violet Hutchins  is the young sophomore at Harvard, desperately trying to manage her life on a day to day basis after witnessing the drowning of a very much loved boyfriend. Now seconded for work in the Widener library, she is attuned from the start to the actual spirit and work of the young Harry Widener who died on the Titanic. 

The story is told in stages going back and forth between the years of the Titanic and present day Harvard, the contrast between the almost aristocratic Widener family and the middle class Hutchins one. Very beautifully told, heart rendingly sad for every one of the characters in the story the spiritual side of a ghost manifesting itself is very realistically portrayed. 

I liked the manner that everything beautifully dovetailed and provided a complete explanation of what was an incomplete story before. 

Sent by Union Square & Co - a subsidiary of Sterling Publishing, for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

Set during Christmas, the characters don’t feel kindness or goodness to men. Six contestants carefully vetted for the puzzle solving of their lives. The contestants as well as the hosts have agendas of their own, but it is only when the body count starts increasing and the weather becomes murderous, that the game becomes more and more dangerous.

The book was one of those that you had to finish in one go and I cannot think of a better recommendation. The keenness of those involved to save themselves, earn a fat prize and somehow defeat the competition was the main crux of the story. Goodness of character was fairly thin on the ground and in the face of suspicion and mistrust naturally disappeared.

An excellent read for this season (even in the tropics).

Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer

 

The story is a mix of the supernatural, mixed with magic and a touch of romance to give it balance. Set in 1895 in a remote village in Norfolk, the strange happenings only start when the bones begin to fall from the cliffs bordering the sea, due to erosion.

Edward was cheated of his inheritance and his bride by his cousin. Edward deals in the spirit world and Barbara’s appeals to him to come and save his wife who fell ill and recovered but is talking of people with strange names and about a circus and how they were killed years ago. Edward is a sham, but when a second death occurs and bones keep falling, he realises there is a connection. With each fall of bones, a fresh death could occur. Discovering the truth of what happened decades ago is a slow one of the deliberate murder of many people in the circus and the cover up by some of the villagers, who thought they’d got away with murder.

This was a very Gothic story with a fair amount of historical fiction too. The murders and unraveling that was also fascinating, because you had to go forty years back.

Sent by Boldwood Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Murder at the Royal Palace by Verity Bright

 

Lady Eleanor is full of pride. An invitation to watch her husband being knighted is no small honor and she has promised herself to behave and not create any form of situation. But she is a magnet for strange situations, and a Royal guard collapses and dies a few feet away from where she is. When she and her husband are approached to investigate this death of a man known to have been very sick, and when it is strictly not official, you do know there is a mystery afoot.

The need for secrecy and for the Palace not to be even connected with the taint of murder and gossip is reminiscent of the times of King George, in comparison to present times where royalty is fair game and no one is bothered by it. Here the investigation is stealthy and under cover with Lady Eleanor acting as a journalist with her butler as a cameraman in order to get access to the Tower where they feel the secret to this death lie.

Apart from the investigation, the story is full of historical detail of the traditions of the tower, its inhabitants, the ravens, the archaic ceremonies and very important the hierarchy that operates this ancient place. However Royal the place, intrigue and corruption as usual is rife and this is what is uncovered.

An interesting story, more detailed than other books in the series.

Sent by Bookouture for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.