London, 1882 and Alec Lonsdale now works as a reporter for the Pall Mall Gazette. While travelling in London he notices a house fire which he further investigates only to find that a victim has had his brain removed before he died supposedly in the fire. Then more bodies are found, and with fellow reporter Hulda Friederichs they invesitagate.
An enjoyable and interesting, well-written story with some well-drawn characters.
A NetGalley Book ( )

I liked this one a lot. I added this book to my reading list on a complete impulse. I liked the cover and when I took a closer look at the book's description, I thought it sounded like something I would like. That impulse worked out well in this case. I did take me a bit to really get into the story but once I was hooked, I didn't want to stop reading. I am so glad that I made the decision to read this book.

I really liked that the book was set during the Victorian period. I thought that the era was well represented in the story and I really liked seeing how a crime might have been solved with the resources that they had on hand. I found the scenes from the mortuary really interesting and found myself wondering how many crimes were missed. There were a lot of descriptions that really made the period come to life so it was really easy to visualize what was happening.

The mystery in this book is very solid. I usually read a book's description once when deciding if I want to read it and then promptly forget any details. I was shocked when the discovery was made about what was taken from the murder victim. I couldn't figure out what the killer's motive might have been and I had no idea who might have been behind the crimes. This is a book that kept me guessing until the very end.

The characters in the book were very well done. Londale was determined to find out what had happened and I liked the way that he went about finding out. He was smart and resourceful. I found myself liking him more and more as the book progressed. Hulda was such a fun character. She is the only female reporter working at the newspaper and she doesn't seem to worry if she is acting like a proper lady most of the time. When she needs to play a part to get someone to open up, she can quickly fit into just about any role and you never seemed to know what she might say or do. Londale and Hulda made a really good team and I liked the way they interacted with each other.

I would recommend this book to mystery fans. This had so many wonderful elements that came together to tell a rather thought provoking and entertaining story. I do hope to see more books featuring this amazing group of characters very soon..

I received a digital advanced reader edition of this book from Severn House Publishers via NetGalley. ( )

Alec Lonsdale is a journalist who witnesses a bizarre house fire. He follows the clues to the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens an oblivious society.

This mystery/thriller held me in its grip from start to finish. Granted the prologue had me confused and I may have forgotten what was presented there until the end when I finally understood how everything connected. Lonsdale was a fun character, smart as he learns his way in his new role.

The supporting cast, from Lonsdale’s brother to the fellow journalists, were just as intriguing as our main character. The plot moved along at a good pace, releasing information at just the right moment to keep a reader guessing. Although there are horrible crimes commited -murder can be messy- it is not presented in an overly graphic way.

All in all, this is an excellent novel for historical murder mystery lovers. I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. ( )