5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member. But I would have bought it anyway ;)
In a Nutshell: Victorian Murder Mystery
This is Book Ten of the series and I have read the other nine; you will, therefore, gather that these books absolutely work for me. They're linked, in that the same detectives appear in all books, and each story has cameo appearances from characters found in the earlier ones, but they're completely stand-alone. My advice is to start with #1, though - you'll want to read them all, I promise!
Murder & Mischief, set mostly in London in the mid-19th Century, features a mysterious snow-covered corpse in the garden of a wealthy and unscrupulous land developer, an even more mysterious top hat, two children who have escaped from workhouse drudgery, a clever private detective (female, shock horror!), a community of bohemian artists, and Ms Hedges' trademark supporting cast of grimy folk in dingy pubs and lodging houses, doing what they feel they must to stay afloat ... a prostitute here, a social climber there, all crowded into Victorian London at its best, worst and every level in between. Then there is the ancient and dilapidated Ships Head down at the Docks, almost a character in itself. The 'formula' is similar in each one, but it never gets tired, and I always hope there will be more.
It's not easy to review a Book 10 in a series without repeating oneself, so I'll leave it with this: it's great. They're all great. Curl up on the sofa with cushions, a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate and a candle or two (to feel like part of the setting!), and you're in for a treat!
Thank you Terry
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