Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series: Tate and Bell Mystery #1
Publication Date: 2/29/24
Period: 1858 – Victorian London
Number of Pages: 383

I have enjoyed reading this author’s Redmond and Haze Mysteries series, so I was happy to see another series. I do hope that a new series doesn’t mean that Redmond and Haze hasn’t ended.

Gemma Tate is a strong, resilient young woman who served in Crimea with Florence Nightingale. The horrors she saw there did not prepare her for the news she received on November 1, 1858. Her twin brother, Victor, had fallen and was crushed beneath the wheels of an omnibus. Accident or murder? Gemma is quite sure it was murder, but will the police pay any attention to her?

Inspector Sebastian Bell is walking a very thin line at Scotland Yard and he knows the high-profile case he has just been given could very well be his last. A beautiful young woman was discovered in Highgate Cemetery – hanging on a cross with a heart hanging around her neck. Who is she? Whether a prostitute or a Lady, she is referred to as The Angel. Her death was not an easy one – and Sebastian could only wonder what sort of monster could do such things to another human. He desperately wants to solve this case – not to save his career, but because he wants justice for the victim.

I really liked Gemma and Sebastian and look forward to seeing them work together to solve future cases. Sebastian has many demons and it will be interesting to see Gemma help him cast those demons out. The antagonist in this book was one of the nastiest I’ve read and I was gleeful when they were apprehended – along with the accomplices.

If you enjoy a good mystery, this is an excellent selection and I hope you will try it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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