Month: October 2024

Murder at the Foundling Hospital by Irina Shapiro

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Gothic Historical, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Murder at the Foundling Hospital (A Tate and Bell Mystery, #3)Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Tate and Bell #3
Publication Date: 10/21/24
Period: Victorian – 1858
Number of Pages: 343

This riveting, atmospheric series is most definitely in the gaslight-gothic tradition in that it is very serious and somber. If one of your requirements is wit and humor, you won’t find it in these books. However, what you will find is an excellently paced, well-plotted murder mystery with realistically flawed characters. Gemma Tate, the main female lead, is a nurse who trained in Crimea with Florence Nightingale, and Sebastian Bell, the main male lead, is a widower inspector with Scotland Yard.

Gemma has just enjoyed a lovely Christmas when she is summoned to the Foundling Hospital where she works. One of the children has been found – murdered. The staff members are forbidden to become attached to any of the children, but Gemma’s loving heart has become entwined with sickly little Lucy. During her mad dash to the orphanage, she is constantly whispering – “Please Not Lucy” “Please Not Lucy”. While it wasn’t Lucy, it was a lovely, kind, sweet fourteen-year-old young lady who never deserved such a violent end.

The Matron at the Foundling Hospital is determined to protect the institution from any scandal and therefore, throws obstacle after obstacle in Sebastian’s way – including her intention to petition the leadership at Scotland Yard to close the case as unsolved directly after the child’s funeral. Yes, she cared more for the institution – even if it housed a murderer – than she did for the life of one of her charges. Gemma has the access Sebastian needs and is determined to help solve the case and she does – even to her own peril.

Between them, they find many potential suspects, follow many leads, and uncover many secrets within the orphanage. The murderer – and the reason – will surprise you and make you very, very sad.

You won’t be able to put the book down once you start reading, so prepare yourself with all of the comforts before you begin. The story pulls you in from the first word and holds you until far past the last word with its compelling characters and superb mystery.

I love Sebastian and Gemma with all of their humanness – their flaws and their strengths. Sebastian has overcome so much in the last few months and you will be pulling for his continued success in defeating his personal demons. Gemma has suffered great tragedy with the murder of her twin brother and is working hard to recover emotionally and financially from that loss. You will root for her too, but you will also worry that she has more TSTL moments than she should.

I enjoyed this book and I hope you will as well.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Wallflower List by Jess Michaels

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Wallflower List (About An Earl #1)The Wallflower List by Jess Michaels

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: About an Earl, #1

Release Date: October 8, 2024

When her best friend and fellow wallflower Lady Claudia dies unexpectedly, Lady Marianne is heartbroken, especially by the small showing at Claudia’s funeral. It sets her to thinking about her own life and when she finds a list of things Claudia wanted to do before she died, she at first shocked and then intrigued. Wanting to honor her friend and live the life her friend so clearly wanted, Marianne sets out to complete the list. And starts by having her maid alter one of her gowns to be more daring, thus accomplishing one of Claudia’s items “Wear Something Daring” and to her complete and utter surprise, this small change triggers a huge change in her life. For the first time she feel “seen” and even garners the attention of her brother’s best friend, Sebastian, the Earl of Ramsbury, a man she has long considered a friend, but one who clearly never saw her as a woman until that night. She asks his help in completing the list (without telling him of the list) and finally admits to herself that what she feels for Sebastian is much more than friendship but knows he will never want a wallflower like her. But that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the attention while she has it.

Sebastian, the Earl of Ramsbury has been friends with Phineas “Finn”, the Earl of Delacourt and his younger sister Marianne for as long as he can remember, they are two of the most important people in his life and he would never do anything to threaten those relationships. But he starts to see Marianne in a new light when she makes a splash at the Brighthollow ball and has to force himself to remember that he promised Finn that he would never seduce his sister. But some promises need to be broken and when he shares a forbidden kiss with Marianne, he is lost and might end up losing everyone he cares about if he can’t control his desire for the only woman he absolutely shouldn’t want.

I liked this book, but it wasn’t really the story I was hoping for, as Marianne turns out to be a sort of Regency era Pollyanna. She was a very nice character – maybe too nice and even with her “daringness” to complete Claudia’s list with things like: Fill my dance card, learn to play billiards, and go to a party uninvited. There was nothing really shocking (save the last item on the list) to my jaded mind. And as much as I love a good “Brother’s Best Friend” trope, this wasn’t quite that, since Sebastian was already legitimately good friends with her, so I think I had a hard time accepting that he never “saw” her until that ball. Anyway, it was a cute story with a bit of drama and some fairly steamy scenes, but I just felt like this could have been so much more than it was, that being said, I did enjoy the book and would happily recommend it. I am also looking forward to reading Finn’s story which is the next book in the series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *