Month: November 2025

The Cursed Divination by Lana Williams

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

The Cursed Divination (Field & Greystone, #5)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Field and Greystone #5
Publication Date: 11/25/25
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 321

Murder and mayhem hit a bit too close to home in this fifth addition to the excellently written Field and Greystone series. Inspector Henry Field wonders whether he should hand the investigation over to another detective, yet he can’t bring himself to step aside when the victim is a family friend and justice feels personal.

Neither Henry nor Mrs. Amelia Greystone is certain what to believe about mediums, spirit communication, or any form of after-death messages. So when a medium contacts Amelia claiming to know the location of a body, Amelia feels compelled to reach out to Henry. Is this woman chasing publicity and hoping Amelia will write about her—or is she truly gifted? When the body appears exactly where the medium predicted, they’re forced to consider a darker possibility: is she communing with the dead, or is she involved in murder?

While the investigation stalls, Henry is summoned by the Tisdales, long-time friends whose daughter has gone missing. He agrees to take the case, only to find himself with yet another mystery that leads nowhere. Then Mrs. Nettle, the medium, resurfaces. The spirits, she claims, have revealed the location of another body—again in the same place as before. Her eerie revelations ignite two grisly murder inquiries and raise one pressing question: is she genuine, or a dangerous fraud?

Henry and Amelia find themselves stumped for much of the book. No clues, no connections between victims—only the medium linking the crimes. Both Henry and Amelia have suspicions about the culprit, but without evidence, their instincts aren’t enough.

This is an excellently written mystery with strong pacing, relatable characters, and an engaging investigation. I especially loved watching the relationship between Henry and Amelia deepen, as well as the developing camaraderie between Henry, the medical examiner, and Sergeant Fletcher.
Suspense, twists, red herrings, and atmospheric tension make this a gripping read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!

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

View all my reviews

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy, #2)The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Crinoline Academy #2

Release Date: November 25, 2025

After spending most of her life tucked safely behind the gates of Miss Corvus’s Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies, Penelope “Nell” Trewlove has finally been given a mission. It is actually a two part mission, first, she is to meet with Miles Quincey, the relentless editor of the Courant to answer questions about the Academy, without revealing any of its secrets and second and more importantly, she is to find Miss Flora Brent, a young lady who failed to arrive at the academy days ago and who seems to have disappeared. But nothing goes as planned and it quickly becomes clear that Nell’s first mission may well be her last, when she finds herself and possibly the Academy ruined by a feral cat and a crinoline!

Miles Quincey is a self-made man, raised in the Rookery by his single mother, a former governess who was determined to give Miles a chance to make something of himself. Though hard work and determination, he has risen up the ranks and is now the Editor in Chief of one of London’s most successful newspapers. Or at least it used to be, with subscriptions dwindling since printing an expose that brought down a prominent and much liked nobleman, Miles needs to find a story that will bring readers back. On top of this, the reporter who writes his gossip column – the column that is keeping the paper afloat has gone missing. But all that fades to black when the most beautiful woman he has ever seen arrives at his office and ends up his wife!

OMG! I loved this book, LOVED IT! I was a bit apprehensive at the start and worried that it might end up being a story of misandry disguised as feminism, but thankfully that was not the case. This was a wonderful story of strong women and men working together and falling in love. It is not a man-bashing story with a hero who has to bow to the heroine, it is instead a story of two people who have had hard lives, yet rather than wallow in self-pity have made something of themselves and try to make the world a better place. They work together and encourage each other and learn to trust each other. So, if you like a love story with a good mystery, strong characters, marriage of convenience, mild love scenes, no prolonged misunderstandings, secrets, cats, found family and a happy ending – you need to read this book! This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*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. *