Category: Historical Mystery

A Killer in the Crystal Palace by Deb Marlowe

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A Killer in the Crystal Palace (The Kier and Levett Mystery Series, #1)

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: The Kier and Levett Mystery Series #1
Publication Date: 2/17/23
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 255

What a great story! Has this seasoned historical romance author ventured into writing historical mysteries before this? I don’t know, but she has certainly done an outstanding job of it this time. She has managed to set up the series, introduce all of the series’ characters and make us like them while delivering a mystery that is intriguing. I have seen where this series is only to be three or four books long, but I could easily see this as a scenario and characters that could carry a much longer series should the author choose to go in that direction. Excellently done Deb Marlowe!

Miss Kara Levett and Mr. Niall Kier first meet when they show up at the offices of a sponsor of the Great Exhibition. They are both trying to finagle a spot on the floor of the exhibition to show their creations – but the space is extremely limited. She is a gifted engineer and he is a gifted blacksmith artist whose displays are outstanding. Of course, they win a spot, but sadly, it doesn’t take long for it all to go sour when a man is found murdered on the exhibition grounds. Yes, murdered – with one of the pieces from Kara’s display. Oops! Scotland Yard quickly wants to point the blame at Kara so they can close the case and keep the news from the papers.

If Kara wants to stay out of jail, she’s going to have to prove herself innocent and find the real murderer. Luckily Niall is right there to work alongside her. While Kara appreciates Niall’s help, she is accustomed to doing things on her own and it takes a bit for her to learn to work in tandem. They have to learn to trust each other and depend on each other – and that takes a bit of a leap of faith on both their parts. I admired both of them for the respect they showed each other. Believe it or not – she actually admitted he was right (when he was) and he actually admitted she was right (when she was). Once they got all of those cogs turning in the right direction, the investigation took off. Except – someone is trying to hurt Kara – could she have been the target all along? Surely not – she didn’t even know the man who was murdered.

Some of the stops along the way to solving the mystery provide insights into who our two characters are and the inhabitants of those places are delightful. Kara’s character seems to be pretty straightforward – she is who she is. Niall, on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma that I will love seeing unwound in future books. He has secrets and I can’t wait to find them out!

The series setup and mystery were the main focus of this book, but the groundwork was laid for a romance between Kara and Niall. I loved that there was no insta-lust in this book – just a natural progression of feelings that will, in the end, lead to love I’m sure.

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

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The Black Hand by Will Thomas

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

The Black Hand (Barker & Llewelyn, #5)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Barker & Llewelyn 35
Publication Date: 7/1/2008
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 289

I thoroughly enjoy this series. The stories are told from Llewelyn’s point of view – as if he is writing the stories from much later in his life. Llewelyn is a bit sarcastic and his quips are thoroughly entertaining – though they just pass right over Barker’s head. I came into the series late and read from my entry point through all of the later books and I’m now trying to read all of the earlier books. I love the main characters – Barker & Llewelyn – and the secondary characters are intriguing and fun to know.

Barker and Llewelyn are called to the docks on the Thames because a body was found floating in a barrel. It turns out that is a practice used by the Sicilian Mafia and the body belongs to a man named Serafini who is an assassin. The Mafia in London? At least one of the Mafia wants to expand their territory and they have decided to start with the London docks. Apparently, it will be up to Barker and Llewelyn to find the villain and put a stop to his plans.

It seems the villain is one step ahead and has begun causing harm to those Barker cares about. Those who stand in the villain’s way receive a note with a warning and a black hand – and that is soon followed by a violent death. The government wants Barker’s help to eliminate the threat, but they also have tied his hands with what he can and cannot do. Finding the villain and eliminating the threat will definitely stretch even Barker’s inimitable skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to get into some of the others I’ve missed. While the stories have a progression to them – as shown in the lives and relationships of Barker and Llewelyn – the mysteries and the meat of the stories can easily be read out of sequence. Sometimes it is even fun to be reading an earlier book and know what is going to happen several books down the line.

I can definitely recommend this book and this series. The writing is excellent with strong plots that are perfectly paced. The characters are unique, refreshing, interesting, and definitely not your run-of-the-mill supporting cast. Happy Reading!!!

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