Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher
Description: November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare—killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools. Then Kiera’s past—a past she thought she’d finally made peace with—rises up to haunt her.
All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.
Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds?
Genre: Mystery - Historical
Why I Picked This Book: I really enjoyed the previous book in this series and am looking forward to reading more.
My Impression: I'm so glad to get back to this series and spend time with Kiera and Gage again. Kiera's pregnancy adds a sweetness and increases the stakes for clearing Kiera's name and reputation. I enjoyed seeing Kiera adjust to being the focus of public scrutiny again as well as having people who care for her. I liked her group of friends and how they stood up for her.
The mystery itself was fascinating and introduced me to the whole business of burking and burkers which I was vaguely familiar with though not by that term and not in such detail. It was fascinating and terrifying and made me glad I wasn't running around London in 1831! I mean there are a few more reasons too - corsets and lack of indoor plumbing are also high on that list. I enjoyed the atmosphere that Huber created and I feel like she really made the time period and the setting come alive.
This is a solid series with complex but likable characters and solid interesting mysteries. Throw in the history and I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series and going back to the beginning.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy historical mysteries than this is an excellent choice. While there are some relationships to sort out I think it'd be easy to jump into the series here.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I can't believe this series already has seven books! I keep thinking I'd like to start it, but so far haven't gotten to. It sounds good!
ReplyDeleteSounds really good with interesting characters which always makes a book for me. If I were to read though would most likely go back to the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThere must be some kind of law that says Huber's books always get good covers. I mean they all seem really nice. and this one sounds nicely dark, with the body snatchers angle! This series sounds really good!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good. Not sure I want to commit to another back series, but I did mark it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little behind on this series, but I enjoy it as well.
ReplyDeleteI like the cover, so dramatic.
ReplyDelete