When Augusta Peel discovers a mysterious message in a book she’s repairing, her enquiries take her to Baker Street. But events turn sinister when she learns the address is linked to an unexplained death.
Enlisting the help of Philip Fisher and his detective agency, Augusta attempts to solve a crime which has remained hidden. Can the pair possibly match the skills of Baker Street’s most famous resident, Sherlock Holmes?
It’s not long before the body count rises. And when someone discovers her true identity, Augusta’s own secrets threaten to catch up with her.
Emily Organ is the author of over thirty historical cozy mysteries set in Victorian and 1920s England. Her bestselling series include the Penny Green Victorian Mysteries, the Augusta Peel Mysteries, and her newest Emma Langley Victorian Mysteries, in which a plucky widow teams up with former reporter Penny Green. She also writes the Churchill & Pemberley cozy mysteries, featuring two spirited senior sleuths. Emily’s books combine warmth, wit, and a love of history, inspired by her fascination with London’s past.
Oh, I love Augusta! She's such a smart and resourceful woman; reading about her is always a joy!
And this book is no exception to the rule :P Augusta gets involved in investigating a cold case that brought her a lot more grievance than she imagined.
As always, there are a lot of interesting historical details (what? I'm a goner for historical details!) And look! Fred is actually helping with more than seeing after her business, he's involved in the investigation by doing research. Good for you, Fred!
And wow! Augusta found a clue while doing her real job! *laughs*
But not all is easy-peasy. Her house got ransacked ( (loved how she took care of Sparky's safety before going after the intruder) and a hot pursuit ensues, sadly, with no immediate results. Except, maybe, for a very particular moment between her and Philip :P
And I must say it, I didn't see the culprit coming!
So, yes, another wonderful entry in this series, one I fully recommend ♥
Of Emily Organ’s series, I think I enjoy the Mrs. Peel books the most. Mrs. Peel is an intelligent, independent woman with an eye for details which helps her investigate murders. In The Baker Street Murders, she is inadvertently drawn into the case of a man who went missing ten years ago. Many unsavory characters cross her path, and one even tries to kill her. She perseveres, and I’ll admit I never saw the solution coming.
Augusta Peel, book repairer and bookshop owner, loves a mystery to solve. When a box of books is left on the doorstep of the shop, she discovers within a copy of The Invisible Man a letter written 10 years previously from a brother to his sister.
That letter talks about a missing friend, Andrew, and how John doesn't believe that Andrew would have really just up and left his life, job, flat, and his sister, without saying anything.
Returning the letter to the original owner leads to more intrigue... John died falling in front of a train some 5 months after Andrew's disappearance... could the two incidents be connected? John was still trying to find Andrew at the time of his death.
Augusta is also still dealing with Walter Ferguson... thorn in her side... who has apparently discovered her true identity and intends to publish her story... it's not one she wants revealed, and she can't prove he's come by the information illegally, so the War Office won't act. Can Philip take time from his latest job following a married woman suspected of having an affair to help Augusta keep her story from the newspaper?
The cases twist and intertwine cleverly up to the very last.
This is the seventh book in the Augusta Peel mystery series. Author Emily Organ brings us another thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing mystery.
There were all sorts of interesting characters in the book. And plenty of suspects! We get to travel on the Underground and railroad to various parts of London as well as Sherlock Holmes' street. And learn interesting information about patent medicines, bicycling, and typography.
It is good to see her bookstore assistant Fred being helpful doing library research. Philip, the former Scotland Yard inspector, provides a good sounding board for Augusta's deductive process (as does Sparky the canary). And books actually get repaired and contain forgotten clues!
I really like all of Emily's series because they contain interesting facts about London at that time woven into the plot. She does exceptional historical research for each book. They are all Highly Recommended!
I have read and greatly enjoyed each of the Augusta Peel books.
She is smart, dedicated and dogged.
So, I was delighted to learn of this, the 7th book in the series.
I was not disappointed, the writing is stellar, but the denouement is appalling. Out of seemingly nowhere, Mrs Peel pulls out a complicated, almost unbelievable solution to the several mysteries that run parallel throughout.
I will not belabor this point: the writing is excellent, the ending is sophomoric.
If you choose the read the book, you will find a well-written book, and at the end, you will be rewarded with an endearing fact about Mrs Peel’s personal history which has nothing to do with the rest of the work.
Sadly, I found the solution to mysteries to be hollow and unworthy of Emily Organ.
Somebody left a bunch of books on Augusta's doorstep. In H.G. Well's The Invisible Man was a 10~year old letter that an affectionate brother wrote to his beloved sister. In it, he mentioned that he has been searching for his friend and biking buddy, Alexander Miller. Given Augusta's insatiable Curiosity, and given Fred's (her Assistant's) recently discovered gift in Research, the letter~writer's sister's address was soon ascertained and Augusta gave her a visit and the search for answers began. Who was Alexander Miller? And Where was he? The Who was easily answered, unfortunately the letter~writer died, after two months from when he wrote said letter, in an accident on the railway platform. This book will also reveal Augusta's Origins and that she is also Sparky's honorary Cousin.
I get very excited every time Emily Organ comes out with a new mystery. This one was fantastic. Everything flowed so well, and I would finish one chapter and couldn't stop myself from jumping into the next one. And the next one. Very hard to put this book down. Augusta Peel finds herself embroiled in a ten year old murder mystery. Not just one death. But two. She must get the help of people who knew the victims. The deaths had been unsolved all this time and some family members and friends were desperate to know what happened. But there is another who is desperate that Augusta never find out what happened. The characters were very well drawn, and the place and time was easy to see in my mind. Like I was there. Totally immersive and isn't that the best way to feel when reading a book?? Is this the last Augusta Peel book? It sort of felt like it. But I hope not. And by the way, the culprit is someone you won't see coming!! I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving my voluntary review.
Another excellent Augusta Peel mystery. Her stories get better with each new book. In this story, Augusta finds a letter found in the pages of a book she was repairing for her shop. Her curiosity as usual, got the better of her and soon she was investigating and upsetting a lot of people. She was threatened, her home ransacked, and physically assaulted, yet continues to investigate. There were several viable suspects but leave it to Augusta Peel to discover the real killer.
Dirty doings on Baker St. and Sherlock is a no show
Chock full of red herrings and twists and turns, Augusta is in hot pursuit of the truth about a ten year old disappearance. A revelation and a comeuppance for several bullies are served neatly. I was definitely taken by surprise.
I really love this series, and this one was especially good. Good info in the historical notes at the end, which I'm always inclined to read first. Fun incorporation of Sherlock and Baker Street into the story and very happy to hear about "Mrs. Peel's" past. The mystery was a good one involving quack medicine.
This book was the best so far of the series. I couldn’t put the book down it was so good. The character development was wonderful, the mystery was like most English mysteries where you don’t find out who did it till the end. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good English mystery.
I enjoyed how the author brought together all the different plot lines in the conclusion. It was great how the characters worked together. It was interesting to learn more about Augusta’s backstory.
Another excellent book in this series, I couldn't put it down. I love the characters and the story was really good with lots of surprises. I highly recommend the whole series. Can't wait for the next one.
Augusta Peel owns a used book store…and investigates interesting cases as a hobby. I won’t mention spoilers but Augusta pieces together an answer to a highly sensitive question
The plot was intriguing as always with Ms. Organ's books. This one, however, is the best because we learn about Augusta's past life, including the name she was born with!
glad that we finally know a bit more about Augusta
This was on of my favorites. I appreciated the mystery and the character development. I kind of guessed who the villain was a few chapters before it was revealed, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book.
Reading all seven books one after the other has made these characters alive to me. Augusta and all her friends offer much enjoyment while reading exciting stories and solving mysteries.
Another wonderful book,the storyline was brilliant, the characters are so well written and the description of the places are wonderful,I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cosy mystery stories.
Augusta finds a 10 year old opened letter in a donated book. Her curiosity about the contents leads her on a dangerous quest to uncover the fate of a missing young man mentioned in the context of the said letter. A long awaited personal reveal ends the story!
In my opinion this was the best book in a great series. Emily Organ writes in a way that makes the books a joy to read. Augusta is a lady with a mysterious past but the secrets are being revealed . Good plots, relatable characters and sensible conclusions. What more can you want from a thriller ?
One of Emily's best in the series. In fact, each one is getting better. I'm looking forward to #8 and beyond. If you're new to Emily Organ and Augusta Peel, start at the beginning.
I like this book. Interesting premise. A young man goes missing and his best friend falls in front of a train seven months later. Typed letters are involved. It seems that many people have reasons to want these men gone.
This is a very nice addition to the series. Can't get over Augusta's nosiness but that's how she stumbles onto an investigation with several murders. By the end of the book the reader has learned a lot new about Augusta Peel.
Augusta peel is a wonderful character. Her “pluck” and “sticktoitiveness” is remarkable. I often wonder if there were really women like her in those days.