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A Marshall House Mystery #5
Prayers for the Dying
Dr. Peter Ainsley knew it was only a matter of time before London claims another murder victim, but this time the body is discovered tied to a lamppost four doors down from the house Ainsley shares with his sister and their bedridden father. The day the body is discovered, a maid of their house and Ainsley’s lover, Julia Kemp, fails to return home from errands in the city.
Convinced the body found in Belgravia and Julia’s disappearance are related, Ainsley follows leads that point him to an infamous bookman, Thaddeus Calvin, known as much for manipulating boxing outcomes as he is for his violent temper. Fiercely protected by the neighbourhood he extorts, Thaddeus is like a ghost, so deeply feared even Scotland Yard is unable to charge him for his crimes.
When another young woman’s body, a housemaid like Julia, is discovered floating in the river Ainsley hastens his desperate search to discover Julia’s whereabouts before she too becomes just another murder victim found in the Thames.
Convinced the body found in Belgravia and Julia’s disappearance are related, Ainsley follows leads that point him to an infamous bookman, Thaddeus Calvin, known as much for manipulating boxing outcomes as he is for his violent temper. Fiercely protected by the neighbourhood he extorts, Thaddeus is like a ghost, so deeply feared even Scotland Yard is unable to charge him for his crimes.
When another young woman’s body, a housemaid like Julia, is discovered floating in the river Ainsley hastens his desperate search to discover Julia’s whereabouts before she too becomes just another murder victim found in the Thames.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2016
5 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Tracy L. Ward
13 books83 followersA former journalist and graduate from Humber College's School for Writers, Tracy Ward has been hard at work developing her favourite protagonist, Peter Ainsley, and chronicling his adventures as a young surgeon in Victorian England. Her first book featuring Peter Ainsley, titled CHORUS OF THE DEAD, was released in 2012. Since then the series has grown to include six books with a seventh, a Christmas mystery, set for release in Fall 2018.
Her website can be found at www.gothicmysterywriter.blogspot.com. Tracy Ward is currently working on a new Victorian series set in Toronto. She lives near Barrie, Ontario with her husband and two teenagers.
Her website can be found at www.gothicmysterywriter.blogspot.com. Tracy Ward is currently working on a new Victorian series set in Toronto. She lives near Barrie, Ontario with her husband and two teenagers.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 20, 2016
I wish I was more interested in reading more in this series that is coming. I do love the characters and I feel that the author is a very good writer. My problem is that the development of the characters is not consistent. They stepped back in development too often and there were a few times in which that development went off in left field and then vanished.
It confused me.
I prefer it when complex characters grow with each book and these folks just never felt like they did.
It confused me.
I prefer it when complex characters grow with each book and these folks just never felt like they did.
July 18, 2021
-This 5th book in the series was a very pleasant surprise and was the best book in the series so far. In the early books of the series, the main character of Peter Ainsley (really Peter Marshall) had started out as a noble character who dedicated himself to being a surgeon and was acting for the good of others, but by the last book, his anger and frustration because of what was happening around him were turning him into an anti hero and the story became difficult to read. Because I had invested time in the series, and it had started out so good, I decided to purchase this next installment, and it turned out to be everything a great novel could be, from the fast paced writing, to the plot, to the character, who turned his life around to being the type of hero that you could look up to.
-The story starts out with a short chapter on a small family in London who fears for their lives. The husband, Robert, is hiding out from what could best be described as a crime boss who is looking for his sister for something she did and is surely going to kill her for it. The wife, Mary, is upset that Robert is willing to put them all in danger, including their young daughter, Lucy, just to protect Robert’s sister. Robert fears that this crime boss will also have him fight again for him in a boxing match, which he refuses to do. Their only way out is for the family to escape on a ship to the Americas which they can do only by selling everything they have, which Robert is committed to do.
-A knock on their door brings fear to them, but it turns out to be a friend, Jeremiah. When Robert says that he wants to let his sister know their plans, Jeremiah says that he will go in his stead, as Robert is sure to be followed.
-The next thing we see is Peter Ainsley, who is at home and who arises at the sound of cries from someone in the house. He rushes to his father’s room to his father, who is tangled in his bed and crying out with unintelligible sounds. We discover that his father had collapsed while away and looking after investments in the Caribbean, and was in this state when he returned, where he seemed to be partly paralyzed and unable to speak. Both Peter and mainly his sister Margaret, have been his caregivers, as those they tried to hire to assist have left because of the difficulty in handling him.
-With the plight of Peter’s father, the Earl, as a backdrop, the story continues with screams from outside their home. As Peter rushes out, he sees a man laying motionless on the ground whose leg is tied to a lamppost. Peter sees a police officer already on the scene that he knows and holding people back, and Peter bluffs that he’s been sent by Inspector Simms to examine the body. He quickly does so and sees that the man had been killed and death was caused by a dull blade to the throat.
-Inspector Simms appears, and, in a prior novel, the Inspector had a falling out with Peter, and doesn’t want him involved at all. It’s not just a falling out, but an outright hatred that seems to be boiling up inside the police officer, because of Peter’s prior unwillingness to submit to any sort of authority, and because of the death that Peter caused to someone in a previous book, someone who was notorious but it was still a death that Peter willingly caused but could not be tried for, for lack of evidence.
-But it’s here that we see the great turnaround in the character of Peter, as the former angry young man has turned into someone remorseful and looking to make amends for the past. He has ceased from drinking alcohol and controls himself when faced with conditions that had caused him to explode in the last book.
-Later, Peter sees a body in the Thames while walking over a bridge and jumps in to pull it to shore. It’s a woman, and, like many other women recently, has had her throat slit, much like the man who was tied near Peter’s home. Peter then reaches out to the Inspector, who seems more willing to enlist Peter’s help and Peter explains that the deaths of these women and that of the man tied near his home are linked. In addition, Peter realizes that the dead man was meant to be a warning to someone in the area.
-There are other issues that come up that have to be dealt with. There’s a leak in the police department where information on investigations are being told to others in the criminal world; and in the household of Peter and Margaret, one of the help is sending details of what they’re going through to a reporter, who is printing it in the newspapers.
-Julia, the private maid of Margaret with whom Peter had been having an affair, had gone to visit Peter while he was at the hospital and was supposed to be going back to his home, but she is now missing. Peter fears that she has met the same fate as that of the many women who have turned up dead in the river.
-Throughout, the tension is kept up, and the investigation continues, with surprises coming in steadily as the story evolves. There is a shocking ending, which the reader is totally unprepared for. All in all, this is by far the best of the books so far, and scores five stars in all categories, while leading into a new situation which will be dealt with in the next book.
-The story starts out with a short chapter on a small family in London who fears for their lives. The husband, Robert, is hiding out from what could best be described as a crime boss who is looking for his sister for something she did and is surely going to kill her for it. The wife, Mary, is upset that Robert is willing to put them all in danger, including their young daughter, Lucy, just to protect Robert’s sister. Robert fears that this crime boss will also have him fight again for him in a boxing match, which he refuses to do. Their only way out is for the family to escape on a ship to the Americas which they can do only by selling everything they have, which Robert is committed to do.
-A knock on their door brings fear to them, but it turns out to be a friend, Jeremiah. When Robert says that he wants to let his sister know their plans, Jeremiah says that he will go in his stead, as Robert is sure to be followed.
-The next thing we see is Peter Ainsley, who is at home and who arises at the sound of cries from someone in the house. He rushes to his father’s room to his father, who is tangled in his bed and crying out with unintelligible sounds. We discover that his father had collapsed while away and looking after investments in the Caribbean, and was in this state when he returned, where he seemed to be partly paralyzed and unable to speak. Both Peter and mainly his sister Margaret, have been his caregivers, as those they tried to hire to assist have left because of the difficulty in handling him.
-With the plight of Peter’s father, the Earl, as a backdrop, the story continues with screams from outside their home. As Peter rushes out, he sees a man laying motionless on the ground whose leg is tied to a lamppost. Peter sees a police officer already on the scene that he knows and holding people back, and Peter bluffs that he’s been sent by Inspector Simms to examine the body. He quickly does so and sees that the man had been killed and death was caused by a dull blade to the throat.
-Inspector Simms appears, and, in a prior novel, the Inspector had a falling out with Peter, and doesn’t want him involved at all. It’s not just a falling out, but an outright hatred that seems to be boiling up inside the police officer, because of Peter’s prior unwillingness to submit to any sort of authority, and because of the death that Peter caused to someone in a previous book, someone who was notorious but it was still a death that Peter willingly caused but could not be tried for, for lack of evidence.
-But it’s here that we see the great turnaround in the character of Peter, as the former angry young man has turned into someone remorseful and looking to make amends for the past. He has ceased from drinking alcohol and controls himself when faced with conditions that had caused him to explode in the last book.
-Later, Peter sees a body in the Thames while walking over a bridge and jumps in to pull it to shore. It’s a woman, and, like many other women recently, has had her throat slit, much like the man who was tied near Peter’s home. Peter then reaches out to the Inspector, who seems more willing to enlist Peter’s help and Peter explains that the deaths of these women and that of the man tied near his home are linked. In addition, Peter realizes that the dead man was meant to be a warning to someone in the area.
-There are other issues that come up that have to be dealt with. There’s a leak in the police department where information on investigations are being told to others in the criminal world; and in the household of Peter and Margaret, one of the help is sending details of what they’re going through to a reporter, who is printing it in the newspapers.
-Julia, the private maid of Margaret with whom Peter had been having an affair, had gone to visit Peter while he was at the hospital and was supposed to be going back to his home, but she is now missing. Peter fears that she has met the same fate as that of the many women who have turned up dead in the river.
-Throughout, the tension is kept up, and the investigation continues, with surprises coming in steadily as the story evolves. There is a shocking ending, which the reader is totally unprepared for. All in all, this is by far the best of the books so far, and scores five stars in all categories, while leading into a new situation which will be dealt with in the next book.
June 25, 2018
Excellent Read!
If you're looking for a good page turner this is for you!! It's a good blend of mystery along with a great deal of action.
The characters are very well developed, easy to entertain you.
I'm definitely going to read the next one in this series.
Pick up your copy today! 🎶🎶🎶
If you're looking for a good page turner this is for you!! It's a good blend of mystery along with a great deal of action.
The characters are very well developed, easy to entertain you.
I'm definitely going to read the next one in this series.
Pick up your copy today! 🎶🎶🎶
November 4, 2018
This is one series that I truly enjoy. The characters are great and the mystery well plotted. What a whopper ending. I just didn't see it coming.
November 4, 2019
Very involved story.
May 4, 2016
THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW IN EXCHANGE FOR AN ADVANCE READER'S COPY
This is the fifth installment of Tracy L Ward's Marshall family series and I have to say it packs a mighty punch!
Siblings Peter and Margaret Marshall have certainly had their fair share of trauma. Starting with the tragic murder of their mother, Lady Charlotte Marshall, at the hands of a close family friend to the sudden apparent apoplectic breakdown of their father, Lord Abraham Marshall, Earl of Montcliff. Not to mention the secrets the siblings are trying to keep out of the Society papers. One of which is Peter's double life as a morgue surgeon, his troubling "visions" and the ghosts of murdered souls who come to him for help.
Peter is suffering from the irrevocable consequences of his actions that if found out could see him hang. The only two people he trusts with his secrets are his sister and her lady's maid, Julia Kemp, who has become a very dear friend and sister of the heart. This story focuses mainly on Julia and Peter's relationship with her.
From the moment Julia was introduced in book 2 DEAD SILENT, I had hoped to find out more about her. She has a troubled past and secrets of her own. Her story is very well developed and touching and not without its fair share of heartache. Frankly, I couldn't see how the author was going to be able to make their relationship work. He's a nobleman, she's a servant and never the twain shall meet, so to speak.
Then one day the body of a man is found a few doors down from the Marshall mansion. It soon becomes apparent that the man was murdered. Peter soon realizes it was left as a message for someone. The next day Julia goes missing and Peter puts two and two together. He is frantic to find her. He can no longer hide his affections for Julia from those around him. His search digs up more secrets Julia had hoped no one would ever find out, especially the man she loves.
Needless to say, I loved this book! I love this family. The ups and downs felt like a roller coaster ride that was over before I knew it. Knowing there is only one more book in this series makes me sad, and due to the cliff hanger at the end of this one, I hope there's a happy ending for Margaret and Jonas
This is the fifth installment of Tracy L Ward's Marshall family series and I have to say it packs a mighty punch!
Siblings Peter and Margaret Marshall have certainly had their fair share of trauma. Starting with the tragic murder of their mother, Lady Charlotte Marshall, at the hands of a close family friend to the sudden apparent apoplectic breakdown of their father, Lord Abraham Marshall, Earl of Montcliff. Not to mention the secrets the siblings are trying to keep out of the Society papers. One of which is Peter's double life as a morgue surgeon, his troubling "visions" and the ghosts of murdered souls who come to him for help.
Peter is suffering from the irrevocable consequences of his actions that if found out could see him hang. The only two people he trusts with his secrets are his sister and her lady's maid, Julia Kemp, who has become a very dear friend and sister of the heart. This story focuses mainly on Julia and Peter's relationship with her.
From the moment Julia was introduced in book 2 DEAD SILENT, I had hoped to find out more about her. She has a troubled past and secrets of her own. Her story is very well developed and touching and not without its fair share of heartache. Frankly, I couldn't see how the author was going to be able to make their relationship work. He's a nobleman, she's a servant and never the twain shall meet, so to speak.
Then one day the body of a man is found a few doors down from the Marshall mansion. It soon becomes apparent that the man was murdered. Peter soon realizes it was left as a message for someone. The next day Julia goes missing and Peter puts two and two together. He is frantic to find her. He can no longer hide his affections for Julia from those around him. His search digs up more secrets Julia had hoped no one would ever find out, especially the man she loves.
Needless to say, I loved this book! I love this family. The ups and downs felt like a roller coaster ride that was over before I knew it. Knowing there is only one more book in this series makes me sad, and due to the cliff hanger at the end of this one, I hope there's a happy ending for Margaret and Jonas
May 3, 2016
This is an honest review in exchange for an Advance Readers Copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed Prayers for the Dying, the 5th in the Marshall House Mystery Series. From the upper class drawing rooms to the seedy and poverty stricken streets to the morgue of 19th century London, Tracy Ward plunges the reader into the world of Dr. Peter Ainsley and his sister Margaret. I was caught from the first sentence and whirled into the pages. Fascinating attention to detail and a plot with twist and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even if you've never read the prior books in this series, there is enough backstory to lend understanding of characters and situations without being tedious and even better, to make you want to read the other books to learn more.
The ending left me eager and anticipating the next in this great series.
Becky Z.
I thoroughly enjoyed Prayers for the Dying, the 5th in the Marshall House Mystery Series. From the upper class drawing rooms to the seedy and poverty stricken streets to the morgue of 19th century London, Tracy Ward plunges the reader into the world of Dr. Peter Ainsley and his sister Margaret. I was caught from the first sentence and whirled into the pages. Fascinating attention to detail and a plot with twist and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Even if you've never read the prior books in this series, there is enough backstory to lend understanding of characters and situations without being tedious and even better, to make you want to read the other books to learn more.
The ending left me eager and anticipating the next in this great series.
Becky Z.
May 22, 2016
LOVED IT!
As always, this book did not disappoint. Tracey did an awesome job of telling Julia's story! There were plot twists that I did not catch on to, which is always a big plus for me. I can't wait for the next book! There are still a few loose ends that I'm sure will show up in the future (Thaddeus's notebooks) and the ominous foreshadowing of Jonas' endangerment. Love this entire series and how the characters and their circumstances are evolving. Sorry so cryptic but I don't want to be a spoiler, you simply must read these books for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed!
As always, this book did not disappoint. Tracey did an awesome job of telling Julia's story! There were plot twists that I did not catch on to, which is always a big plus for me. I can't wait for the next book! There are still a few loose ends that I'm sure will show up in the future (Thaddeus's notebooks) and the ominous foreshadowing of Jonas' endangerment. Love this entire series and how the characters and their circumstances are evolving. Sorry so cryptic but I don't want to be a spoiler, you simply must read these books for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed!
April 24, 2016
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have really enjoyed all of the "Marshall House" books, but this one is my favourite. I feel like I got to know the characters better in this book, through backstory and also how they interacted with one another. Ainsley seemed much more "real" to me in this installment, more vulnerable, and that made me like him more than I have in past books. The pace of this book was quick and exciting, I was never bored.
April 21, 2016
This is the 5th installment in the Peter Ainsley series and the books just keep getting better! I ran across this series on Amazon looking for a historical, British mystery. This series fits the bill perfectly. I recommend starting at the beginning of the series because each book builds on the last one. The character development is great. Each book reveals something new.
July 16, 2016
Marshall House Mysteries
This series is just so great. I've loved all five books and can't wait for the sixth to come out. The main characters remain the same loving, laughing family and friends, throw in some murders and you have a great read.
This series is just so great. I've loved all five books and can't wait for the sixth to come out. The main characters remain the same loving, laughing family and friends, throw in some murders and you have a great read.
August 21, 2016
Thank you for another wonderful Peter Ainsley book!! I count them up there with some of my favorites!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews