Murder at the Fitzwilliam

Museum Mysteries #1

by Jim Eldridge

After rising to prominence for his role investigating the case of Jack the Ripper, former Detective Inspector Daniel Wilson is now retired. Known for his intelligence, investigative skills, and most of all his discretion, he’s often consulted when a case must be solved quickly and quietly. So when a body is found in the Egyptian Collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Wilson is called in.


As he tries to uncover the identity of the dead man and the circumstances surrounding his demise, Wilson must contend with an unhelpful police Inspector, and more alarmingly, Abigail McKenzie, the archaeologist who discovered the body and is determined to protect the Egyptian collection. Can they find a way to work together to solve the mystery?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 8, 2018

About the author

Jim Eldridge is the author of many books for children, including titles in the My Story series, the Warpath books, and How to Handle Grown-Ups. He has had 250 TV scripts broadcast in the UK and internationally for children's and teen television, and is also the creator and writer of Radio 4's long-running comedy-drama series, King Street Junior.

Reviews

[Veronique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I was never going to resist this kind of story - ‘cosy’ murder mystery set in a Victorian Cambridge. Not only this, the narration was set in a famous museum and its Egyptian exhibition. Yep. Never had a chance.

To be fair, this turned out to be an entertaining story, the plot and setting working well together. The weaker part was mostly with the main characters. Daniel and Abigail are likeable enough, the former more so than the latter, but both behaved and ‘spoke’ in a fashion that contradicted their setting - way too modern. I didn't hate it but it did jar a few times. I’m probably being picky but that’s because I’ve read now quite a few similar series where this was dealt with a better hand, portraying someone that is believably from a certain era and yet featuring some modern tendencies.

Easy and entertaining read nonetheless.

[Tahera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new series find for me and since it is based in Victorian England and involves museums and ancient artifacts (Egyptian in this book), I was excited to give it a try. Overall, I liked listening to the audiobook but one thing is certain; I need to avoid listening to audiobooks when I am planning to take a nap.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

[Shatarupa Dhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:
Book One of the Museum Mysteries trilogy, it is set in the Cambridge of 1894. Daniel Wilson, formerly an assistant and member of Chief Inspector Abberline's team of detectives in the Scotland Yard (who were hot on the trail of Jack the Ripper), has reached the front doors of the Fitzwilliam Museum with his suitcase. He is a private enquiry agent based in London now who has been hired by Sir William Mackenzie to solve the murder of an unidentified male whose body was discovered in one of the coffins in the museum.

Along with him is Abigail Fenton, archaeologist, who has been hired by the Fitzwilliam to make an inventory of their Egyptian collection. It is where the murder occurred and she is the one who found out the body.

It will be interesting to see how they both get about solving the case, with all the resistance they face. Resistance for being a learned woman in that century and resistance for being a man who disgraced the police force by becoming a private agent.

Review:
It is weird, reading the first book after the second one. This is where the characters that I am already familiar with now have been introduced. And I'm as eager as I was then to know more about them! I was wondering while starting this one as to when would Abigail make an appearance and she's there right from the beginning! I like how assertive she is, taking no nonsense from anybody.

But I am fed up with being treated as some kind of fragile flower just because I am a woman. We do not all swoon at the sight of death or injury.

Daniel, after finding her attractive, goes full-on investigative on her. Trying to draw out conclusions about her character through his interactions. It was very amusing to see Daniel being so interested in Abigail's private life and her acquaintances. While Book Two was all about their relationship and easy camaraderie, seeing them as acquaintances whose relationship gradually develops was a magical experience. This story also gave a little insight into Abigail's younger sister, Bella. And a lot of bickering between the two sisters, which was cute. And being an officer first and now a detective, it was amazing to see Daniel floundering in his attempts to impress Abigail, rather always angering her. This also has its fair share of laughs.

I’d rather hit myself over the head with a hammer, thought Daniel at the idea of spending an evening listening to two Egyptologists yammering on.

The way they still came together in spite of their different backgrounds is interesting. But shucks! Abigail's ex Edgar Bruton also makes a nasty appearance. This book is way more character laden than the second.

Sir Jasper Stone of the second book makes an appearance here for the first time, having used Daniel's services for locating some missing Saxon jewels from the British Museum. He's the one who suggested Daniel's name to Mackenzie. I was glad to see that unlike the inspector in the second book, Inspector Drabble in this one is rather considerate in the later parts of the story.

The angle that the author used in this one, with respect to Arthur Conan Doyle's short story Lot No. 249 has me eager to read that story now. It amazed me that a British author's short story first appeared in an American magazine then.

Historical fiction isn't easy to write. And Jim Eldridge has written a well-researched story.

Further Reading:
Frederick Abberline

P.S. A special mention for the beautiful covers!

Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/201...

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say, I gave up. I don’t think tackling the audio version helped. It was incredibly old-fashioned in both plot and telling and everything seemed rather obvious.

I’m sorry Mr Eldridge, this one was not for me.

So it goes.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a light mystery that would fill time, which was exactly what happened here. The mystery itself was actually fairly decently plotted, and I appreciated the Victorian British setting. Its weak points are the characters, with the main male lead being almost too modern-day sensitive guy, and the two sisters being a stab at feminism, which though obviously well-intentioned didn't quite work out so well. The audio narrator had to work with the material he was given, so that the sisters' voices weren't the easiest to get used to. However, that having been said I have purchased and begun listening to the sequel.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in the 'Museum Mysteries' series, brings together former Scotland Yard detective, Daniel Wilson, who was once involved in the Jack the Ripper investigations, and Egyptologist Abigail Fenton and the pairing works wonderfully well as they investigate murders at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

The Fitzwilliam setting works very well as a background for this excellent mystery novel that has some fine supporting cast members, particularly the horrid Inspector Drabble, who does mellow just a little as the book progresses, and Abigail's lovesick sister, Bella, who takes a fancy to a couple of the protagonists.

The story begins with the Fitzwilliam about to launch its new Egyptian collection and artefacts were being delivered and unpacked. But when a previously empty sarcophagus reveals a dead body within, director Sir William McKenzie calls in Wilson to begin an investigation on a low key basis as he did not want to go straight to the police as details could get out to the press and jeopardise the exhibition.

The problem is, how is Wilson to identify the victim who had no personal details on him to help with identification. The answer is, with difficulty because the starting point was suitably vague. To assist him he engages Abigail Fenton and after some early disagreements, their working relationship, if not a mutual personal one at first, improves and they work well together. This is so much so that Wilson develops more of a liking for his partner than he would care to wish.

Despite plenty of leg work and diligent investigations, initially nothing seems to help and then when a second body is discovered, the task becomes even more difficult. By this time Sir William has little option but to call in the police and Inspector Drabble immediately resents the intrusion of the two so-called amateur investigators.

Fortunately all the diligence eventually pays off when a useful lead is discovered that take Wilson and Fenton on the road to track down the perpetrator. And it is an unexpected one that reveals an unexpected climax, both in apprehending the criminal and in the relationship between Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton.

It promised well for future titles in the series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1894 Cambridge. Daniel Wilson, ex-Scotland Yard detective now a private inquiry agent is called to investigate the death of a man at the Fitzwilliam museum by Sir William Mackenzie.
He is helped in his investigation by the discoverer of the body, archaeologist Abigail Fenton. Who then discovers another body in her office. But will this be the last one.
I enjoyed this well-written historical mystery. I liked the characters and the plot. A very good start to the series.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Victorian crime novels in the Agatha Christie style. Was really disappointed with Jim Eldridge's take on it. From an online search it seems he's a pretty established writer and screenwriter but Murder at the Fitzwilliam is pretty awful. My main issue is his depiction of women. All the women in this book are gross caricatures of what are obviously a very male view point. The main female character, Abigail, is arrogant, hyper-sensitive, brusque and extremely unlikable. By contrast, Daniel, the male lead, is super calm and level-headed. The fact that someone like that would fall for such a prickly, superficial female is pretty unbelievable. Then there's the dialogue and prose, which were mediocre at best. Finally the plot. I could see the ending a mile away, which meant that before the halfway point, I was already trying to skim through to the end. I will not be continuing this series.

[Chriss Corkscrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Appalling formulaic tripe!!!

Where do I start. The murder mystery is puerile, the detective a personality-free zone and the female lead. Let’s just say she’s one of THOSE women characters written by men who think creating a character with anachronistic sensibilities, supposed ‘brilliant’ intelligence (although as this character was unutterably stupid for most of the book it’s hard to believe) and a propensity for telling other people how stupid they are presents a rounded character.

I held on like grim death for the twist at the end, but it turned out there wasn’t one.

This is writing by numbers. Can’t believe someone published it.

[Hannah | thebookwormsfeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story at all, but my mind wandered just a little too easily... I loved the setting of the Ancient Eygptian rooms of a museum as a backdrop for the murder, but I can remember much of the sleuthing. I think this is one I'll revisit another time though, as I think listening to it, rather than reading it in print, may have hampered my absorption more than anything.

[Alyse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh.

Based on the description, this book and series should have been a no-brainer to add to my list of favorites. Museums in England, a female Egyptologist, her sister interesting in voting rights for women, a private detective, everything set in Victorian times? All things I love to see in a book.

Other reviewers have mentioned the one dimensional characters, out of place dialogue for the time, and lack of a Victorian feel and I agree, though they are issues that I can often overlook when it comes to a quick and easy read that contains things I'm interested in. But I had to quit this book about halfway through. I had to push myself to even get that far, in hopes that the major annoyance I was dealing with would resolve.

The major issue with the book is Abigail. I LOVE strong, independent, and yet imperfect female characters. Jane Austen got me hooked on them and I could list many that I've read and enjoyed throughout the years. I imagine that the author thought he was writing a strong, independent woman whose imperfection is being slightly prickly from the struggle she has gone through as a woman to get to where she is and thus has a hard time trusting people. But he fails HORRIBLY.

She's constantly snapping at people, flying off the handle at the slightest (typically imagined) provocation, picking fights, and acts like an absolute adolescent brat to her sister. Her reaction to a dumb story in a newspaper is embarrassingly over the top when she should have just rolled her eyes. The very first time the reader is introduced to her, she comes in yelling at someone she has never even met for a nonexistent and perceived slight. She is the personification of the 'shrieking harpy' female stereotype. She would be an incredibly grating main character even if she was a man and comes off as a temper tantrum throwing narcissist. Her attitude is also incredibly unrealistic. To succeed in being an Egyptologist at a museum in the Victorian period would have required a woman who could play the game, choosing her words wisely and only picking fights when it really mattered. She would need to be exceedingly shrewd and cunning to get her way without men realizing they are allowing her to do so. A woman who acted like Abigail would be handing the men around her a legitimate reason to dismiss her. And as a character, she is incredibly exhausting and grating to read.

If this is how Eldridge writes his 'strong, independent woman in a man's world' characters, I want nothing to do with it.

[James Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't go into the details of the plot as they have been well covered elsewhere. Jim Eldridge is a hugely successful writer and has written an entertaining whodunnit. That said, I did feel the characters were a wee bit on the one-dimensional/stereotypical side and the 'love story' did remind me of the old joke that it would be great if the couple got together because they would at least save two other people from misery.

The dialogue was quite flat at times with little differentiation in the way each character spoke. I guessed early on who did it and was also right about the motives of another would-be killer. I didn't hate the book, though at times some of the historical info did feel as if it was being ladled on with a trowel.

For me, it fell into the 'cozy, easy-to-read' category, but not a page-turner. That said, I'm sure there will be many people who love it and it wouldn't necessarily stop me reading another in what is, I believe, a three-book series.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this - a museum mystery with Egyptian mummified remains committing murder - the story itself was ok but I'm afraid it didn't feel right to me, almost like there was something missing. It was set in 1894 but the dialog didn't feel right for that period in time. I didn't like the female lead character Abigail Fenton, she was supposed to be a modern independent woman but all she did was moan. Daniel Wilson the private investigator who was tasked with investigating the murders spoke too much about what he'd found out to the wrong people which had me gritting my teeth. I don't think I'll be reading the next book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ = Quite Good.

I quite enjoyed this easy read, especially as it contained a smattering of Egyptian artifacts!
The lines were a little blurred between the era this was set in and present day but glossing over this... pretty likeable. 🙂

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book it made me think of an Agatha Christie whodunit interestingly all set in different museums throughout the series.

Jim Eldridge has you on the edge of the seat the whole time, your never quite sure how this book is going to go. The characters all interesting Abigail reminded me of Temperence Brennan but from the TV show she's very direct and pulls no punches considering the times for women.

If you enjoy a good murder mystery with a bit of history of Egypt thrown in you'll love this book.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this in the end; the plot developed substantially about half way through but up to that point I really wasn't sure I could face finishing it because of the poor writing style.

[Kymm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent start to a new series for me. I love historical mysteries and "Murder at the Fitzwilliam" by Jim Eldridge had everything I've come to expect in them. I'm anxious to get going on the rest of this series as it's highly entertaining and the characters are perfect. A former Scotland Yard investigator who worked the Jack the Ripper investigation is now working for the museum itself as an enquiry agent when a body is found in the sarcophagus of an Egyptian princess. Abigail, who works in the museum as an Egyptologist and logs in all the new artifacts that come in knows the museum inside and out, so Daniel, the enquiry agent enlists her help in the investigation. In a time when women were meant to be seen and not heard, Daniel brings her in to partner with him, the first time Abigail has been treated as an equal. The action is non-stop, and the twists and turns will keep you glued to the pages of this one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical mystery. Eldridge hit a hole in one! Happy Reading!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. It had a few things I struggled with, but overall I enjoyed this and would read others in this series.

I really liked the character of Daniel and enjoyed his style of investigating, particularly the fact that he was calm, and sensible, not allowing emotions or personal situations to get in the way of doing his job in investigating, even when he was tempted. All investigators should be as objective and rational as he is.

As for Abigail, I liked her, and then I didn't like her so much, and then at the end I liked her again. She really had a bit of stick up her butt at the start, and while I understand why she was so prickly given how badly she'd been treated by men in the past, I feel it too her way too long to actually realize Daniel was different and start trusting him. She got there eventually, but I hope that she will be less of a prig in future books. I feel she and Daniel will make an excellent pair of investigators.

This was a good, easy-reading, low-key English type murder mystery. I enjoyed it and the characters and will look for other books in this series.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. Museums and the 1890s? I'd love to spend some imaginary time there. However, Eldridge didn't evoke much of the atmosphere with the historical, contextual details that I enjoy. Much of the dialogue was simply anachronistic, like using the phrase "bump" to describe an 8-months-pregnant woman. In the 1890s, in the situation in the book, her condition would hardly have merited comment, much less have been called a "bump." ("Baby bump" ascended to popularity in the early 2000s, according to the Google Ngram.) The attitudes and concerns of the main characters were not out of place, but each character had a defining feature or two and little rounding out. Certain character names were perhaps intended to evoke Dickens ("Inspector Drabble," anyone?), but that just made them feel cartoonish.

Overall, meh. A disappointment. I might seek out the next two books in the series, since my library has them and they take place at museums I know, but I won't be rushing.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a comfortable almost old-fashioned feel about this book set in Cambridge at the end of the nineteenth century. A body has been found, recently murdered, in a sarcophagus in the Egyptian room at the famous Fitzwilliam museum.

The manager of the Museum decides to use a private enquiry agent, Daniel Wilson, a young man who became famous as part of Scotland Yard's Abberline team who solved the Ripper case. (There is some back story here as the principal members of that team have now left Scotland yard and are all working as private detectives). The investigation into the murder brings Daniel into contact with Abigail Fenton who discovers the body.

The story proceeds at a good pace, another two murders occur, but I found it a relatively unchallenging read. Perhaps attractive to those who look with nostalgia at the Golden Age who-dunnits.

[Jill Trend]

Awful

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery with a museum tie in. I liked the characters but I thought they were a little too modern at times and the romance could have been developed a bit better.

[Debra B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 🌟

[Theresa Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 ½ Stars

Daniel Wilson, former inspector for Scotland Yard and current private enquiry agent, is summoned to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge to help solve a murder. A fresh body has been found in a sarcophagus in the Egyptian collection. Wilson has been chosen to look into this matter because of his past police performance and his ability to be discreet. The Fitzwilliam wants this case solved quickly and quietly in order to protect the museum.

Upon his arrival, Daniel Wilson meets Abigail Fenton, archaeologist and current head of the Egyptian collection at the Fitzwilliam. It was Ms. Fenton who has found the body so Wilson is very interested in what she has to say. Daniel immediately finds her “formidable…unafraid, (and) not easily put off.” On the other hand, she seems to find Daniel Wilson annoying. Shortly after their introductions, they are interrupted by Inspector Drabble who is in charge of the investigation. Drabble does not want Wilson involved in the case because he believes he will be a distraction, and he doesn’t want Abigail’s involvement because she is a woman. Daniel and Abigail decide to join forces to solve this crime.

One of the underlying themes of this book is women’s rights. We have Abigail’s sister who is participating in a campaign for women’s right to vote. We also have Abigail herself who, while not politically involved, seems to hold as much disdain for men as some men held towards women. She wants to be looked at as a smart, independent woman who does not need the assistance of a man. She tends to be brusque and rude to men, especially Mr. Wilson. Although Abigail’s background story helps to explain part of her behavior, I still felt her character a bit off putting. Daniel must really like her as he puts up with her throughout the novel. Daniel himself also has opinions regarding women’s right to vote. He would not only like to see women gain the right to vote, but also all men as well, not just a select population of them.

The mystery itself was very interesting. I particularly like books on Ancient Egypt so this added to my enjoyment of the book. I also found the references to some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works interesting. There are a great cast of potential suspects. Daniel methodically works his way through the case, discovering new clues and suspects along the way, and then slowly eliminates suspects. About halfway through the story, I had a good inkling about who the murderer was. It’s not just about the who though, it is also about the why. It wasn’t until the ending, that his motives became clear. An interesting twist adds to the excitement of the conclusion.

I think those that enjoy historical mysteries, specially those set in Victorian England, will enjoy this book.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

#MurderAtTheFitzwilliam #JimEldridge #AllisonAndBusby

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retired Scotland Yard detective, known for his participation in the search for Jack the Ripper, is now a "private inquiry agent" commissioned to solve a murder at the museum in Cambridge. Retired detective Wilson encounters a less-than helpful local inspector and the museum's prickly female archaeologist Abigail who is the person who found the body of an unidentified male victim. A local journalist circulates the story that the man was murdered by an Egyptian mummy, mirroring the story written by an emerging British author named Arthur Conan Doyle.

Wilson works with Abigail to uncover the identify of the murdered man and together they begin to unravel (pardon the pun) the threads of the characters, possible motives, and two subsequent suspicious deaths. Are they connected? Is there truly a reincarnated Egyptian mummy loose in Cambridge?

It is a period story with a swirling foggy English flavor and I truly enjoyed it. Not the least because Abigail is scrappy and strongly outspoken which goes against the social standards of the place and time.

[WhatShouldIRead]

This one wasn't for me. While the summary sounded like something I'd very much enjoy, the story just didn't click. Plus I found the multiple mentions about how strong and independent and formidable the female character was repetitious. Once would have been enough.

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another new series to embark upon!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I don’t care. I have met the woman I want to be with”
Sobbing

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light murder mystery that makes a relaxing easy read. It isn't great literature but I enjoyed it and will look for more in the series. Nice characters that I hope will develop as the series goes on.

[Linda Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read but it still kept me guessing until the end. Loved the characters and I look forward to seeing how they develop in the rest of the series.