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Lizzie Martin #7
The Murderer's Apprentice
Dense fog masks foul play in the streets of London, as Ann Granger brings us her seventh Victorian mystery featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Ben Ross and his wife Lizzie. It is March 1870. London is in the grip of fog and ice. But Scotland Yard's Inspector Ben Ross has more than the weather to worry about when the body of a young woman is found in a dustbin at the back of a Piccadilly restaurant. Ben must establish who the victim is before he can find out how and why she came to be there. His enquiries lead him first to a bootmaker in Salisbury and then to a landowner in Yorkshire. Meanwhile, Ben's wife, Lizzie, aided by their eagle-eyed maid, Bessie, is investigating the mystery of a girl who is apparently being kept a prisoner in her own home. As Ben pursues an increasingly complex case, Lizzie reveals a vital piece of evidence that brings him one step closer to solving the crime... Praise for Ann Granger's crime novels: 'Characterisation, as ever with Granger, is sharp and astringent ' The Times 'Her usual impeccable plotting is fully in place' Good Book Guide
' A clever and lively book' Margaret Yorke 'This engrossing story looks like the start of a highly enjoyable series ' Scotsman
' A clever and lively book' Margaret Yorke 'This engrossing story looks like the start of a highly enjoyable series ' Scotsman
352 pages, Paperback
Published December 12, 2019
59 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Ann Granger
76 books301 followersAnn Granger attended the Northern Grammar School for Girls, and had thoughts about becoming a veterinarian, but discovered women were not accepted into vet schools because they were not believed to be strong enough. Instead she earned a Modern Languages degree at the University of London, where she first developed a desire to become a writer. worked in British embassies in various parts of the world. She met her husband, who was also working for the British Embassy, in Prague and together they received postings to places as far apart as Munich and Lusaka. They had two children.
Her first novels were historical romances published under the nom de plume Ann Hulme.
In 1991, Granger made the decision to switch to crime novels, saying, "Basically, there is only one plot in love stories: You can describe it in different ways, but you always come back to the subject of man and woman. Crime fiction opens up a world of possibilities for the writer. It lets you tackle deep and difficult issues." Her first crime novel, Say it with Poison, centred on the protagonists Meredith Mitchell, a consular clerk, and police officer Alan Markby. The book proved popular and Granger wrote 14 more Mitchell & Markby novels between 1991 and 2004.
Granger also wrote other crime novel series & in 2021, in recognition of thirty years of crime novels, Granger released a collection of eighteen short stories, Mystery in the Making.
On 24 September 2025, her publisher Headline announced that Granger had died at the age of 86
This autobiography was added to with information from Wikipedia & Encyclopedia.com.
Her first novels were historical romances published under the nom de plume Ann Hulme.
In 1991, Granger made the decision to switch to crime novels, saying, "Basically, there is only one plot in love stories: You can describe it in different ways, but you always come back to the subject of man and woman. Crime fiction opens up a world of possibilities for the writer. It lets you tackle deep and difficult issues." Her first crime novel, Say it with Poison, centred on the protagonists Meredith Mitchell, a consular clerk, and police officer Alan Markby. The book proved popular and Granger wrote 14 more Mitchell & Markby novels between 1991 and 2004.
Granger also wrote other crime novel series & in 2021, in recognition of thirty years of crime novels, Granger released a collection of eighteen short stories, Mystery in the Making.
On 24 September 2025, her publisher Headline announced that Granger had died at the age of 86
This autobiography was added to with information from Wikipedia & Encyclopedia.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 16, 2021
Une enquête plutôt sympathique en plein cœur de l'Angleterre victorienne et du fog londonien. Les rebondissements sont intéressants, malgré quelques longueurs, on a envie de savoir et d'arriver au dénouement mais ça manque de quelque chose. Il n'y a aucune dimension psychologique, on finit le roman sans rien savoir de plus sur la victime... Ça reste en surface. Je dirais que c'est un bon divertissement, sans prétention.
September 1, 2020
Encore une belle enquête de Ben Ross, j'ai adoré retrouver l'ambiance et les personnages de cette série. Seul bémol à mon goût : on ne retrouve pas assez Lizzie !
April 15, 2023
Set in 1870 London a body of a young girl is found in a back yard, at this point there is a flavour of Jack the Ripper. However as the plot progresses the author moves the action between a cold fog bound London, Salisbury and Yorkshire.
There is a sub plot where the wife of Ben Ross tries to discover why a young girl in the neighbourhood never leaves her home which all seems surplus to the main narrative.
The main plot is engaging and it all makes sense except when the murderer is revealed and the realisation that the book title is misleading.
I did like some of Granger's descriptions of London and the weather which left you in no doubt that London for most of the population of the Victorians was not a pleasant place to live.
A solid read overall
There is a sub plot where the wife of Ben Ross tries to discover why a young girl in the neighbourhood never leaves her home which all seems surplus to the main narrative.
The main plot is engaging and it all makes sense except when the murderer is revealed and the realisation that the book title is misleading.
I did like some of Granger's descriptions of London and the weather which left you in no doubt that London for most of the population of the Victorians was not a pleasant place to live.
A solid read overall
January 26, 2025
This is an enjoyable read and a good story. The characters are likeable, however my only criticism is how historically realistic some of their views and relationships are. For example, the characters mostly have progressive views about women and those of “lower class”, which would not have been at all typical at the time. Makes elements of the story seem unlikely. But it is after all, a story.
February 27, 2022
I really enjoy this series, and the way Ben and Lizzie Ross work together to solve mysteries. The writing is excellent, the period details seem realistic, and the plot makes sense. Add to that nice flashes of humor, and we have a great read! Though I will say the title of this one did not make sense to me.
October 10, 2020
I read this book to try and expand my crime genre knowledge.
I gave this book my average rating of ☆☆☆ because of a couple things:
I felt like there were too many characters, and I struggled to keep up with who is who, on top of the fact that I did become quite bored during reading this book, and so could never engage with the plot after about half way. There were characters that I'm assuming are returning characters that I have not met, due to the fact this is the only book I have read by Ann Granger.
I loved Lizzie, Bessie and Ben, they were all comedic, strong and determined all in their own ways, but I didnt feel a connection with them. Possibly because of how many characters there are in the book?
I just found it boring after a while, as aforementioned, about half way through I felt the book just dragged in scenes and some were entirely unnecessary in my opinion, but oh well.
I love the gothic/Victorian setting and wished it was pushed further but loved the elements that were explored here.
Overall, a pretty average book, probably won't read it again but it was fun to read when I did.
I gave this book my average rating of ☆☆☆ because of a couple things:
I felt like there were too many characters, and I struggled to keep up with who is who, on top of the fact that I did become quite bored during reading this book, and so could never engage with the plot after about half way. There were characters that I'm assuming are returning characters that I have not met, due to the fact this is the only book I have read by Ann Granger.
I loved Lizzie, Bessie and Ben, they were all comedic, strong and determined all in their own ways, but I didnt feel a connection with them. Possibly because of how many characters there are in the book?
I just found it boring after a while, as aforementioned, about half way through I felt the book just dragged in scenes and some were entirely unnecessary in my opinion, but oh well.
I love the gothic/Victorian setting and wished it was pushed further but loved the elements that were explored here.
Overall, a pretty average book, probably won't read it again but it was fun to read when I did.
February 15, 2020
Although I've read several of Ann Granger's other series books this was the first Ben Ross for me. I'm a big fan of historical settings and this one definitely worked for me. It gave a flavour of Victorian life without feeling as if I was getting a history lesson. I knew the areas in which the book is set and they also rang true, though I don't have any first hand experience of how they might have been in 1870!
It was good to have some strong female characters in Ross's wife, their maid and various other characters linked to the plot. The whodunit element was well handled. There were a few red herrings and I didn't guess the murderer at all. The various sub plots were well woven into the main story. I shall certainly look out for others in the series. Its always good to find a new series with a back catalogue to anticipate reading.
It was good to have some strong female characters in Ross's wife, their maid and various other characters linked to the plot. The whodunit element was well handled. There were a few red herrings and I didn't guess the murderer at all. The various sub plots were well woven into the main story. I shall certainly look out for others in the series. Its always good to find a new series with a back catalogue to anticipate reading.
June 9, 2021
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec L'Orpheline de Salisbury ?
"Bien que je trouve cette série parfois inégale, je ne peux m'empêcher de craquer à chaque fois devant ses magnifiques couvertures. Et puis les derniers étaient meilleurs, j'avais donc envie de poursuivre mon chemin aux côtés de Ben et Lizzie Ross."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Une femme est retrouvée dans une ruelle, à l'arrière d'un restaurant. Alors que les enquêteurs pensent d'abord qu'il s'agit d'une prostituée, la jeune fille se révèle finalement être la demoiselle de compagnie d'une dame respectable et l'inspecteur Ross va de nouveau devoir agir avec le plus grand tact..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"J'ai été bien récompensée de ma persévérance et j'ai trouvé qu'il s'agissait là du meilleur tome depuis le début de la série. En même temps, cela m'a permis de mettre enfin le doigt sur ce qui clochait jusque là. En fait, ce petit couple gentillet, qui manque déjà un peu d'étoffe par lui-même, n'est soutenu que par très peu de personnages secondaires. Après six romans pourtant, on pourrait s'attendre à un tableau très complet et très varié de protagonistes mais ce n'est malheureusement pas le cas. Ici, enfin, nous avons une intrigue secondaire tout aussi interessante que l'enquête, avec des personnages vraiment attachants, pour lesquels on se prend très vite d'affection et qui nous poussent à tourner les pages plus vite. L'enquête était également prenante, se déroulant entre Londres et Salisbury, avec des décors variés. Et l'horrible et impénétrable brouillard de la capitale installe une ambiance bien particulière et propice au mystère."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je me suis donc régalée avec ce tome, tout ce que j'espère c'est que nous retrouverons nos nouvelles connaissances dans les suivants, sinon ce sera véritablement un énorme gâchis."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
"Bien que je trouve cette série parfois inégale, je ne peux m'empêcher de craquer à chaque fois devant ses magnifiques couvertures. Et puis les derniers étaient meilleurs, j'avais donc envie de poursuivre mon chemin aux côtés de Ben et Lizzie Ross."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Une femme est retrouvée dans une ruelle, à l'arrière d'un restaurant. Alors que les enquêteurs pensent d'abord qu'il s'agit d'une prostituée, la jeune fille se révèle finalement être la demoiselle de compagnie d'une dame respectable et l'inspecteur Ross va de nouveau devoir agir avec le plus grand tact..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"J'ai été bien récompensée de ma persévérance et j'ai trouvé qu'il s'agissait là du meilleur tome depuis le début de la série. En même temps, cela m'a permis de mettre enfin le doigt sur ce qui clochait jusque là. En fait, ce petit couple gentillet, qui manque déjà un peu d'étoffe par lui-même, n'est soutenu que par très peu de personnages secondaires. Après six romans pourtant, on pourrait s'attendre à un tableau très complet et très varié de protagonistes mais ce n'est malheureusement pas le cas. Ici, enfin, nous avons une intrigue secondaire tout aussi interessante que l'enquête, avec des personnages vraiment attachants, pour lesquels on se prend très vite d'affection et qui nous poussent à tourner les pages plus vite. L'enquête était également prenante, se déroulant entre Londres et Salisbury, avec des décors variés. Et l'horrible et impénétrable brouillard de la capitale installe une ambiance bien particulière et propice au mystère."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je me suis donc régalée avec ce tome, tout ce que j'espère c'est que nous retrouverons nos nouvelles connaissances dans les suivants, sinon ce sera véritablement un énorme gâchis."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
September 17, 2025
Ann Granger's "Inspector Ross" series offers a compelling view of Victorian environments and issues while she inserts some rather progressive attitudes in her main characters that genuinely would not fit the times but hey, this IS fiction and it helps encourage the reader empathy. Further this "cleverer female assisting the slightly hampered male" formula that Granger adeptly applies to almost all her series work, appeals to her audience immensely no doubt as a truer reflection of how female/male dynamics have evolved in her lifetime. That the audience similarly witnesses this and so the reader base grows is no surprise therefore.
Back to this title: The manner in which, shall we say, a visual record is taken of a witness's information is rather clever I thought even though it would not have stood up in court and that sub plot line did become a mildly interesting but not directly applicable influence. At this middle stage the story dragged a bit plot-wise for me and a few others I see in other reviews. Additionally, the finale while collecting a pondering mood of the Inspector still felt a little abrupt.
On an entirely mundane level...I found at least 5-6 typos (word repetitions, omissions etc.) in the edition I was reading so ....wha???? and I am sure I missed a few more as a pencil was not ready to hand, but really? And so, for this technical fault I deducted a point. In this day and age of AI text proofing, surely these should not have been missed. Strange but true.
Back to this title: The manner in which, shall we say, a visual record is taken of a witness's information is rather clever I thought even though it would not have stood up in court and that sub plot line did become a mildly interesting but not directly applicable influence. At this middle stage the story dragged a bit plot-wise for me and a few others I see in other reviews. Additionally, the finale while collecting a pondering mood of the Inspector still felt a little abrupt.
On an entirely mundane level...I found at least 5-6 typos (word repetitions, omissions etc.) in the edition I was reading so ....wha???? and I am sure I missed a few more as a pencil was not ready to hand, but really? And so, for this technical fault I deducted a point. In this day and age of AI text proofing, surely these should not have been missed. Strange but true.
December 25, 2022
I wasn't expecting anything less from this novel. I came across this book by chance. I was at a station, looking for something cheap to read on my trip back home. I prayed and the Universe answered. There, in the middle of a German bookshop, I found this novel, lonely among a weird mix of foreign language books.
Well, it took me a minute to make my mind: Victorian age detective story set in London, retailing for a stupid price??? Sign me up!
So yeah, I started reading it on my flight home and then I slowly progressed enjoying the decent mystery and the very on point description of the setting and characters.
It's an okay book. It kept me entertained and I felt the author made an effort. I wished the ending were "stronger" but all in all, I didn't mind the whole adventure.
I don't think I'll be reading more from the saga, but I'm glad I joined the two heroes for a little ride.
Well, it took me a minute to make my mind: Victorian age detective story set in London, retailing for a stupid price??? Sign me up!
So yeah, I started reading it on my flight home and then I slowly progressed enjoying the decent mystery and the very on point description of the setting and characters.
It's an okay book. It kept me entertained and I felt the author made an effort. I wished the ending were "stronger" but all in all, I didn't mind the whole adventure.
I don't think I'll be reading more from the saga, but I'm glad I joined the two heroes for a little ride.
March 28, 2021
Quick, easy read - most interesting to me for the excellent atmospheric descriptions of fog-bound London in the 1870s, when my great-grandparents would have been living there. A young girl is found murdered and dumped in the back yard of a restaurant. At first she's assumed to be a sex worker, but to Inspector Ben Rose her whole appearance suggests she is from an entirely different background. Although I found the plot a bit thin, I did enjoy the scenes of Victorian life, especially the references to train travel in the early days of the public railways.
February 13, 2020
Victoria London bought to life - particularly the dreadful fog. A body is found in a kitchen dumpster and Inspector Ross is called to investigate. While there a local lady comments that the body isn’t the one she expected. As Inspector Ross tries to name the victim his wife, Lizzie, meets the local lady and together they investigate another mystery.
Number 7 in the series so I will have to go back to read some others.
Number 7 in the series so I will have to go back to read some others.
April 11, 2023
An excellent mystery
Ann Granger writes with lots of twists and turns. The characters are interesting. Her villains are despicable. Inspector Ross is a good person and a good detective. A young woman is found dead in the bin in an alley. Solving the mystery involves another mystery in which it appears a young woman is held captive. Unwinding the two situations is done with creativity. There are some misspellings and missing words.
Ann Granger writes with lots of twists and turns. The characters are interesting. Her villains are despicable. Inspector Ross is a good person and a good detective. A young woman is found dead in the bin in an alley. Solving the mystery involves another mystery in which it appears a young woman is held captive. Unwinding the two situations is done with creativity. There are some misspellings and missing words.
August 10, 2021
SPOILERS(?)
Why would you put such a spoiler in the title of a book?!?
Three stars for a pleasant read, although my edition was littered with typos and had lots of small words missing, which was surprisingly annoying. Nice atmosphere in the book ...but I can't understand why Anne Granger actually put the solution in the title.
Why would you put such a spoiler in the title of a book?!?
Three stars for a pleasant read, although my edition was littered with typos and had lots of small words missing, which was surprisingly annoying. Nice atmosphere in the book ...but I can't understand why Anne Granger actually put the solution in the title.
December 5, 2022
This book, although written in 2019, is interestingly written in an old-fashioned English style. Set in Victorian London, it is a charming story, covering both Inspector Ben Ross' latest murder and a separate investigation being carried out by his wife. I would have to say, I can make no sense of the title.
February 11, 2025
All Told
The Murderer's Apprentice delighted and intrigued me to the very last paragraph. I felt at home with the words and organization as I have lived in those days as described. To bring in the fearfully spiritual stones added the perfect topping. I will continue to read the others as author Granger continues to write another.
The Murderer's Apprentice delighted and intrigued me to the very last paragraph. I felt at home with the words and organization as I have lived in those days as described. To bring in the fearfully spiritual stones added the perfect topping. I will continue to read the others as author Granger continues to write another.
March 29, 2025
Fog bound 1870's London is the scene for this latest Victorian murder mystery with Inspector Ben Ross and his wife Lizzie investigating two very different cases. Ben is searching for the killer of a young woman whose body is found in a rubbish bin whilst Lizzie helps an elderly lady uncover the mystery of a young woman who appears to be held prisoner in her home.
Once again, Ms Granger sets the scene impeccably - the atmosphere of late 19th century London is well written and the characters feel very real. You can almost feel the damp, clinging fog and the feeling of fear and dread it brings with it.
An enjoyable mystery, with some interesting historical insights into the period.
Once again, Ms Granger sets the scene impeccably - the atmosphere of late 19th century London is well written and the characters feel very real. You can almost feel the damp, clinging fog and the feeling of fear and dread it brings with it.
An enjoyable mystery, with some interesting historical insights into the period.
September 18, 2023
Une enquête fort sympathique en pleins cœur de l’époque victorienne et du Fog Londonien. 🌫️
C’est mon premier roman de l’autrice, j’ai apprécié ma lecture mais sans plus, j’ai trouvé que les chapitres étaient extrêmement long. Sinon l’histoire était vraiment intéressante.
On explore pas assez le côté psychologique du tueur, j’ai trouvé la fin un peu bâclé, ou alors c’est peut-être moi qui en attendais beaucoup du livre. Je pense que si les chapitres avaient été moins long j’aurais plus apprécié ma lecture.
C’est mon premier roman de l’autrice, j’ai apprécié ma lecture mais sans plus, j’ai trouvé que les chapitres étaient extrêmement long. Sinon l’histoire était vraiment intéressante.
On explore pas assez le côté psychologique du tueur, j’ai trouvé la fin un peu bâclé, ou alors c’est peut-être moi qui en attendais beaucoup du livre. Je pense que si les chapitres avaient été moins long j’aurais plus apprécié ma lecture.
August 9, 2024
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It was easy to read, the historical setting was consistent and believable, and I really liked all the characters. I will definitely look for more in this series.
August 2, 2019
Good story but could have cut a third of the book and still had a good mystery.
November 5, 2019
Very interesting. Always liked books by Ann Granger .. will be looking for more!
November 10, 2019
First time I've read Ann Granger and it was quite good. Some parts of the story were unnecessary in my opinion but a good storyline none the less
January 18, 2020
great read will look for more by this author
February 19, 2020
A complex, enjoyable mystery.
August 26, 2021
Excellent as are all the books of Ann Granger.
April 2, 2022
I will probably get to the end of my Ann Granger streak but I don't think I am quite there yet. These are comforting mysteries, set in a time and place far away from our current world.
December 3, 2022
This series is wonderful. I am sorry to finish it.
April 3, 2023
Oh, the twists and turns, the happenstance clues, the red herrings, the fog, the surprise ending. This one had it all. Alas, there is only one more book in the series...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews