Season of Darkness

A Gaslight Mystery #1

by Cora Harrison

Introducing Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as an unusual detective duo in the first of a brand-new Victorian mystery series.

When Inspector Field shows his friend Charles Dickens the body of a young woman dragged from the River Thames, he cannot have foreseen that the famous author would immediately recognize the victim as Isabella Gordon, a housemaid he had tried to help through his charity. Nor that Dickens and his fellow writer Wilkie Collins would determine to find out who killed her.

Who was Isabella blackmailing, and why? Led on by fragments of a journal discovered by Isabella's friend Sesina, the two men track the murdered girl's journeys from Greenwich to Snow Hill, from Smithfield Market to St Bartholomews, and put their wits to work on uncovering her past.

But what does Sesina know that she's choosing not to tell them? And is she doomed to follow in the footsteps of the unfortunate Isabella ...?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Cozy Mystery, British Literature, 19th Century

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2019

About the author

Cora Harrison worked as a headteacher before she decided to write her first novel. She has since published twenty-six children's novels. My Lady Judge was her first book in a Celtic historical crime series for adults that introduces Mara, Brehon of the Burren. Cora lives on a farm near the Burren in the west of Ireland.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steady
Season of Darkness is a historical murder mystery that treats us to the illustrious characters of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins in the roles of detectives. The relationship between Dickens and Collins is very interesting and intriguing, where Dickens is more the mentor and advisor to Collins but not as a master-apprentice. The real-life relationship was one of a close life-long friendship.

Two young housemaids, Isabella and Sesina, have known each other for many years and spent time together at Urania Cottage. History tells us that the real Urania Cottage was financially backed by Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts to provide a home for “Fallen Women”, and Dickens was known to have fully supported and participated in the venture. Dickens tried to help educate and seek alternative futures for these women other than prostitution, such as immigration to Australia. In respect of this story, Dickens knows the 2 women and while they were very intelligent they were asked to leave Urania Cottage because they caused considerable disruption. Dickens still refers to them as his girls and feels a paternal responsibility.

Both Isabella and Sensia now maid at a lodging house in Adelphi Terrace in London and dream of how they will find a way to become independent women and live a different life from the one they inhabit. Without bringing Sesina into her confidence, Isabella hints that she is meeting someone that will give her money. Sesina suspects that this is likely blackmail and when 2 days later, Isabella is fished out of the Thames, she is convinced that it is one of the lodgers or the housekeeper, Mrs Dawson.

Inspector Field brings Charles Dickens into the morgue to show him the girl who he recognises as Isabella. Why this was done is still a mystery to me. It does, however, compel Dickens and his colleague Collins to search for the truth behind her murder. Sesina, presuming she is very clever decides to influence the investigation by leaving clues to whom she suspects to be the murderer. Will this help, or hinder? Is it meant to help or hinder?

The story seems set to be engrossing and full of clever deductions and imaginative investigative approaches but it was disappointing that it didn’t take advantage of this. The pace was very sluggish and really only picked up towards the end. I felt frustrated that the story didn’t live up to the potential although it was well written. The atmosphere of London in the 1850s was very captured and the precarious nature of life at the lower end of society was forever present.

I think there are so many great thrillers out there that it’s difficult to recommend this book over those. I would rate this book 3.5 stars and I'd like to thank Severn House Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This exciting novel is the 1st part of the "Gaslight Mystery" series from the author, Cora Harrison.
Storytelling is of a very good quality, the atmosphere of Victorian London come wonderfully off the pages, and all the characters come remarkably well to life within this mystery, although I have to admit that as a whole the mystery at this moment of time, is not as great as the "Reverend Mother" or the "Burren" series.
The story is set in Victorian London, probably I think in the 1850s, and also featuring in this mystery as investigators, and they will play a major part, are the famous authors, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins.
The mystery itself is about the murder of the housemaid, Isabella Gordon, who when she's fished out of the Thames by Inspector Field and his men, with his friend Charles Dickens in attendance, this same Charles Dickens recognizes her from his charity, Urania Cottage, and in an instant he's determined to find out by whom and why she was killed.
The chapters of this enjoyable mystery are divided between the points of view of the housemaid, Sesina, and that of the author, Wilkie Collins, and his chapters will each begin with an epigraph, especially from his book called "Basil".
And so the three main characters of this mystery, the charitable and conscientious, Charles Dickens, the very amiable and warm-hearted, Wilkie Collins, and the determined housemaid, Sesina, set out in their quest to solve this case and reveal the perpetrator of this murder.
What will follow is an eventful mystery with a few twists and turns, but with a somewhat predictable outcome about the murderer, still all in all it was quite well plotted.
Really recommended, for this is a fresh start of a new series and I'm looking forward how this series will develop, and what this book is concerned I like to say it's been: "An Enjoyable Engaging Beginning"!

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting story, and I one completely different from what I was expecting. The story blurb leaves the impression that the mystery is from the point of view of Charles Dickens with the aid of his long-time friend, Willkie Collins, the author of The Moonstone and The Woman in White, when in fact, it is the opposite. Collins narrates the story of his and Dickens’ search for answers about a dead servant’s murder. We glean interesting tidbits of both men’s writings and habits, with Collins giving firsthand observations of his friend. I wasn’t entirely pleased with the treatment Ms. Harrison gives of Dickens in Season of Darkness, but I’m sure she had done her homework. Too often it is saddening to discover the true nature of those put up on a pedestal. Overall, a solid novel, though the author’s style and voice is a little different, but in the end—her character’s internal monologue sometimes waxes a bit long in the tooth, though it does strengthen their personalities—produces a satisfying, and unexpected conclusion. I recently tried to read the first in Ms. Harrison’s The Reverend Mother mystery series and it fell short for me, so this was a surprising success!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Season of Darkness is an historical mystery featuring Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as interested bystanders after a young woman’s body is fished out of the Thames. Dickens’ friend in the police, Inspector Field, notices him and calls him over to where the body is lying. In a major coincidence, Dickens recognizes the young lady as a former resident of his Urania House, the home for the betterment of girls who have been in trouble. This girl, Isabella, disliked the world of rules and left the house, along with her friend Sesina.

Now Dickens feels an obligation to the girl, to find out why she died and who killed her. This novel does not have a single narrator; it’s primary narrator seems to be Wilkie Collins with Sesina becoming a more consistent narrator as the novel proceeds. The narrative voice was one of my issues with the book as I found it initially a bit unclear at times whose point of view was being expressed. This did clear up as Collins’ voice became stronger.

The story was interesting but only just, with a bit too much fawning over Dickens (though this may well have happened in real life, it detracted from my enjoyment). Collins was too self-deprecating for my taste. Once again, this may be historically based but doesn’t make for an interesting character for me.

This is the first book in a new series by an author known for other historical fiction series. I don’t believe I will continue with this new series.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the novels in Cora Harrison's Burren series so much I was eager to try the first book in this new series set in the Victorian era. This book was just okay for me, certainly different from the pleasure I get from reading about a female judge dispensing Irish justice in the sixteenth century. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins take on the Holmes/Watson type characters as they investigate the murder of a housemaid in a boarding house. These two authors deserve to be treated as intellectual equals and that becomes a handicap for me as Dickens is given the leading role in the investigation partnership. I tried very hard to give these two major characters a fair chance to hook me into their story, but neither became a favorite for me. It seems as if the housemaid might become a staple character in any other stories that appear and that's another problem for me since I didn't particularly like her as a character either. I'm sorry to say I found myself often wondering when this novel would end, so not a good sign there. It didn't help either that I began to be suspicious of who the villain probably was early on and it turned out I was correct.

If you are interested in the writing of Dickens or Collins, would enjoy imagining what they might be like to deal with in person and you like historical mysteries set in England during Victorian time, this new series might be a good fit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-Galley of this novel.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in the Gaslight Mystery Series

Cora Harrison is one of my favorite authors. Her Reverand Mother series is wonderful reading!

In this new Historical Fiction Series, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins have teamed up to try and solve the murder of a young servant girl named Isabella Gordon. Isabella is one of the young ladies that Dicken's charities had tried to help. Unfortunately, Isabella wasn't a rule follower and she along with her friend, Sisena, moved on to work in a lodging house owned by a friend of Dickens. An American who supposedly made his fortune in gold.

Feeling a strong sense of responsibility to find her killer, Dickens, Collins, and Sisena are looking for clues. Was she blackmailing someone? Is the killer in the house? Will Sisena get greedy and go for the money herself?

I enjoyed the true parts tucked in with the mystery. Since this is the first in a series, I will say that I did not enjoy this one as much as her other series. But we'll see where she goes with it!

NetGalley/ Severn House July 01, 2019

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Harrison's other mystery series so far so I thought I'd give this a try. It's an interesting premise-the Victorian author superstars of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, friends in real life, team up to solve the murder of a housemaid Dickens once knew. The actuality of this crime fighting duo though seemed a bit off. Dickens came off as a pompous know-it-all with Collins as his bumbling sidekick.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first novel of two (that I know of) in the Gaslight mystery series set in Victorian London where the author has Charles Dickens and his friend Wilkie Collins, and their bumbling and incompetent Police sidekick Inspector Fields seeking with varying degrees of effort and success to solve a mystery, along with Sesina, a servant girl who fancies herself a solver of mysteries as well. As one comes to expect from this particular mystery novelist, the mystery is one that is rich in complexity, and the motive easy enough to understand, plenty of false clues even with a relatively small cast of characters, and a satisfying conclusion that plays with the question of identity, and how it is that people can know who they are and what they are owed by life. This book may be considered a sort of hidden princess story, but of a particularly sad kind, in which someone acts as if they were above their station, ends up being truly above the lot in life in which they lived, but where the result is deeply unhappy, even tragic, and complex for a great many people because of the repercussions of what was done. Leave it to an Irish author to explore identity between English and American characters in the Victorian period.

This novel is a short one of about 200 pages but it is no less a compelling one for its short length. The novel begins with a setup where you know something is going wrong, where a beautiful young woman is looking to blackmail a mysterious man about something that relates to her background and which she is keeping secret from everyone. Of course, she ends up dead and being fished out of the river, and as a servant girl there is not a huge degree of official interest in solving the murder as such people are not valued highly. Charles Dickens has a history with her, though, and starts his own investigation, along with a friend of his, Wilkie Collins. The two of them seek to investigate, try to solve the mystery of the background of the servant girl, and deal with various false trails being set by Sesina as well as others, until all of the roads converge on a surprising case of the theft of inheritance and a man unwilling to let his ill-gotten riches escape him.

Where do people belong? How is it that art can imitate life imitating art imitating life as it does in this particular book? This series in particular presents the reader with some obvious difficulties but also pleasures. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins are real people, Victorian celebrities even, and the real Inspector Field was a somewhat corrupt and unsettling character who inspired a character in Dickens' Bleak House, which puts this novel and its successor in a very narrow period of time around the writing and publication of that novel. And the author dwells upon questions of identity. How is that we know and recognize the character of others? What drives people to kill? Where do people truly belong? Do they belong in the status they were born into, or abandoned into, or spent most of their lives in? These are not easy questions to answer, not in our own days where identity is an immensely contentious area, and not in the time in which these novels are set, where the author makes it clear that questions of identity and belonging have always been deeply vexed and complicated, all the more so when people have reasons to hide the truth of what is due to others.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Famous people do interesting things, and Charles Dicken was no exception. Season of Darkness by Cora Harrison is definitely an example of that, as the famous writer did have an interest in police work and detecting. We even have Wilkie Collins along, a good friend of Dickens, to serve as a Watson. It just would have been better if the book had moved along a little faster.

Blackmail is never a good idea. It gets you killed. Isabella Gordon is dead, strangled. She was a maid in a house owned by a rich American, a friend of Dickens. Her friend and fellow servant Sesina works in the same house. At one time they were both “inmates” of Urania Cottage where “bad girls” are given training in service to make something of themselves. This is something that Charles Dickens helped to set up, to keep these girls off the streets. Isabella has decided it wasn’t for her, and Sesina soon followed. But now Isabella is dead. Will anyone really care? Sesina isn’t sure, and that becomes the crux of the story.

The story is told from different viewpoints, and that can mean slow going – nothing much happens until the last third. And since the detectives are authors first, they see the murder in those terms first; how to craft a story out of it all. Do you see the modern-day implications here? The “spin?” Whether the real author’s intentions or not, certainly this tale can be said to have an all too modern feel to it in this regard – how to get a headline out of it, how to formulate publicity.

The chapters start with passages from Wilkie Collins’ poem, “Basil,” and also from Mr. Dickens. Very appropriate to a book detailing a murder investigation.

Sesina of course lives in a dream world if she thinks that anything good is going to come out of this for her. The author plays this up in poignant passages that are almost depressing to read. She thinks she know who the murderer is. Is she wrong? Is she right? She also thinks she is smarter than Charles Dickens. She is right and wrong. Unfortunately, I didn’t care what Sesina thought about after a while. It was somewhat interesting; it just takes too long to get there.

Eventually, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems. Isabella had found things out about her family – things that would have meant the world to her. ‘Tis a saddening end.

Finally, we do have a clever twist on it all, especially on who is doing all the “writing,” the little clues. Because the death of a poor housemaid couldn’t mean anything to anybody, could it? Probably not, unless you’re Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Season of Darkness" is a mystery set in 1853 in London. Wilkie Collins helped his friend Charles Dickens to solve the murder of a maid that Dickens once tried to help educate through Urania Cottage. Wilkie and Sesina, a maid who was best friends with the dead girl, were the main view point characters. They went about solving the murder in their own ways, though Sesina was tempted to blackmail the murderer (since she feels she's very clever) while Wilkie and Dickens wanted to turn whodunit in to Inspector Field. The characters were interesting and well developed. Even the secondary characters had realistic motives for why they acted as they did (hiding information, searching for answers, etc.).

Historical details about what London was like at the time were woven into the story and played a role in the mystery. Suspense was created by the danger to Sesina as she tried to uncover several people's secrets in her attempts to discover whodunit. While I correctly guessed whodunit early on, it was very reasonable that the characters didn't see it. I read this book out loud read, and the other two "readers" didn't think I was right even up to the reveal, so whodunit isn't obvious. We all enjoyed the story. There was no sex. There were a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable historical mystery.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the author used two Classic authors as for this story. The combination of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as sleuths for this murder mystery worked well for me. There was a good atmospheric air to the story that gave a good vibe as I read.

Using these figures as sleuths gave me a feeling of a Holmes and Watson style mystery read. Dickens came across as aloof and reminded very much of Holmes, while Collins was more approachable and tries to work things on his own at times and is similar to Watson.

The murder of a maid has links to a Girls School that Dickens is heavily involved in as she was one of his pupils. Collins is a friend of Dickens and together they try to piece together the various clues that they find. They also have the assistance of another maid and together the three of them work their way through the mystery as to why the girl was killed and by whom.

This is a good story that I found quite addictive, it has some good twists and yes I did work some of them out but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of reading. It is a book I think readers of the whodunit style of mysteries would like and it is one I would recommend. This is the first book in The Gaslight Series and I am looking forward to reading the next one.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Dickens supports a home to help young women better themselves. When one of those women turns up dead, he and his friend Wilkie Collins set out to find the murderer.

It would seem every notable person in history was capable of solving mysteries. It didn’t seem like much of a stretch to imagine Charles Dickens being clever enough to do that. Still, this was a hard book to get through.

This is told from two points of view: Sesina, the friend of the murdered girl, and Wilkie Collins, a friend of Dickens and eager to write his own book. Sesina is told in the third person, and she manipulates everything she can to get ahead. Wilkie is told from the first person point of view, and he easily believes what Sesina tells him. Dickens is there to observe, intimidate, and put the clues together.

Not a terrible read, but I found myself bored several times. The writing is rather dry, reminiscent of the time period and Dickens style of writing.

For readers of historical mysteries starring person from history, this wouldn't be a bad choice.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Pam Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Season of Darkness by Cora Harrison is a murder mystery, with Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as the investigators.

These two authors get sucked into the crime as Dickens recognises the woman who is murdered as one of the young women who went to Urania Cottage, which was a home where women could improve themselves, and then emigrate to Australia, America, or South Africa, to make better lives for themselves.

I found the characters to be quite good, but I found them to be a little obsessive over the one idea of who committed the crime, which annoyed me, but being flawed is human.

Cora Harrison has written quite a few historical crime and historical romance novels, so if you like Season of Darkness you should probably have a look at her other books.

Season of Darkness was published on 1st July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Severn House Publishers (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Dickens and his colleague, Wilkie Collins, are amateur detectives who are investigating the mysterious death of a servant girl, Isabella Gordon, who had been found strangled and drowned in the river. Their sleuthing would uncover the secret origins of the young woman, but also as to why she was murdered. Meanwhile, Isabella's friend, Sesina, is also making her own discoveries when it came to deciphering Isabella's past and final moments.

The premise of a historical mystery sounded interesting, however, it couldn't hook me in as quick as I would have liked. The beginning takes up more time on playing into Sesina's side of the story, which doesn't progress much until much later. And similarly, the main duo appears to take forever to make some of the obvious clues behind the crime. Unfortunately, by the halfway point, where things did pick up a bit, I could barely hold interest. I don't think I'd be giving much more thought into this mystery.

[Charlotte Pawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Dickens as an amateur detective helping the police and getting background for his stories is the start of a new series. A body found in the river will bring back memories for Dickens as he knew the girl who had briefly stayed at one of his charity houses Urania Cottage. Too headstrong to stay she had left with another girl called Sesina. They had both become housemaids together in a boarding house. Dickens was determined to find what had happened to Isabella since she left his house but he would have a fight on his hands with Sesina who would have her own ideas on finding the money that Isabella had been chasing. This is a good start to a new series with a great character in Charles Dickens and the backdrop of Victorian London.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm the world's worst critic when it comes to Victorian pastiches. Especially when it comes to Dickens. I studied Dickens and the Victorians for 6 years in the process of getting my MA and PhD, and I truly believe (or believed at the time) that I knew everything there was to know about the man and the era. Nonetheless, I found a lot to like in Cora Harrison's Victorian murder mystery with Dickens and Wilkie Collins as the amateur detectives solving the crime of murder of a servant in a rooming house in London. Harrison picked up on a number of character and physical touches that did bring Dickens to life a bit, and her details of Victorian life were accurate. And the mystery was a good one!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins are shown a body by Dickens friend Inspector Field. The body had been retrieved from the Thames, unknown, and so her death will probably go unsolved. But Dickens knows her as someone once resident in Urania Cottage, a home for fallen women. Both authors decide to investigate, helped, by Anna Marie Sesina, friend to the dead female, Isabelle Gordon.
The story is related from two points of view, Sesina and Collins.
I enjoyed this historical mystery, it was well-written, though at times a bit slow-paced, and the characters are portrayed well. Overall a good solid start to what I hope is a new series.
a NetGalley Book

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this crime fighting duo of Charles Dickens & Wilkie Collins, two great Victorian writers. It’s told in two narratives; Collins and a maid who is a friend of the victim. Both of them constantly have a few cheeky digs at the pompousness of Dickens which made me chuckle. This is all based on real events. The characters, Urania house that the maids came from and even the murder apparently. This is the first book in the series but I’m sure I’ll pick up some more. I was hooked from the start and while it’s a slower pace than I would normally like I did read it fast and struggled to put it down.

[Melissa Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cora Harrison’s “Season of Darkness”, a Gaslight Mystery, stars authors Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, along with a sassy and smart housemaid named Anna Maria Sessina. In parallel, upstairs/downstairs investigations, they work to solve the murder of Sessina’s friend Isabella, who they suspect was killed by a man she is blackmailing.

The action is fast-paced, and the setting, gaslit London, is filled with smoke, fog and moonlight.

I enjoyed this book immensely!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins might quarrel with this historical mystery that puts them into more or less Holmes and Watson roles as they try to find the murderer of Isabella. She was a young woman who has had a difficult life. Dickens felt a sense of responsibility to her because she had moved through a house he helped to fund. This has good atmospherics but the story itself felt forced. That said, it's still an entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Cora Harrison's mysteries and I liked this engrossing and entertaining novel.
The book is well researched and well written, the characters are fleshed out and interesting, the mystery keeps you guessing and it's full of twists and turns.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Cindy Ladensack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging story of a murdered housemaid with Charles Dickens playing Sherlock and Wilkie Collins as Watson. The POV switched between Collins and a surviving maid, which was an effective way to show two different viewpoints, but the maid’s voice was a bit grating. And using “celebrities” always feels a little indulgent. I do love Harrison’s Reverend Mother series, but this one not quite as much.

[Yvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens are the amateur detectives solving the case of the murder of a young girl. A servant girl, with links to Dickens turns up dead. Collins is generally the good cop and Dickens is the bad cop. Which if you know anything about the real Dickens is probably appropriate. Great depiction of Victorian London too.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't quite get into this book. I didn't dislike it but it didn't grab me like I'd hoped
I listened to an audiobook version so not sure if it was the book or the narrator that didn't quite grab me.
Will read another one, maybe I'm just being slow to warm up to new characters

[Lexy Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

needs editing

it wasnt terribly good. pedantic - I was skipping over the big chase. The character of Sesina was unpleasant; the plot cumbersome and convoluted, dialogue not true to period, etc.

surprised at this outing by Ms Harrison

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new series for Harrison. Will try #2.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story, set in Victorian London with Mr Dickens and Wilkie Collins helping the maid servant, Sesina, solve the murder of her friend Isabella. I think I like the Reverend Mother stories better.

[melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough story and moved along at a good pace. The characters are well developed.
The Dickens character is so unlikable, I'm not sure I want to read another story with him as a central character.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Season of Darkness features Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins as the sleuthing team, aided—or not—by housemaid Sesina, who was friends with the murder victim at the heart of the story. Dickens and Collins are an effective pair, the one much more self-assured than the other, which gives them an interesting mix of dissimilar strengths. The author sets enough false trails to keep readers guessing until the fast-paced ending. The depiction of the class divides in English society at the time, particularly the rather condescending “generosity” of some in the upper classes gives readers something to mull over after the mystery is solved.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Severn House publishing for the arc.
Description
"When Inspector Field shows his friend Charles Dickens the body of a young woman dragged from the River Thames, he cannot have foreseen that the famous author would immediately recognize the victim as Isabella Gordon, a housemaid he had tried to help through his charity. Nor that Dickens and his fellow writer Wilkie Collins would determine to find out who killed her."

Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins team up to solve the murder of Isobella Gordon who had lived for a short time in the Urania Cottage project supported by Dickens. Urania Cottage was a real project for homeless and destitute women in London and was indeed supported by Dickens. Dickens and Wilkie Collins were also real life friends at the time of the story. The two amateur sleuths are assisted (or distracted) in their hunt for the killer by Isobella's friend Sesina. The read is an engaging one and the author portrays the characters well enough for them and the situations they encounter to be believable. I did find it a little slow going at times hence the 4 instead of 5 stars. I would not hesitate to read other books in the series to find out how the chacters and their relationships to each other develop.