Cast Iron: You can run but you can't hide...

by Marilyn Todd

Julia returns in a Victorian mystery full of dark humour! For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Thompson.

The past is catching up with Julia McAllister…


1895, England

Julia McAllister may have a murderous past but she is determined it won’t interfere with her future.

Julia is a photographer. Yes, it may have been of the peeping-tom striptease variety. But she dreams of capturing vast African plains and wild American vistas.

For now, though, she just needs to escape.

But her journey is halted almost immediately by the discovery of a woman’s battered body.

And when the police ask for the services of a crime scene photographer, she is forced to oblige.

Will Julia be able to keep her past a secret? Can she once again unmask a killer?

Or will she finally be forced to pay for the crimes of her past…?

CAST IRON is the second book in the Julia McAllister Victorian Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in nineteenth-century London.

Praise for Marilyn Todd:

‘wry and entertaining’ - Mystery Scene

‘delectably enjoyable’ - Daily Mail

‘Skilfully tangled plot’ - Booklist

‘never boring’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘thoroughly entertaining’ - The Bookseller

JULIA MCALLISTER VICTORIAN MYSTERY SERIES
BOOK ONE: Snap Shot
BOOK TWO: Cast Iron

Genres: Historical Mystery

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2019

About the author

MARILYN TODD lives with her husband on a French hilltop, surrounded by vineyards, châteaux and vines. As well as sixteen critically acclaimed historical thrillers, she's a prolific writer of short stories, most of which are crime, but range from commercial women's fiction to comic fantasy and all points in between. When she isn't killing people, Marilyn enjoys cooking. Which is pretty much the same thing.

Reviews

[Suzanne Robertson Moutis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marilyn Todd is a clever woman and a clever writer. Whether she's crafting a mystery set in Ancient Rome, Greece or Victorian England, she likes her heroines feisty, independent, sarcastic and harbouring a dark secret or two, while her manly love interests are invariably drawn as cocky, shrewd, tenacious and of the law-enforcement variety.
In Cast Iron: You can run but you can't hide..., the second book in the Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries series, feisty, independent, sarcastic and secretive photographer Julia McAllister is 'voluntold' to take a few snaps of a nearby crime scene by the attractive Chief Inspector John Collingwood who, coincidentally, has been entirely too interested in Julia's circumstances of late. In photographing the victim, a woman battered to death behind a local theatre, Julia notices details that have escaped her male associates and is set on a path to discover the culprit.
I am rounding up this rating from a solid 3.75. I enjoyed learning more about Julia in Cast Iron: You can run but you can't hide.... In common with Marilyn Todd's other heroines (Claudia Serferius in her Ancient Rome series and High Priestess Iliona in her Ancient Greek series), she hides a soft heart under the hard face she turns to the world. Julia is a layered character who deals with real issues and creatively forges her own way in a man's world. I also liked the other tangential characters that were introduced in this novel. Plus, not only does Marilyn Todd deliver witty prose ripe with naughty innuendo, she also consistently presents a cracker of a mystery with a smart twist at the end. So all good there.
My only irritation with this series is a purely personal pet peeve, so bear with me, but I hate that the chief inspector is married yet feels no guilt or has any compunction about sleeping with Julia (or any other woman) because he is in an unhappy marriage. And yes, his marriage is extremely unhappy. And really, Julia doesn't feel any remorse about it either, but the whole thing just rubs me the wrong way. I have a thing about cheaters, I admit it (and it's true that I've thrown a book or two across the room when a character indulges in extramarital intimacy). But when this guy spouts stuff like "I never thought of it as adultery, you know. It was never that simple."…please (insert dramatic eye roll). Barf. Julia deserves better.
It's a sign of how much I like Marilyn Todd and her fun and fulfilling stories that I will continue to read—and don't get me wrong, really enjoy—whatever Julia gets up to next.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent historical novel from Marilyn Todd and Sapere Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this British who-done-it of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Marilyn Todd to friends and family. She writes a tight, detailed tale with personable characters and takes us to a well-pictured Victorian age. I have added her to my favorite author's list.

Cast Iron: 'You can run but you can't hide' is the second novel of the Cast Iron series, Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries. The setting is at the end of the 19th century in OakBourne, a growing suburb of London. Mrs. Julia McAllister has inherited a thriving photography business from Sam McAllister, though there aren't many who know that he is deceased. There were very few occupations in 1895 that a woman was allowed to aspire to, and photography was one of the many considered to be a manly art. She learned all she knows from Sam and is an excellent photographer, but has had to cross a few legal lines Sam didn't need to, to make a living at it. Breaking into the new field of photographing crime scenes for the police and the courts could increase her income and make those teasing postcards unnecessary, so she is ready to do an excellent job for Detective Inspector John Collingwood as he investigates another murder. They worked well together before, after the murders of her models. And it may not be for long - Julia has about made up her mind to cut all ties with England and become a world-traveling photographer... Would that be considered running from your past? Or just seeking your future?

Reviewed on December 16, 2019, on Goodreads and Amazon Smile. Not available for review on Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, or GooglePlay.
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December 16, 2020. Second reading of Cast Iron, after perusal of the first in this series, Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries by Marilyn Todd. I loved this book the first time around and immediately bought a copy of SnapShot, but life interfered with my plans for spring so getting around to it a year from my first experience with Marilyn Todd. She is an author whose backlist of novels I will read any chance I get and will follow.

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I persevered with this series as I enjoyed this second book. I found if I just skipped over some melodramatic repetitions about the plight of the Victorian poor, events in the previous book and the heroine's past, this sped along very nicely, with an intricate plot and subplot that dovetailed neatly at the end. Nicely done.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

I like Julia and the inspector and want to see more of them. I hope another book is in the works!

[FargleSpeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written murder mystery

Some interesting twists and turns in this story all wrapped up in a clever denouement. Some anachronisms here and there but nothing too egregious.

[Sandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Victorian England the CAST IRON narrative takes the reader into the life of Julia McAllister, currently assisting her part-time paramour, Detective Inspector Collingwood, as a crime scene photographer. Prior to her current assignment she applied her photographic talents to producing risqué “French postcards” and turning a handsome profit. Before that she stepped up and became “savior of her family” when she murdered her violently abusive step-father, disposed of his body and moved to her current digs.

Now Julia is doing her best to stay one step ahead of the law while she assists in applying her talents to catching the killer of a local woman. Will Julia be able to identify the woman’s killer without exposing her own questionable past?

Author Marilyn Todd has created an irresistible protagonist. Julia is my type of amateur sleuth who, while she doesn’t have access to the same information as the constabulary and has her own personal problems where the law is concerned is nonetheless a smart, independent woman who uses her powers of observation and deduction to provide surprising solutions and resolutions to the intertwined multiple story-line arcs.

If you’re looking for an inventive and entertaining reading experience, make that cup of hot chocolate and get ready to be whisked away to the murder and mayhem of another time…another place.

[Deloris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review
This book is a historical book , and the author put me right in the Victorian Era , I enjoyed this authors point of view , a female forensic photographer from the Victorian Era from a time in history where women didn’t fully have their rights. The story was interesting, but sometimes I was confused about who was featured because they started and stopped abruptly. This book peaked my interest about the first book in the series ,I want to know the beginning of Julia’s story and I look forward to what comes next .

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Cast Iron is the second Julia McAllister period mystery by Marilyn Todd. Released 20th Oct 2019 by Sapere, it's 234 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a very well written period murder mystery with a strong, intelligent, and sympathetic female protagonist. This is the second book in the series, but I had no trouble following the plot or keeping the characters straight. It works perfectly well as a standalone; the author is adept at giving enough backstory to bring readers up to speed (without feeling like one is being force fed). The plotting is spare and tightly controlled. The technical aspects of the writing are well done (dialogue, characterization, etc) and unobtrusive. It's an engrossing read. It's not a cozy, it's serious and in some places gritty. The first crime scene Julia photographs was so well described it gave me chills.

The ebook version includes an interactive table of contents Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the first book in the series) are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. It's always fun to find a new to me author and series to read. I would recommend this one to fans of period mysteries. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Five stars. I really enjoyed this book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cast Iron, the second in this series featuring Victorian photographer Julia McAllister, takes up where the first book left off--with Julia preparing to leave and begin a new life.

When the house across the way burns down, Julia takes in the two annoying little old ladies who have been left homeless. She's planning to leave on the next train anyway and has cleared all evidence of the naughty pictures she has taken to keep her independence.

An accident on the train line and a request to photograph the details of a crime scene, prevent her escape.

As Julia photographs the body of the murdered woman, she notices things that Inspector Collingwood wouldn't be aware of: the condition and quality of the woman's clothing, the movement of the body, the importance of the missing hat. Julia has a woman's perspective, an artist's perspective, and a past victim of abuse's perspective that the police lack.

Although her dream is to travel and take pictures of the wild places in the world, Julia also has an interest in the French use of crime scene photography, and Inspector Collingwood is smart enough to take advantage of a crime scene photographer and a woman's perspective. Julia's sympathy for the unidentified woman leads her to do some investigating on her own.

And Julia has a secret of her own that she is desperate to hide.

Snap Shot, the first in the series, introduces the characters and background, but Cast Iron can be read as a stand alone.

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Mystery. Oct. 20, 2019. Print length: 221 pages.

[Laura Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first reading of a book written by Marilyn Todd. After reading Cast Iron, I would love to read the first book in this series, Snap Shot.

The book summary describes Snap Shot as follows: “A brilliant new Victorian mystery series you won’t want to miss! For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Thompson. Julia turns from murder suspect to England’s first crime scene photographer…“

Both Snap Shot and Cast Iron take place in England, circa 1895. If you haven’t read Snap Shot, here’s something to catch you up. As a young widow in London, Julia McAllister supported herself by taking risqué photographs. Unfortunately, when her models began dying, Julia was being framed for their murders.

Now, fast forwarding to the future: As Cast Iron begins, we learn that Julia has apparently moved on from the problems she faced in Snap Shot. She is ready to board a train, and move forward with her life. But, before you can say, “All aboard,” Julia finds herself right smack in the middle of a crime scene on the train line. And the police call upon Julia to photograph the crime scene.

I am partial to historical fiction and enjoy a good mystery as well. I found this story compelling and the characters quite engaging. Cast Iron was a completely enjoyable read for me.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1895, England. Because of her past Julia McAllister decides it's time to leave England but she is called to a crime scene in her role of photographer. To the scene of a female's battered body. Not only does she bring the eye of a photographer to the scene but that of a female's perspective. Julia's problems are added to when a fire nearby leaves two annoying old ladies homeless and she offers them a place to stay..
But will this be the only one body. While D.I. John Collingwood has problems of his own to contend with.
Another enjoyable and well-written historical mystery in this series

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and entertaining historical mystery, well written and with a cast of interesting characters.
I liked the well described and researched historical background, the solid mystery and the fleshed out characters.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.