Death at the Workhouse

A Penny Green Victorian Mystery #8

by Emily Organ

London 1885. Something’s not right at Shoreditch Workhouse and reporter Penny Green is struggling to convince someone to listen. After spending time there undercover, she knows that more can be done for the deserving poor beneath its roof. But does anyone else care?

When two workhouse inmates die in a fight, the police and the coroner accept the simplest explanation. Penny undertakes her own investigation with Inspector James Blakely’s help and it’s not long before they make themselves unpopular.

A macabre turn finally makes the authorities act, but can anyone stop the force behind the crimes?

What readers say about Penny Green:

★★★★★ “A Victorian Delight!”
★★★★★ “Good clean mystery in an enjoyable historical setting”
★★★★★ “If you are unfamiliar with the Penny Green Series, acquaint yourselves immediately!”
★★★★★ “Interesting, complex, believable characters”
★★★★★ “I found myself enthralled by Penny Green”
★★★★★ “An outstanding female lead character”
★★★★★ “I was engrossed from beginning to end”
★★★★★ “If you like Agatha Christie books you are going to like this one”
★★★★★ “I have found Ms. Organ's story telling to be flawlessly entertaining!”
★★★★★ “Very strong mystery set in a very interesting time and place”
★★★★★ “Ms. Organ draws you into Penny's world with her delicious descriptions and masterful story telling”
★★★★★ “I am very pleased with how this series is becoming one of my favorites!”
★★★★★ “Read the books in this series.... guarantee you won’t be disappointed!”
★★★★★ “A great read with a real twist at the end. Emily just gets better and better with this series.”

Death at the Workhouse is Book 8 in the Penny Green Mystery Series set in 1880s London. The books can be read in any order:

Book 1 - Limelight
Book 2 - The Rookery
Book 3 - The Maid's Secret
Book 4 - The Inventor
Book 5 - Curse of the Poppy
Book 6 - The Bermondsey Poisoner
Book 7 - An Unwelcome Guest
Book 8 - Death at the Workhouse

Also available:

The Penny Green Series: Books 1-3 (The Penny Green Series Boxset Book 1)
The Penny Green Series: Books 4-6 (The Penny Green Series Boxset Book 2)

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Victorian, Historical Mystery

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2019

About the author

Emily Organ is the author of over thirty historical cozy mysteries set in Victorian and 1920s England. Her bestselling series include the Penny Green Victorian Mysteries, the Augusta Peel Mysteries, and her newest Emma Langley Victorian Mysteries, in which a plucky widow teams up with former reporter Penny Green. She also writes the Churchill & Pemberley cozy mysteries, featuring two spirited senior sleuths. Emily’s books combine warmth, wit, and a love of history, inspired by her fascination with London’s past. 

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Penny Green

These books are a breath of fresh air. Although I found this one to be not fully up to my expectations, it was worth my time. The story is about unexplained deaths and disappearing bodies. There was less of the romance between Penny and James but it throws in a tease about Penny's missing father at the end. Enjoyable and easy.

[Jan Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing read.

I have really enjoyed reading the other books in this series, but this one i could not finish. It was a tedious read and very dry. W

[Yara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Death and the Workhouse" by Emily Organ is the 8th book in the Penny Green series.

I've enjoyed most of the books in this series, some more than others. Overall, it's a solid Victorian mystery series with good characters and decent mysteries.

This book was a good addition to the series. Many of the books in the series focus on social injustices in Victorian London, and this one, in particular, had a strong focus on social justice, specifically the depravity found in the workhouses of the late 19th century. As it so happens, earlier this year, I read about the workhouses of Victorian London, and I can say that the author did her research, she described them very accurately.

This particular mystery surrounds a series of suspicious deaths at a workhouse. Penny is doing an expose on the condition of workhouses, and of course, there's a death, it's not at first suspicious, but after a second death and some slightly related thefts Penny's hackles are raised, and she goes on the hunt.

Like most mystery series, it's structured like a "murder of the week" with overarching storylines that follow the characters throughout the series. For example, we have the relationship between Penny and James, which is a very slow burn. Then, there's the mystery of the whereabouts of Penny and Eliza's father as well as Mr. Edwards's voyage to try and find their father. I would say though that this book, in particular, focused heavily on the mystery, and all the overarching storylines were a bit neglected. They were mentioned, but they were not the focus.

Overall, a worthy addition to the series. I will note that this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's a nice one, so I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well the characters were well developed and there were quite a few plots going on but I just did not really like the book. When I tried to figure out why I honestly think it's because I don't really like Penny who is the main person in the book. I found her a bit pompous and somewhat irresponsible even though her intentions may have been good. This is not to say others will not enjoy the book It is just my own feelins

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

1885. Newspaper reporter Penny Green is convinced that two deaths at the Shoreditch Workhouse are suspicious even though the police and the coroner do not. She persuades Inspector Blakely to help her investigate. (Obviously he has no other cases to deal with).
Unfortunately I have become increasingly irritated by the character of Penny (starting in the previous book) and so found the book difficult to read.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic installment! I'm so happy I stumbled across this series!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The entire book was an editorial on social injustice. It was hard to find the story hidden under the soapbox. I am not saying I disagree, but I was looking for something lighter.

[Ms Sarah E Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating historical murder mystery

Another cracker of a book. This time set in the sad environment of the workhouse. Somebody appears to be killing off the inmates, bodies are going missing and somebody is trying to intimidate Penny. As with previous books in the series the historical details are so well researched it comes to life. Excellent.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Not a fan of the writing style.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable entry in the series. Penny does always seem to look a bit before leaping, but it doesn't come off as 'too stupid to live'; rather she's just passionate about her cause. And she does look, but sometimes she leaps anyway. James is still getting exasperated with her, but also recognizes that her instincts are often spot on. He's finally close to paying off his former fiance for breach of promise so it looks like there will be a wedding soon. Eliza is still pursuing divorce from her husband who was consorting with criminals but is having trouble as there's no hint of adultery. And they're both still waiting for word from Francis about whether or not he's found any trace of their father who went missing on an Orchid hunting trip in Columbia years before.

This specific mystery involves a community workhouse. Penny and Eliza spend the night on the 'casual ward' and she writes a story which, of course, the workhouse management isn't too keen about. Subsequently there are some unexplained deaths and missing bodies and Penny is on the hunt.

The author has clearly done her research -- sometimes it comes off as a bit of a lecture -- but not often enough to detract from the overall story.

[Steven Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone’s preying on Victorian London’s poor. Can a determined reporter unmask the killer stalking the workhouse?

London,1885. News reporter Penny Green is spending time at Shoreditch Workhouse working undercover. She knows more can be done for the deserving poor, but does anyone care?

When two workhouse inmates die in a fight, the police and the coroner accept the simplest explanation. Determined to expose the truth, Penny undertakes her own investigation with Inspector James Blakely’s help, and it’s not long before they make themselves unpopular.

A macabre turn finally makes the authorities act, but can Penny reveal the workhouse’s dark secrets before another life is taken? Or will her quest for justice be her final story?

A gripping Victorian mystery that shines a light on the shocking realities of life for London’s poorest. Death at the Workhouse is the next thrilling instalment in the bestselling Penny Green series.

[R.A. Forde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of the Penny Green books thus far. I think Emily Organ does a good job of getting into the mind of a late Victorian professional woman. The books are very well researched, and the history is spot on. She knows what the geography of Victorian London was like, which neighbourhoods were poor and which well-to-do, how people travelled between them and how long it took. She also knows how they dressed and what they used for medication. All this helps to create a sense of time and place. There is a "will-they-won't-they" thread running through all of them, and the story of her missing father, both of which link the stories together, providing a continuous background theme to books which are essentially free-standing. These books have been a pleasure to read, and I must have enjoyed them because I kept coming back for more!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good follow-on from the previous volume and I found it absorbing, as usual. This didn't seem to involve as much personal danger to Penny as some of the previous volumes. The plot mainly involves some deaths in Shoreditch Workhouse and the investigations that follow. The whole situation was interesting, and it moves Penny's life story along. I feel satisfied for the moment, but I know there are big things to come in Penny's future. As always for this series, the writing and editing are strong. It's definitely "somewhere in the middle" of Penny's long-term arc, so probably if you are not already a fan of the series and/or haven't read earlier books, you'd best start at the beginning.

[Clare Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite historical mysteries

Emily Organ’s Penny Green series are my favorite mystery series. I always pick them up as soon as they are out. While I find them quick and light read compared to other books I’m reading, I always learn new and interesting facts about the period. The characters in the book are well developed and Finding out what is happening with them is another reason I quickly pick up these books.

[Suzi Sheward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story .......

I’ve read all of the Penny Green books and none have disappointed me. I am particularly impressed by the historical research done by the author which I find as interesting as the story line. If you haven’t read a Penny Green book yet I would suggest starting with the first. Although each is a stand alone book there is a thread of continuity which enhances each story.
I’m eagerly awaiting the 9th in this series.

[Mary Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m really not sure how this book was so highly rated. It is my first Emily Organ book and it will be my last although I see some reviews that say others were better. I found the writing adolescent and I didn’t like Penny-the main character. Seemed ridiculous to me that she became so convinced of foul play with so little evidence. I didn’t finish-stopped at 30% so it’s possible it redeemed itself later on but I didn’t see any point in continuing.

[Heatherinblack · Rating 4 out of 5]

well done mystery

good mystery. good way of getting around to the diverse solutions. i do have an issue, as do several people in the story, with Penny going everywhere with James. ok, it was the 1800s, but seriously. i would so not be ok with it.

[Bev Priest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

Another good read in the Penny Green series. I've liked all of them. This one has a slightly macabre thread running through it, but well written as usual.

[Delon Nickels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the previous books!

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Green sisters went 'undercover' to Shoreditch Workhouse... civic minded Eliza enthusiastically volunteering to aid sister Penny into her research for the Morning Express' article on workhouses only to be dismayed by the dirt, squalor, unsanitary conditions and pigs' swill food that were the lot of the poor. This is about the particular Poor in workhouses inheriting more than starvation, poor health and destined to be downtrodden in Life and for the final Indignity, in Death... their bodies were arbitrarily given (in truth, sold for profit by the Unscrupulous) to Science via schools of Medicine as 'fitting recompense' for the subsidies from taxes collected from the law~abiding citizens who dutifully paid their rates. One of these righteous law~abiding citizens was Lady Courtauld who freely recommended girls from the workhouses (since her money helped train them) as cheap labor maids to her friends' households... Penny thought such maids would never be promoted... would never earn a bigger wage and thus would Always be put in their place as lowly servants... no wonder the maid stole from the Courtaulds and was at large as one of Inspector James Blakeley's fugitive cases. As for Francis Edwards, whom I think would be a good husband material later on for Eliza... he was laid down by fever being cared for at a village somewhere in the Columbian jungle unable to follow~up on a promising report of an orchid grower living in nearby Cali. As for Penny... despite an alarming situation regarding sinister anonymous gifts (books on Writing) maliciously implying that she did not know how to write... her relationship with James would be taken to the next level as soon as he fully paid the balance of his breach of promise reparation. The author gave a very good account of the abysmal plight of the Unfortunates at the workhouses although the law against body snatching was very much in existence yet secretly violated addressing myriad needs like the economics of the law of supply and demand.

P.S. ~ re Chapter 48 ~ "...this place would be treated with more respect 'from hereon in." This sounded similar to the Contemporary Annoying Americanism "from here on out" that would be out of Time sync.

[Kidlitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened - Penny is quite a good sleuth here, and takes the time to write up her findings in serviceable articles for her Fleet Street job. Plus James Blakely is not as horrid here - getting almost-engaged seems to cut down on his condescending attitude towards his lady love, though he does continue to mansplain on occasion. Eliza appears set on obtaining her divorce and even better, both the Green sisters appear to take an interest in the Victorian world around them, most specifically the awful lot of poor people about the place, many of whom wind up in the workhouse of the title. They still have an unhealthy obsession with their long missing father and Francis is still off in the jungle trying to find their pater. I wasn't sure how I was going to stick with this series after James' awfulness and Penny's failure to thrive with their romance looming ever closer but as always Organ does excellent research, Gabrielle Baker reads beautifully and I learn something with every book. Looking forward to the next one!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another excellent installment of the Penny Green series that finds our favourite Victorian journalist ruffling feathers at a local workhouse, where conditions are less than charitable and there a disturbing goings on. More so as the death tolls begins to mount, and yet it is down to Penny to uncover the truth as Victorian society turns its back on the poor even after death. Added to this as the mysterious gifts that Penny receives in the form of books aimed at 'aiding' her writing and career, not to mention the ongoing overseas quest by Francis to discover the whereabouts of Father Green. I'm still not overly sold on the romantic aspects of the story, less so with this installment, but Penny maintains her principals despite this (so far any way) so I can happily leave it to one side. Looking forward to the next installment, especially with the arrival of that letter at the end.

[Richard Hornberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took three attempts for me to finish this book. You might ask why…. I’m typically not enthralled with books written in British English. I would get through three or four chapters and out it down. This past week I spent the week in the woods camping and was determined to finish it. I’m glad I did. I found the historical facts at the end of the story to be particularly interesting. The story line was believable even if it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t have a grand guess or speculation into who done it, so to speak. I think it all wrapped up nicely not to give anything away. I can’t say I’ll read more of the series but, it’s not the lack of the story, just my trouble maintaining interest with the interpretation that occurs in my mind.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite aspects of Emily Organ's novels is that she seems quite at ease with language. Oftentimes when I read historical fiction, an anachronistic word or phrase pops up in the characters' speech, shocking me out of the story, into the present day, and itching to look up the word in the OED to see whether it was really used, or used in that way, at the time.

I have never had that experience with the Penny Green series. Linguistically they are a success. Ms Organ's research also shines through to make the novels believable.

Well done.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent mystery, and yay! we get some good news from Francis!

I like the subplot of Ellie's divorce, and I think she'll end dating Francis, lol

I think the social commentary about the workhouse and the paupers was a little heavy-handed, but I obviously agree with all of it. And I still don't like James, I think Penny was better without him, but oh, well...

I'm done with all the audiobooks, so I'll wait to the next to come up to follow reading this series.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the Penny Green Series, this on one slow moving, but interesting. I enjoy learning about the history that Emily Organ puts into her story and the time period she writes about. I enjoyed how the ending came and was surprised who the bad person was. Can't read the next book to find out what is going to happen, Emily Organ always leaves us with anticipation.

[Kathy Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent crime novel by Emily Organ! As usual, the plot was easy-going but facinating because of the way crimes needed to be solved without fingerprints and DNA! I enjoy the heroine's's tenacity, but wish she and the detective would hurry and marry as I sense trouble in their relationship! Maybe next book...

[Terry Polston · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Penny and Eliza spend an investigative night at the workhouse two men are found dead. It is determined that they killed each other but Penny doesn't believe it. She sets out to find out what happened to them and to another inmate whose body has disappeared from the workhouse. Penny and James uncover a scheme to sell bodies to medical schools for dissection.

[Kevin Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death at the Workhouse is another brilliantly written book in the Penny Green series by Emily Organ. This book reveales more of the ongoing life of our main character with fascinating insights into historical gems associated with the plot. I am totally hooked on the Penny Green series and can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Penny Green

Emily Organ researches and writes excellent mysteries which include glimpses of mistreatment of specific groups of society in the 19th century. Her writing is good, her characters likable (or unlikable in the case of bad guys), and I usually end up surprised to find out who the guilty ones are. Give any of these books a try. I think you’ll like them.