Murder at Madame Tussauds

Museum Mysteries #6

by Jim Eldridge

London, 1896. Madame Tussauds opens to find one of its nightwatchmen decapitated and his colleague nowhere to be found. To the police, the case seems simple: one killed the other and fled, but workers at the museum aren’t convinced. Although forbidden contact by his superior officer, Scotland Yard detective John Feather secretly enlists ‘The Museum Detectives’ Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton to aid the police investigation.

When the body of the missing nightwatchman is discovered encased within a wax figure, the case suddenly becomes more complex. With questions over rival museums, the dead men’s pasts and a series of bank raids plaguing the city, Wilson and Fenton face their most intriguing and dangerous case yet.

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

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2021

About the author

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

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley along with Allison and Busby for providing me with a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is now my 3rd book that I have read in Jim Eldrige's Museum Mystery series, and once again the author has delivered a highly entertaining, fast-paced and enjoyable mystery, this time involving Madam Tussauds Wax Museum in London. The author has a great pairing of former Scotland Yard Detective, Daniel Wilson, along with his now fiancee Abigail Fenton, a world renown Archeologist. Together these two have been solving mysteries surrounding murders at some of Englands most well-known museum. Here they are called into the case by the owner of the wax museum, much to the dismay of the higher ups at Scotland Yard, who are angry and yet jealous of the publicity and credit that the "Museum Detectives" receive instead of Scotland Yard.
Here we have the beheading death of a night watchman at Madam Tussauds, and the official investigation leads in one direction, while Wilson and Fenton do not buy the official investigation. Oh, we have multiple murders of folks with connections to the "Wax Business" along with a string of high profile banks being broken into and robbed of most in their safe deposit boxes. Are the cases connected and, if so, how are they related since nothing seems to make sense.
A rollicking good tale filled with a lot of background on Madam Tussaud, the wax museum business, Florence Nightingale and a host of characters that keep you guessing until the very end.
If you like historical mysteries, and page-turning books that keep you up at night, then this is the author for you, and Murder at Madame Tussauds is a perfect book for you.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- What a delightful read this was!

This was my first foray into Museum Mysteries series, and I will say right off the bat that this works very well as a standalone. I was never confused or felt like I was missing information pertinent to this story. The writing was excellent, and it an effortless feel to it. It was well paced. The plot was intriguing (if a little straightforward). There weren't really a lot of twists or red herrings. It's pretty obvious who is behind everything from early on. However, that didn't bother me. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are both solid and likable lead characters with great on page chemistry. What more is there to say? I can't wait to dive into the other books in this series and see where this author takes these characters in the next installment.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a newcomer to the "Museum Mysteries" series. This entry opens with a gruesome murder scene in Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors. John Tussaud (grandson to Madame T) calls in the inquiry agents Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton. They've built up a good reputation and have a sound track record (which only serves to infuriate the head of Scotland Yard, whose men's reputations and results suffer in comparison, according to the press.)
Daniel and Abigail quickly realize that there is something really strange going on, and their case seems to have a connection to a series of well-planned out robberies at banks around London.
Inspector John Feathers is in charge of the bank robberies case, and is ordered to not talk to Wilson and Fenton (I gather they have a good working relationship over the series), though the three slyly manage to trade information regardless.

I liked this mystery. It wasn't super difficult to figure out what was going on, and though I found the language used by the characters, and some of their attitudes, to be a little too 21st century for a story that takes place in the late 1800s, I still enjoyed this book a lot. It's light, a pretty fast read, and the author presents interesting historical details without bogging down the action.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review.

[Sarah-Grace (Azrael865) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery makes for a fun escape for a while. It has everything to make it a classic. Murder, daring bank robberies, the chamber of horrors in wax works museum and all taking place shortly after the Jack the Ripper murders.
The characters are private detective partners, Daniel and Abigail, who have already solved a few recent high profile mysteries, to the annoyance of Scotland Yard and how they were unfavorable compared in the news papers.
Even though I hadn't read any of the prior stories of this series, I had no difficulty connecting with the characters and I look forward to reading the other adventures of Daniel and Abigail.

Thank you to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to discover this series by Jim Eldridge.

[Bayan Sh · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my most enjoyable read this month!

I'm so happy to have enjoyed this, and I'm now officially into mystery lol, I was super intrigued almost only 8 or 9 pages in and I was on my toes most of the time, enjoying every twist and turn this book threw at me.

I found this mystery very well plotted and the characters creatively made, the writing style wasn't anything unique but it was enjoyable and the pace very entertaining and fun.

I am now super intrigued to get to the rest of the Museum Mysteries books, and will definitely be looking them up soon!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

[Ronja]

Ich war sehr lange am hadern mit mir, hab mich jetzt aber doch dazu entschieden, dass Buch nicht weiterzulesen, weil es mir überhaupt keinen Spaß gemacht hat & extrem langweilig war.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable series. Not as impressed with this title as with the others

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the most gruesome so far, but probably because no one wants to stay overnight at Madame Tussauds.

[Marles Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had not heard of the Museum Mystery series before, and as a stand-alone book you might not know it was connected to other books. If you are looking for a harmless light-hearted book to pass the time, I could recommend this. Otherwise I’m not sure.  The fact that Arthur Conan Doyle turn up talking about Egyptian archaeological expeditions raised my eyebrows a little.  I think this book had too much poetic licence for my liking, and was just too trite for me. I always finish a book even if it’s not for me, and this is definitely one of them.

Daniel Wilson, former police officer, and Abigail Fenton, some kind of noble aristocrat scholar, are partners in solving murder mysteries. The murders begin in Madame Tussads, with two of the nightwatchmen. It’s the late 1800s, and Daniel and Abigail seem to be solving a lot of murders in the museums of Britain much to the annoyance of  London Police – this storyline and the angst between the police and the pair I enjoyed! Nevertheless, this book held a lot of predictable patterns and elements for a murder mystery: the creepiness of  Victorian London, a love tryst between Daniel and Abigail, and the need to catch the baddies. Abigail rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed to not be suited to the time based on her character and personality. I wasn’t very surprised or shocked by the plot of this book, and vey predictably all the loose ends seemed to come together at the end, including a weird plot line of unrequited love from a family connection for Daniel.

You might like it, see what you think.

[laladebombay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a yum cozy mystery, it is fast paced and you love the characters (which are well developed and unique) I am a total nerd so I absolutely adored the idea of a museum crime. I also liked the fact that our protagonists are believable and thankfully - not sexist, given that one of our detectives is a woman.

This explains that this is my first book by the author (and the series) . Regardless, the writing style is crisp and well articulated, yet unpretentious.

So much love.

Thanking Allison & Busby for the copy ❤

[Holly Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this installment of the Museum Mysteries Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum finds itself with a dead night watchman and a missing one Daniel and Abigail are called in to help find the answers. They meet Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle who offers Abigail the chance to head an archeological dig in Egypt. Daniel comes to the attention of a besotted 16 yr old girl and murder and other hi jinks ensue. Will they find the murderer? Will Abigail take the position as lead for the dig in Egypt? Read it (or listen Lol) and seeeeeee.....

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is that rare thing,of a book,a few down into the series,that works as a stand alone.
I'm genuinely delighted when I find and enjoy these,as I now have the rest of the series to add to my tbr shelf.

It's fun,and a little bit gruesome in parts,my favourite combination.

Two likeable and realistic main characters,a plot I wasn't guessing where it was heading,and non too bright senior police officers.
Ticks a lot of boxes for me.
As soon as I have time,I'm looking up the rest of the mysteries.

[Vanessab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three point five stars.

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

CAWPILE 7.00
4 STARS

Read for Battleathon August 2024.

Still working my way through this series, I liked how eerie this story was with the waxworks and the murders but this wasn't my favourite storyline.
Also, Conan Doyle as a side character! wow!
I'm determined to continue with this series as I am enjoying it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard fayre from Jim Eldridge, this sixth in the Museum Mysteries series is much as devotees of the series would expect. In fact, this far into the series, only devotees would find this book coherent. Plot-wise, the story stands alone, but as with any series, real connection with the main characters, and the secondary recurring characters, is somewhat dependent upon having read the previous stories.

Development-wise, this series is somewhat stagnant, in that the characters do not develop overmuch as time passes. Daniel Wilson is the same man he was in the first book, despite having found love in the in the form of Abigail Fenton. Sadly, Abigail Fenton has not changed one bit either. She was an entitled snob in the first book, and despite having gone against her class and upbringing by living 'in sin' with the decidedly 'blue-collar' Wilson, she still has the snobbish values and mores of her class. The scene where the couple are reading the day's newspapers is a case in point. Two of the publications on offer are 'The Whistler' and 'The Telegraph'. Inspecting them both, Fenton sneers at 'The Whistler', calling it 'a semi-literate rag', She then promptly hands it to Wilson with a decided air of 'this should be right up YOUR street', and takes up 'The Telegraph'.

Her alleged regard for Wilson does not extend to actually having any respect at all for his experience as a detective, and she continually contradicts and undermines his detective skills and instincts. This being said, however, Eldridge also has Wilson occasionally doing himself no favours. Early on in the investigation one
scene has Fenton insisting upon probing into the background of Madame Tussauds as an organisation, in response to which Wilson objects'...it takes so long'. We are constantly entreated to believe that Daniel Wilson is a seasoned ex-Scotland Yard detective with a very good reputation, yet Eldridge has this paragon whining about undertaking what is ultimately a fundamental yet essential step in his case. Messy characterisation, Eldridge!

The thoroughly predictable plot pootles along with no real surprises, and many tangential threads which seem to have no relevance until the very end. The disappearance of one character very early on is only resolved at the very end rather clumsily, and the micro-thin sub-plot of a teen with a crush on Wilson is equally as flimsy, appearing to have been included only to give Fenton a somewhat deus ex machina means of escape from a tricky situation when required.

The book is hardly a work of literary genius, but it is an entertaining if pedestrian historical mystery and a fitting addition to the series, While not waiting on tenterhooks for the next in this series, I will read it nonetheless. A harmless light read.

[Fiona Brichaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book by Jim Eldridge that I've read. Although they are books in different series, and set in different historical periods, they have many of the same qualities. Both are skillfully written and constructed, are an easy read and are entertaining.

I likened the other book, Murder at the Ritz, to a Netflix-and-chill experience in book form (Eldridge writes for TV and it shows). I stand by that here. It's a good read, fun, interesting characters. A few plot holes and unlikely scenarios don't really matter much here: it's a book to enjoy and then move on, without examining it too closely!

Like this review? You can find all my reviews on my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews

[David Prestidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the delightful series from Jim Eldridge set in the last years of Queen Victoria's reign, and featuring a private investigator partnership between Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton. The pair are so mismatched that they make a delightful fit, if that makes any sense. Former policeman Daniel is short, stocky and of solid working class London stock, while Abigail is of more 'noble birth', tall, elegant, and an expert in archaeology, particularly that of the classical world. As you can see from the banner above, they have worked their way around the major museums of England, but now they are called to a slightly less academic venue - Madame Tussaud's waxworks on Baker Street.

One of the night watchmen is found decapitated, his body (and head) posed next to the instrument of death that caused Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud née Grosholtz to fear for her own life during the French Revolution - the guillotine. Wilson and Fenton immediately smell a rather large and malodorous rodent. The dead man - Eric Dudgeon - and his fellow watchman, Walter Bagshot, were lifelong friends, and former army colleagues. Now Dudgeon is dead and Bagshot is missing. Even stranger is the fact that some months earlier the previous watchmen, Donald Bruin and Steven Patterson, both left at the same time and, within days, Dudgeon and Bagshot arrived at the exhibition asking if there were any vacancies for security staff.

Meanwhile, Eldridge has introduced some real life characters (pictured above) - Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury, Sir Matthew White Ridley the Home Secretary, and William Melville head of the Special Branch. The men are concerned about a series of successful bank robberies, each of which has been carried out by the robbers tunneling into the bank vault from the cellar of an adjoining building. The sums taken have been eye-wateringly huge - so much so that the government is concerned about a run on the banks. Dedicated Sherlockians, when hearing about the robbers' method, will raise an eyebrow and say, "A-hah - The Red Headed League!" *

The murder plot becomes more twisted, when a young man, working on the basis that if he can scare his girlfriend she will succumb to his advances, hides with her in a Tussaud's broom cupboard at closing time, and then sneaks out into The Chamber of Horrors. What they find is a genuine horror rather than a wax version, and all thoughts of dalliance go out of the window. Abigail, meanwhile, is courted (in a gentlemanly way) by none other than Arthur Conan Doyle, who wants her to lead an expedition to excavate an obscure group pf pyramids in Egypt. Both she and Daniel have their lives threatened, however; Abigail by an obsessed young woman who lusts after Daniel, and Daniel himself by a powerful and seemingly untouchable crime boss, Gerald Carr.


This shouldn't be dismissed as 'comfort reading'. Yes, we know what we are going to get - the atmospheric late Victorian setting, the lovely human chemistry between Daniel and Abigail, and absence of moral ambiguity and the certainty that good will prevail. Any genuine reader of fiction - and in particular, crime fiction - will know that, rather in the manner of Ecclesiastes chapter III , there is a time for everything; there is a time for the dark despair of Derek Raymond, there is a time for the intense psychological dramas of Lisa Jewell, and a time for workaday police procedurals by writers like Peter James and Mark Billingham. There is also a time for superbly crafted historical crime fiction which takes us far away in time and space, and allows us to escape into an - albeit imaginary - world which provides balm and healing to our present woes. Murder at Madame Tussaud's is one such book. It is published by Allison & Busby and is available now.

*The Red-Headed League" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in which Sherlock Holmes takes the case of a businessman who feels that he's been duped. A small business owner named Wilson tells Holmes how a man named Spaulding convinced him to take a job with The Red-Headed League. The League pays Wilson to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica in longhand. Wilson does this for seven weeks, until the League is disbanded. Holmes realizes that Spaulding just wanted Wilson out of the shop so that he could dig a tunnel into the nearby bank.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Madame Tussauds is the sixth book in the fun historical mystery series Museum Mysteries by Jim Eldridge. I started this series on book five, and both that one and this stood alone just perfectly fine. So if you're a fan of historical mysteries, jump right in and join the "Museum Detectives" as they investigate their latest case.

Victorian London, 1896. Madame Tussauds, the incredibly popular wax museum, opens one morning to find one of their nightwatchmen decapitated and set up in an eerie tableau in the museum's Chamber of Horrors. John Tussaud calls in Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, who are called the "Museum Detectives", to investigate. At first it's believed that the other nightwatchman killed his co-worker and vanished, but that theory is put to rest when he is later discovered encased in wax at Madame Tussauds! Meanwhile, their friend Inspector John Feathers is investigating a series of bank robberies. Scotland Yard does NOT like Daniel and Abigail, since they are being compared to our detectives unfavorably, but Feathers involves them on the sly in the robberies investigation. Can the murders at Tussauds possibly be related to bank robberies? It's sure beginning to appear that way!

This was a fun installment in this popular series. It wasn't difficult to figure out who did what in regards to the crimes, but it was still entertaining to watch our leads figure it all out. I really enjoy the relationship between Daniel and Abigail. Daniel formerly worked with Scotland Yard and was involved in investigating Jack the Ripper. Abigail, on the other hand, is a well-know Egyptologist. It seems an odd pairing, but it works. They buck Victorian mores and live together unmarried. There were some characters that were an interesting addition to the story - particularly Marion, the lovesick young niece of John Feathers, who has a thing for Daniel, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, THAT one. He wants Abigail to lead an Egyptian expedition for him, hoping to find some sort of divine cure for his ill wife. So we had all sorts of different stories going on, but they all coalesced into one fine tale. I'll be looking forward to the next adventures of our Museum Detectives!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in 1896 London with a complicated plot. When the museum opens one morning, they find the body of one of the night watchmen in the Chamber of Horrors with his head chopped off next to the guillotine. The other was missing. The police consider it an open and shut case with the second watchman killing the the other and then taking off. John Tussaud calls in the Museum Detectives, Daniel Wilson, a former Scotland Yard officer, and his partner, Abigail Fenton, a former Egyptian archeologist.

They quickly find that the two watchmen had only been working at the museum two weeks. The previous watchmen had suddenly left after their shift and the two new ones applied that day and were hired. The new watchmen had been army engineers. A few days later, a dead man is found in the Chamber of Horrors covered with wax. This turns out to be the missing watchman.

Daniel and Abigail talk with Scotland Yard detective, John Feather, with whom they have worked in the past. However, they have to do it secretly because Superintendent Armstrong doesn't like Daniel and Abigail to steal his thunder. Feather is actually on the case of bank robberies in which the culprits go into an empty building next door to the bank during the night and then break through the basement wall to the vault. Daniel thinks they may hired the new watchmen (engineers!) to tunnel from the Museum to another bank. Daniel quickly connects the murders to the bank robberies, although it takes awhile to get the facts.

Daniel and Abigail find the previous watchmen living on a barge and find out they were paid to leave the museum and stay on the barge. The person paying them hasn't showed up, so they go back to Tussauds with Daniel and Abigail and get their jobs back. Michaels, who was paying the watchmen to leave their jobs is found opposite another wax museum from plaster being poured down his throat! Then, tellers from two of the robbed banks are found dead in the river. They were the ones who had been a little dodgy when interviewed.

Things get very dicey when Abigail is abducted. However, Daniel and the police do their jobs and finally figure out the culprit, who had not been one the police suspects!

This was a very clever and entertaining mystery with a lot of murders!

[Sue F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of historical mysteries, but somehow had never heard of Jim Eldridge’s Museum Detectives series, set in the late 1800s, and featuring ex-Scotland Yard detective Daniel Wilson and his partner, archeologist Abigail Fenton. So I was happy to receive a review copy of the latest title in the series, Murder at Madame Tussauds. And I’m glad I did.

As the story opens, a real beheaded body is found in with all the wax ones in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Daniel and Abigail have made a bit of a name for themselves solving murders in museums, so John Tussaud, who now runs his great-grandmother’s museum, calls on them to investigate. The dead man is one of Madame Tussaud’s two night watchmen, and the other is missing, so it seems obvious to Scotland Yard’s Inspector Jarrett that he’s the culprit. But is that really true? More dead bodies give some clues…

Meanwhile, there’s also an outbreak of bank burglaries happening in London. Clever criminals have been breaking in to bank vaults from the cellars of neighboring stores. The crimes have been happening in wealthy areas so a lot of money, and perhaps even more importantly, a lot of private papers, have gone missing. Are the two crime sprees connected? Although they are on the outs with senior officers at Scotland Yard, Daniel and Abigail still manage to work with their friend, Inspector Feather, to figure out what’s going on.

I very much enjoyed Murder at Madame Tussaud’s – the plot was engaging, and I also got to painlessly learn a bit about Madame Tussaud’s and the history of wax-figure making. Since I came in on the sixth book, though, I’m a bit uncertain as to the origin of Daniel and Abigail’s relationship, which seemed to me to be unusual (openly living together, without being married) for the time. The living-together part didn’t bother me personally, but it did seem to be a bit of an anachronism. (Perhaps if I get a chance to read some of the earlier books in the series, that part will make more sense.) All-in-all, though, this was a fun and quick read. And please keep in mind that I don’t give many five-star reviews, and so my four-star rating here is a solid “read this book” recommendation. And my thanks to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Allison & Busby for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Murder at Madame Tussauds by Jim Eldridge. All opinions are my own.

A killing’s already taken place at the beginning of our book, the sixth in the series, this one set in 1896. One of the nightwatchmen has a missing head, poor man, and it appears that he was done in by the wax museum’s own guillotine. But Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton find out that’s not true. Scotland Yard also think it’s an open and shut case with the other nightwatchman being the culprit. Daniel and Abby soon realize that what’s going on is way more complicated. There’s those bank robberies all over town, for instance.

Readers will have the “superintendent who doesn’t like them” trope to deal with as in earlier books. It does have its uses, I suppose. They do have a friend at the Yard who gets to feed them information, as he gets it from them.

Our story takes on another dimension with more people, a young boy and a mysterious woman. Are they the ones doing the killings? It looks like we’re supposed to think they are. Another body turns up, encased in wax. A chamber of horrors, indeed. Where’s Vincent Price when you need him? But could this be just an attempt by a business rival to make Madame Tussauds look bad?

Oh, yes, our side story – Abigail’s offered the chance (by Arthur Conan Doyle, no less) to return to Egypt for an archeological expedition. Daniel urges her to take it.

Pretty soon, everybody’s in danger in this book. Lots of threads to follow, maybe too many. I’d like a more straightforward story. Daniel is putting two and two together, but our plodding superintendent doesn’t want to believe him of course for the usual, tedious reasons. There’s a rescue operation to finish everything up. And a long story that has to be explained away, for not for the public reasons. Murder at Madame Tussauds will no doubt be enjoyed by fans of the series who follow the fortunes of Daniel and Abby, but there are some tedious parts (don’t like scenes from the “other side’s” point of view, for instance), and it lacks the panache of earlier books.

[Martin Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable romp through Victorian England with the Museum Detectives.

“Murder at Madam Tussauds” is book 6 in the “Museum Detectives” series, but in actual fact, it can be enjoyed without having read the previous five books.

We’re back in London in 1896 and there’s been a murder, again. This time in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum where a night watchman has been guillotined to death and his co-worker has disappeared. The police see it as an open and shut case, but in an attempt to hush up the matter, the proprietor John Tussaud calls in the renowned Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton to solve the mystery.

Our intrepid team are soon on the case, and before long they have uncovered a scenario straight out of Carry On Screaming when the body of the missing night-watchman is discovered encased in wax. Links to a series of bank robberies also add to the mystery.

It’s all very good fun, as were the previous books. The story unfolds easily and smoothly; nothing too horrific, complex or mysterious. We’ve got the usual mix of suspects, fighting brothers, evil rich lady, and money-lenders. One thing about the Museum Mysteries series is the clever way the author slips real-life characters into the story. In this case we get a nice potted history of Madam Tussaud and her family, including her two great-grandsons John and Louis. We also have an appearance by Arthur Conan Doyle.

The blossoming relationship between Daniel and Abigail is developing nicely, and the repartee with members of Scotland Yard continues to entertain. Abigail’s sadness at no longer being an archaeologist is addressed too.

This is another enjoyable, easy read and it will appeal to fans of the series, as well as those of Edward Marston, Imogen Robertson and ES Thomson. Recommended beach reading.

[Deborah Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at Madame Tussauds
By: Jim Eldridge

Allison and Busby

General Fiction(Adult)/Historical Fiction/Mystery and Thrillers

Publish Date June 17, 2021

#MurderatMadameTussauds#NetGalley





I am very grateful that I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I gave this book 3.5 stars. I wasn't a fan of the ending otherwise it would have been a 4 star.

This book has a lot of characters but it is easy to figure out. I didn't like how the chapters would jump from one set of characters to another without any warning or a start of a new chapter. Otherwise the chapters and story line flowed well.

This book starts out with the death of a night watchman at the wax museum of Madame Tussauds. His death was very gross with having his head chopped off. There is a missing night watchman who happened to be the deceases partner. The owner of the museum has hired two private investigators to help solve the murder. Scotland Yard is not happy of the involvement of these two people.

I enjoyed the mystery content and a little bit about the times with a splash of history.

There also happens to be a series of bank robbery's in the area.

Are the two connected or are they two different crimes?

[Laurel Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been an avid mystery reader since childhood, and I especially enjoy historical detective stories. Murder at Madam Tussauds absolutely checked every box for me. This was actually my first book by Jim Eldridge, and it is a great credit to the writing style and the story that I did not feel lost even jumping into the Museum Mystery series at this point. While I'm sure I would have had greater depth to the characters and their histories, starting at the beginning, this could easily be read as a stand-alone.

The main characters are private detectives and lovers-Daniel Wilson is a former Scotland Yard detective who worked on the Jack-the-Ripper case, and Abigail Fenton is a prominent archaeologist and Egyptologist who has fought for her place in male dominant career fields. They are witty, intelligent, and sweet, and I was thoroughly invested in both of them. This story involves gruesome murders, the Chamber of Horrors at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum, and it was atmospheric, creepy, and utterly fantastic. I could not work out all of the twists and turns of the plot, and even the pieces I managed to figure out were not what I expected them to be.

It was the perfect beach read for my summer vacation, and I enjoyed it so much, that I will definitely go back for more of this series. When I described it to my mom, she got online and ordered the series!

[Amalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five reasons I'm giving five stars to Murder at Madame Tussauds by Jim Eldridge.

1. The setting - We are in London, 1896, and one of the nightwatchmen of the Madame Tussauds museum is found dead while his colleague is missing. I always enjoy a Victorian-era setting.

2. The protagonists - Daniel Wilson was once a Scotland Yard detective, part of the team that hunted Jack the Ripper. His fiancé Abigail Fenton is an archeologist and Egyptologist. Together they are ‘The Museum Detectives’ and they are great at it.

3. The history - There are many snippets of historical details in the book. I quite enjoyed learning more about the origins of the Madame Tussauds museum and the wax business. I visited the museum once, years ago, and mostly remember the queues.

4. The tone - The tone of the book was spot on for me. This is not a gentle, cozy read. It is fairly fast paced with plenty of twists and a rising pile of bodies, but still not too gory or dark. A fun read.

5. More to come - This is the sixth book in the Museum Murders series (you guessed it, each book centers around a different museum) but perfect as a stand-alone. It is the first I've read and will now go back to read others, can't decide between the British Museum and the Ashmolean.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Première découverte de cet auteur et j'ai beaucoup aimé. Je n'ai malheureusement pas commencé par le 1er livre de cette série mais ça ne m'a pas empêché d'apprécier ma lecture.

Direction Londres, en 1896. Le célèbre musée Tussauds est secoué par l'assassinat de l'un de ses deux veilleurs de nuit. La police soupçonne alors son collègue de l'avoir tué puis fui. Mais c'est sans compter sur l'oeil averti de Daniel Wilson et Abigail Fenton alias "Les détectives des musées" qui vont percer à jour la vérité.

J'ai beaucoup aimé suivre cette enquête dans un Londres du 19ème siècle, avec des références historiques telles que le célèbre Arthur Conan Doyle ou encore le terrifiant Jack L'éventreur.

L'histoire ne manque pas d'entrain et les détectives ne laissent aucun indice leur échapper. Bien que Scotland Yard tente de les écarter de l'enquête pour s'attirer les louanges de la presse, ils sont bien plus futiles pour découvrir la vérité. Wilson et Fenton forment un véritable duo, à la maison comme sur le terrain.

L'écriture est fluide et l'histoire rapide à lire. J'ai aimé les petites touches humoristiques que l'auteur apporte à son récit. Ça permet de trancher avec le suspens de l'enquête en cours.

Cette découverte m'a donné envie de lire les autres oeuvres de cette série.

[Ryan Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting plot spoiled by short, rushed writing and a recurring character that ruined some parts of the book. The plot for the book has a very interesting premise and maybe written by a more serious author could have been a very impressive murder mystery however I think there are two real flaws that stop this from being a top level book. Firstly, even though the book is 346 pages long the writing comes across almost very rushed, with parts now expanded on that need to be. The ending is the prime example of this as the book seems to be ambling along and then out of nowhere it finishes and very randomly, the last few chapters come across more as filler rather than necessary to the story. Secondly, the book features a reoccurring historical figure that at first comes across as a playfully fun part of the story, as the book goes on it becomes a little ridiculous and for me it takes away from the story itself. Overall I would say if you want somewhat of an easy going murder mystery that isn’t too dark or serious then this is a book you should read however for me, I prefer a darker or grittier murder book therefore I would say that the book is okay but could be so much better.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charming cover drew me in and the author's way with words kept me riveted. Set in 1896 London (love the Victorian era!) the fog is so thick it could practically be cut through with a knife (or guillotine as was the head of a night watchman at Madame Tussauds Museum). The second watchman is nowhere to be found, though it is crucial he is if the murder is to be solved.

Private investigators Abigail Fenton and Daniel Wilson are hired by Scotland Yard detective John Feather to get to the bottom of the murder and disappearance. But then the murder turns into more. The murderer seems to have disappeared into thin (or thick) air. Though the mystery is not tense or suspenseful, I enjoyed the setting and pea soup atmosphere as well as historical details such as Gladstone and Nightingale. Not only that but the appearance of Arthur Conan Doyle is a fun touch!

Those who prefer their mysteries light and clean, do read this clean book.

My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book!

[Carlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and murder mysteries, so this is a perfect book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Despite not having read the earlier books about the 'Museum Detectives' as Daniel & Abigail are widely known, I quickly understood the backstory and it didn't detract at all from this one.

The setting for the main events were London at the end of the nineteenth century, particularly focusing on wax museums of which Madame Tussauds is most famous. There were lots of twists and turns within the plot, which kept me guessing for the majority of the book exactly how everything fitted in. I especially liked the inclusion of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There were some interesting reflections of the politics, policing, justice systems and criminal gangs of the time too.

Definitely a bit gruesome at times, but I loved it and would highly recommend for anyone who loves history and crime stories! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and I'll certainly be looking into reading Eldridge's previous books in this series now too!