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Museum Mysteries #7
Murder at the National Gallery
1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ...
Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer.
Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ...
Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2022
22 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Jim Eldridge
159 books154 followersJim 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 19, 2023
2.75 stars
February 9, 2022
1.5
This is quite a difficult book for me to review as while I didn’t personally enjoy it that much, I can see how people would enjoy it and why this is book 7 in a series. It’s simply written which makes it easy to continue reading on even if you aren’t enjoying it.
I didn’t know this book was the latest in a series till after I read the first chapter, normally libby is quite good at telling you what book is in a series and what number they are even if they are not available. The first chapter is, quite frankly, lazy info dumping of the previous books in the series, it’s so bad it’s what made me research on goodreads to see if this was part of a series.
Since finishing this book a few days ago I’ve been racking my brain trying to find the right words to describe why I didn’t like this book and, quite honestly, the writing in this book is lazy. Its like the author just couldn’t be bothered. This book is 95% dialogue, all exposition is done through poorly written and inorganic conversations. The same conversations and information would happen and nothing of value was added – the museum detectives and the police would be talking about the same things but there was no difference in them, you wouldn’t find new clues or new thoughts or have a more rounded idea of what is going on, it was just repetitive, boring and quite frankly unnecessary. The dialogue was flat and brought out no personality to the characters which made me not care about them and the case. Speaking of the case, I found out pretty quickly to not look for clues myself about who the murderer could be, there was just little to no atmosphere or care to make anything about this book interesting. It would lazily bring up famous figures of the time to try and seem interesting, but came across more as a try hard hipster desperate to show how much they know while trying to seem nonchalant about it all.
This book gave no conceptual clues to anything and just expected you to take the characters words for it – there is a scene where they go and meet a police officer to see if he can let the detectives interview some sex workers to see if they may have any information about the victims, on the way there Abigail asks if this police officer facilitates sex with these woman and Daniel answers he doesn’t know after they speak to this officer Daniel answers that the police officer does and that’s it, there is nothing in the text that backs this up – is it because the police officer knows so many sex workers that gives it away? Is it because he so easily knows he can find some of the woman to help the detectives that shows familiarity and a comfort with them? You get given nothing to help you understand the world, the characters - nothing.
Even information about the time period is done through tired dialogue just so the author can let you know they done some research and it just sounds unnatural – there is a scene where the characters go to take the underground (a new mode of transport at the time) and instead of the author setting the scene through description, it’s done through stilted, unrealistic dialogue between characters that sounds even more boring and tedious than a text book.
This review is getting long now and I’m tired but this book could’ve been so much better, it takes an interesting mystery during an interesting time period and makes it incredibly boring and mundane with the way the plot, world and characters are lazily written.
This is quite a difficult book for me to review as while I didn’t personally enjoy it that much, I can see how people would enjoy it and why this is book 7 in a series. It’s simply written which makes it easy to continue reading on even if you aren’t enjoying it.
I didn’t know this book was the latest in a series till after I read the first chapter, normally libby is quite good at telling you what book is in a series and what number they are even if they are not available. The first chapter is, quite frankly, lazy info dumping of the previous books in the series, it’s so bad it’s what made me research on goodreads to see if this was part of a series.
Since finishing this book a few days ago I’ve been racking my brain trying to find the right words to describe why I didn’t like this book and, quite honestly, the writing in this book is lazy. Its like the author just couldn’t be bothered. This book is 95% dialogue, all exposition is done through poorly written and inorganic conversations. The same conversations and information would happen and nothing of value was added – the museum detectives and the police would be talking about the same things but there was no difference in them, you wouldn’t find new clues or new thoughts or have a more rounded idea of what is going on, it was just repetitive, boring and quite frankly unnecessary. The dialogue was flat and brought out no personality to the characters which made me not care about them and the case. Speaking of the case, I found out pretty quickly to not look for clues myself about who the murderer could be, there was just little to no atmosphere or care to make anything about this book interesting. It would lazily bring up famous figures of the time to try and seem interesting, but came across more as a try hard hipster desperate to show how much they know while trying to seem nonchalant about it all.
This book gave no conceptual clues to anything and just expected you to take the characters words for it – there is a scene where they go and meet a police officer to see if he can let the detectives interview some sex workers to see if they may have any information about the victims, on the way there Abigail asks if this police officer facilitates sex with these woman and Daniel answers he doesn’t know after they speak to this officer Daniel answers that the police officer does and that’s it, there is nothing in the text that backs this up – is it because the police officer knows so many sex workers that gives it away? Is it because he so easily knows he can find some of the woman to help the detectives that shows familiarity and a comfort with them? You get given nothing to help you understand the world, the characters - nothing.
Even information about the time period is done through tired dialogue just so the author can let you know they done some research and it just sounds unnatural – there is a scene where the characters go to take the underground (a new mode of transport at the time) and instead of the author setting the scene through description, it’s done through stilted, unrealistic dialogue between characters that sounds even more boring and tedious than a text book.
This review is getting long now and I’m tired but this book could’ve been so much better, it takes an interesting mystery during an interesting time period and makes it incredibly boring and mundane with the way the plot, world and characters are lazily written.
April 19, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- The cover on this one is fabulous!
This is my second foray into this series and I really wish I had time to go back and read all the previous books. I am enjoying them so much. This was another solid read. Well written and well paced. I loved the historical tie ins with Walter Sickert and Jack The Ripper. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing until the end. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton remain solid and likable lead characters with great on page chemistry. Honestly, not much more to say about this one. This series is shaping up to definitely be one of my favorites, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book "Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum."
**ARV Via NetGalley**
This is my second foray into this series and I really wish I had time to go back and read all the previous books. I am enjoying them so much. This was another solid read. Well written and well paced. I loved the historical tie ins with Walter Sickert and Jack The Ripper. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing until the end. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton remain solid and likable lead characters with great on page chemistry. Honestly, not much more to say about this one. This series is shaping up to definitely be one of my favorites, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book "Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum."
**ARV Via NetGalley**
January 24, 2022
3.5 stars.
This is my second Museum Detectives mystery. (I really should start at the beginning of this series so I find out how Abigail and Daniel met).
Anyway, I liked this book. Eldridge has an easy, uncomplicated writing style, and I could easily slip into Victorian London with its streets crammed with coaches, omnibuses and carts, noisy, dirty and smelly.
This time, the pair of detectives is summoned to the National Gallery when a woman’s eviscerated corpse is found there. Her shocking state is eerily reminiscent of the Ripper murders, and that connection is reinforced when it turns out she was a model for artist William Sickert. He, along with two members of British aristocracy (one a royal) had, nine years earlier, been rumoured to be the Ripper. Police had eliminated Sickert and the others from their enquires then, as they swiftly do with this case, but when another model who sat for Sickert also turns up dead, the police, and Daniel and Abigail’s, questions about these murders become more focused on their connections to the Ripper killings.
I like the relationship between Abigail and Daniel, and they seem to have a better working relationship this time between themselves and Scotland Yard, which proves to be vital in narrowing down motives.
The story reads quickly, and is nicely diverting, despite its grisly murders.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Allison & Busby for this ARC in exchange for my review.
This is my second Museum Detectives mystery. (I really should start at the beginning of this series so I find out how Abigail and Daniel met).
Anyway, I liked this book. Eldridge has an easy, uncomplicated writing style, and I could easily slip into Victorian London with its streets crammed with coaches, omnibuses and carts, noisy, dirty and smelly.
This time, the pair of detectives is summoned to the National Gallery when a woman’s eviscerated corpse is found there. Her shocking state is eerily reminiscent of the Ripper murders, and that connection is reinforced when it turns out she was a model for artist William Sickert. He, along with two members of British aristocracy (one a royal) had, nine years earlier, been rumoured to be the Ripper. Police had eliminated Sickert and the others from their enquires then, as they swiftly do with this case, but when another model who sat for Sickert also turns up dead, the police, and Daniel and Abigail’s, questions about these murders become more focused on their connections to the Ripper killings.
I like the relationship between Abigail and Daniel, and they seem to have a better working relationship this time between themselves and Scotland Yard, which proves to be vital in narrowing down motives.
The story reads quickly, and is nicely diverting, despite its grisly murders.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Allison & Busby for this ARC in exchange for my review.
April 29, 2025
1.2 stars
What a drag to finish this!
🔪 Tedious, trying too hard to charm main characters.
🔪 Weak and uninteresting detective story, which mainly translated as a wild goose chase led by headless chickens.
🔪 A mountain of inane convos, filled with either mundane and uncharming details, or big history info dump awkwardly inserted in the plot. I am pretty sure the book's length would have been cut by half without these filler lines.
🔪 I fully own up as being mean when I say that I can't stop wondering how such a weak series has been allowed to become a series, with at least 7 books! It is no wonder however when I say that I will never ever read that author again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2022
Standard fayre from Jim Eldridge, this latest of his Museum Mysteries featured dull and lacklustre characters and a gossamer-thin plot. The writing is on the wall from the outset and before too long the reader is well aware that this book is more akin to a work of fantasy rather than historical mystery. Being fiction, one is prepared for a modicum of suspension of disbelief, but not quite as much as is required while reading this book!
At the start of the story, the reasons for Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, our intrepid detectives' services being called for is paper-thin. A well-known artist is being held on remand on a charge of murder, and the detectives are called in to obtain his release. As if two civilians could march into Scotland Yard and say 'Would you please let Mr Sickert go - thank you very much.' At another time a police inspector hands Daniel Wilson a 'letter of authority' permitting Scotland Yard to assign a constable to him to work at Wilson's direction. In what fantasy world would such a thing happen? A civilian detective ordering a Metropolitan police inspector around? As aforementioned, one can suspend disbelief only so far. In another incident Abigail Fenton is punched heavily in the face by a desperate man who means business, crushing her nose and jaw, and almost knocking her unconscious. Her nose at least cannot fail to be streaming with blood and would most likely be broken, but another character sees her and calmly asks 'is everything alright?' One hardly knows whether to laugh or weep!
Amongst the smattering of unnecessary and unaccountable (since Eldridge is an Englishman) Americanisms and the author's desperate attempts to come across as modern and 'with it' by the anachronistically open discussion of sex, which might be quite normal nowadays but certainly was not in Victorian England, Eldridge tends to send his characters off on a pedagogic diatribe, where subjects such as artistic movements, past criminal cases, the history of the underground railway are delivered in a tone suggestive of a schoolmaster or tour guide, rather than a discussion between friends. The relationship between Daniel and Abigail is also handled a little heavily by Eldridge, and at times they seem more like virtual strangers tiptoeing shyly around each other rather than a couple who have been cohabiting for years.
While most of the characters, with the exception of Daniel Wilson, who could be quite an interesting character but is borne down by the lack of opportunity, are rather dull and ordinary, Abigail Fenton is definitely unlikeable. It is unclear whether Eldridge is deliberately attempting to portray her as flawed, or whether this is his idea of a strong female character, but she is definitely a sanctimonious, self-righteous prig.
She shows us just how petty she can be when, at the beginning of the book, she takes offence at the fact that the letter requesting their services is addressed to Daniel alone, rather that to the pair of them. She then allows her personal feelings about Walter Sickert to sway her judgement regarding his guilt or innocence with her 'I don't like him, therefore he must be guilty' attitude. Fenton insists on being taken seriously as a detective and being treated by all (including Wilson) as Wilson's equal as a detective despite being a woman, yet, in a completely unaccountable move, Eldridge has her run off home to cook a dish for dinner rather than accompanying Wilson on a visit to interview an important witness. It is difficult to see what Eldridge was hoping to convey with this completely contradictory action on Fenton's part.
Fenton's worst excesses were evinced when, while living openly in sin with a man, an action which would clearly brand her as a Jezebel who is not better than she should be, she takes the moral high-ground when she encounters a police constable that she believes is using the services of the prostitutes on his beat in return for freedom from prosecution. I don't suppose considerations of glass houses and throwing stones ever occurs to our judgemental Ms Fenton.
In conclusion, this is a perfectly good read if one is looking for a cozyish mystery story with an ostensibly historical setting, and for fans of Eldridge who are keen to read his entire oeuvre. However, if one is looking for a taught, well-plotted, historically accurate mystery story, look elsewhere.
At the start of the story, the reasons for Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, our intrepid detectives' services being called for is paper-thin. A well-known artist is being held on remand on a charge of murder, and the detectives are called in to obtain his release. As if two civilians could march into Scotland Yard and say 'Would you please let Mr Sickert go - thank you very much.' At another time a police inspector hands Daniel Wilson a 'letter of authority' permitting Scotland Yard to assign a constable to him to work at Wilson's direction. In what fantasy world would such a thing happen? A civilian detective ordering a Metropolitan police inspector around? As aforementioned, one can suspend disbelief only so far. In another incident Abigail Fenton is punched heavily in the face by a desperate man who means business, crushing her nose and jaw, and almost knocking her unconscious. Her nose at least cannot fail to be streaming with blood and would most likely be broken, but another character sees her and calmly asks 'is everything alright?' One hardly knows whether to laugh or weep!
Amongst the smattering of unnecessary and unaccountable (since Eldridge is an Englishman) Americanisms and the author's desperate attempts to come across as modern and 'with it' by the anachronistically open discussion of sex, which might be quite normal nowadays but certainly was not in Victorian England, Eldridge tends to send his characters off on a pedagogic diatribe, where subjects such as artistic movements, past criminal cases, the history of the underground railway are delivered in a tone suggestive of a schoolmaster or tour guide, rather than a discussion between friends. The relationship between Daniel and Abigail is also handled a little heavily by Eldridge, and at times they seem more like virtual strangers tiptoeing shyly around each other rather than a couple who have been cohabiting for years.
While most of the characters, with the exception of Daniel Wilson, who could be quite an interesting character but is borne down by the lack of opportunity, are rather dull and ordinary, Abigail Fenton is definitely unlikeable. It is unclear whether Eldridge is deliberately attempting to portray her as flawed, or whether this is his idea of a strong female character, but she is definitely a sanctimonious, self-righteous prig.
She shows us just how petty she can be when, at the beginning of the book, she takes offence at the fact that the letter requesting their services is addressed to Daniel alone, rather that to the pair of them. She then allows her personal feelings about Walter Sickert to sway her judgement regarding his guilt or innocence with her 'I don't like him, therefore he must be guilty' attitude. Fenton insists on being taken seriously as a detective and being treated by all (including Wilson) as Wilson's equal as a detective despite being a woman, yet, in a completely unaccountable move, Eldridge has her run off home to cook a dish for dinner rather than accompanying Wilson on a visit to interview an important witness. It is difficult to see what Eldridge was hoping to convey with this completely contradictory action on Fenton's part.
Fenton's worst excesses were evinced when, while living openly in sin with a man, an action which would clearly brand her as a Jezebel who is not better than she should be, she takes the moral high-ground when she encounters a police constable that she believes is using the services of the prostitutes on his beat in return for freedom from prosecution. I don't suppose considerations of glass houses and throwing stones ever occurs to our judgemental Ms Fenton.
In conclusion, this is a perfectly good read if one is looking for a cozyish mystery story with an ostensibly historical setting, and for fans of Eldridge who are keen to read his entire oeuvre. However, if one is looking for a taught, well-plotted, historically accurate mystery story, look elsewhere.
January 10, 2023
I picked this book up when I was in London, and overall I enjoyed the book. We are following Danuel Wilson, and Abigail known as the museum detectives. They are brought in to investigate the murder of a woman on the steps of the national Gallery. It soon becomes evidence that her death has similarities between that and Jack the Ripper. I really enjoyed the characters in the book and the history that the author put in about the different aspects of London. I thought that was very interesting and well done. My main critique of this book is that I feel as though it is over written, and there is too much that happens. For instance, in each chapter the characters go to at least five different places and meet different people. It seemed as though the book was never ending even though it was only over 300 pages slightly. Instead of so much happening in each chapter, I would’ve preferred there to have been one or two focuses. Regardless, I did enjoy the book but I found myself not picking it up as much as I should have. I think I will continue on in the series if my library has them.
January 12, 2022
‘I always think of painters as sedate people, happy to paint pictures of horses or plants, or portraits. But after meeting Sickert again, and now this Van Gogh character, I’m beginning to think the art world is dangerous.’
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this.
Murder at the National Gallery is the 7th instalment in a series of seemingly standalone murder mysteries taking place at the end of the 19th century. Initially, I was a bit skeptical when I learned this was the 7th in a series as I thought I'd be missing a lot of world-building and character introduction but pretty early on in the book, I realized that's not really what the problem was here.
The book's writing style and the subject matter don't seem to match. The subject is a series of gruesome murders that take place in the art world and the writing ... well, it's that of a children's book to be honest. Everything is just a little bit too simple, a little bit too rough, it seems like the outline of a story (and not a very well-plotted one) that never really got expanded on. I kept reading because I wanted to get to the end of the mystery but I'm not even sure that the mystery's resolution makes it worthwhile.
Had this been a book for children, marketed that way, it would have been fine but due to the subject matter (gory prostitute murders) I highly doubt that so I'm put off by the writing style.
I do think that there's a lot of art research done in this book and so, if you're really into that era of history and want more art trivia, it could be an interesting read but mainly if you approach it as a booklet of trivia.
December 18, 2021
Another very captivating whodunit involving the winsome private enquiry agent Daniel Wislon and his ravishing partner, the archeologist and renowned Egyptologist, Abigail Fenton, as they help Scotland Yard in trying to find the deranged fiend(s) responsible for some gruesome murders taking place around the National Gallery in the heart of London.
But as the frenetic manhunt gets on its way to apprehend the culprit(s) one nagging question keeps coming up:
is Jack the Ripper back in business after staying quiet for almost 10 years??
A highly entertaining murder mystery set in the middle of a vast and colorful Victorian tapestry with enough twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge from start to finish, lots of sparkling dialogues and last but not least, a memorable cast of delightful characters!
Once again Jim Eldridge has struck gold with this wonderful new addition to his highly addictive series. So please go ahead and enjoy his latest "tour de force" whitout any (and I really mean any) moderation whatsoever👍
Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for this terrific ARC
But as the frenetic manhunt gets on its way to apprehend the culprit(s) one nagging question keeps coming up:
is Jack the Ripper back in business after staying quiet for almost 10 years??
A highly entertaining murder mystery set in the middle of a vast and colorful Victorian tapestry with enough twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge from start to finish, lots of sparkling dialogues and last but not least, a memorable cast of delightful characters!
Once again Jim Eldridge has struck gold with this wonderful new addition to his highly addictive series. So please go ahead and enjoy his latest "tour de force" whitout any (and I really mean any) moderation whatsoever👍
Many thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for this terrific ARC
January 12, 2026
Daniel and Abigail are called in to the National Gallery when a body is found. It has echoes of The Ripper murders from a few years previously as it is an eviscerated woman. When a second body is found a few days later they cannot keep it quiet any longer. As the body count increases Daniel, Abigail and Feather are struggling to find any clues. Then Daniel goes to see Abberline, his previous boss and the man who knows most about The Ripper. Can they all work together, under the unhappy eagle eye of Armstrong, to find the perpetrator?
Not quite a cosy murder mystery series, it's a bit more meaty but the development of the relationship between Daniel and Abigail continues apace. Good scene setting and atmospheric writing. Always look forward to the next one in the serires.
Not quite a cosy murder mystery series, it's a bit more meaty but the development of the relationship between Daniel and Abigail continues apace. Good scene setting and atmospheric writing. Always look forward to the next one in the serires.
November 22, 2021
Murder At The National Gallery” by Jim Eldridge is the latest novel in his “Museum Mysteries” crime series set in 19th century London, starring the regular duo Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton. This time out they are called to the National Gallery where the mutilated body of a woman has been found in a manner reminiscent of Jack the Ripper himself…
As ever, this is a very enjoyable whodunnit with lots of authentic period detail and atmosphere. Wilson and Fenton are interesting and multi-faceted protagonists and there is an interesting cast of secondary characters. It is a competent mystery that is not exactly cosy crime as it does get quite gory, with many famous people from history, such as artist and Ripper-suspect Walter Sickert, playing a part in the story. You know what you’re going to get with Jim Eldridge’s books, and once again he delivers it in spades.
As ever, this is a very enjoyable whodunnit with lots of authentic period detail and atmosphere. Wilson and Fenton are interesting and multi-faceted protagonists and there is an interesting cast of secondary characters. It is a competent mystery that is not exactly cosy crime as it does get quite gory, with many famous people from history, such as artist and Ripper-suspect Walter Sickert, playing a part in the story. You know what you’re going to get with Jim Eldridge’s books, and once again he delivers it in spades.
July 9, 2022
with this one ends the series for the time being - it was excellent, with the art world and walter sickert as prime suspect, but then it takes another road, our pair of museum detectives, confronted with a jack the ripper copy cat, are joined by abberline -
and so we have five funerals and maybe one wedding
and so we have five funerals and maybe one wedding
July 6, 2023
Good one!!!
July 17, 2023
this book was drier than the sahara desert and i did not really enjoy reading it ❤
July 19, 2023
Another great book in the museum series by Jim Eldridge. I look forward to reading more of his stories
August 20, 2024
CAWPILE 7.29
4 STARS
Read for Battleathon August 2024.
I really enjoyed this one- the art world this time under suspicion and I adored seeing Fred Abberline introduced into the story.
Very twisty, with mentions of the Jack the Ripper case.
4 STARS
Read for Battleathon August 2024.
I really enjoyed this one- the art world this time under suspicion and I adored seeing Fred Abberline introduced into the story.
Very twisty, with mentions of the Jack the Ripper case.
April 23, 2024
Paintings, Portraits, and Murders!
June 5, 2022
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this lovely book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This book kept me on my toes the entire time. The plot was captivating, but the two main characters were my favorite part of the story. The mystery was also well done: I can tell the author dedicated his time to research the facts.
I adored this book, even though I am not a massive fan of this exact genre.
I look forward to reading more works by Jim Eldridge.
This book kept me on my toes the entire time. The plot was captivating, but the two main characters were my favorite part of the story. The mystery was also well done: I can tell the author dedicated his time to research the facts.
I adored this book, even though I am not a massive fan of this exact genre.
I look forward to reading more works by Jim Eldridge.
January 25, 2022
Murder at the National Gallery is the 7th book in Jim Eldridge's Victorian-set series Museum Mysteries. I read books 5 and 6 and enjoyed them a lot; this one, however, is my favorite of the three. Each mystery stands alone, so don't hesitate to jump in at any time. You will miss, however, the progression of the romance between our Museum Detectives. This won't hinder your enjoyment of the story any.
It's 1897 in London, and the body of a murdered woman has been found at an entrance to the National Gallery. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, the body has been eviscerated in the same manner as the victims of Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, nicknamed the Museum Detectives by the press, are called by the curator of the Gallery to investigate the murder. Walter Sickert, a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders, is arrested for this murder by Scotland Yard; the murdered woman, who modelled for artists and was also a prostitute, had an affair with Sickert. He swears he is innocent and that someone is trying to frame him, but who? Then there is another murdered woman. Will Daniel and Abigail survive their investigation and find the true culprit?
This book was another solid installment in this fun historical mystery series. I really enjoyed our "Museum Detectives" duo of Daniel Wilson - a private enquiry agent and former detective with Scotland Yard - and his partner in work and life, Abigail Felton - an archeologist and renowned Egyptologist. They're from different sides of the track, so to speak, and each brings a unique prospective to their cases. In a time when everything is outwardly proper, Daniel and Abigail live together as an unmarried couple...though they intend to change that when Abigail returns from a scheduled dig in Egypt. This case was an interesting one, as I've always been fascinated with the unsolved murders of Jack the Ripper. What I loved here was that Walter Sickert was an actual artist who really was a suspect in the Ripper murders. Not only that, but Frederick Abberline, who was Daniel's former boss, was also a real historical figure, a chief inspector of the London Metropolitan Police who was prominent in the Ripper murders in 1888. The blend of fact and fiction made the mystery even more exciting. I didn't figure out who the culprit was, which hightened my enjoyment. I hope to see many more adventures featuring the 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.
It's 1897 in London, and the body of a murdered woman has been found at an entrance to the National Gallery. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, the body has been eviscerated in the same manner as the victims of Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, nicknamed the Museum Detectives by the press, are called by the curator of the Gallery to investigate the murder. Walter Sickert, a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders, is arrested for this murder by Scotland Yard; the murdered woman, who modelled for artists and was also a prostitute, had an affair with Sickert. He swears he is innocent and that someone is trying to frame him, but who? Then there is another murdered woman. Will Daniel and Abigail survive their investigation and find the true culprit?
This book was another solid installment in this fun historical mystery series. I really enjoyed our "Museum Detectives" duo of Daniel Wilson - a private enquiry agent and former detective with Scotland Yard - and his partner in work and life, Abigail Felton - an archeologist and renowned Egyptologist. They're from different sides of the track, so to speak, and each brings a unique prospective to their cases. In a time when everything is outwardly proper, Daniel and Abigail live together as an unmarried couple...though they intend to change that when Abigail returns from a scheduled dig in Egypt. This case was an interesting one, as I've always been fascinated with the unsolved murders of Jack the Ripper. What I loved here was that Walter Sickert was an actual artist who really was a suspect in the Ripper murders. Not only that, but Frederick Abberline, who was Daniel's former boss, was also a real historical figure, a chief inspector of the London Metropolitan Police who was prominent in the Ripper murders in 1888. The blend of fact and fiction made the mystery even more exciting. I didn't figure out who the culprit was, which hightened my enjoyment. I hope to see many more adventures featuring the 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.
March 25, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Murder at the National Gallery is the 7th Museum Mystery by Jim Eldridge. Released 20th Jan 2022 by Alison & Busby, it's 311 pages (ebook version) and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback due out in summer 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a competently plotted slightly gritty murder mystery. The characters are well developed and have a solid background and chemistry together. The pacing was variable, at points it dragged a bit for me, but overall it moved along at a good pace. It's 90% dialogue driven and the dialogue tends to be overly simplistic and not very nuanced. I admit the dialogue threw me. The book is set in the 19th century and is often quite jarring because the vernacular is completely modern (it reads very much like a modern mystery and the historical setting is only made clear by contextual clues such as when the author throws Bram Stoker, Conan Doyle, and Van Gogh in as contemporary). My other small quibble is that it seemed the author included almost every famous contemporary person, actor, current event, landmark, and news headline in the narrative. It interfered with my suspension of disbelief in several places.
All in all it's a readable and mostly engaging mystery with lots of skullduggery and shenanigans, a soupcon of danger, and a reasonable denouement and resolution. Sensitive readers will want to be aware that there are graphic descriptions of Jack-the-Ripper-esque murders including disembowelment, as well as fairly graphic on-page sexual content and descriptions. The two main protagonists are cohabiting in a stable long-term relationship and apparently suffering no social censure (another anachronism, although the author does partly address the paradox in the text).
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Murder at the National Gallery is the 7th Museum Mystery by Jim Eldridge. Released 20th Jan 2022 by Alison & Busby, it's 311 pages (ebook version) and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats (paperback due out in summer 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a competently plotted slightly gritty murder mystery. The characters are well developed and have a solid background and chemistry together. The pacing was variable, at points it dragged a bit for me, but overall it moved along at a good pace. It's 90% dialogue driven and the dialogue tends to be overly simplistic and not very nuanced. I admit the dialogue threw me. The book is set in the 19th century and is often quite jarring because the vernacular is completely modern (it reads very much like a modern mystery and the historical setting is only made clear by contextual clues such as when the author throws Bram Stoker, Conan Doyle, and Van Gogh in as contemporary). My other small quibble is that it seemed the author included almost every famous contemporary person, actor, current event, landmark, and news headline in the narrative. It interfered with my suspension of disbelief in several places.
All in all it's a readable and mostly engaging mystery with lots of skullduggery and shenanigans, a soupcon of danger, and a reasonable denouement and resolution. Sensitive readers will want to be aware that there are graphic descriptions of Jack-the-Ripper-esque murders including disembowelment, as well as fairly graphic on-page sexual content and descriptions. The two main protagonists are cohabiting in a stable long-term relationship and apparently suffering no social censure (another anachronism, although the author does partly address the paradox in the text).
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 17, 2022
Many thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Murder at the National Gallery. All opinions and comments are my own.
The seventh book in the “Museum Series” by Jim Eldridge finds Abigail Fenton excited about the upcoming archeological expedition that she’s leading to Egypt. Yes, she’ll be gone for a long time. But her partner in their “private enquiry agency,” Daniel Wilson, is happy for her. First, however, they receive notice about another investigation – a body’s been found at the National Gallery.
The ties to “that” serial killer of a few years’ past are immediately evident – the description ‘tis not for the squeamish. And an immediate suspect is pointed out in a note sent to the police – Walter Sickert, a prominent artist (who was actually a real suspect for the “Whitechapel Murders”). Sickert’s wife hires our pair to prove he didn’t do it. What follows is quite the history lesson interspersed with a bunch of dead bodies. The primitive use of fingerprints is mentioned, the start of the first forensic lab used at Scotland Yard, and then people; you will “meet” Fred Abberline, prominent in the original police investigation, even in passing Herbert Wells (and mention of his “peculiar” nature), even Somerset Maugham.
In between all these explanations and a lot of exposition witnesses are being killed. It’s drummed into you that someone has it in for Walter Sickert. Eventually, things turn deadly for Abby and Daniel, and not in a good way. Never fear; we get an ending, and a murderer. A rather abrupt ending, given what’s come before, I thought.
An Acknowledgement section discusses the real people mentioned in the book and the “real events,” including much more about Walter Sickert. I didn’t find Murder at the National Gallery quite up to the standards of earlier books in the series, as it felt like readers received way more information in the course of the writing than was strictly necessary for the plot. And I had problems with the ending, that can’t be discussed here because they would be spoilers. I will of course look forward to more books in the series, because I do enjoy how Daniel and Abby work together to solve their cases.
The seventh book in the “Museum Series” by Jim Eldridge finds Abigail Fenton excited about the upcoming archeological expedition that she’s leading to Egypt. Yes, she’ll be gone for a long time. But her partner in their “private enquiry agency,” Daniel Wilson, is happy for her. First, however, they receive notice about another investigation – a body’s been found at the National Gallery.
The ties to “that” serial killer of a few years’ past are immediately evident – the description ‘tis not for the squeamish. And an immediate suspect is pointed out in a note sent to the police – Walter Sickert, a prominent artist (who was actually a real suspect for the “Whitechapel Murders”). Sickert’s wife hires our pair to prove he didn’t do it. What follows is quite the history lesson interspersed with a bunch of dead bodies. The primitive use of fingerprints is mentioned, the start of the first forensic lab used at Scotland Yard, and then people; you will “meet” Fred Abberline, prominent in the original police investigation, even in passing Herbert Wells (and mention of his “peculiar” nature), even Somerset Maugham.
In between all these explanations and a lot of exposition witnesses are being killed. It’s drummed into you that someone has it in for Walter Sickert. Eventually, things turn deadly for Abby and Daniel, and not in a good way. Never fear; we get an ending, and a murderer. A rather abrupt ending, given what’s come before, I thought.
An Acknowledgement section discusses the real people mentioned in the book and the “real events,” including much more about Walter Sickert. I didn’t find Murder at the National Gallery quite up to the standards of earlier books in the series, as it felt like readers received way more information in the course of the writing than was strictly necessary for the plot. And I had problems with the ending, that can’t be discussed here because they would be spoilers. I will of course look forward to more books in the series, because I do enjoy how Daniel and Abby work together to solve their cases.
March 28, 2023
So I have been on a historical romance binge for some time and thought it best to return to some mystery novels. I saw this hardcover at the library. I liked the Victorian era, the murder and two private eyes, a former Scotland Yard Inspector and a female archeologist--partners in solving crime and also partners. I thought, "this sounds right up my alley."
What a disappointment. A book of this length I can consume in a matter of days. It took the entire three-week library borrowing period to get through it. The dialogue was depressingly repetitive, and somewhat unrealistic at times. The mystery itself prodded me to continue through the awkward presentation of the author's research. At one point, the two protagonists had a conversation akin to a tour guide explaining the history of...something. It was weird.
One thing I noticed was there was no ambiance--no description of the scenes. Was it hot? Was it cold? Did the dim light from the gaslamp glint off the wet cobblestones as the carriage rushed off into the darkness? No. None of that. There's a rule of 'show, don't tell' that helps make writing better. I don't think there was one bit of description in this book. At least, nothing to evoke a feeling, a scent, a memory. nuthin'. Just clinical descriptions of the crimes.
I feel bad because Mr. Eldridge seems to be an accomplished writer. This is the seventh book in his series, and he has many fans. Alas, I am not to be one of them, as I have no desire to read the other six. When I saw that he wrote children's books, it made some sense, and I felt as though, as an author, he didn't trust his readers to be intelligent enough to figure some things out for themselves, hence the direct presentation of information. This book lacked a bit of a soul because of it. An editor should have picked up on that, I think.
I was going to give it 3 stars because the mystery was enough to keep me interested. But the resolution was a tad unsatisfying, even though they solved it and caught the perpetrator, I was hoping for something a bit more complex and it really wasn't. I felt a bit let down. With everything, as it turns out.
One good thing about this book...I would read one chapter and I would struggle to keep my eyes open. So it was helpful to put me to bed.
What a disappointment. A book of this length I can consume in a matter of days. It took the entire three-week library borrowing period to get through it. The dialogue was depressingly repetitive, and somewhat unrealistic at times. The mystery itself prodded me to continue through the awkward presentation of the author's research. At one point, the two protagonists had a conversation akin to a tour guide explaining the history of...something. It was weird.
One thing I noticed was there was no ambiance--no description of the scenes. Was it hot? Was it cold? Did the dim light from the gaslamp glint off the wet cobblestones as the carriage rushed off into the darkness? No. None of that. There's a rule of 'show, don't tell' that helps make writing better. I don't think there was one bit of description in this book. At least, nothing to evoke a feeling, a scent, a memory. nuthin'. Just clinical descriptions of the crimes.
I feel bad because Mr. Eldridge seems to be an accomplished writer. This is the seventh book in his series, and he has many fans. Alas, I am not to be one of them, as I have no desire to read the other six. When I saw that he wrote children's books, it made some sense, and I felt as though, as an author, he didn't trust his readers to be intelligent enough to figure some things out for themselves, hence the direct presentation of information. This book lacked a bit of a soul because of it. An editor should have picked up on that, I think.
I was going to give it 3 stars because the mystery was enough to keep me interested. But the resolution was a tad unsatisfying, even though they solved it and caught the perpetrator, I was hoping for something a bit more complex and it really wasn't. I felt a bit let down. With everything, as it turns out.
One good thing about this book...I would read one chapter and I would struggle to keep my eyes open. So it was helpful to put me to bed.
January 11, 2022
I am a fan of the Museum mysteries. This is another good mystery starring the museum detectives Abigail and Daniel.
Abigail is getting ready to go to Egypt. Daniel sees in the newspaper that the painter Walter Sichert has been arrested for the murder of one of his models (and a prostitute) whose body was left on the steps of the National Gallery. She was eviscerated in a manner similar to that of Jack the Ripper several years before. Daniel had worked on the case of the Ripper with his boss, Abberline, and Sickert had been a person of interest in the case, the dead woman was his model, and someone left a note for the police naming him. Shortly thereafter, they receive a letter from Stanford Beckett, curator at the National Gallery asking them to help investigate for Sickert at the request of his wife, Ellen.
Sickert is soon let out of jail because he has an alibi. However, soon another woman who was a model for Sickert and a prostitute is also killed in the same way. Interviewing some friends of the killed women, Daniel finds out another painter, Simon Anstis was very much in love with the first woman killed, but she wouldn't let him touch her, and he hates Sichert. Then as Sickert was about to go abroad, a painter is killed in Sickert's studio. Abigail and Daniel, along with policeman Feather, keep investigating. They find a piece of sawdust in the bloody footprint, and decide the killer may be a butcher. They figure out a butcher who does odd jobs for other butchers many be guilty. However, by the time they manage to catch up with him, he has been killed. However, his wife says he's been picked up by a posh man in a horse drawn carriage.
There are a lot of dead people, and a lot of work on the part of Abigail, Daniel, Feather, and Aberline, but they finally get an idea of who the posh man might be at an exhibit at the National Gallery, and with great excitement and danger, the villain is captured.
Another great British museum mystery.
Abigail is getting ready to go to Egypt. Daniel sees in the newspaper that the painter Walter Sichert has been arrested for the murder of one of his models (and a prostitute) whose body was left on the steps of the National Gallery. She was eviscerated in a manner similar to that of Jack the Ripper several years before. Daniel had worked on the case of the Ripper with his boss, Abberline, and Sickert had been a person of interest in the case, the dead woman was his model, and someone left a note for the police naming him. Shortly thereafter, they receive a letter from Stanford Beckett, curator at the National Gallery asking them to help investigate for Sickert at the request of his wife, Ellen.
Sickert is soon let out of jail because he has an alibi. However, soon another woman who was a model for Sickert and a prostitute is also killed in the same way. Interviewing some friends of the killed women, Daniel finds out another painter, Simon Anstis was very much in love with the first woman killed, but she wouldn't let him touch her, and he hates Sichert. Then as Sickert was about to go abroad, a painter is killed in Sickert's studio. Abigail and Daniel, along with policeman Feather, keep investigating. They find a piece of sawdust in the bloody footprint, and decide the killer may be a butcher. They figure out a butcher who does odd jobs for other butchers many be guilty. However, by the time they manage to catch up with him, he has been killed. However, his wife says he's been picked up by a posh man in a horse drawn carriage.
There are a lot of dead people, and a lot of work on the part of Abigail, Daniel, Feather, and Aberline, but they finally get an idea of who the posh man might be at an exhibit at the National Gallery, and with great excitement and danger, the villain is captured.
Another great British museum mystery.
February 2, 2022
I am a big fan of the Museum Detective series, I have read all of the series to date, and whilst they could all be read as stand alone novels, the reader benefits from reading the series in order to understand the relationships with in them.
The book is set in London in 1897 and Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are asked by the Curator at the National Gallery to help to exonerate the artist Walter Sickert, who is implicated in the death of a woman found murdered (in a style reminiscient of the recent Ripper murders). Sickert is a real historical character, a post-impressionist artist, who at the time suggested he had lodged in a room used by the Ripper, and whilst not considered a suspect at the time, there has subsequently been some who have considered him either the Ripper or an accomplice of the Ripper. This is where I think Eldridge is really clever, in each book he included real life characters or real events, which adds a level of interest and authenticity to the books.
I am a big fan of Abigail and Daniel, both subvert societal norms, have a fabulous relationship and I have developed a real fondness for them throughout the books. Eldridge creates strong, well-drawn characters, and whether you love them or hate them, you feel something and you care about them.
The sense of time and place created is perhaps my favourite aspect of these books, and whilst I thoroughly enjoy the mystery behind the murders, which are often very visceral, despite the cosy nature of the books, I love feeling as if I am walking alongside Daniel and Abigail, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting everything they are.
I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an ARC in return for an honest review.
The book is set in London in 1897 and Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are asked by the Curator at the National Gallery to help to exonerate the artist Walter Sickert, who is implicated in the death of a woman found murdered (in a style reminiscient of the recent Ripper murders). Sickert is a real historical character, a post-impressionist artist, who at the time suggested he had lodged in a room used by the Ripper, and whilst not considered a suspect at the time, there has subsequently been some who have considered him either the Ripper or an accomplice of the Ripper. This is where I think Eldridge is really clever, in each book he included real life characters or real events, which adds a level of interest and authenticity to the books.
I am a big fan of Abigail and Daniel, both subvert societal norms, have a fabulous relationship and I have developed a real fondness for them throughout the books. Eldridge creates strong, well-drawn characters, and whether you love them or hate them, you feel something and you care about them.
The sense of time and place created is perhaps my favourite aspect of these books, and whilst I thoroughly enjoy the mystery behind the murders, which are often very visceral, despite the cosy nature of the books, I love feeling as if I am walking alongside Daniel and Abigail, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting everything they are.
I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an ARC in return for an honest review.
December 29, 2021
First of all, thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
"1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ... Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer."
This book is not a Cozy Mystery, it's a Standard Mystery. But..... I could not get into the book at all. I feel this is a series one should read from the first book. This book is the seventh one in this series. It's a good mystery with lots of historical details and it would do more justice reading it from the start. Maybe it's also that I just love a Cozy mystery more than a Standard? The story itself was good and the characters interesting.
I do need to give a word of "warning". There was a quite a large amount of bad language as well as gore! I feel I need to put that out, for those who do not like that. I myself found it way too much, another reason for not really liking the book. I thought the book would be a good mystery one, but it doesn't need all of that for me. So yeah, I will not read any more books in this series.
"1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ... Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer."
This book is not a Cozy Mystery, it's a Standard Mystery. But..... I could not get into the book at all. I feel this is a series one should read from the first book. This book is the seventh one in this series. It's a good mystery with lots of historical details and it would do more justice reading it from the start. Maybe it's also that I just love a Cozy mystery more than a Standard? The story itself was good and the characters interesting.
I do need to give a word of "warning". There was a quite a large amount of bad language as well as gore! I feel I need to put that out, for those who do not like that. I myself found it way too much, another reason for not really liking the book. I thought the book would be a good mystery one, but it doesn't need all of that for me. So yeah, I will not read any more books in this series.
January 19, 2022
3.5 rounded up
NOTE: As I slogged through the first chapter of this novel, I was so bored and unimpressed by the writing I almost put it down. This is because Eldridge felt a need to spend a full chapter introducing us to the team of Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, the Museum Detectives in a purely unnecessary and plodding way. With his extensive writing experience,. he should do more integration of his characters' past and present relationship, successes and plans because he only kept me because I requested this book on Netgalley and am committed to writing reviews for the books I receive there. Next time, don't do this! Yes, give us the info we need to follow the tale and sell the earlier books, but not in one boring dose at the beginning and as subtly as possible. Heads up to the editors!
BUT: After that first chapter, this was a totally enjoyable read, set in 1897 White Chapel about eight or nine years after Jack the Ripper was active. In fact, Wilson is a former officer who worked on the Ripper case. Abigail is an Egyptologist. They are called in by the National Gallery's curator because a prostitute was found dead on the museum steps, mutilated much the way the Ripper's victims were. Walter Sickert, a successful artist who in recent years has come up in various theories as possibly being Jack the Ripper is accused of this murder. His alibi is weak. His wife is about to divorce him for constant philandering and he is not well-liked about town. Eldredge gives us several murders, a look into Sickert's personal life, an entertaining plot with several red herrings and a likable couple of detectives. The resolution was kind of predictable but not certain and there were plenty of twists.
NOTE: As I slogged through the first chapter of this novel, I was so bored and unimpressed by the writing I almost put it down. This is because Eldridge felt a need to spend a full chapter introducing us to the team of Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, the Museum Detectives in a purely unnecessary and plodding way. With his extensive writing experience,. he should do more integration of his characters' past and present relationship, successes and plans because he only kept me because I requested this book on Netgalley and am committed to writing reviews for the books I receive there. Next time, don't do this! Yes, give us the info we need to follow the tale and sell the earlier books, but not in one boring dose at the beginning and as subtly as possible. Heads up to the editors!
BUT: After that first chapter, this was a totally enjoyable read, set in 1897 White Chapel about eight or nine years after Jack the Ripper was active. In fact, Wilson is a former officer who worked on the Ripper case. Abigail is an Egyptologist. They are called in by the National Gallery's curator because a prostitute was found dead on the museum steps, mutilated much the way the Ripper's victims were. Walter Sickert, a successful artist who in recent years has come up in various theories as possibly being Jack the Ripper is accused of this murder. His alibi is weak. His wife is about to divorce him for constant philandering and he is not well-liked about town. Eldredge gives us several murders, a look into Sickert's personal life, an entertaining plot with several red herrings and a likable couple of detectives. The resolution was kind of predictable but not certain and there were plenty of twists.
January 30, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
This is a solid historical murder mystery. It is the seventh in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone, and that was the position I was in picking it up as I hadn’t read any of the others.
In this book we follow our two main characters, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, a couple who have fallen into the role of private investigators for museums and galleries in Victorian England. Daniel used to be a police officer and Abigail is a renowned archeologist, which is an unusual pursuit for a woman at this time. In this installment they are called on by the National Gallery to investigate a series of murders that have implicated an up and coming artist. Shockingly there seems to be some connection to the infamous Jack the Ripper case from a decade before.
The mystery in this book was thoroughly engaging and had me trying to piece together all of the clues right alongside the detectives which is my favorite thing to do when I am reading a mystery novel. The connection to Jack the Ripper was also very well done, it felt believable that if a series of murders was committed like this it would be linked back to the Ripper.
Where this book let me down a little was with the main characters. They weren’t very memorable. Unlike Sherlock and Watson, or Poirot, our protagonists were just missing a spark to bring them to life. We didn’t get to see their personality at all, at least not in this installment of the series.
If I can get a hold of the earlier books in the series from my library I will happily go back and read them all as palate cleansers between more challenging reads.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE FREE REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.
This is a solid historical murder mystery. It is the seventh in a series, but it can be read as a stand alone, and that was the position I was in picking it up as I hadn’t read any of the others.
In this book we follow our two main characters, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, a couple who have fallen into the role of private investigators for museums and galleries in Victorian England. Daniel used to be a police officer and Abigail is a renowned archeologist, which is an unusual pursuit for a woman at this time. In this installment they are called on by the National Gallery to investigate a series of murders that have implicated an up and coming artist. Shockingly there seems to be some connection to the infamous Jack the Ripper case from a decade before.
The mystery in this book was thoroughly engaging and had me trying to piece together all of the clues right alongside the detectives which is my favorite thing to do when I am reading a mystery novel. The connection to Jack the Ripper was also very well done, it felt believable that if a series of murders was committed like this it would be linked back to the Ripper.
Where this book let me down a little was with the main characters. They weren’t very memorable. Unlike Sherlock and Watson, or Poirot, our protagonists were just missing a spark to bring them to life. We didn’t get to see their personality at all, at least not in this installment of the series.
If I can get a hold of the earlier books in the series from my library I will happily go back and read them all as palate cleansers between more challenging reads.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE FREE REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW.
March 23, 2022
Plot
1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ...
Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer.
Review
So this book is one of the middle in a series but you get a quick recap at the beginning so you’re pretty much up to speed beforehand. That being said, I just didn’t get on with this at all.
One of the major things is that the pace was extremely slow for the first two thirds of the book then suddenly picked up at the end. New characters were introduced as the book was reaching its close which didn’t add anything in my opinion.
I couldn’t warm to the characters because they just weren’t likeable. And they were stereotypical of the era.
I did like the connection to Jack the Ripper which I thought was clever but honestly I just wanted to find out who did it so I could move on.
I really didn’t like this one.
Rating
2/5
Recommend
Not really sorry
Thank you to and Allison and Busby and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper.
Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last ...
Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer.
Review
So this book is one of the middle in a series but you get a quick recap at the beginning so you’re pretty much up to speed beforehand. That being said, I just didn’t get on with this at all.
One of the major things is that the pace was extremely slow for the first two thirds of the book then suddenly picked up at the end. New characters were introduced as the book was reaching its close which didn’t add anything in my opinion.
I couldn’t warm to the characters because they just weren’t likeable. And they were stereotypical of the era.
I did like the connection to Jack the Ripper which I thought was clever but honestly I just wanted to find out who did it so I could move on.
I really didn’t like this one.
Rating
2/5
Recommend
Not really sorry
Thank you to and Allison and Busby and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2022
I am a big fan of the Museum Detective series, I have read all of the series to date, and whilst they could all be read as stand alone novels, the reader benefits from reading the series in order to understand the relationships with in them.
The book is set in London in 1897 and Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are asked by the Curator at the National Gallery to help to exonerate the artist Walter Sickert, who is implicated in the death of a woman found murdered (in a style reminiscient of the recent Ripper murders). Sickert is a real historical character, a post-impressionist artist, who at the time suggested he had lodged in a room used by the Ripper, and whilst not considered a suspect at the time, there has subsequently been some who have considered him either the Ripper or an accomplice of the Ripper. This is where I think Eldridge is really clever, in each book he included real life characters or real events, which adds a level of interest and authenticity to the books.
I am a big fan of Abigail and Daniel, both subvert societal norms, have a fabulous relationship and I have developed a real fondness for them throughout the books. Eldridge creates strong, well-drawn characters, and whether you love them or hate them, you feel something and you care about them.
The sense of time and place created is perhaps my favourite aspect of these books, and whilst I thoroughly enjoy the mystery behind the murders, which are often very visceral, despite the cosy nature of the books, I love feeling as if I am walking alongside Daniel and Abigail, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting everything they are.
I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an ARC in return for an honest review.
The book is set in London in 1897 and Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are asked by the Curator at the National Gallery to help to exonerate the artist Walter Sickert, who is implicated in the death of a woman found murdered (in a style reminiscient of the recent Ripper murders). Sickert is a real historical character, a post-impressionist artist, who at the time suggested he had lodged in a room used by the Ripper, and whilst not considered a suspect at the time, there has subsequently been some who have considered him either the Ripper or an accomplice of the Ripper. This is where I think Eldridge is really clever, in each book he included real life characters or real events, which adds a level of interest and authenticity to the books.
I am a big fan of Abigail and Daniel, both subvert societal norms, have a fabulous relationship and I have developed a real fondness for them throughout the books. Eldridge creates strong, well-drawn characters, and whether you love them or hate them, you feel something and you care about them.
The sense of time and place created is perhaps my favourite aspect of these books, and whilst I thoroughly enjoy the mystery behind the murders, which are often very visceral, despite the cosy nature of the books, I love feeling as if I am walking alongside Daniel and Abigail, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting everything they are.
I couldn't put this book down and I can't wait for the next instalment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an ARC in return for an honest review.
January 4, 2022
Set in 1867 London, smack dab in the middle of the Victorian era, Murder at the National Gallery is chock full of intrigue, assorted eccentric characters, canvases and butchery. The strong connections to Jack the Ripper and other notables such as Van Gogh add a further layer of interest.
Artist and womanizer Walter Sickert is arrested for the murder of an art model and prostitute whose body is dumped at the National Gallery (later Tate) but he maintains his innocence. It is up to partners in work and life, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, to investigate the sordid crimes. Along the way they encounter plenty of red herrings and twists, infamy and secrets, thick as London fog.
My favourite aspects about the story are the historical connections and Victorian descriptions. I also like that Abigail is an Egyptologist and thinker, rare in the days of male dominance. Though the plot is gripping, language is crude in places which can be jarring. I enjoyed the story but was unfortunately not as enchanted and invested as I had hoped.
My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fascinating book.
Artist and womanizer Walter Sickert is arrested for the murder of an art model and prostitute whose body is dumped at the National Gallery (later Tate) but he maintains his innocence. It is up to partners in work and life, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, to investigate the sordid crimes. Along the way they encounter plenty of red herrings and twists, infamy and secrets, thick as London fog.
My favourite aspects about the story are the historical connections and Victorian descriptions. I also like that Abigail is an Egyptologist and thinker, rare in the days of male dominance. Though the plot is gripping, language is crude in places which can be jarring. I enjoyed the story but was unfortunately not as enchanted and invested as I had hoped.
My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fascinating book.
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