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A Dickens of a Crime #5
A Twist of Murder
In Victorian England, amateur sleuth Charles Dickens is on the case again—in pursuit of missing orphans, legendary treasure, and a cold-blooded killer....
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves....
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves....
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2022
30 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Heather Redmond
14 books468 followersHeather Redmond is an author of commercial fiction and also writes as Heather Hiestand. First published in mystery, she took a long detour through romance before returning. Though her last known British ancestor departed London in the 1920s, she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century.
She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, has received a coveted starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, has received a coveted starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 26, 2022
Book five in the series and the third that I have read.
This series features a fictional Charles Dickens and this book takes place in 1836, just prior to his marriage to Kate Hogarth. As well as reporting and writing instalments of The Pickwick Papers, Dickens fancies himself as an amateur detective and frequently gets involved in investigating various crimes.
In A Twist of Murder the crime is the murder of a young woman whose frozen corpse is found in an icehouse. Events become very involved with missing children, an outbreak of cholera and even a treasure map. It does get a bit too busy at times and I had to work at keeping all the facts in order. There were also too many people called Mr. Aga. I was never quite sure which one we were looking at at any one time.
This was an enjoyable story which just wandered on a little too long. I liked several of the characters, the topic of Cholera was detailed and suitably gross, and all the plot lines were tied up neatly by the end. A good read but not a favourite.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This series features a fictional Charles Dickens and this book takes place in 1836, just prior to his marriage to Kate Hogarth. As well as reporting and writing instalments of The Pickwick Papers, Dickens fancies himself as an amateur detective and frequently gets involved in investigating various crimes.
In A Twist of Murder the crime is the murder of a young woman whose frozen corpse is found in an icehouse. Events become very involved with missing children, an outbreak of cholera and even a treasure map. It does get a bit too busy at times and I had to work at keeping all the facts in order. There were also too many people called Mr. Aga. I was never quite sure which one we were looking at at any one time.
This was an enjoyable story which just wandered on a little too long. I liked several of the characters, the topic of Cholera was detailed and suitably gross, and all the plot lines were tied up neatly by the end. A good read but not a favourite.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 25, 2022
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review A Twist of Murder. All opinions and comments are my own.
Charles Dickens is both detective and lifesaver in A Twist of Murder, the fifth in the “Dickens as Detective” series by Heather Redmond. In this entry he’s called away from London by his friend, William Aga to help him find a murderer, one who’s killed William’s cousin Agnes, a young maid at a school that Charles supports financially. In fact, he’s supporting three young boys there, three orphan “mudlarks,” and that’s another thing he’s been tasked to do: find them, because they’ve gone missing.
Eventually, Kate Hogarth, Charles’ fiancé and Julie Aga, William’s wife joins the scene. Kate wants everything to get settled so their marriage can hurry up and happen and Julie just wants to have her baby. Believe me, these two are master detectives, doing most of the work here. Kate may think that a lot that Julie does is outside the norm as far as society goes (the year is 1836), but both of them push a lot of boundaries. But boy, they get the job done.
And it’s a good thing, too, because eventually, a deadly illness descends upon the school. Charles has his hands full with that while still trying to solve the mystery of who killed poor Agnes. Was she done in for the so-called “treasure map” that she kept waving about? It would appear that “the map is the key,” says Charles. There’s a host of suspects, and getting through them all may require some doing.
And all the while Mr. Dickens picks up tidbits for his stories -- writers gotta write, doncha know. Have fun picking out references to those characters, too.
A killer is confronted; never underestimate irrational feelings as a motive for murder. And the “secret” of the map is revealed. Readers must remember that England is an ancient land, with ancient stories. Ollie, one of the mudlarks (yes, they’re fine) has a future unfold for him. So, we get a happy ending for some, although the school may or may not continue. A Twist of Murder is a competent story, although a lot of tooing and froing goes on, and actually, the solving of the murder almost seems like a let-down with everything else that is going on. But Julie can relax and have her baby, and Kate can haul Charles back to London -- and a wedding, which happened in 1836. Unfortunately, when we go by “real life,” Catherine Hogarth came to regret this marriage. Ah, but there were no crystal balls then.
Charles Dickens is both detective and lifesaver in A Twist of Murder, the fifth in the “Dickens as Detective” series by Heather Redmond. In this entry he’s called away from London by his friend, William Aga to help him find a murderer, one who’s killed William’s cousin Agnes, a young maid at a school that Charles supports financially. In fact, he’s supporting three young boys there, three orphan “mudlarks,” and that’s another thing he’s been tasked to do: find them, because they’ve gone missing.
Eventually, Kate Hogarth, Charles’ fiancé and Julie Aga, William’s wife joins the scene. Kate wants everything to get settled so their marriage can hurry up and happen and Julie just wants to have her baby. Believe me, these two are master detectives, doing most of the work here. Kate may think that a lot that Julie does is outside the norm as far as society goes (the year is 1836), but both of them push a lot of boundaries. But boy, they get the job done.
And it’s a good thing, too, because eventually, a deadly illness descends upon the school. Charles has his hands full with that while still trying to solve the mystery of who killed poor Agnes. Was she done in for the so-called “treasure map” that she kept waving about? It would appear that “the map is the key,” says Charles. There’s a host of suspects, and getting through them all may require some doing.
And all the while Mr. Dickens picks up tidbits for his stories -- writers gotta write, doncha know. Have fun picking out references to those characters, too.
A killer is confronted; never underestimate irrational feelings as a motive for murder. And the “secret” of the map is revealed. Readers must remember that England is an ancient land, with ancient stories. Ollie, one of the mudlarks (yes, they’re fine) has a future unfold for him. So, we get a happy ending for some, although the school may or may not continue. A Twist of Murder is a competent story, although a lot of tooing and froing goes on, and actually, the solving of the murder almost seems like a let-down with everything else that is going on. But Julie can relax and have her baby, and Kate can haul Charles back to London -- and a wedding, which happened in 1836. Unfortunately, when we go by “real life,” Catherine Hogarth came to regret this marriage. Ah, but there were no crystal balls then.
September 23, 2022
I love the sleuthing bit of Charles Dickens and in this victorian England setting this was a wonderfully
descrptive read.
Coupled with his writing and detective skills, Dickens was such a humane and generous soul. Appalled by
living conditions of the poor, his was a constant struggle to uplift whoever he could. When he discovers
three orphans whom he had registered for a school disappeared and then the murder of a young girl, he is
distraught first at the death of this twelve year old and then the disappearance of the three young boys
and he is hoping that the two events are not linked.
Charles is just weeks away from his marriage and his intended in laws are anyway not very happy with him.
When Kate joins him in his quest to find the boys and solve the murder, Charles knows he has to deal with
this quickly.
This is a very busy story - there is Victorian England at its worst - the attitude towards the poor was
appalling, the poverty was rampant, even parents were hard to fathom, there is a cholera epidemic going on
and the girl was apparently killed because of a treasure map she kept hinting and waving about. Trying to solve
it all made it a very busy story.
Interesting but a lot of strands to follow on.
descrptive read.
Coupled with his writing and detective skills, Dickens was such a humane and generous soul. Appalled by
living conditions of the poor, his was a constant struggle to uplift whoever he could. When he discovers
three orphans whom he had registered for a school disappeared and then the murder of a young girl, he is
distraught first at the death of this twelve year old and then the disappearance of the three young boys
and he is hoping that the two events are not linked.
Charles is just weeks away from his marriage and his intended in laws are anyway not very happy with him.
When Kate joins him in his quest to find the boys and solve the murder, Charles knows he has to deal with
this quickly.
This is a very busy story - there is Victorian England at its worst - the attitude towards the poor was
appalling, the poverty was rampant, even parents were hard to fathom, there is a cholera epidemic going on
and the girl was apparently killed because of a treasure map she kept hinting and waving about. Trying to solve
it all made it a very busy story.
Interesting but a lot of strands to follow on.
October 22, 2022
3.75 Stars
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map. When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map.
The fifth book in the series but it could easily be read on its own. A well written book but not a light read & you need your wits about you as there are a lot of characters & I did get muddled at times. I did love how the author conveyed life in late Georgian England. An interesting read & all ends were tied up at the end. The characters had depth, the pace was slow at times but it did hold my attention all the way through
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map. When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map.
The fifth book in the series but it could easily be read on its own. A well written book but not a light read & you need your wits about you as there are a lot of characters & I did get muddled at times. I did love how the author conveyed life in late Georgian England. An interesting read & all ends were tied up at the end. The characters had depth, the pace was slow at times but it did hold my attention all the way through
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
February 20, 2023
Very good
October 25, 2022
📓 A Twist of Murder 🗾
A Dickens of a Crime Book 5
✒️ Heather Redmond
https://heatherredmond.com
Release Date 10/25/2022
Publisher Kensington Books
➪ https://a.co/d/6jldf70
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
The acclaimed historical mystery series A Dickens of a Crime continues with a reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic Oliver Twist, filled with murder, mystery, and a young Dickens himself as the amateur sleuth. In other words, "Please, can we have some more!" Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map. When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves . . .
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
📓 A Twist of Murder 🗾
A Dickens of a Crime Book 5
✒️ Heather Redmond
🌟🌟🌟🌟
When missing children lead to a murder investigation…
After the last book which really put Kate under the limelights, I did not know what new hindrance to expect for Dickens and Kate before their long delayed wedding.
And while this new investigation should not have any impact for them, it could have come with a heavy price.
Charles summoned by his friend at the boarding school housing his three protégés in hope to offer them a better future than mudlarking and what comes after.
But it is not the missing kids that made him stay but the body of his friend’s cousin.
From there it is a sort of wild goose chase, having to find the motive and the culprit for the murder all the while looking for the missing kids.
Until everything is even more messed up with a strike of cholera, blurring the lines between the villains and the innocents as any one can fall under such a disease.
The story highlights the deficiencies, different views and limited options for the poorest at that time, for whom a life of drudgery was the only choice with its companion : illness, hunger, fatigue.
And how they were easy preys from those seeking to take profit of their weakened position.
The guilty party was a surprise but at the same time obvious.
The end of this book leads to many open paths for some of the side heroes, which will they choose and how the event of this book might alter their avenir.
4 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkDywT...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
#bookstagram #historicalromance #historicalmystery #romancebookblog #romancebookblogger #bookblog #romanceauthor #bookblogger #2022read #bookstagrammer #bookreview #romancebookreviewer #arcreader #heatherredmond #romancestagram #readersofinstagram
A Dickens of a Crime Book 5
✒️ Heather Redmond
https://heatherredmond.com
Release Date 10/25/2022
Publisher Kensington Books
➪ https://a.co/d/6jldf70
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
The acclaimed historical mystery series A Dickens of a Crime continues with a reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic Oliver Twist, filled with murder, mystery, and a young Dickens himself as the amateur sleuth. In other words, "Please, can we have some more!" Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map. When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves . . .
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
📓 A Twist of Murder 🗾
A Dickens of a Crime Book 5
✒️ Heather Redmond
🌟🌟🌟🌟
When missing children lead to a murder investigation…
After the last book which really put Kate under the limelights, I did not know what new hindrance to expect for Dickens and Kate before their long delayed wedding.
And while this new investigation should not have any impact for them, it could have come with a heavy price.
Charles summoned by his friend at the boarding school housing his three protégés in hope to offer them a better future than mudlarking and what comes after.
But it is not the missing kids that made him stay but the body of his friend’s cousin.
From there it is a sort of wild goose chase, having to find the motive and the culprit for the murder all the while looking for the missing kids.
Until everything is even more messed up with a strike of cholera, blurring the lines between the villains and the innocents as any one can fall under such a disease.
The story highlights the deficiencies, different views and limited options for the poorest at that time, for whom a life of drudgery was the only choice with its companion : illness, hunger, fatigue.
And how they were easy preys from those seeking to take profit of their weakened position.
The guilty party was a surprise but at the same time obvious.
The end of this book leads to many open paths for some of the side heroes, which will they choose and how the event of this book might alter their avenir.
4 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkDywT...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?stor...
#bookstagram #historicalromance #historicalmystery #romancebookblog #romancebookblogger #bookblog #romanceauthor #bookblogger #2022read #bookstagrammer #bookreview #romancebookreviewer #arcreader #heatherredmond #romancestagram #readersofinstagram
September 3, 2022
This is the fifth installment in the Dickens Crime Series but know before going in that it’s not necessary to have read the previous novels in the series. I haven’t and had no trouble following along.
The series follows Charles Dickens in his early twenties as he makes his name as an author and, apparently, amateur detective. This book is set in 1836 while he’s writing The Pickwick Papers. Charles is called to Harrow on the Hill to help his friend William Aga find three young boys they sponsor as charity students in William’s father’s school. The boys have gone missing but when Charles arrives, there is a more pressing problem. The body of a young maid is found and it seems a treasure map may be the cause of her demise. After a bungled inquest, Charles begins investigating not just the maid’s death, but also the treasure map while also searching for his lost charges.
There’s a lot going on in this novel. A quest for a killer, a treasure hunt, and missing boys. Toss in a cholera epidemic and I had to wonder if there wasn’t a little too much happening at one time.
Before I get into that, I’ll cover what I liked. I really liked the historic detail. This is a bit earlier than the period I’ve set a series in so a few things were different and nothing jumped out at me as being off. Honestly, the inquest left me baffled, as well as people’s knowledge of disease (specifically the causes of cholera), which means the author did a good job of not inserting knowledge that the characters wouldn’t have had. And I loved the inclusion of a few characters that would appear in some of Dickens’ later works. Watch for them.
But, overall, I had problems with this novel. Primarily that I never connected with any of the characters. I’d go so far to say I didn’t much care for them. It seemed that no one was very…nice. Lots of side eyes, dismissiveness and at times, snobbery. It wasn’t anything overt and I don’t think the intent was to have unlikable characters, but that’s the way they came across to me. Also, their train of thought and priorities didn’t always make sense. For most of the novel, they seemed to place more emphasis on figuring out the map than they did trying to find the killer.
Pacing was also an issue. Too much emphasis was placed on the unnecessary details. The author went into great detail about little things that could have been skimmed over. For instance, the women were about to go out, but we got nearly a paragraph about the maid going to fetch their cloaks and where they’d been hung. To me, it was much more important for them to go speak to whomever they were going to talk to, rather than slow the pacing by telling me where in the house their cloaks had been hung.
I walked away from this one a little disappointed. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
2.5 stars ⭐⭐+
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the ARC. I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily.
The series follows Charles Dickens in his early twenties as he makes his name as an author and, apparently, amateur detective. This book is set in 1836 while he’s writing The Pickwick Papers. Charles is called to Harrow on the Hill to help his friend William Aga find three young boys they sponsor as charity students in William’s father’s school. The boys have gone missing but when Charles arrives, there is a more pressing problem. The body of a young maid is found and it seems a treasure map may be the cause of her demise. After a bungled inquest, Charles begins investigating not just the maid’s death, but also the treasure map while also searching for his lost charges.
There’s a lot going on in this novel. A quest for a killer, a treasure hunt, and missing boys. Toss in a cholera epidemic and I had to wonder if there wasn’t a little too much happening at one time.
Before I get into that, I’ll cover what I liked. I really liked the historic detail. This is a bit earlier than the period I’ve set a series in so a few things were different and nothing jumped out at me as being off. Honestly, the inquest left me baffled, as well as people’s knowledge of disease (specifically the causes of cholera), which means the author did a good job of not inserting knowledge that the characters wouldn’t have had. And I loved the inclusion of a few characters that would appear in some of Dickens’ later works. Watch for them.
But, overall, I had problems with this novel. Primarily that I never connected with any of the characters. I’d go so far to say I didn’t much care for them. It seemed that no one was very…nice. Lots of side eyes, dismissiveness and at times, snobbery. It wasn’t anything overt and I don’t think the intent was to have unlikable characters, but that’s the way they came across to me. Also, their train of thought and priorities didn’t always make sense. For most of the novel, they seemed to place more emphasis on figuring out the map than they did trying to find the killer.
Pacing was also an issue. Too much emphasis was placed on the unnecessary details. The author went into great detail about little things that could have been skimmed over. For instance, the women were about to go out, but we got nearly a paragraph about the maid going to fetch their cloaks and where they’d been hung. To me, it was much more important for them to go speak to whomever they were going to talk to, rather than slow the pacing by telling me where in the house their cloaks had been hung.
I walked away from this one a little disappointed. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
2.5 stars ⭐⭐+
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the ARC. I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily.
November 30, 2025
A friend gave me this one and I could tell it was later in the series. I was conflicted by this one. As a mystery it's not bad. As feeling like this is Charles Dickens solving a mystery? Not so much. Then I thought about it. I don't know that much about Dickens' life and realized that my real issue is the characters are all rather flat and one note.
Charles is off to the country with his friend and fellow journalist (who I assume has solved mysteries with him in the past) William. William's father runs a small school and that's where they've sent John, Arthur and Ollie, three young mudlarks who they saved from a brutal newbie taking over the Thames (assuming this happened one if not more books ago) while their friend Lucy is now maid to William's pregnant former actress of a wife. Charles wants the boys to have a better chance at life, hence the school.
Charles is there because the boys have disappeared and once he's there, Agnes the young maid and William's cousin, is found dead in the ice house after flashing a 'treasure map' all around the school. So naturally Charles helps him discover who killed Agnes. Into this Julie, William's wife, Lucy and Kate, Charles' fiancée all show up to help.
There are plenty of suspects, the less than stellar headmistress, the drunk groundskeeper, the cruel new partner of William's father, fresh from running workhouses, the student who was far too interested in the map, her own brother with psychopathic tendencies, the weird, mysterious curate and why exactly did her father send her to the school rather than keep her on at the nearby farm?
Once Charles does find his three young mudlark charges and gets the skinny on the Mr. Aga's new mean partner, he stays on because of Agnes. And on top of this is cholera which sort of bugged me mostly because some of the details were right and others were...blurry. Redmond goes on and on about the victims making rice water but it sounds more like it's from vomiting. It's technically rice water stools, so yeah this is death by diarrhea. She is right though about keeping a patient hydrated to keep them alive and right about the fact it was a 50/50 chance of dying. Cholera was a killer in that time period as they had no idea what it was and how it spread.
Over all, like I said the mystery isn't bad but the only thing that made it feel like Charles Dickens is you can identify future characters, oh look there is Scrooge and Cratchit and there's Limbkins and Oliver Twist etc. It was cute but man, I really wanted more depth to these characters.
Charles is off to the country with his friend and fellow journalist (who I assume has solved mysteries with him in the past) William. William's father runs a small school and that's where they've sent John, Arthur and Ollie, three young mudlarks who they saved from a brutal newbie taking over the Thames (assuming this happened one if not more books ago) while their friend Lucy is now maid to William's pregnant former actress of a wife. Charles wants the boys to have a better chance at life, hence the school.
Charles is there because the boys have disappeared and once he's there, Agnes the young maid and William's cousin, is found dead in the ice house after flashing a 'treasure map' all around the school. So naturally Charles helps him discover who killed Agnes. Into this Julie, William's wife, Lucy and Kate, Charles' fiancée all show up to help.
There are plenty of suspects, the less than stellar headmistress, the drunk groundskeeper, the cruel new partner of William's father, fresh from running workhouses, the student who was far too interested in the map, her own brother with psychopathic tendencies, the weird, mysterious curate and why exactly did her father send her to the school rather than keep her on at the nearby farm?
Once Charles does find his three young mudlark charges and gets the skinny on the Mr. Aga's new mean partner, he stays on because of Agnes. And on top of this is cholera which sort of bugged me mostly because some of the details were right and others were...blurry. Redmond goes on and on about the victims making rice water but it sounds more like it's from vomiting. It's technically rice water stools, so yeah this is death by diarrhea. She is right though about keeping a patient hydrated to keep them alive and right about the fact it was a 50/50 chance of dying. Cholera was a killer in that time period as they had no idea what it was and how it spread.
Over all, like I said the mystery isn't bad but the only thing that made it feel like Charles Dickens is you can identify future characters, oh look there is Scrooge and Cratchit and there's Limbkins and Oliver Twist etc. It was cute but man, I really wanted more depth to these characters.
October 24, 2022
A Twist for Murder is the fifth in the addictive and enchanting A Dickens of A Crime series. And what a story it is! Set in 1836, there is murder but also more twists than you can throw a stick at, sweet romance, stark reality of harsh life and class division in the late Georgian-Victorian era and an ongoing thread of the importance of education. Secrets, a treasure map, cholera and shenanigans engage and reader until the last word.
Charles Dickens is a twenty-three-year-old journalist who is not afraid to experience and write about the unsavoury side of life. He is an aspiring author writing Pickwick Papers and engaged to marry his beloved Kate Hogarth. He is on his way to a wee village outside of London at a boarding school where he is a sponsor and mentor to three young boys who are orphans. But when twelve-year-old servant goes missing Dickens knows time is crucial. Her body is soon discovered and locals and servants trust each other even less. Murder must be expunged but at what cost?
What I love most is the painstaking historical detail in specific scenes, details which elevate this book for readers like me who eat them up. Amongst my favourite are the descriptions of the servants' rooms containing their pitiful scraps of personality, the stagecoach, courthouse scenes including choosing jurors and the depiction of the icehouse. Such details fired my imagination...what a joy to get utterly lost in the era with its sights, smells and tastes without physically getting involved in the difficulties. Author Heather Redmond writes gorgeously and obviously digs deep to find more than the usual historical bits.
Do read this book and series if you are (or not!) fans of Dickens, this fascinating era and are seeking a scope for further stories attached to people and happenings of the time. Oodles of possibilities.
My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this arresting series!
Charles Dickens is a twenty-three-year-old journalist who is not afraid to experience and write about the unsavoury side of life. He is an aspiring author writing Pickwick Papers and engaged to marry his beloved Kate Hogarth. He is on his way to a wee village outside of London at a boarding school where he is a sponsor and mentor to three young boys who are orphans. But when twelve-year-old servant goes missing Dickens knows time is crucial. Her body is soon discovered and locals and servants trust each other even less. Murder must be expunged but at what cost?
What I love most is the painstaking historical detail in specific scenes, details which elevate this book for readers like me who eat them up. Amongst my favourite are the descriptions of the servants' rooms containing their pitiful scraps of personality, the stagecoach, courthouse scenes including choosing jurors and the depiction of the icehouse. Such details fired my imagination...what a joy to get utterly lost in the era with its sights, smells and tastes without physically getting involved in the difficulties. Author Heather Redmond writes gorgeously and obviously digs deep to find more than the usual historical bits.
Do read this book and series if you are (or not!) fans of Dickens, this fascinating era and are seeking a scope for further stories attached to people and happenings of the time. Oodles of possibilities.
My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this arresting series!
November 14, 2022
CAUTION: Not a cozy mystery due to the nature of a child's death, language, brutal character, and extensive illness details.
William Aga summons his best friend and journalist partner, Charles Dickens, to his father's boarding school; Aga Academy for boys. Some troubling things are happening, and Charles is very good at solving mysteries.
The troubling events are not trivial, but much to William's dismay, they are more covered up than investigated until he arrives. Unfortunately, everyone seems to lose focus on occasion. Maybe the pace of life and travel is partially to blame?
Situation 1: Three charity students the two men have been sponsoring to attend the Academy have disappeared, supposedly run away to the circus, and no one at the school is concerned at all!
Situation 2: A child maid (12 years old) is found murdered, and though sad, again, no one is worried about a motive or the killer! The nature of her death is very disturbing.
Situation 3: Cholera enters the academy. The realism and detail is more repetitious than medical or dramatic, but has a large impact.
Solving the mysteries is a group effort for the characters, although Dickens has a slight lead in cleverness.
Aspects of this story allude to being where Dickens got his story ideas later; names, situations, etc. These parts are amusing to note.
The story was interesting and fairly well written, but at the end, I was not glad I spent the time. There were too many unpleasant aspects to rise above.
2.4/5 Stars
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.
#ATwistofMurder #NetGalley
#DickensofaCrimeBook5
#Kensington Books
#HeatherRedmond #HeatherRedmondAuth
#FictionDickensEraAcademyMystery
#FictionDickensEra
HistoricalFictionMysteryDickensAsCharacter
#InternationalMysteryandCrimeKindleStore
#AmateurSleuthMysteriesKindleStore
#HistoricalMysteriesKindleStore
#FictionDramaCholeraIllness
#NotaCozyMystery
William Aga summons his best friend and journalist partner, Charles Dickens, to his father's boarding school; Aga Academy for boys. Some troubling things are happening, and Charles is very good at solving mysteries.
The troubling events are not trivial, but much to William's dismay, they are more covered up than investigated until he arrives. Unfortunately, everyone seems to lose focus on occasion. Maybe the pace of life and travel is partially to blame?
Situation 1: Three charity students the two men have been sponsoring to attend the Academy have disappeared, supposedly run away to the circus, and no one at the school is concerned at all!
Situation 2: A child maid (12 years old) is found murdered, and though sad, again, no one is worried about a motive or the killer! The nature of her death is very disturbing.
Situation 3: Cholera enters the academy. The realism and detail is more repetitious than medical or dramatic, but has a large impact.
Solving the mysteries is a group effort for the characters, although Dickens has a slight lead in cleverness.
Aspects of this story allude to being where Dickens got his story ideas later; names, situations, etc. These parts are amusing to note.
The story was interesting and fairly well written, but at the end, I was not glad I spent the time. There were too many unpleasant aspects to rise above.
2.4/5 Stars
Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview; any review is voluntary and my own opinion.
#ATwistofMurder #NetGalley
#DickensofaCrimeBook5
#Kensington Books
#HeatherRedmond #HeatherRedmondAuth
#FictionDickensEraAcademyMystery
#FictionDickensEra
HistoricalFictionMysteryDickensAsCharacter
#InternationalMysteryandCrimeKindleStore
#AmateurSleuthMysteriesKindleStore
#HistoricalMysteriesKindleStore
#FictionDramaCholeraIllness
#NotaCozyMystery
October 27, 2022
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves. (Goodreads synopsis)
I have read the previous novels in Heather Redmond’s Charles Dickens series prior to this one except book 4, The Pickwick Murders.
I honestly thought that Kate Hogarth and Charles would have been married by now, but that is one very small detail that I was not fond of. The only other one was that Charles was not the detective in this novel. The detective was actually Kate and Julie Aga.
I enjoyed being introduced to William Aga’s family. They were different from William in many ways, but I also understand why he was such a good match for Julie. I also can’t wait to see William and Julie as parents. William and Charles had already done so well with the mudlarks, I can only imagine what they will be like with their own.
I thought the parallels with the cholera pandemic and our current COVID one was interesting and relatable. The conditions of the those in poverty as well as society’s views may have slight changes but not many, and I am very glad for the newer more progressive acceptability for women. I thought Julie and Kate pushing those boundaries was very well written. However, Kate’s constant second guessing as well as her attacks on Julie’s “outlandish” behavior still made her an unbearable character for me.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves. (Goodreads synopsis)
I have read the previous novels in Heather Redmond’s Charles Dickens series prior to this one except book 4, The Pickwick Murders.
I honestly thought that Kate Hogarth and Charles would have been married by now, but that is one very small detail that I was not fond of. The only other one was that Charles was not the detective in this novel. The detective was actually Kate and Julie Aga.
I enjoyed being introduced to William Aga’s family. They were different from William in many ways, but I also understand why he was such a good match for Julie. I also can’t wait to see William and Julie as parents. William and Charles had already done so well with the mudlarks, I can only imagine what they will be like with their own.
I thought the parallels with the cholera pandemic and our current COVID one was interesting and relatable. The conditions of the those in poverty as well as society’s views may have slight changes but not many, and I am very glad for the newer more progressive acceptability for women. I thought Julie and Kate pushing those boundaries was very well written. However, Kate’s constant second guessing as well as her attacks on Julie’s “outlandish” behavior still made her an unbearable character for me.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
October 20, 2022
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Heather Redmond for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Twist of Murder coming out October 25, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The place is Harrow-on-the-Hill in March of 1836. Ollie, John, and Arthur were born treasure hunters. Growing up as orphans on the rough streets of London, they’ve had to scavenge for food and a better life. With the generosity of Charles Dickens, they become students at a boarding school. But now they’re missing along with a treasure map.
Charles arrives at the school and finds out that the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. He realizes the three boys may be in danger. Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth must race against time to find the boys. Will they be able to dodge false leads and red herrings before it’s too late?
I didn’t realize this was book 5, so I bought the other books to read, haha. I haven’t read all of Charles Dickens’ books, but he’s one of my favorite classic writers. I love the idea of him solving murders and that each book is based on one of his books. Oliver Twist is definitely a fun story and it was fun to see pieces of it throughout this book.
Overall, I loved this story! Historical mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I love literary works tied in. I do wonder if the cholera storyline was needed. I know it’s part of the times, but there seemed to be enough going on with the treasure map and murders. I probably would’ve liked the story to be a little tighter.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries with famous literary authors!
The place is Harrow-on-the-Hill in March of 1836. Ollie, John, and Arthur were born treasure hunters. Growing up as orphans on the rough streets of London, they’ve had to scavenge for food and a better life. With the generosity of Charles Dickens, they become students at a boarding school. But now they’re missing along with a treasure map.
Charles arrives at the school and finds out that the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. He realizes the three boys may be in danger. Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth must race against time to find the boys. Will they be able to dodge false leads and red herrings before it’s too late?
I didn’t realize this was book 5, so I bought the other books to read, haha. I haven’t read all of Charles Dickens’ books, but he’s one of my favorite classic writers. I love the idea of him solving murders and that each book is based on one of his books. Oliver Twist is definitely a fun story and it was fun to see pieces of it throughout this book.
Overall, I loved this story! Historical mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I love literary works tied in. I do wonder if the cholera storyline was needed. I know it’s part of the times, but there seemed to be enough going on with the treasure map and murders. I probably would’ve liked the story to be a little tighter.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries with famous literary authors!
August 4, 2022
"A Twist of Murder" is a mystery set in 1836 in England. It's the fifth in a series. You don't need to read the previous book to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of the time and place. The author tried to stay true to what is known about Charles Dickens' career and lifestyle in his early twenties. The main characters were likable and acted realistically.
There really wasn't much of a mystery since much of the focus was on solving the treasure map rather than solving the murder. The mystery wasn't the location of the missing boys (which was soon discovered) but who killed the maid, the cousin of Charles' friend, William. They investigated enough to determine a handful of suspects, then simply waited until whodunit voluntarily confessed. Ironically, someone even told them what was at the end of the treasure map, but they didn't pay any attention (like, question him about it). Much of the story was the treasure hunt and a cholera outbreak (full of gross details), which added suspense.
There was one use of British bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'll probably keep on reading the series because of the vivid, accurate historical details, so I'd recommend this book to fans of historicals.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
There really wasn't much of a mystery since much of the focus was on solving the treasure map rather than solving the murder. The mystery wasn't the location of the missing boys (which was soon discovered) but who killed the maid, the cousin of Charles' friend, William. They investigated enough to determine a handful of suspects, then simply waited until whodunit voluntarily confessed. Ironically, someone even told them what was at the end of the treasure map, but they didn't pay any attention (like, question him about it). Much of the story was the treasure hunt and a cholera outbreak (full of gross details), which added suspense.
There was one use of British bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'll probably keep on reading the series because of the vivid, accurate historical details, so I'd recommend this book to fans of historicals.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.
June 11, 2022
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Kensington Books, for sharing an ARC of this book with me through NetGalley!
Disclaimer: this is the fifth book in the Dickens’ Crime series but you don’t need to read the first four ones to understand this (but you should !!!!)
“Doesn’t it take strong emotions to kill?”
To be completely honest, when I first thought that I found a bit singular the concept of a Charles Dickens investigating. I’m glad I was surprised !!! The great novelist Charles Dickens, while writing his pickwick papers, ready to be married to a beautiful young lady, has to solve a mystery surrounding the family of his dearest friend William Aga … what will happen??
Mysteries, secrets, pain and suffering all together with sometimes a bit of fluffy romance between the two betrotheds.
This book was really good !!!
The gothic atmosphere made the story even more dark and the pain shared by the main characters made the plot even more interesting.
And the honourable mention at the end of the book … chef kiss !!!!
I’m glad I had the chance to read it!!
“But in my experience, truth is usually found much closer to home”
Disclaimer: this is the fifth book in the Dickens’ Crime series but you don’t need to read the first four ones to understand this (but you should !!!!)
“Doesn’t it take strong emotions to kill?”
To be completely honest, when I first thought that I found a bit singular the concept of a Charles Dickens investigating. I’m glad I was surprised !!! The great novelist Charles Dickens, while writing his pickwick papers, ready to be married to a beautiful young lady, has to solve a mystery surrounding the family of his dearest friend William Aga … what will happen??
Mysteries, secrets, pain and suffering all together with sometimes a bit of fluffy romance between the two betrotheds.
This book was really good !!!
The gothic atmosphere made the story even more dark and the pain shared by the main characters made the plot even more interesting.
And the honourable mention at the end of the book … chef kiss !!!!
I’m glad I had the chance to read it!!
“But in my experience, truth is usually found much closer to home”
September 11, 2022
This is a murder mystery. Eliza has been murdered by her father but nobody knows who done the deed.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves . . .
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Harrow-on-the-Hill, March 1836: In a sense, orphans Ollie, John, and Arthur have always been treasure hunters. The mudlarks have gone from a hardscrabble life scavenging the banks of the Thames for bits and bobs to becoming students at a boarding school outside of London, thanks to the kind and generous intercession of Charles Dickens. But now they’re missing—as is, apparently, a treasure map.
When Charles arrives at the school, he’s hit with another twist—the servant girl who was allegedly in possession of the map has been strangled in the icehouse. Unbeknownst to them on their spirited adventure, his young friends may be in mortal danger. Now Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth, who has come to join him in the search for the runaways, must artfully dodge false leads and red herrings to find the boys and the map—before X marks the spot of their graves . . .
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
October 26, 2022
Having Charles Dickens solve crime is an entertaining and creative concept. Each of the novels in this series relates to an actual Charles Dickens book and this one was built around the story of Oliver Twist. I had fun catching all the references to the original story and it was amusing to imagine the real Dickens finding his story inspiration in a similar manner.
I also really enjoyed the historical setting. It's clear that the author is very familiar with that world as the time period felt authentically grungy and Dickensian.
As for the plot itself, the murder, the treasure hunt, and the missing boys do all tie together at the end. However, there is a lot happening in this book, and I didn't think it was all necessary. The plot leaned much more towards a meandering, treasure hunt than murder mystery -- and this is where it fell short for me. I felt the scenes and dialogue could have been tighter to keep up the pacing and intrigue.
Overall, however, this was an entertaining and cozy read. I think fans of this series will definitely enjoy seeing what Dickens is up to in this newest installment!
I also really enjoyed the historical setting. It's clear that the author is very familiar with that world as the time period felt authentically grungy and Dickensian.
As for the plot itself, the murder, the treasure hunt, and the missing boys do all tie together at the end. However, there is a lot happening in this book, and I didn't think it was all necessary. The plot leaned much more towards a meandering, treasure hunt than murder mystery -- and this is where it fell short for me. I felt the scenes and dialogue could have been tighter to keep up the pacing and intrigue.
Overall, however, this was an entertaining and cozy read. I think fans of this series will definitely enjoy seeing what Dickens is up to in this newest installment!
November 1, 2022
A Twist of Murder by Heather Redmond is another of her series starring Charles Dickens as the sleuth. It is a good story although something about it made it tough to hang in. The mystery was the murder of a young girl, the sister of his friend, William. Children are always difficult. This all happens while Charles and William are reporters for a major London newspaper, so they are supposed to be working. Sometimes paths cross. Charles is also about to be married to the daughter of his editor, so that complicates things. He is looking forward to marriage, however. Agnes, the child, is in service and this is a time when people in that strata of society don’t really count, so that makes everything more difficult. Charles and William don’t really count, either, so that makes it all tougher. It was a decent read.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Twist of Murder by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #HeatherRedmond #ATwistOfMurder
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Twist of Murder by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #HeatherRedmond #ATwistOfMurder
November 23, 2022
I am so glad for another book in this series! Charles and Kate continue their adventures in this next installment. I will be careful what I say in case you haven’t read the other books in this series (you can read this one without having read the others first, but it will be more enjoyable, in my opinion, if you read them and get their back story). I like that Heather Redmond does not shy away from the darkness seen on the streets of London during this time. She doesn’t romanticize or downplay how difficult life was for the common man. I feel like her research and attention to detail are spot on. The mystery in this one is quite fascinating and grabbed my attention from the get-go. I am getting used to her style of writing, but even in that, I did not guess the end. As a healthcare professional, I enjoyed the medical emphasis in this one. I highly recommend for lovers of mystery set in the 1800s London.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.
October 24, 2022
My goodness...what a lot of tendrils to follow in A Twist of Murder, the 5th book in the 'A Dickens of a Crime' series by Heather Redmond.
Mudlarks, getting a chance for a better life courtesy of Mr. Dickens, but now missing. Are they searching for a treasure?
A young woman strangled and left frozen in the ice house. Was the treasure map she said she had the reason for her demise?
Cholera, a killer, and now part of the story.
Two women, Dickens' fiance, who just wants to get married and Aga's wife who just wants to have her baby, are another tendril and the ones who help with solving the mystery.
Everything is made clear in the end, but this book requires some time to sit and read without interruption.
I've read one of the other books in this series, but reading the series in order, or reading all of the books, is not necessary to enjoy this very, very busy book.
Mudlarks, getting a chance for a better life courtesy of Mr. Dickens, but now missing. Are they searching for a treasure?
A young woman strangled and left frozen in the ice house. Was the treasure map she said she had the reason for her demise?
Cholera, a killer, and now part of the story.
Two women, Dickens' fiance, who just wants to get married and Aga's wife who just wants to have her baby, are another tendril and the ones who help with solving the mystery.
Everything is made clear in the end, but this book requires some time to sit and read without interruption.
I've read one of the other books in this series, but reading the series in order, or reading all of the books, is not necessary to enjoy this very, very busy book.
September 22, 2023
After reading previous books in this series, I was able to "get into" this book quickly. It's my favorite book in the series so far. Charles Dickens travels to Aga Academy when the three boys he and his friend William support (through a scholarship fund), go missing. The school is owned and run by Eustace Aga, William's father. When they get there, they discover that a servant girl has been found dead in an ice house. Apparently she had a treasure map and had shown it to some of the students. Charles' fiance Kate Hogarth, William's wife Julie, and Lucy Fair, decide to go help look for the missing boys. All of them also get caught up in solving the mystery of the treasure map. This book has lots of possible suspects, twists and turns, and the continuing long engagement of Charles and Kate. I look forward to reading book six.
June 11, 2022
1836. Charles Dickens is urgently called to Harrow-on-the-Hill, in particular to the Aga School, by his good friend William Aga. For it seems William's cousin, Agnes, a maid at the school has disappeared with her treasure map. Also, several days earlier Dickens's three mudlarks had also gone missing from the school. Soon after his arrival Agnes is discovered dead. Dickens and Aga investigate both cases.
For me not really enough of a mystery. But overall an interesting historical novel with its likeable main character.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For me not really enough of a mystery. But overall an interesting historical novel with its likeable main character.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2022
I admit to being a fan of this series, each installment of which can be read as a standalone. Once you get past the idea that Charles Dickens and Kate Hogarth are ace amateur detectives (go with it) you'll find this is a pretty good mystery that probes at the underbelly of the Victorians. Dickens has sponsored children for school- they've gone missing but what's not missing is the body of a young woman, who is found in an ice house. Did the boys kill her for the treasure map? There's a cholera outbreak, bad guys, and as always, a good relationship between Charles and Kate. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A complex historical mystery.
December 15, 2022
I read out of order, going from book 1 to 5 but I didn't have any trouble picking back up. I enjoy the references to Dickens' books, as it makes it seem at though he is getting ideas for the names and storylines from "everyday life." A great tie-in. The mystery is interrupted by an outbreak of cholera, showing the reality of the time period. The writing gives a good look into the 1830s and the characters remain true to the lifestyle and knowledge of their time. The treasure hunt was a fun side story and the resolution to that unexpected. I'll be interested to see what happens next, given some of the events of this book.
October 21, 2022
I have read all the books in this serious and found some are better than other's. This was an enjoyable story which just meandered about too much so is on the less favoured side of this series. As a positive I liked several of the characters and the topic of Cholera was detailed although perhaps was an unnecessary details as there was enough going on with the mystery and treasure map although all the plot lines were tied up neatly by the end the mystery more or less solved itself. I received an early review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 24, 2022
A Twist of Murder by Heather Redmond is a fun tale of mystery with Charles Dickens at its center. Charles, his fiancé Kate, and their dear friends William and Julie, must find a killer and discover a treasure that may have been the reason for a murder. The story is good and it kept me guessing until the end! I especially enjoy the Dickens twist, as it adds some literature Easter eggs from his novels! Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington books.
February 12, 2023
I really wanted to like this book as I love Dickens and thought it would be a fun read. I found the characters boring and one dimensional (who would have thought that Charles Dickens could be so uninteresting). The plot was similarly uninspiring and the author inserted random fake characters that in this author's imagination served as the name "sakes" for some of Dickens character. Disappointing read overall.
November 16, 2022
This is the first book by this author and I found the way the language was written was not what I liked. I will admit I didn’t finish this book because I felt there was a lot of wasted time in the way the search was written. For me, the overall writing didn’t suit me. I like the concept and will try and finish it another day. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.
February 20, 2023
Set in 1836, twenty-three year old Charles Dickens travels to Harrow in the Hills after three boys go missing.
While at the school, Dickens discovers the dead body of twelve year old Agnes: the niece of William Aga, the school’s owner.
The mystery involves a mysterious treasure map and an outbreak of cholera.
After the conclusion of the mystery, Redmond includes discussion questions for readers.
While at the school, Dickens discovers the dead body of twelve year old Agnes: the niece of William Aga, the school’s owner.
The mystery involves a mysterious treasure map and an outbreak of cholera.
After the conclusion of the mystery, Redmond includes discussion questions for readers.
October 18, 2022
Abostly loved this book. Highly recommend it. 5 star book. Might reread it next year. May know a few who might like this book. Totally gonna try and get a physical copy of this because I abostly loved it. Kept me pulled into it.
October 18, 2022
I'm not too keen on historical fiction but this series I love. I have read the whole series but they are also good to read as standalone books. The setting is great (1830's Victorian England) ,the mysteries are complex and the characters compelling. A very good read.
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