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The Victoria Sedgewick Mysteries #1
Death Behind Silent Walls
After her husband dies under suspicious circumstances, Victoria Sedgewick is drawn down a dark and spiraling path of family secrets. There, she uncovers a deception so deep it threatens to destroy everything she holds dear.
Will the private inquiry agent investigating her husband’s murder complicate matters? Or might Mr. Branwell Keats prove to be an ally, as a growing shadow of danger looms over Victoria’s household?
Will the private inquiry agent investigating her husband’s murder complicate matters? Or might Mr. Branwell Keats prove to be an ally, as a growing shadow of danger looms over Victoria’s household?
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2022
778 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
About the author
Blythe Baker
117 books387 followersBlythe Baker is a thirty-something bottle redhead from the South Central part of the country. When she’s not slinging words and creating new worlds and characters, she’s acting as chauffeur to her children and head groomer to her household of beloved pets.
Blythe enjoys long walks with her dog on sweaty days, grubbing in her flower garden, cooking, and ruthlessly de-cluttering her overcrowded home. She also likes binge-watching mystery shows on TV and burying herself in books about murder.
Blythe enjoys long walks with her dog on sweaty days, grubbing in her flower garden, cooking, and ruthlessly de-cluttering her overcrowded home. She also likes binge-watching mystery shows on TV and burying herself in books about murder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 2, 2023
According to her official bio, “Blythe Baker is the lead writer behind several….series.” With multiple titles published annually under her nom de plume, perhaps she sees herself as a new James Patterson.
I don’t know which of her nameless underlings wrote “Death Behind Silent Walls,” but whoever it was was clearly uncomfortable with and ignorant of the time period and social environment in which this rather thin plot is set. In addition, the characters are flat and unappealing.
Had I not (unfortunately) paid good money for this book, I would not have bothered to finish it.
I don’t know which of her nameless underlings wrote “Death Behind Silent Walls,” but whoever it was was clearly uncomfortable with and ignorant of the time period and social environment in which this rather thin plot is set. In addition, the characters are flat and unappealing.
Had I not (unfortunately) paid good money for this book, I would not have bothered to finish it.
February 25, 2023
This would have been much better had it been set in New York rather than London. It was so American in its language that it really grated. Apart from that, there was no evidence of any real research as to social conventions of the time. The heroine had far too many staff for her apparent level in society, her relationships with various staff were frankly impossible for that time ( e.g. playing chess with a nameless member of staff) and her sudden decision as to beginning to earn her living was totally wrong for the period, even in a work of fiction!
April 2, 2024
2.5 stars
No, I did not enjoy this book so will not read further tales of Victoria Sedgewick. This makes it the second book I have tried from this author so that should be that.
Kindle Unlimited
No, I did not enjoy this book so will not read further tales of Victoria Sedgewick. This makes it the second book I have tried from this author so that should be that.
Kindle Unlimited
June 30, 2023
Horribly written book
I would suspect this book had been written for a high school creative writing class if I didn’t know better. A mistress of a house and her servants would never have the type of familiar relationship the heroine of this story does. She behaves stupidly and illogically and has the emotional maturity of a teenager. The story made little sense and was so silly I was expecting Scooby Doo to appear from around a corner. Suffice it to say I won’t be reading the next installment.
I would suspect this book had been written for a high school creative writing class if I didn’t know better. A mistress of a house and her servants would never have the type of familiar relationship the heroine of this story does. She behaves stupidly and illogically and has the emotional maturity of a teenager. The story made little sense and was so silly I was expecting Scooby Doo to appear from around a corner. Suffice it to say I won’t be reading the next installment.
January 13, 2026
First time author loving this series I’m a huge fan of the Cleopatra fox series by C.J. Archer and look forward to reading the rest
December 4, 2022
I'm not sure what to say.
Wow. For a short read, this one took me a while to trudge thru.
I thought the entire premise was somewhat shaky. I felt that Victoria causing a man from the docks AND an opium seller at that, to be so easily intimidated was highly unlikely. The issue with his item that her husband supposely had was never followed up on.
The man servant's constant "if I may, Madame" got overused and quickly became annoying (even if that was how they did speak back then, still...).
I felt that the culprit was a little too easy to figure out.
I'm not sure if I'll read the next story. If I do, hopefully it won't be as simple as this one, nor as torturous to get thru.
Wow. For a short read, this one took me a while to trudge thru.
I thought the entire premise was somewhat shaky. I felt that Victoria causing a man from the docks AND an opium seller at that, to be so easily intimidated was highly unlikely. The issue with his item that her husband supposely had was never followed up on.
The man servant's constant "if I may, Madame" got overused and quickly became annoying (even if that was how they did speak back then, still...).
I felt that the culprit was a little too easy to figure out.
I'm not sure if I'll read the next story. If I do, hopefully it won't be as simple as this one, nor as torturous to get thru.
October 11, 2022
Competition?
I started reading this one late in the afternoon and did not put it down to late that evening. It was excellent twisty and written so well I am very impressed with this author. I love mysteries but ones set in the Victorian era are a special treat to read. I cannot wait to see what other mysteries Victoria and Branwell may encounter plus who was Adam’s acquaintance that question has not been answered yet. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
I started reading this one late in the afternoon and did not put it down to late that evening. It was excellent twisty and written so well I am very impressed with this author. I love mysteries but ones set in the Victorian era are a special treat to read. I cannot wait to see what other mysteries Victoria and Branwell may encounter plus who was Adam’s acquaintance that question has not been answered yet. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
June 17, 2023
A slow plodding mystery. Characters are a bit dull and undeveloped. The heroine's decision to become an investigator to support herself and her son after her very quick discovery of her husband's murderer not really believable. The number of household staff considering the lack of financial resources and the willingness of the staff to volunteer to accept reduced wages for the future not too believable.
October 25, 2022
This book wasn't really as bad as the score I gave it, it's more my experience with it. I've read multiple other Baker books and enjoyed them, this one just had some things that really bugged me.
Quick hits:
+ The characters were good, and I appreciated how they didn't need to break out of their roles in society for the story. They investigated within their roles, and that's so refreshing.
+ Fast paced, quick read.
- The notion that servants would all willingly take less pay for their position (at least half) is quite silly, especially considering the clear description of lack of funds by the mistress.
- I hate investigating off screen. It makes for a mundane mystery and honestly for not an enjoyable experience.
- It was blatantly obvious what the mystery really was and who the culprit was from pretty much the introduction. I have no problem guessing the culprit before the reveal, but not that early in the story.
I think this will improve in further books, and I'm willing to give it another chance. Just a little too much that hurt my own experience.
Quick hits:
+ The characters were good, and I appreciated how they didn't need to break out of their roles in society for the story. They investigated within their roles, and that's so refreshing.
+ Fast paced, quick read.
- The notion that servants would all willingly take less pay for their position (at least half) is quite silly, especially considering the clear description of lack of funds by the mistress.
- I hate investigating off screen. It makes for a mundane mystery and honestly for not an enjoyable experience.
- It was blatantly obvious what the mystery really was and who the culprit was from pretty much the introduction. I have no problem guessing the culprit before the reveal, but not that early in the story.
I think this will improve in further books, and I'm willing to give it another chance. Just a little too much that hurt my own experience.
March 1, 2023
3 1/2 stars
I did not like the beginning.I found the characters to be unlikable in and “slapped together “. There was little finesse in the description of characters or the dialogue. I found Warrington the butler to be the most likable in the story. I don’t think I will bother with the rest of the series. I found no desire to care about the characters
I did not like the beginning.I found the characters to be unlikable in and “slapped together “. There was little finesse in the description of characters or the dialogue. I found Warrington the butler to be the most likable in the story. I don’t think I will bother with the rest of the series. I found no desire to care about the characters
October 25, 2022
She was a little annoying
I liked the books fast pace, but I didn't exactly like the main character. Victoria was a little annoying. She was unnecessarily combative, hard headed, stubborn, and overly critical of Mr. Keats.
I liked the books fast pace, but I didn't exactly like the main character. Victoria was a little annoying. She was unnecessarily combative, hard headed, stubborn, and overly critical of Mr. Keats.
January 10, 2023
Figured out the killer instantly since the clues were pretty heavy handed. This wasn’t very good, basic writing although the characters were very likable; and did they really celebrate a child’s 5 month birthday back then.
July 8, 2023
Thin plot. Tough to believe she would be pals with the staff in that day and age. And there were grammatical errors which made me nuts!
January 8, 2025
A disappointment
I am always looking for another series of well written mysteries. I cannot find anything about this book that makes this feel well written or worthy of the reader’s time.
First, Victoria Sedgwick is rather FULL of herself, not terribly kind, sometimes caustic in her remarks to her servants, and even less than polite with the detective.
Second, most of the book involves Victoria’s discussions with her staff. One review mentioned that such a relationship between the upper crust and staff members would be totally incorrect, even historically inaccurate. As diverse a species as human beings are, no doubt there were probably some people… certainly have been many people in every generation… who do not conform to societal dictates. However, though they spoke as equals, the author never established a friendly environment in which such relationships would be natural. In fact, though the butler is very dedicated, the cook is the only one that seems to have any warmth. Most of the people in the story seemed very one-dimensional. There was very little interaction between Victoria and any other characters in the book *except* the servants.
The housekeeper was annoying, and Victoria had a hard time hiding her impatience with Mrs. Bell. But what would seem more unrealistic to me is that Victoria who seems to have such high expectations in terms of her social standing, would allow someone like the housekeeper – who is often seemingly argumentative – to continue behaving this way.
And the conversations between Victoria and the members of the staff were not intriguing at all. There also seem to be too many staff members (and therefore, that many more characters in the story) for such a small household, especially Adam, who comes across, early on, to be strongly opinionated, argumentative and sloppy. At one point, he trips over the rug and heaves a platter full of roasted vegetables onto the wall in the dining room.
The character development was not there. I felt that Victoria was just hard to like and demanding in her expectations of others. She did not seem to have a soft side.
There was absolutely no development of the inspector. He was very much a secondary character, even secondary to the members of Victoria’s staff. We see very little of him.
The only character in the book that I liked at all was Eliza who takes care of the baby. Victoria didn’t even seem to have motherly tendencies toward her child, even though she said often enough that she wanted to find justice for Duncan, for the baby’s sake. Early one in the story, Victoria refers to her child as “the infant.“
The father-in-law and brother-in-law were particularly unpleasant. And it was not at all satisfying to listen to Victoria rant about how much they hated her and how much they wanted to harm her, intending to control her; and it also seems unbelievable that they couldn’t possibly have known Duncan well enough to understand that he was a wastrel, a gambler, and a heroin user. And though those characters created conflict in the story, their presence (and her father-in-law‘s greediness) seemed an unnecessary element to move the plot forward— except as an excuse for Victoria to find a job.
There were very few elements developing the mood or the setting. While some authors pour on the details, Ms. Baker provided very little to add substantive literary structure to her story.
There seemed to be very little foreshadowing as to who might have been responsible for Duncan‘s death.
And the idea that Victoria believes that she has the wherewithal by the end to take up a trade, a job, with her meager talents and nonexistent qualifications, is just unbelievable… It just seems to be thrown in at the end to provide a reason for another book.
None of it rang true. The writing was stiff—one person in the reviews mentioned that it was a good introduction to a new series; this was the reason that I gave it a shot. But I must disagree; I could not read another book by this author. I didn’t like Victoria, I don’t think she’s especially talented, I don’t feel that she was especially nice. She is not presented as a character who elicits sympathy from the reader, at least not this reader!
It was a disappointment—so now I will continue my search for another writer like Anna Lee Huber or CS Harris, etc.
I am always looking for another series of well written mysteries. I cannot find anything about this book that makes this feel well written or worthy of the reader’s time.
First, Victoria Sedgwick is rather FULL of herself, not terribly kind, sometimes caustic in her remarks to her servants, and even less than polite with the detective.
Second, most of the book involves Victoria’s discussions with her staff. One review mentioned that such a relationship between the upper crust and staff members would be totally incorrect, even historically inaccurate. As diverse a species as human beings are, no doubt there were probably some people… certainly have been many people in every generation… who do not conform to societal dictates. However, though they spoke as equals, the author never established a friendly environment in which such relationships would be natural. In fact, though the butler is very dedicated, the cook is the only one that seems to have any warmth. Most of the people in the story seemed very one-dimensional. There was very little interaction between Victoria and any other characters in the book *except* the servants.
The housekeeper was annoying, and Victoria had a hard time hiding her impatience with Mrs. Bell. But what would seem more unrealistic to me is that Victoria who seems to have such high expectations in terms of her social standing, would allow someone like the housekeeper – who is often seemingly argumentative – to continue behaving this way.
And the conversations between Victoria and the members of the staff were not intriguing at all. There also seem to be too many staff members (and therefore, that many more characters in the story) for such a small household, especially Adam, who comes across, early on, to be strongly opinionated, argumentative and sloppy. At one point, he trips over the rug and heaves a platter full of roasted vegetables onto the wall in the dining room.
The character development was not there. I felt that Victoria was just hard to like and demanding in her expectations of others. She did not seem to have a soft side.
There was absolutely no development of the inspector. He was very much a secondary character, even secondary to the members of Victoria’s staff. We see very little of him.
The only character in the book that I liked at all was Eliza who takes care of the baby. Victoria didn’t even seem to have motherly tendencies toward her child, even though she said often enough that she wanted to find justice for Duncan, for the baby’s sake. Early one in the story, Victoria refers to her child as “the infant.“
The father-in-law and brother-in-law were particularly unpleasant. And it was not at all satisfying to listen to Victoria rant about how much they hated her and how much they wanted to harm her, intending to control her; and it also seems unbelievable that they couldn’t possibly have known Duncan well enough to understand that he was a wastrel, a gambler, and a heroin user. And though those characters created conflict in the story, their presence (and her father-in-law‘s greediness) seemed an unnecessary element to move the plot forward— except as an excuse for Victoria to find a job.
There were very few elements developing the mood or the setting. While some authors pour on the details, Ms. Baker provided very little to add substantive literary structure to her story.
There seemed to be very little foreshadowing as to who might have been responsible for Duncan‘s death.
And the idea that Victoria believes that she has the wherewithal by the end to take up a trade, a job, with her meager talents and nonexistent qualifications, is just unbelievable… It just seems to be thrown in at the end to provide a reason for another book.
None of it rang true. The writing was stiff—one person in the reviews mentioned that it was a good introduction to a new series; this was the reason that I gave it a shot. But I must disagree; I could not read another book by this author. I didn’t like Victoria, I don’t think she’s especially talented, I don’t feel that she was especially nice. She is not presented as a character who elicits sympathy from the reader, at least not this reader!
It was a disappointment—so now I will continue my search for another writer like Anna Lee Huber or CS Harris, etc.
October 11, 2022
Intriguing beginnings
Victoria Sedgewick a young mother awake with her four month old son trying to bond and figure what is the cause of his fussing. Her husband Duncan comes in at the disreputable hour of 2am after a night at the docks and indulging in opium. His behavior is even odder than usual after such a night and when he drops dead quite literally the household is shocked. Victoria is sure there is more than an unfortunate addiction as the root cause of death and is determined to find out what stole her son’s father from him. Before she can decide on a course of action her overbearing and insufferable father in law arrives and announces he’s hired a private inquiry agent to look into the death. Both he and his elder son refuse to believe the truth of Duncan’s condition and go so far as to not so subtly threaten Victoria as she is now beholden on their generosity. As the days go by and investigation commences strange happenings occur. Duncan’s former “friend” a Mr. Aubrey in truth his dealer or at least facilitator claims he lent something to Duncan. A mysterious bottle, the curious inquiry agent.
Lots of twists and a very surprising ending. A most enjoyable historical read though the in laws are most irritating. I really like Victoria her strength and grit to make the best of a bad situation and to buck societal norms to find truth for herself and her son. The staff are colorful and lovely background characters and the inquiry agent is most intriguing. A wonderful start to a new series!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Victoria Sedgewick a young mother awake with her four month old son trying to bond and figure what is the cause of his fussing. Her husband Duncan comes in at the disreputable hour of 2am after a night at the docks and indulging in opium. His behavior is even odder than usual after such a night and when he drops dead quite literally the household is shocked. Victoria is sure there is more than an unfortunate addiction as the root cause of death and is determined to find out what stole her son’s father from him. Before she can decide on a course of action her overbearing and insufferable father in law arrives and announces he’s hired a private inquiry agent to look into the death. Both he and his elder son refuse to believe the truth of Duncan’s condition and go so far as to not so subtly threaten Victoria as she is now beholden on their generosity. As the days go by and investigation commences strange happenings occur. Duncan’s former “friend” a Mr. Aubrey in truth his dealer or at least facilitator claims he lent something to Duncan. A mysterious bottle, the curious inquiry agent.
Lots of twists and a very surprising ending. A most enjoyable historical read though the in laws are most irritating. I really like Victoria her strength and grit to make the best of a bad situation and to buck societal norms to find truth for herself and her son. The staff are colorful and lovely background characters and the inquiry agent is most intriguing. A wonderful start to a new series!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 8, 2022
This story starts out just after her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. Victoria Sedgewick is a new mother and now newly widowed wife. She is wanting to search for answers of what happened to her husband. She works somewhat unwillingly with the private inquiry agent, Mr. Branwell Keats, investigating her husband’s murder. He proves to be an ally, offering help as a growing shadow of danger looms over Victoria’s household.
As I start through the story I feel a sense of loss for Victoria. Stuck in a loveless marriage to a drug-addicted gambler with a brand new baby, and he up and dies on her with all the obligations she is now stuck with. His family is the worst! They don’t believe her and they don’t want to help her pretty much. One positive thing that the father in law does at least is hire a detective to look into the death that part they at least can see eye to eye. However when the ending comes you don’t expect that to be the cause of the crime. It was a very well thought out plot twist. Also leaving a bit more unfinished to continue wishing the next possible installments of the series??? Thought provoking!! Well written!! Great plot twist!!
Completely recommend this story but powerful read. Five Stars ⭐️.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As I start through the story I feel a sense of loss for Victoria. Stuck in a loveless marriage to a drug-addicted gambler with a brand new baby, and he up and dies on her with all the obligations she is now stuck with. His family is the worst! They don’t believe her and they don’t want to help her pretty much. One positive thing that the father in law does at least is hire a detective to look into the death that part they at least can see eye to eye. However when the ending comes you don’t expect that to be the cause of the crime. It was a very well thought out plot twist. Also leaving a bit more unfinished to continue wishing the next possible installments of the series??? Thought provoking!! Well written!! Great plot twist!!
Completely recommend this story but powerful read. Five Stars ⭐️.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 11, 2022
While I enjoy plucky heroines, I found Victoria annoying. She has a 4 month baby, yet she heedlessly seems to take dangerous risks to clear up the mystery of her husband's demise despite her ambivalent feelings about him and his family. Given that this is the Victorian period, I also found it hard to believe that the staff had so much input regarding the events that had taken place at the house. Bramwell Keats, the enquiry agent, is not a well developed character at this point. You got some idea what he was like from the staff and Victoria, mostly the description of his physical appearance, but there was not a hint of what he thought of Victoria. Clearly he cared about the case, although I found it hard to believe that any enquiry agent, would advise the family to safeguard a piece of evidence instead to keeping it himself. Given that the book more a novella than the the standard book length, perhaps the following series will improve.
January 2, 2023
“Death Behind Silent Walls” is a quick cozy mystery with ample suspects and a strong, no-nonsense central character.
Though resigned to her husband’s failings, Victoria Sedgewick was not expecting to be a widow so soon after the birth of their son. She becomes concerned after reflecting on her husband’s bizarre behavior right before he dropped dead in the nursery. Her suspicions grow as her father-in-law hires an inquiry agent to get to the truth of the matter. Not one to wait around, Victoria begins her own investigation. Will she solve the mystery or will the killer strike again?
I enjoy these shorter mysteries that have the flavor of a serial. I guess I get the same feeling as people who binge-watch TV shows. The pace is snappy and definitely episodic. Taken together, series such as this have a satisfying arc.
This story is great for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and historical mysteries.
Though resigned to her husband’s failings, Victoria Sedgewick was not expecting to be a widow so soon after the birth of their son. She becomes concerned after reflecting on her husband’s bizarre behavior right before he dropped dead in the nursery. Her suspicions grow as her father-in-law hires an inquiry agent to get to the truth of the matter. Not one to wait around, Victoria begins her own investigation. Will she solve the mystery or will the killer strike again?
I enjoy these shorter mysteries that have the flavor of a serial. I guess I get the same feeling as people who binge-watch TV shows. The pace is snappy and definitely episodic. Taken together, series such as this have a satisfying arc.
This story is great for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and historical mysteries.
November 29, 2024
5 STARS, HISTORICAL MURDER MYSTERY
Blythe Barker gets 5 STARS for Book 1 interesting storyline of her Series: The Victoria Sedgwick Mysteries plus a good BLURB. It is a different type of read towards the end of Victorian Era; plus it had great grammar & editing.
It is a quick read that is fast paced with intelligent characters. Lots of quick action that leaves Victoria a new widow with a young infant son that is now to be dependent on her Father-in-law & oldest brother-in-law that have a different view on how her money had been spent so have decided to cut her allowance way down.
After a hard time in gathering info about her husband's death, but being successful she decides she might go into the private investigations areana. On to Book 2 & her new idea in getting more independent control over her & her son's futures but her household also.
RECOMMEND
Blythe Barker gets 5 STARS for Book 1 interesting storyline of her Series: The Victoria Sedgwick Mysteries plus a good BLURB. It is a different type of read towards the end of Victorian Era; plus it had great grammar & editing.
It is a quick read that is fast paced with intelligent characters. Lots of quick action that leaves Victoria a new widow with a young infant son that is now to be dependent on her Father-in-law & oldest brother-in-law that have a different view on how her money had been spent so have decided to cut her allowance way down.
After a hard time in gathering info about her husband's death, but being successful she decides she might go into the private investigations areana. On to Book 2 & her new idea in getting more independent control over her & her son's futures but her household also.
RECOMMEND
October 14, 2022
A great start to a new series and it opens with a bang! I am addicted to historical mysteries and was excited to get started on this one.
Victoria is not surprised when he husband arrives late and under the influence of his addition of opium. But when he literally drops dead, the mystery begins.
An inquiry agent is called to try to find out what really happened, but secrets abound and it will be a journey to find some answers..
Really enjoyed and wished it was on audible!
Victoria is not surprised when he husband arrives late and under the influence of his addition of opium. But when he literally drops dead, the mystery begins.
An inquiry agent is called to try to find out what really happened, but secrets abound and it will be a journey to find some answers..
Really enjoyed and wished it was on audible!
January 3, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyable, gentle Victorian crime series which I thought was well-written and kept my mind off this horrible RSV virus that I’d caught!
Instead of feeling sorry for myself I read this cosy little story of Victoria and the death of her dastardly husband, Duncan.
The only negative is all the American spellings and American words such as “sidewalk” instead of pavement which was really annoying.
That aside, onto the second book of 4!
Instead of feeling sorry for myself I read this cosy little story of Victoria and the death of her dastardly husband, Duncan.
The only negative is all the American spellings and American words such as “sidewalk” instead of pavement which was really annoying.
That aside, onto the second book of 4!
February 26, 2023
Great characters
The author manages to portray real people, with real emotions, yet keeps them tied to the era she is writing about. It's one of the few Victorian era books that I've read where the married woman actively dislikes her vice ridden husband, usually, the protagonist is a cousin or brother-in-law. The heroine's feelings as an exhausted new mother were also very real. I'm looking forward to the next book
The author manages to portray real people, with real emotions, yet keeps them tied to the era she is writing about. It's one of the few Victorian era books that I've read where the married woman actively dislikes her vice ridden husband, usually, the protagonist is a cousin or brother-in-law. The heroine's feelings as an exhausted new mother were also very real. I'm looking forward to the next book
February 22, 2024
A Good Beginning
Meeting the family and the solving of the first mystery was a good start. It left me surprised as to who the first villain was, and the open question that created a cliffhanger. I will move into Book 2 and report when I finish it. I give it a 4 star because i felt the characters seemed a bit stuffy and I had a hard time getting to know them. Hopefully things will be more relaxed in Book 2. But all in all, a good series starter.
Meeting the family and the solving of the first mystery was a good start. It left me surprised as to who the first villain was, and the open question that created a cliffhanger. I will move into Book 2 and report when I finish it. I give it a 4 star because i felt the characters seemed a bit stuffy and I had a hard time getting to know them. Hopefully things will be more relaxed in Book 2. But all in all, a good series starter.
October 13, 2022
Blythe knows how to write a mystery that grabs the reader's attention and keeps them engaged in the story. Mystery, suspense and intrigue fill the pages keeping you guessing until the end. The characters are well-developed making them easy to get to know.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 23, 2022
Excellent mystery Surprise Ending
From page 1 the characterization grow bring about a wonderfully inclusive story that says More More!! This is a story without any love interests and yet the characters interact for the most part with kindness and respect Make this series your next read!
From page 1 the characterization grow bring about a wonderfully inclusive story that says More More!! This is a story without any love interests and yet the characters interact for the most part with kindness and respect Make this series your next read!
January 25, 2023
Death Behind Silent Walls
A very well written book with an excellent mystery. The Sedgewick household was a mess from beginning to end. The servants are like friends of Mrs. Sedgewick. She is becoming an inquiry agent to supplement her income. An interesting career choice. But this book is not for me.
A very well written book with an excellent mystery. The Sedgewick household was a mess from beginning to end. The servants are like friends of Mrs. Sedgewick. She is becoming an inquiry agent to supplement her income. An interesting career choice. But this book is not for me.
September 2, 2023
Blythe does it again,
I enjoyed this take on writing….making the story in the first person narrative. Blythe has become one of my favorite authors and this series has proven again why. I cannot wait to start book 2. Victoria has society rules yet has maintained her own independence and curiosity. She is a firecracker and not to be underestimated.
I enjoyed this take on writing….making the story in the first person narrative. Blythe has become one of my favorite authors and this series has proven again why. I cannot wait to start book 2. Victoria has society rules yet has maintained her own independence and curiosity. She is a firecracker and not to be underestimated.
March 22, 2024
Husband Drops Dead in the Nursery
Death Behind Silent Walls by Blythe Baker is the first Victoria Sedgwick Mysteries. I seem to be reading them out of order. Victoria’s husband drops dead in the nursery in the middle of the night and she undertakes the task of investigating his death. Wonderful characters and a great plot made this a great read. I highly recommend.
Death Behind Silent Walls by Blythe Baker is the first Victoria Sedgwick Mysteries. I seem to be reading them out of order. Victoria’s husband drops dead in the nursery in the middle of the night and she undertakes the task of investigating his death. Wonderful characters and a great plot made this a great read. I highly recommend.
October 11, 2022
I originally marked this with 5 stars when I finished reading it. But after thinking about it some overnight, I dropped it to 4 stars because there are loose ends and I kept having unanswered questions that should have been addressed, probably early in the book.
October 14, 2022
Great new series
I’m delighted that Blythe Baker has brought a new heroine to the pages. Victoria Sedgwick is a plucky young widow with a knack for uncovering truth. I look forward to her next adventure.
I’m delighted that Blythe Baker has brought a new heroine to the pages. Victoria Sedgwick is a plucky young widow with a knack for uncovering truth. I look forward to her next adventure.
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