Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another historical mystery for me. This one is set during WWI London. I really like the premise of this novel: a police officer realizes he is going to need help from the fairer sex and sets up an under the table operation in order to investigate more sensitive crimes. Then the crimes got a bit dark.
I am enjoying reading more historical mysteries and WWI has been a good time period for me. This one reminded me that the seedy underground has always existed. Heroine available at the local chemist shop, brothels, sex slaves, corrupt police officers and murder. And a war will not stop these activities from continuing.
I thought the characters were well drawn and nuanced. Caroline, the high society doctor lady, was probably my favorite. Although, the very handsome Greek (Billy) was a close second. I am looking forward to see how this group of characters grows and continues to solve mysteries during WWI.
The mystery in this story was a little convoluted. As I said above, there was a lot going on in this very short novel. An abusive husband is murdered after gravely injuring his wife. The investigation uncovers many more undesirable activities. While the major characters were well done, the minor characters felt more like caricatures and did not distinguish themselves well in my head. I was not surprised by the guilty party, but did have a hard time figuring out who it was.
I will be looking for future titles in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!
Kate's Book Blog 