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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TW: R@pe
Thank you @NetGalley for the free ARC. I didn’t have any expectations going into this story but was quickly drawn in by the plot. Taking place in 1850 England, the author does a great job at setting the scene and really creating an immersive atmosphere, describing two murders simultaneously. This one was easy to follow and very mysterious. There’s a heartwarming relationship that slowly blossoms and I can’t wait to dive more into that in the next installment. I didn’t have it all figured out from the beginning but once they put the pieces together, I almost want to re-read the story from the beginning. 4/5⭐️
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
1858. The body of Hon. Miss Adelaide Seaborne, is discovered in Highgate cemetery by Victor Tate, minutes later Tate is dead. The police conclude that his death is an accident. Inspector Sebastian Bell is assigned the case of Adelaide, while twin sister Gemma Tate investigates the death of Victor.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters. A good start to this new series.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters. A good start to this new series.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. The initial publication of this book will be available on February 29, 2024
"A young woman hung on a marble cross like a Christian martyr, her wrists bound to the crossbar, her head tilted to the side. She wore nothing but a flowing chemise, the fabric whipping around her bare legs and hanging off her arms like broken wings. What appeared to be a human heart, held in place by a thin chain or a string, was suspended from the woman’s neck, still oozing blood."
The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro is a mystery novel set in England in the 1850’s.
When considering this novel, you may wish to note that this book contains graphic violence and rape. I did not see a content warning when I requested this book on NetGalley, but this is something you may wish to consider before diving into this mystery.
This book has:
✔ Downtown Abbey meets CSI vibes
✔ Sherlock and Watson style mystery solving
✔ Nineteenth Century British History
✔ Graphic violence
✔ More installments to look forward to if you enjoy this one
Final Impression
Overall, I can see the appeal of The Highgate Cemetery Murder. The writing was compelling, and I found the main characters, Gemma Tate and Detective Sebastian Bell, to be a likable and believable pair. I did find the ending to be quite rushed, as the guilty parties went from protesting their innocence to explaining the entire crime in two sentences or less. I don’t prefer to read depictions of graphic violence or rape. If a content warning had been included in the description of this ARC, I likely wouldn’t have requested it. If you’re not bothered by this kind of content and enjoy a Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery, then you’ll likely enjoy this first installment in the Tate and Bell Mysteries.
Star Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This book wasn’t for me, but I can see the appeal. Check it out if you like British History and Murder Mysteries, and aren’t bothered by graphic depictions of violence against women.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
BOOK: THE HIGHGATE CEMETERY MURDER
AUTHOR: IRINA SHAPIRO
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2023
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
Wow! What a wonderful book. I loved everything about this book (except a little part). It was perfect! And I'm happy I liked it because I love this trope.
I loved the storyline, solving of crime, complexities of the characters. Just perfect!
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
What I loved most was how Inspector Bell solved the crime, he was very, very good. He literally turned all the stones involved in the case. He asked all the necessary questions and went anywhere just to solve this case. And he was battling his own demons, although I don't agree with his coping mechanism. But, I'm glad he's got his life back on track by the time I reached the end of the book. I commend his expertise.
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
I liked the fmc, Gemma Tate, but i'd have loved to see more of her. That's my only dissatisfaction with the book. I hope this will be remedied in the next book. Nevertheless, I liked the scenes where she was, her intelligence and personality. I liked her and would love to see more of her. I sympathized with her because of the death of her brother.
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
The murder case was well solved. I didn't even guess who the culprit was. I was surprised and disgusted. But, I commens the author's good writing
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
My favorite part of this book, was the mention of Islam, Muslims and the Quran. I've read a lot of historical books and this is the first time I'll read something like this and I'm happy at the representation. Thank you!
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
This book was very good and I'd love to read more booksin the series. It was that good
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
AUTHOR: IRINA SHAPIRO
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2023
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
Wow! What a wonderful book. I loved everything about this book (except a little part). It was perfect! And I'm happy I liked it because I love this trope.
I loved the storyline, solving of crime, complexities of the characters. Just perfect!
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
What I loved most was how Inspector Bell solved the crime, he was very, very good. He literally turned all the stones involved in the case. He asked all the necessary questions and went anywhere just to solve this case. And he was battling his own demons, although I don't agree with his coping mechanism. But, I'm glad he's got his life back on track by the time I reached the end of the book. I commend his expertise.
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
I liked the fmc, Gemma Tate, but i'd have loved to see more of her. That's my only dissatisfaction with the book. I hope this will be remedied in the next book. Nevertheless, I liked the scenes where she was, her intelligence and personality. I liked her and would love to see more of her. I sympathized with her because of the death of her brother.
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
The murder case was well solved. I didn't even guess who the culprit was. I was surprised and disgusted. But, I commens the author's good writing
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️
My favorite part of this book, was the mention of Islam, Muslims and the Quran. I've read a lot of historical books and this is the first time I'll read something like this and I'm happy at the representation. Thank you!
🕵🏼♀️👮🏼♂️
This book was very good and I'd love to read more booksin the series. It was that good
👮🏼♂️🕵🏼♀️