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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
mysterious
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:
No
Another in the series with Gemma Tate and DI Sebastian Bell. This time a body is found in a trunk in Paddington Station with no clue as to the identity of the deceased or where the met her demise. The major legwork is undertaken by Sebastian while Gemma endures a somewhat tetchy relationship with the family she works for, caring for the elderly mother of the pathologist she wants to support and assist. the plot is suitably tortuous and has a number of possible suspects before a chance finding leads to the revelation of the killer. As a sideline we see Sebastian get back in touch with his family and then he and Gemma start to make plans for a future together. Once again, the book makes a point of developing a strong female character yet despite being highly competent is not given the same opportunities that a man would be in the same situation. All in all, a really enjoyable read.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Sebastian Bell is at Paddington station to meet his brother, they have not spoken for years ever since Sébastien left home to become a policeman. Now an Inspector at Scotland Yard, Sebastian is hopeful of patching things up with his brother. However before his brother has even arrived Sebastian finds himself involved in a murder case, the body of a young woman is found in a trunk, she has been stabbed and the weapon, a Bo in, is still sticking out of her chest.
Although he asks his brother to wait, he disappears before Sebastian can be free and despairs they will ever make up.
An enjoyable murder mystery set in Victorian London which sets Sebastian and his friend nurse Gwen Tate on a dangerous path to find the culprit.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.
Although he asks his brother to wait, he disappears before Sebastian can be free and despairs they will ever make up.
An enjoyable murder mystery set in Victorian London which sets Sebastian and his friend nurse Gwen Tate on a dangerous path to find the culprit.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy of Murder on Platform Four. All opinions and comments are my own.
A sad case, this turns out to be. That is, one that proves that human nature brings out the worst in people, and Inspector Sebastian Bell knows that only too well.
In Murder on Platform Four, the fifth in the entertaining Tate & Bell series by Irina Shapiro, Inspector Bell is caught up with catching the killer of a what turns out to be a visitor to London. And among the suspects (which came awfully handy, at least to me) are the residents of his own boarding house. And while he’s busy figuring out the who, the when and especially, the why, Gemma Tate is assisting as best she can in her unofficial capacity, and rather helpful she is.
We see the strictures of Victorian society against women, a side plot of Sebastian reuniting with his brother (who gives him a helpful gift), and eventually, how tried and true motives for murder prove solvable with a bit of luck and perseverance. And in Murder on Platform Four author Irina Shapiro teases readers with further insight into the ongoing relationship of nurse Gemma and said inspector. It’s nice to see something good happening to these two characters. Then again, when you have commitments outside your own lives, choices must be made, and “true love never did run smooth.”
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A body of a young woman in a trunk is discovered at Paddington Station, where Inspector Sebastian Bell is waiting for his brother, Simian. Bell arranges for the body to be transported to Dr Colin Powell's cellar for an autopsy, but Powell is ill and Gemma Tate takes the opportunity to have a look at the body herself, much against the conventions of the time. Gemma and Sebastian spend a lot of time frustratingly apart in this story, they work best when allowed to work together. Gemma is working as a nurse for Colin's elderly mother but wants a more stimulating life. The characters feel very real, Irina Shapiro's prose brings late 1850s London to life with the food, the noises and the smells. I have loved every book in this series, the plot is gripping with some surprising twists and we are rooting for the two central characters hoping they will solve the mystery and some day soon get together officially when Gemma is finally out of her widow's weeds. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for a copy of the book, I leave this review voluntarily.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Murder on Platform Four is the fifth book in Irina Shapiro’s Tate and Bell Mysteries.
The main characters in this series are Detective Inspector Sebastian Bell and Gemma Tate. Gemma is a nurse currently tending to the aging mother of Dr. Colin Ramsey. Colin is a friend of Inspector Bell’s who often helps him by performing autopsies on murder victims.
Inspector Bell is at the train station when the body of a young woman is discovered in a trunk. The body is sent to Colin, but he is sick, so Gemma takes it upon herself to inspect the body. She’s helped Sebastian with cases in the past, the two of them work to identify the woman and find out what happened to her.
I’ve read all of the books in this series so far and have enjoyed each one. The mysteries have been excellent, and this book is no exception. I also love getting to know these characters more and more throughout the series.
One of the things I enjoy about historical mysteries is the lack of modern forensics, technology, etc. There are no fingerprints, no DNA, no Google searches, or text messages to share the latest clue. Everything is done face to face. This book is another great example of that detective work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy of this book.
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Not an unbiased review as I really like this series. Disclaimer #2: I am a history geek and retired RN with forensic interests. And I dearly love a well-executed investigation into a diabolically complex murder. This series tickles all of my favorite things and this episode has some new insights and interesting sidelines into the regular characters. Inspector Sebastian Bell, a man haunted by the murder of his wife and child, and nurse Gemma Tate who was a nurse in the Crimean War, (October 1853–February 1856) have progressed to 1859 and a more comfortable understanding between Sebatian and his brother. Riveting and exceptionally well researched.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
Pub Date Jul 30, 2025 ***** #review #goodreads #bookbub @librarythingofficial #storygraph
#MurderOnPlatformFour by @irina_shapiro_author #TateAndBellMysteriesBk5 #stormbooks_co #NetGalley #barnesandnoble #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #BritishDetective #MurderInvestigation #historicalmystery #historicalmysteryseries #victorianmysteryfiction #siblings #amateurdetective #ScotlandYardInspector
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
Pub Date Jul 30, 2025 ***** #review #goodreads #bookbub @librarythingofficial #storygraph
#MurderOnPlatformFour by @irina_shapiro_author #TateAndBellMysteriesBk5 #stormbooks_co #NetGalley #barnesandnoble #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #BritishDetective #MurderInvestigation #historicalmystery #historicalmysteryseries #victorianmysteryfiction #siblings #amateurdetective #ScotlandYardInspector
mysterious
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
1859. Inspector Sebastian Bell has arranged to meet his brother at Paddington Station unfortunately he is directed towards the body of a female, stabbed and place in a trunk, ready to board a train. But who is she and why was she killed. He investigates with the help of Gemma Tate.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied and likeable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied and likeable characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.