A review by rynflynn12
Murder By Lamplight by Patrice McDonough

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

It’s Fall of 1866 in London and there is a violent killer on the loose. Dr. Juila Lewis, one of Britain’s first female physicians, is brought onto this gruesome case as the medical examiner by Detective Inspector Tennant, and rather reluctantly the two of them team up to hunt down a killer. The killer is taunting Tennant and as the case goes on their focus seems to shift to Dr. Lewis so the two must solve the case before one of the ends up a victim. 

This was a fantastic historical cozy mystery that had me hooked right from the beginning. This book was definitely written by someone who knows this period in history very well and it showed. Watching the struggles of those thought of as ‘less than’ through the lens of this story was well done and helped the story feel real and thus upped the stakes of the mystery for me. I really enjoyed being able to see events unfold from multiple points of view, especially the short moments we were seeing through the killer’s eyes. Overall a engaging start to what I can only hope will be a series because I need more from Lewis and Tennant. 

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for access to this title in exchange for an honest review.