I have to be honest here and say that for the first half of this book I was totally engrossed and felt I was watching this unfold in real life. It is atmospheric with a host of well written characters. However about half way through I began to suspect I knew "WHODUNNIT". So I was a little disappointed. It was stil an extremely good read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys period mysteries.

A well crafted murder mystery that left me guessing until the end. I grew up near Wigan, so it was wonderful to hear such a familiar accent come through in the pages.

Sitting Murder was the first in the Lancashire Detective series that I have read. Usually, it ruffles my feathers to read a series out of order but I saw a copy of it on Netgalley and decided to give it a whirl. I have to say, I rather enjoyed it. The characters were well written and the vernacular was interesting. I saw the twist coming at the end, but still enjoyed the final reveal. I did take the star rating down from 4 to 3 because the story dragged in the middle. Over all I would recommend this book and will have to go back and start the series from book 1.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed.

Sitting Murder is a competently written but somewhat lacklustre Victorian mystery. From the start you know that not all is kosher with Alice Goodway and her seances. She knows more than she otherwise should, but DS Michael Brennan does not believe in ghosts. When Goodway’s husband’s Aunt is murdered, he must unravel the threads of the past to find a clever and determined killer.

Conceptually the plot is acceptable. The problem is that the characters are difficult to empathize with. There is no one that is remotely interesting or in the least likable. Brennan seems to simply plod along. As an investigator he isn’t a compelling or unique figure. When you don’t care about the characters, you don’t care what happens.

On the whole, I can’t recommend Sitting Murder. There are many far better historical mysteries.

2 / 5

I received a copy of Sitting Murder from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

—Crittermom

Whoo, what a ride! Loved, loved, LOVED this, I was swept up in this deftly written mystery combining the Victorian fascination with mediums and spirits with a classic whodunit,I loved the simple yet complex plot that takes twist after turn and by the time the surprise ending was unfolding, I was just holding on for dear life! The tragic stories from the suspects made it hard to single one out, and although you think you know who did it, you'll be wrong.

Sitting Murder was a fantastic mystery and one I will be thinking out for a long time. I've not read any of the earlier books in the series (you can bet I will now!) so this book can easily be read as a standalone or as an entry into the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of Sitting Murder.
This was a really enjoyable murder mystery set in Victorian England. It was really atmospheric and the writing is very descriptive and gives a real sense of the time and place it was set. The characters are brilliant. They really reminded me of Dickens characters, quirky and no nonsense. Although there are quite a few characters I had no trouble remembering who everyone was. The plot moves along nicely and the ending tied everything up together neatly.
Although this book is part of a series I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone and would highly recommend it.

This book had me in the very first pages, very intriguing and pulled me into a story both dark and full of surprises. Set in the Victoria era, the book captured the time well, although I found the characters not quite as well captured as I would have liked.

This was a different, tricky and great historical mystery where both the living and the dead are suspects. Very refreshing!

Recently widowed Alice Goodway developed the ability to speak to spirits. She decides to become a medium with the help of her aunt and helps those who wish to speak with their loved ones. Her life is turned upside down when she receives a threatening letter quickly followed by a dead body in her home. The sceptic Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan and open-minded Constable Jaggery are sent to investigate and catch a killer before they reach their price: Alice herself.

The first book I read by A.J. Wright and I loved it. I’m curious to read the first story and how it all began. Even though I felt like I was missing something with the relationship between the characters, I would say it can still be read as a stand-alone.

The plot is brilliant created and developed. The plot takes place in the Victorian Age, Lancashire 1894 which gives a very English taste and a very nice setting for a murder. Everything about the crime makes sense and slowly the reader is taken on a trip through several people, ghosts and clues that entangle the story and make it hard to guess the identity of the killer. The fun part is that it can be both the living and the dead which were for me, a treat to read. The best part is that no strings are left loose and the complex case is beautifully solved. It was a tricky, evolving murder mystery full of twists and turns that leave the reader glued to the pages to see what the next page has in store.

The style of writing is simple, compelling and it has the appropriate tone and vocabulary from the 19th century. The reader doesn’t get lost in the story and the tone of the narrative runs as smoothly as the story itself. Wright doesn’t make it easy though. The tone of which he writes is suspicious and even though he doesn’t full out blame someone, he installs doubt in the mind of his readers, in a very skilful way indeed.

The characters are quite colourful since there are many of them. The author throws all sorts of clues but the reader will not be 100% sure if it’s a real clue or a distraction attempt. Even so, all the characters play their part and each one has a certain depth to them. The dead characters add spice to the story and I don’t think I would have enjoyed the book like I did without them. In the beginning, however, it was a bit difficult for me to remember all the characters, their names and identities since they all get introduced in the beginning. But, as the story goes on, everything becomes easy to follow.

A great historical mystery that can also be considered a cosy-mystery to be enjoyed by all the fans of the genres.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Endeavour Press and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.

An enjoyable whodunit murder mystery set in Victorian England, the plot was quite simple, A young bereaved widow, Alice Goodway claims she can contact the spirits since her husband was killed in a pit explosion, several people have seen her to talk to there dear departed but when threatening letters start arriving and then her Aunt is found murdered in Alice's bed, but was she the intended victim or Alice, Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan has to work out who is the murderer before more people die.Although this is the forth book in a series and I haven't read any off the others but I thought it worked fine as a standalone novel.

This is the fourth title in A. J. Wright’s series of Victorian mysteries set in the industrial town of Wigan in the north of England. I have not read any of the previous titles as the series had somehow escaped my notice, but I was excited to see a Victorian-era story set outside of the well-trod streets of the City of London.

The setting is not simply a veneer for the story as Wright draws on the distinctive demographic makeup of a northern town such as Wigan to populate his cast of characters. Previous entries in the series have situated the action in more distinctly northern settings such as in a colliery but even a story whose setting is primarily domestic like this still possesses plenty of atmospheric touches and details.

Having picked up the series partway through, I did feel that the characters of the two detectives, DS Brennan and Constable Jaggery, seemed to lack a sense of a life beyond their actions in uniform though a rather wonderful moment in the epilogue left me feeling that the author may have built up these characters’ personal lives in previous volumes. While I may have missed out a little by jumping in with the fourth book, my lack of knowledge did not prevent me from following and enjoying the action.

Wright’s use of spiritualism as a key element of his story is interesting in what he choses not to do as much as what is in the book. Those expecting table tapping and elaborate theatrics may be surprised as the simplicity of Alice’s sittings which is at least partially a reflection of the setting. Instead the readings are plain and short but what attracts people is that rather than speaking in generalities, Alice seems to be able to specifically identify some things that she ought to have no knowledge of. She claims that these abilities manifested after the death of her husband in an industrial accident but DS Brennan is skeptical.

Following a series of successful sittings, Alice receives an anonymous message that seems to be threatening in its tone. Soon threats turn to murder and DS Brennan has to figure out who amongst Alice’s clients may have turned killer and why.

The novel spends quite a significant portion of its opening chapters establishing the characters and it is a surprisingly long time before the body shows up. The mechanics of how the crime was committed are very simple and so the investigation focuses exclusively on identifying the killer and their motive.

The assortment of suspects that Wright provides us with are nicely varied in background and personality although some feel more fully developed than others. Though I identified the killer early in the novel, I still enjoyed reading the interviews as they contain some interesting character moments as well as some small revelations that enhanced the themes of the book. In any case, I rather suspect that my figuring it out was more a result of happening on the right question to consider by chance than a reflection of any great weakness in the novel’s plot and I felt the solution hung together fairly well once all of the pieces were revealed.

On finishing the novel, I was not entirely sure what to make of it. I thought that the book had a potentially interesting premise but the mystery was a little slighter than I had hoped. I never wholly warmed to the two sleuths which kept me from really investing in those characters yet I found the supporting cast of characters to be an interesting mix. I was conflicted.

I suspect that I may have been more enthused by this novel had I checked out some of the earlier titles in this series first. Some of these sound quite interesting, particularly Elementary Murder which, according to its blurb, features a locked room component.

While my To Read list is currently bulging, I hope to give this series another try at some point. I enjoyed the fresh setting and felt Wright did a good job of incorporating historical elements and details while building an interesting mix of supporting characters.

I’m not a huge historical fiction fan, but I thought I would enjoy this. I found it kind of hard to keep track of all the characters, but it had an interesting ending.

This was an enjoyable book.
I like to occasionally dive into this victorian world, these old ways of investigations and different perceptions. The motives however never really change much.
Sittings, threatening letters and a dead body. That was an interesting combination, especially that there was no shortage of suspects. Practically characters involved in these settings had a very good motive for killing Doris Goodways and threatening her niece, Alice Goodways, the one in contact with the spirits.
The end kind of surprised me, i didn't really expect that. But what i liked most about the story is that it seemed like a study of various characters. Everyone of them had a story, a reason to seek this kind of contact with the spirits, and it was interesting the way these stories were told.

3.5*
This book is well written and with no gory details. It is very atmospheric, you can feel the fog and appreciate the poverty that the people of Wigan were living through. However, for me, the story took ages to get going and it was only in the last quarter or so that I became really interested. I did not guess the murderer! Although it is part of a series it can be read on it's own. I really liked the characters of Brennan and Jaggery and I would read another story involving them. This book would suit people who enjoy a cosy murder mystery.

I'm always a sucker for a book with Spiritualism or mediums in it, which was the reason that I applied for and received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review.)
This book was pretty good, but not great. I haven't read any of the other books in this series. However, I would read them (the first in the series looks particularly interesting.)
The characters in this book were the best part of the book for me. The author seemed to put most of his energy in creating memorable personalities. I did like the detective, Sergeant Brennan, and also Constable Jaggery. The various inhabitants of the village in Wigan were interesting.
The plot was good, with many different suspects. The actual murderer was a little surprising. I did guess part of the culprits, but not all.
A lot of the book is dialogue in a Lancashire dialect, which was a little grating to my Californian ear. The vernacular use of the word "anyroad" instead of "anyhow" was used too much for my liking.
A fun read, if not one of the best books I've read this year.

Sitting Murder is book #4 in the Lancashire Detective series. The book is set in Wigan, Lancashire in 1894, and features DS Brennan and his sidekick Constable Jaggery investigating another murder. We still don't really find out much more about Brennan and Jaggery's personal lives.

There are quite a few characters in this novel, some living and some dead, but there is no confusion as to who they all are. Some of the characters are red herrings and Wright keeps you guessing until the end with the twists he puts into the story. I've previously read Elementary Murder in this series, which I rated 5*. However, I am going to rate Sitting Murder 4* as I felt it was a bit drawn out in the middle, but nevertheless still a great read.

Brief blurb:

Alice Goodway, recently widowed, decides to become a spiritual medium and her aunt assists her. Neighbours in the area, who have not moved on from the loss of their loved ones, visit Alice for a reading. Alice manages to get 'messages' from the neighbour's dearly departed, via her late husband. DS Brennan and Constable Jaggery are called in when a threatening letter is received. There is a subsequent murder, then a case of poisoning to be investigated. Brennan thinks that spiritualism is a load of codswallop, but Jaggery is far more open minded on the subject. Together they eventually discover who is responsible for causing all the mayhem.

This series of books are excellent and well worth checking out. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalley......many thanks to all concerned.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover - it's beautiful! Luckily, this book is a lot more than a pretty cover. When I started this book I was not aware that this is actually book #4 of a currently 4 book series. I didn't realize that until about a quarter of the way in - I loved the writing and thought, 'why have I never heard of this author before? This is really good.' I look it up on Goodreads and that is when I discovered it is actually a full series. This being discovered however, I did not feel that not having read the first three books I was missing any information - I think you could easily read this as a stand-alone story or read the earlier ones out of order. I definitely plan on seeking out the other books in this series.

The setting, in a small village in Victorian times, is quite gothic -something I love. You can almost feel the cold streets, the flickering candlelight and the hardships of the characters. There is a girl acting as medium, seances, a murder - what is not to love about all that? This was a completely enthralling mystery with a classic format, in the sense of Christie or Sayers, complete with strong, smart detectives cracking the case. My only slight criticism would be that I wish there had been a bit more character development for some of the main characters, particularly Brennan and Jaggery; that is but a minor thing however and perhaps that is something that was taken care of in the earlier books. I am genuinely happy that I had the opportunity to read this book - thank you to Endeavor Press - I would definitely recommend Sitting Murder to anyone who loves a good mystery!

Alice Goodway has gained the gift to talk to the dead following her husband's death. She offers sittings to friends with the help of her husband's aunt who is then murdered. Sergeant Brennan is called in to find out who killed her. Threatening notes sent to Alice make it seem she's the next victim can the murderer be found before someone else dies.

This was a really good read and I didn't figure out who it was until right before the end. There are lots of brilliant twists that you don't see coming and Brennan is an interesting character. I loved constable Jaggery too.

The setting was brilliant and The attention to detail in descriptions of the surroundings was so well done. A Brilliant mystery.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of Sitting Murder, the fourth novel in the Lancashire Mystery series and the third to feature DS Michael Brennan of the Wigan Police.

In 1890s Wigan Alice Goodway has just lost her husband, Jack, in a mining accident and discovered psychic powers. She has been holding individual sittings for a few of the local bereaved with her Aunty Doris by marriage taking charge of the "administration". When they receive an anonymous poison pen letter Doris calls the police.. DS Brennan doesn't know what to think of it but he's sure her psychic powers are fake, Constable Jaggery isn't so sure. Things get more complicated when Doris is found suffocated in her bed.

I enjoyed Sitting Murder which is an old fashioned murder mystery jazzed up with the fad of the day, spiritualism. Never having read the series before it was difficult to know initially if it would have a supernatural element and this made deciding what was important and what wasn't difficult to fathom. Looking back all the clues were there but I didn't have an inkling until shortly before the dénouement. It is very well done.

The plot is deceptively simple as there is a limited number of suspects, a victim with far more enemies than is immediately apparent and a straightforward method but it soon gets complicated when grief gets involved. Some of these points were laboured and the novel sagged a bit in the middle with repetition but I loved the solution which is elegant, fitting and very well done.

As befits a period detective novel the reader doesn't learn much about Sergeant Brennan except he has a wife and son and is an able detective with a dislike of his boss. He is there to move the plot along which he does well. I like the period detail which has more to do with attitudes than everyday life.

Sitting Murder is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

When a body is discovered, Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan of the Wigan Borough Police who doesn't believe in ghosts investigates all the people who visited Alice Goodway for a seance.
This well-written mystery has quite a few suspects, with some decent rounded characters. An easy read which kept my interest right to the end.

After Alice Goodway's husband is killed in an accident she suddenly gains the ability to speak with spirts. She performs sittings for those who wish to speak to lost loved ones for a small price. When she receives a threatening letter accusing her of lies, Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan is sent to investigate. He dismisses the letter as nothing more than a disgruntled client letting off steam until someone is murdered in Alice's home. With Alice thought to be the intended target Detective Brennan must investigate her recent clients and solve the case before the killer strikes again.

This book was a fantastic historical murder mystery. This was such a great whodunit with lots of red herrings and connected plot points. This is the first novel I have read by A.J. Wright but it will not be my last. I did not want to put this one down and would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good mystery.