In this complex Victorian mystery, readers follow Eliza Mace as she tries to unravel the secrets surrounding her family and the disappearance and murder of her father. Struggling with growing up, the death of her father, and the difficult relationships with her mother, along with several secrets, readers try to solve Eliza’s father’s murder with her and Constable Pritchard. As things grow more complicated and more secrets are revealed, Eliza has to come to terms with her new reality and the challenges that solving this murder will create for her family and for the community. Eliza is a flawed and realistic protagonist, trying to hold onto her childhood while chafing at her mother’s rules and society’s restrictions, and her attempts to take control of her life create further challenges for her. The rest of the cast, from Eliza’s family to Constable Pritchard, the community, and the household staff, are decently complex side and background characters, and Burton and Poster have done an excellent job creating the background community for their readers. Both a strong standalone novel and the potential start to a new series, Burton and Poster bring the challenges of young womanhood in 1870s Wales to life in this immersive, easy to read, historical mystery.

Eliza Mace is about a teenager-turned-sleuth. When Eliza's father disappears and the police are called to investigate, Eliza will not sit back and wait. Instead, she actively engages in investigating what might have happened to him.

As a mystery, it's a very enjoyable read. Well plotted and well paced. We follow Eliza's investigation and her growing friendship with Davydd, the detective charge with investigating her father's disappearance.

As a historical novel, well, it's atmospheric and quite immersive. No, you won't for a moment feel like you're reading a novel actually written in the 19th century. It is indeed too 'democratic'. The detective is rather too posh and Eliza not quite posh enough (and far too familiar with him). The whole pacing, tone and language are 21st century (even if the dialogue is more or less appropriate for the period). But what the hell... it seems petty to niggle. This is 'historical mystery' genre fiction -- i.e., a contemporary mystery format in a historical setting -- and it succeeds very well in what it sets out to do. And Eliza is absolutely charming. It's a pleasure spending time with her!

Eliza Mace is an entertaining read and I enjoyed it. And I do hope that Eliza will be back in another mystery to solve with her detective friend one of these days!

I haven't read many historical mysteries so that is why this one intrigued me. I think the author did a great job with this one! I liked the main character and following her journey to get to the bottom of her dad's disappearance. I also enjoyed the relationship with her uncle. The author did a good job making the book very cozy and mysterious-I did not guess the ending! It was a bit slow at times but that is really my only complaint.

The first in a new series of books featuring Eliza Mace, we meet her aged 16 suffering as the mediator between her father and mother in their frequent arguments. Eliza's father has been borrowing money left right and centre, always hoping to make it big on the next gamble, or drinking away the funds in the pub. He's thoroughly disliked by most of the town, so when he disappears there aren't too many people that care, aside from Eliza and her family, along with Detective Pritchard who is assigned to the case. He and Eliza are a great team and despite her mother and uncle worrying about the time they spend together they strike up a great friendship and after solving her father's mystery it seems she might have developed a taste for being a sleuth, and found her niche. I look forward to the next installment!

Eliza Mace is the first book in the Eliza Mace Mysteries series and I happy to report that I'll definitely be picking up more when they come out.

Eliza is our fmc. She's sixteen and stuck between her fighting parents. Luckily she has her uncle and she spends most of her time with him, wandering the grounds and discussing things that a normal sixteen year old lady wouldn't normally be discussing. I mention this as I think it is the catalyst to how things move forward for Eliza. I have to say, she came off as a much older character to me - both in her interactions with those around her and the way she spoke.

As the story kicks off, Eliza's parents are arguing about money and resources again and when her father leaves on the family horse and doesn't return as expected, no one knows what to think but they call in the police to help figure out where he is. Enter Dafydd Pritchard, the new police constable. Dafydd has a story and I appreciated how it was revealed but he is determined to figure out what happened, no matter who he annoys along the way.

As Eliza and Dafydd partner to solve the mystery of her father's whereabouts, secrets are uncovered and they have a big impact on everyone in the book. As there is a mystery here, I'm not going to say a lot here about what happens and who is involved but I thought the reveal was done well. I also appreciated how Burton and Poster included the post-reveal impact.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a fairly quick read and all of the secrets kept me interested in the story. As I mentioned, I kind of wanted Eliza to be a bit older, if only so that her partnership with Dafydd didn't feel weird but otherwise I thought it was done well. I'll definitely pick up more by these authors in the future.

Eliza is 16 and at the stage of not being an adult but not being a child either. She is well aware of the tension on the household but her mother , Hannah, doesn’t want her worried about family matters, so doesn’t let her know what the problems are. Eliza is an intelligent person and usually finds out what is going on. When her father goes missing, Eliza is determined to find out what has happened and him, even though she has been warned to stay out of the investigation by her mother. However, Eliza is determined no one will stop her. I did enjoy this story, my one complaint was that the pace was a little slow at first but later on this improved. There were several possible culprits and I didn’t see how it would all pan out. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton and so was thrilled to to get the opportunity to read Eliza Mace.
I loved Eliza’s spirit - that never give up attitude she had. Her determination to uncover the truth and be included in the conversations was admirable if not a little out of place for the time and her family’s position in society. The relationships in this story are fascinating- secrets and lies surround the household and Eliza is so frustrated to be kept in the dark. The mystery element was well thought through and enough little clues to keep the story spinning. This is an enjoyable mystery with a dysfunctional family theme that kept me guessing til the end.

I found the book at the start a bit slow going but as it gained momentum it got a bit more exciting.

Eliza Mace lives with her Father, Mother and Uncle James. Her parents are always arguing over the Father’s ventures that he keeps getting involved in to make money but they don’t it is just a waste. Her Father goes missing and the police becomes involved with a young Constanle called Dafydd doing the investigation Eliza helps him.

The interesting part of the book was the investigation it kind of kept leading you down the gardening path, some of it I had guessed with things but other bits I hadn’t.

I liked the book and the final third of the book was good but not so much the start.

This was quite slow going for the first half especially. Some of this will be down to the building of characters etc as it's the first book. They mystery also doesn't going for quite some time so I did find the time dragging a bit and the the mystery and aftermath felt like it happening in a rush, Hopefully this will improve in the later books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

2.5 Stars
One Liner: Ugh!
1870s, Welsh Borders
Eliza, aka Elizabeth Mace, is sixteen+, an age her mother says is when she becomes a woman and is no longer a child. Her parents’ marriage and the crumbling house stifle Eliza. She longs to free herself and become independent. However, her father goes missing (and is drowning in debt), and Eliza decides to dig deeper to find out what happened. She works with her new friend, a police constable, Dafydd Pritchard, and realizes that the truth could have devastating consequences.
The story comes in Eliza’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
Well, this is exactly why I do not consider the book comparisons in the blurb. However, I have a thing for historical mysteries, and when I saw ‘Enola Holmes’ mentioned, I decided to try this book. Sadly, this is nothing like Enola.
I am okay with dark cozy mysteries, but there has to be something to keep me hooked on the plot. Here, almost every character feels off. While I appreciate the attempt to make them layered, the characters end up even more superficial and unlikeable.
We have a toxic dysfunctional family, which should make me care for poor Eliza. Yet, I couldn’t feel for any of them. The side characters aren’t better either (except for little Jevan, maybe).
There is no humor (zero) or a lighthearted scene. That’s okay. Not mandatory for me. However, the mystery isn’t great either. I did expect it to start late, so I wasn’t too annoyed. The investigation is okay, but nothing to elevate the book or cover up the flaws.
Somehow, all characters call each other using their first names (irrespective of the status/ position). Also, we have a constable acting like an FBI (or UK equivalent) in disguise while the Sergeant is happy to let him handle the case.
Though I like the friendship between the constable and Eliza, I can’t help but feel something off. For one, he is nine years older and has policing experience in the city. His approach and dedication cannot be faulted, but would a constable constantly seek a young girl (no matter how smart she is) to help solve the crime? Moreover, he shares his entire past with her on the second meeting. Huh… why?
I understand Eliza’s need for independence and her frustration with adults who want her to act like a grownup but treat her like a child. That part comes out clearly, which is a plus (thank god).
After the initial slowness, the book picks up speed. A few scenes with the investigation are well done and kept me interested enough to finish the book. The ending is a sort of cliffhanger (with the mystery fully solved), but I say goodbye here.
To summarize, Eliza Mace reads like a below-average play where I had the front-row seats. That’s sad because the plot had the potential to be an intense mystery (if not a cozy).
Thank you, NetGalley and Duckworth Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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The review will not be posted on Amazon due to the low rating.

Unfortunately, this is nothing like Enola Holmes which is what attracted me to request this book on Netgalley. Enola Holmes (which is a favorite btw) is witty, funny, and not very dark unlike this one. The story started up very slow and nothing about it made me want to continue reading. I DNF-ed around 32%. I would have loved this story because it historical and promoted to be Enola Holmes-ish but there were some historical inaccuracies like a woman owning a property (historically, women had to marry to be part of a man's property). On this book, Eliza's father used up all her mother's money which doesn't make sense historically because of her mother came from a very well off family, if the father doesn't have any then he will not be entertained at all by the parents.

March is off to a great start with this fantastic book. I love historical fiction and this book really transported me to the Victorian period where the murder mystery is set.
The story is narrated by 15 year old Eliza Mace who lives in an old manor house with her parents (Robert and Hannah Mace) and Uncle James, along the Welsh borders. When Eliza’s father goes missing she sets out to help Detective Dafydd Pritchard solve the case. With her father's unpopularity and debts to several tradesmen Eliza starts to uncover more secrets amongst the local community than she was expecting.
I loved Eliza and the way her feisty character breaks all the society's conventions at the time as she starts investigating her father's disappearance. I enjoyed the slower pace to the first half as we get acquainted with the characters and found it an atmospheric read. The murder mystery kept me turning the pages towards the end, keen to find out what had happened.
This is the first in a brand new series so I'm really looking forward to meeting Eliza again in book 2! If you like character driven historical mysteries I'd definitely recommend getting hold of a copy.

The first in a brand new Victorian murder mystery set on the Welsh borders I was very excited to meet Eliza Mace.

Eliza is the second born daughter to Hannah and Robert- Hannah comes from a wealthy family and owns the Mace family home, Robert is slowly ruining the family estate and reputation through his reckless and selfish actions and owes money to neighbours.

When Robert goes missing Eliza finds herself thrust into the investigation alongside recent arrival in the community Constable Dafydd Pritchard - as the investigation progresses family secrets and revelations come out that rock the community!

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and while the subject matter was heavy (it’s murder mystery!) at times it had a such cozy yet adventurous feel to it the kind of book you curl up with.

As it’s the first in the series there is a lot of information and world building - we learn a lot about Eliza and the family dynamics and the family standing within the community and this means that the mystery part takes a while to kick in, having said that it’s book 1 in a series so I think it’s justified and necessary.

I enjoyed Eliza as a character but because of their age at times it did feel a little YA and the interactions seemed naive. I loved Eliza’s resistance against Victorian societal norms and her mother’s traditional ambitions for her future! Her personality made her much loved within the community despite her father’s actions.

The reveal and resolution for me when it came did come quite abruptly but I certainly didn’t see it coming and I almost wished that there had been more suspense around it, I did appreciate the focus after the event and the repercussions.

To sum up a really enjoyable and I will most definitely be picking up the next book in the series and am very excited to find out what’s in store for Eliza Mace next!

The 1870s a village on the border of Wales. A family who had money, lands but a wastrel father who has run through every bit of money available. The family is in debt to every tradesman around and even to their employees.

On one of his finding his fortune sprees, Eliza’s father goes missing and since he is a man who is disliked by many for his temperament which was vile, on top of the debts no one is particularly interested in his going missing. Eliza his daughter, is the only one, who pushes the local detective Daffyd to pursue many leads, which she discovers on her own.

Eliza is a force, and goes against all conventional norms of the time, meeting up with people on the estate, visiting the police station on her own and unraveling clues which lead to many being taken into custody. Both the Detective and Eliza realise that they may hang the wrong man if they don’t uncover the actual truth.

The suspect was more sinned against than being the sinner but he did pay the price. He killed Eliza’s father and the jury only looked at that, not the circumstances. Justice was different in those times.

The difficulties a woman faced by being different, unconventional are portrayed very well in this story.

I found this book to be quite a slog and almost didn't finish it. It took a really long time (almost a third of the way through) to get to the mystery part of the book which is what I was mostly interested in, and although I do enjoy character building I prefer that it happen over the course of the story and not all front loaded on. I also found that in general I didn't really care for the characters all that much. Even the title character wasn't all that exciting. I did finish the book but even the end wasn't particularly satisfactory for me. I do not believe that I will be looking to read any more books in this series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A fabulous period mystery novel, set in the Welsh Borders in the 1870s.
Eliza is a young woman, feeling stifled and striving for freedom, she’s frustrated by her position as a female and that her mother still has tight reins on her.
Her father on the other hand has always been a dreamer and has wasted the family fortune endless no hope schemes.
Eliza fears the worst when he disappears without a word.
Then follows the arrival of a new charismatic police constable, Dafydd Pritchard, who is assigned to the case and enlists the help of Eliza to search for evidence.
They become a dynamic detective duo.
Loved Eliza as a character and the way she refused to adhere to the ‘proper ways’ a lady should behave, she certainly made a sassy super sleuth.
Thanks @sarah_burton_author, @jem_poster_author, @duck_books & @netgalley for the fantastic new historical mystery series

This was quite slow to get going, I think it’s the first in what is going to be a series so I imagine the next books will be better but it just felt like a bit of a slog to get through as nothing really happened for quite a while.

I did like the character of Eliza and it will be interesting to see how she develops as the series progresses but as a standalone book this one wasn’t really for me.

Perhaps due to this being the first in a series, a good portion of this book doesn't focus on being a 'murder mystery' but instead an historical novel providing a background the character of Eliza Mace. She is a wonderful main character, clever and fastidious, willing to go against the conventions of her society for what she believes in. Perhaps some of her actions were too modern but nevertheless, when the murder (of her father no less!) finally happens and the sleuthing begins, I couldn't put it down and I rejoiced as Eliza began to uncover clues! I'll certainly be looking out for the next novel in the series.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Eliza Mace is an interesting book which reminded me a lot of Enola Holmes. Sadly this didn't really 'blow me away' nothing felt particularly unique, however this does make for an interesting and easy read and I would recommend for anyone who enjoy cosy mysterious but just don't expect anything to different than what's been done before.

The first in a new Victorian detective series and I found it a very pleasurable cozy read. Set in a Manor House and grounds in 1870’s Wales close to the English border, we meet Eliza, the second daughter of parents who are all but estranged. Her father is a wastrel who has squandered his fortune and their home is now run with a skeleton staff and is becoming increasingly dilapidated. There is a lot of scene and character setting which was fine for the first in the series and I enjoyed finding out more about her life.

Briefly, when her father goes missing after tricking his wife out of some money Eliza determines to help find him. Constable Daffydd Pritchard has recently been transferred to the village from Cardiff and is given the case as he has been a very successful officer, albeit he left Cardiff under a bit of a black cloud. Eliza and Daffydd strike up an unlikely friendship, to her mothers dismay, and although told she mustn’t spend time with him she ignores her mothers orders.

Eliza is an incredibly strong and determined person, ahead of her time in her belief in doing what’s right rather than acting as a woman of her class was expected. Daffydd is also a believer in doing what’s right but much more single-minded than Eliza, a bit of a cold fish. The story was good and well written and I didn’t guess the killer until very near the reveal, and that doesn’t happen often. A very enjoyable and entertaining read and I’ll look forward to book 2.