I'm a big lover of historical fiction and crime/mystery books. I was excited about this book after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, I had a hard time finishing it. The characters were unlikeable, I didn't feel like I got to know Eliza. There was no real suspense. The whole story felt quite flat.
I guess it just wasn't for me.

Very sadly DNF.

It was advertised as being similar to Enola Holmes, which is one of the reasons I chose this ARC, but unfortunately, other than the time it was set in, it was nothing like it. I couldn't get into any of the characters. The story line dragged and I didn't really understand most of it. There was no excitement or adventure or mystery that I wanted to get involved in to solve. I feel like if you compare a book to another that is very popular, you need to provide similarities in both plot and character and emotions for the reader to feel.

Beautiful cover though.

I like mystery stories, and I also enjoy Victorian novels, and novels set in the Victorian era, so this was a must-read book for me.

The mystery element is a good puzzle, and although I did correctly identify the culprit some time before the main protagonist did, this in no way spoiled the book for me. There are plenty of historical details, and the characters are very well developed, suggesting (I hope) that this will be the first in a series featuring the feisty Eliza and policeman Pritchard. The book would make good TV.

I enjoyed this one! Eliza was an interesting character and her bravery helped push the plot forward. I enjoyed the “detective story” elements and would recommend this for fans of historical fiction.

Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

First in a new detective series starring the intrepid Eliza Mace, a 16-year-old girl from a landed family in Wales, living in a crumbling manor house in the 1870s, chafing against the strictures imposed on women by Victorian society ― and she’s not getting any sympathy from her mother! With mum it’s all about ladylike behaviour and society expectations. When her father is murdered, many family and community secrets are unearthed, and Eliza helps Constable Daffydd Pritchard with his inquiries. The familiarity with which Daffydd shares information about his investigations with Eliza is a bit startling to begin with, but I soon grew used to the character development this incites. Eliza is a delightful protagonist – a young lady ahead of her time, intuitive, logical, mature, intelligent and kind. Despite the privileges of birth, she is eager to find the truth, no matter what; an admirable trait. When requested to visit the accused in jail, she agrees without hesitation, because it’s the honourable thing to do. I read this lovely story in one sitting. I didn’t want to put it down. I am intrigued and eager to see where the author takes this sleuthing team next, since this story takes place so close to home. Wales makes for such a beautiful setting and what a gorgeous book cover! Bravo!

I appreciate the opportunity to read this but unfortunately I struggled to get into this one and could not finish it.

Victorian mysteries are a favourite of mine, and I found myself escaping into this one. I thought the author brought the characters and the story to life very well. I liked Eliza as a protagonist, as she seemed a strong-willed character. If this is going to be part of a series, I would be interested to read some more books featuring Eliza as a protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

This Victorian murder mystery set in Wales in the 1870s was not what I hoped it would be. This was a very slow read for me, seemed unrealistic in parts and I won't be carrying on with the serious.

Eliza Mace is a 16 year old girl (soon to be 17!) who finds herself in a gloom created by the tension between her mother and father. Robert is a man always looking for the next scheme to make money, always failing, always scrambling to earn back what he has lost and inevitably losing even more, and Hannah is a woman who has to keep him from selling out the property from underneath them to fund his ideas—property that belongs to HER, not him. With his abrupt departures and uncertain returns, the presence of his brother in his home, and his drinking away money they can ill afford to lose, he is generally in a poor temper while his wife is left grasping at the end of her tether.

Robert’s appalling behaviour is not endured solely by his family, however, and seemingly the whole town has either loaned him money or been physically accosted by him, sometimes both. His disappearance and subsequent murder, therefore, provides no shortage of suspects in a village full of people who breathe easier knowing he’s buried beneath the soil.

Eliza Mace seeks to first find her father and then discover who killed him, and so she teams up with Dafydd Pritchard, a new constable to the area. Her mother is insufferable in this area, thinking she is getting up to no good with him, and Eliza has to essentially sneak around just to have a brief conversation about the case with him.

With regards to the case, the revelation of the killer and the subsequent trial is quite fast indeed, as is the prologue set a few months after the events. I was intrigued by the book and figured out several points before the text confirmed them, which is always fun. I felt in some instances that Eliza did a fair bit more detective work than the detective, and this is to be a series? I would be curious to read more to see how that goes and what Eliza gets up to, especially if she is a little older. I would have liked a little more interplay between Dafydd and Eliza; when there are detective pairings, no matter the relationship between them, I really appreciate the dialogue they have that does not have anything to do with the case at hand. The text itself is a breeze to read—a real page turner that takes no time at all. I’d give it three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not bad. Eliza is a young woman who is faced with many challenges regarding her life and parents. With her dad in serious debt and mother’s struggling mental health and marriage issues. When Eliza’s father goes missing she is determined to find him and making things right.

I was not a big fan of this book. The description was a bit misleading in my opinion. The story was more focus about Liza’s life, rather than her being detective. Liza is not a detective but helps in the investigation. I did not care for the police detective. In the book he and Eliza have a form of friendship leaning into love interest. Eliza is 16 and the detective is 26… I thought it was a little inappropriate. It was a good book but I would recommend it more for young adults.

This flowed really nicely and was a breeze to get through - I read it in two sittings!

This is a cosy murder mystery for fans of The Thursday Murder Club series. I've got to admit, I did go into it expecting a bit more of a heavy historical crime book, but the lightheartedness of it wasn't an unpleasant surprise and made for a really refreshing read.

I really enjoyed it overall, however, it did srop a star purely because I felt like the murderer's identity being revealed was kind of rushed, which took the element of surprise away a bit for me. Having said that, it is a great book and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!

tl;dr
A paced-out story with a strong focus on characters that reads a lot like an origin story for further mysteries.

Thoughts
This is an interesting approach for something marketed as a mystery series. Most detective stories dedicate less time to the characters, painting everyone in quick strokes while the plot drives the story along. In this case, it feels like the story unrolled at its own pace while we learned more about the characters. The first third of the book dedicates itself to setting the scene. Characters are introduced, plot points are set up, and we don't get the actual mystery until about a third of the way through. Instead, we get a lot of backstory and some in depth character building that help us learn who Eliza is, and why she is the way she is. It takes another third of the book before Eliza actually starts actively working on the mystery herself, and the mystery takes a bit of a backseat to working through Eliza's feelings and growth. It's got a very origin story vibe that feels like it would cut out at the end to an older Eliza saying "And that's why I decided to become a detective!" The extra time spent with the characters is appreciated. Eliza's uncle is a particular favorite, with his own story arc that feels more thoughtful than the way some mysteries might play it. The secondary lead Dafydd doesn't get nearly as much attention in this volume, but I'm fine with that. If this is to be a series, I expect we'll have plenty of time to learn more about him later. Overall I think this book would land well with readers looking for a paced out, character-focused historical fiction.

I am conflicted on this book. On the one hand it is a solid period crime novel with the obligatory policeman and various suspects, on the other hand the 'heroine' is sixteen, wilful and not hugely likeable. This is just my take on this book and others will enjoy it I'm sure. The writing is good, great narrative and the characters are well rounded. I just couldn't engage with any of them. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of Eliza Mace.

Man this was a SLOG! It was nothing at all like Enola Holmes. The Enola books are clever and funny, good for tweens, teens and adults. Enola is inventive and fun. This book has too much family dysfunction dragging it down making it way too dark for me. Mr. Mace disappears finally around page 100. Good riddance. Then a little later his body is found and the mystery starts halfway through. There aren't enough named suspects. I thought I had it figured out with a slight possibility of being someone else but I was totally wrong. I wasn't at all happy with the identity of the murderer or the confession being off page initially. When all was revealed, I was quite shocked. There's a bit of rough language that doesn't usually appear in cozy mysteries.

Some of the Victorian content seemed wrong to me. Was it possible, without a married women's property act, for a woman to own property if it was inherited? The first Married Women's Property Act was passed only 4 years before the story takes place, so AFTER the marriage. So I think the whole argument between the parents is a moot point. Also, why would a constable be investigating the death of a land owner? Why would the Maces even give him the time of day? I know he wouldn't be coming to the front door! Where's the Detective or Detective Inspector? The book was published by an English publisher so I would hope the author and editor would know these things and I'm wrong.

Of course Eliza is not a dutiful Victorian daughter. She's observant and clever enough to notice things no one else does. She's fully well aware of how her parents' marriage is extremely dysfunctional. Yet, Eliza at 16, is still sheltered and ignorant about some things. I liked Eliza's relationship with her Uncle James. He's the father figure in her life and he teaches her things, not just about nature but about life. Uncle James is in a tough spot. He's not the parent so he can only share so much with Eliza and not tell her everything she wants to know. YET he believes there are some things she should not know, that knowing would open a Pandora's box of knowledge Eliza isn't prepared for. I think it's too late for that and she already knows enough to be curious enough to open that box. She doesn't know as much as she thinks she does though, at least not about relationships. Eliza is a tough nut. She's emotional over the death of her dad even though he was a horrible person. She wants to care yet doesn't entirely. Eliza recognizes the paradox of her feelings. She can be sweet and kind. Eliza was once close to the Morgans, the farm family next door. Their lively banter and close-knit relationship gave Eliza the warmth and comfort she needed. Then when things went sour for the Morgans, Eliza was there to help comfort them. She still feels kindly towards them and they to her.

Eliza's parents are just awful. Robert is a narcissist and an alcoholic. He seems to have missed the part about chivalry yet expects an angel in the house wife? I want to feel badly for Robert because he clearly has some mental health issues. He feels emasculated because he isn't free to do what he likes on what he considers his own property. Only his wife can give permission to sell land. Robert is an idle dreamer. He's invested in one grand (BAD) scheme after another, only for it to go wrong. I wonder if he's involved in a pyramid scam? It sounds like he might be from some comment made by Mr. Morgan. The man is really dumb or really unlucky. I think the former. Being a narcissist, he thinks he knows better than his financial advisor and can do whatever he wants. (If the financial advisor is telling the truth). This does not go well, causing more problems. Robert has lost all love and respect for his wife and she for him. If he had died of natural causes I think the women would grieve less. His death would be a welcome release. As awful as Robert was, he didn't deserve to be murdered.

Hannah isn't much better but her husband has made her the way she is. His schemes, his drinking, his anger, have worn her to shreds and all she can do it block whatever it is he wants to do on the estate. Hannah tries to raise her daughters in the typical Victorian fashion, keeping them in the house learning ladylike thing. She seems to have succeeded with Charlotte but as her marriage crumbled, she became ill (nerves?) and hasn't been able to control Eliza as well. Hannah's attitude towards the Morgans and other working poor is just about to be expected. Both Eliza's parents are snobby but that's not unusual for the time and place. Hannah is not so snobby with Constable Pritchard but she is when Eliza is alone with him. This policeman (say it with a sneer) is not a suitable companion for a young lady and SURELY his interest in her but not be innocent. Eliza is not to socialize with the Morgans either and both parents are in agreement about THAT.

Uncle James is nicer. He takes an interest in Eliza and is kind to her. He educates her and helps her figure out life. Yet, he's also a snob and doesn't trust Eliza's relationship with Constable Pritchard. Eliza and Dafydd are just friends, colleagues, searching for answers. He's a policeman and very black and white. The law is the law and there's no gray area. In Cardiff or in the country, a crime is a crime. He can't see the in-between area where there may be extenuating circumstances or justification for the crime. Typical of those in police work. For some reason, this man decides to confide in a young lady he barely knows and tells her his life story. He keeps asking to see her alone. He's a grown man and since he is of the working class, he should know the social rules. He does but he's ignoring them because he fears Eliza's mother and/or uncle may be involved in the murder and she's told him the servants gossip. Still, Mrs. Pugh, the devoted housekeeper, should have gone with Eliza and left Carys and Alice at home. They're too silly and can't keep their mouths shut. Carys especially seems to like telling tales. Mrs. Pugh is more sensible and could be an effective chaperone.

Eliza's sister Charlotte is more like their mother. She recognized the family dysfunction and escaped into marriage with a mansplainer hypochondriac. Poor Charlotte is unfulfilled in marriage. Since she hasn't yet experienced the blessings marriage is supposed to bring, I'm guessing she's not pregnant and her hypochondriac husband may not be interested in doing anything to have children. However, Charlotte is sympathetic to Eliza and though she tries to persuade Eliza to come around to their mother's plan, she recognizes Eliza is her own person and needs to do what is right for her and that Eliza is too stubborn to listen to anyone else's plans for her.

The first suspect is Mr. Fletcher, the disgruntled ex-gamekeeper. He was more sympathetic to the locals poaching on the Maces' land than to the rules he was hired to follow. I understand people have to eat and since Mr. Mace isn't providing, people do what people must do. But Fletcher seems to have deliberately broken the rules to thumb his nose at Society. Then he was fired and Mr. Mace was cruel. Fletcher has every good reason to want Mr. Mace dead but why get revenge now after all this time? That doesn't make sense. Maybe something else happened? Fletcher is found with incriminating evidence but his excuse makes sense. Another suspect is Todd, another disgruntled servant. Todd is creepy. He's loyal to Mr. Mace and seems to hold the women in contempt. He's manipulative, reminding Eliza of favors he did for her when she was a young child and expecting more adult favors in return. Yes Mr. Mace owes his money but does he think he's going to get it by assaulting Eliza? That's not going to happen. Mr. Mace may value Todd but not more than his daughter, I hope. Todd has gone missing. Could he be dead too or in hiding? If he's innocent, why doesn't he come forward? I know why. Because the poor are always to blame for anything that goes wrong. Owen, the estate steward, is loyal to Mrs. Mace because he came with the estate and his father was steward before him. Would Owen murder for Mrs. Mace? Perhaps he felt the estate was in danger and removed the threat? That would be sad because he seems kind but when Eliza needs his help, he acts suspicious.

The Morgans are a lovely family. Even plagued by illness and poor health, they stay together and work at keeping the family afloat. Rebecca is no longer able to work around the house and the two girls are grown and married. Eliza used to help with the baby, Jevan. Mr. Morgan does a lot of favors, for Eliza. He seems like a kind man and a good friend to Eliza but not to her parents. Jevan is an odd child. He's sullen and kind of surly. The kid seems to mistrust strangers and doesn't remember Eliza. They say he's smart and enjoys school but there's not much evidence of that. He's been left behind and his parents can't really help him. Poor kid. Rhiannon is lovely and a wonderful big sister.

This story did not appeal to me. It lacks humor, charm and an engaging mystery.

This was a breeze to read, it just flowed.
Sets the character and her family circumstances up nicely, for what will I'm sure be more to come.
Eliza is quite the spirited girl for the times, and she knows her own mind.
No big surprises along the way, but it was entertaining.

Eliza Mace by Sarah Burton and Jem Poster is a Victorian era who-dunnit centering on the death of Robert Mace. The narrative is told through the perspective of Robert’s daughter, Eliza Mace, a teenager trying to find her place in a male dominated world. Against her mother’s will, Eliza agrees to assist Daffyd Pritchard, a young police constable, in the investigation into her father’s death and, in doing so, unravels family secrets that have been buried for years.

The story was well written, however, it did drag on at certain parts. The ending was good but it felt very thrown together. With just a few pages dedicated to the wrap up, I would’ve liked to see more time spent on it. Knowing that it will be a series gives me hope that Eliza’s character will continue to evolve. It was a solid 3 star book.

I was very excited to read this as a fan of Enola Holmes. I can't wait to read more, definitely recommended for fans of the TV show.

Ever since the revival of Enola Holmes I’ve quite got to love this genre! I love a good historical mystery and this definitely fits the bill! I’m beyond excited to share this with readers and take our readers on a fun journey with Eliza! This would make a great movie or tv series.