Gemma Tate and Sebastian Bell are unlikely companions in The Highgate Cemetery Murder, united by their drive to solve two murders that are loosely connected. Shapiro includes just enough elements of romance, secrecy, and mystery to maintain intrigue in her reader; I couldn’t put this book down and finished it within a day.

While this was a wonderfully weaved story, with believable, yet shocking, clues, motives, and theories, I found the ending to be a bit rushed. There was a fantastic build up to the climax and result of Bell’s investigation, but fell ultimately fell flat in the final few pages.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a good murder mystery, but also be mindful that there are some distressing themes and storylines, as to be expected.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

A quickly read book, with a good story. I found the characters rather not very finely defined, but definitely not unpleasant. Unfortunately, the main police character, Sebastian, is as in so many crime books a man with a tragic past and an addiction to alcohol. Overall, a nice read.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro. Any book listed as "for fans of Andrea Penrose, Deanna Raybourn" is a must for me, and Shapiro did not disappoint.

Heartbroken opium addict Inspector Sebastian Bell is given a high profile case of a murdered women displayed on a crucifix in Highgate Cemetery with a heart tied around her neck. His supervisor's goal is to watch Bell fail so he can fire him, or force Bell to prove himself with solving the case. Nurse Gemma Tate is informed of the death of her brother by omnibus carriage on the same day the murdered woman is found, and notes in his notebook reference the crime and a fear of having been followed. Armed with this proof and a clearheaded, no nonsense attitude, Gemma fights her way into Bell's line of sight and provides important details and interviews to assist Bell in seeing how the two are connected and who might be behind the crimes.

I appreciated that this book revolved around two "common" people in London as opposed to members of the ton - I think it really allowed Shapiro to build out a realistic view of life for the un-titled, especially in a time when doctors and policemen are still considered very much "less than" (because having a profession is looked down upon). I also really enjoyed Shapiro's inclusion of the time period facts - I know too little about Florence Nightingale, and mean to look up more about her time in Crimea and the backlash to the nurses who accompanied her. It was also helpful to be reminded upon the facts of grave robbers for scientific purposes being a bit of the norm at the time.

My only reason for taking a star off is that the book blurb asked "how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?" I would say 75% of the book is chapters solely with Bell detecting, and Tate is a bit of an afterthought/peripheral in most scenes. There are very little ways in which they are working together on the mystery, but I am hoping future books in the series address this and build out their partnership.

All in all this was a great read. Shapiro is an accomplished writer with excellent mystery pacing and with clear review of the time period she is writing in. I think a bit more time with Tate and Bell together would lean this closer to being a Penrose/Raybourn level tale, but it is an excellent start and a definite possibility.

A really terrific gritty mystery and the start to a very promising historical mystery series. Nicely evocative of time and place, with no anachronisms to note. Highly recommended.

Irina Shapiro's The Highgate Cemetery Murder is the promising first volume in a new historical mystery series set in Victorian London. Sebastian Bell is a Scotland Yard detective who has been abusing a range of intoxicants (laudanum, opium, alcohol) since the death of his wife. Gemma Tate is a nurse, back from working in Crimea with Florence Nightingale, whose brother has just been killed after discovering the body of a murdered woman in Highgate Cemetery.

Bell and Tate wind up investigating this pair of connected murders, though Bell regularly tries to sideline Tate out of fears for her safety. The murder of the young woman in particular was violent (content warning: this killing and others aren't depicted, but their results are). Bell struggles with his demons, continually promising himself "just one more," which, of course, never winds up being just one. The one distraction that sometimes helps him is a challenging case to investigate. Tate's brother was her last surviving relative, so his death has left her utterly alone in a way she hasn't experienced before. She is determined to participate in the investigation because she can't bear her new state of isolation.

Bell and Tate are an interesting pair. I'm looking forward to see how their relationship develops and, frankly, hoping it won't turn into a romance: that's too predictable. We need more stories that make it clear men and women can maintain a respectful friendship without getting all googly-eyed.

If you're looking for a new historical mystery series, this one is worth looking out for. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

This is a well written mystery set in 1850's London. When an aristocratic young woman is murdered, police Inspector Sebastian Bell has to pull himself out of his depression and find a killer. Nurse Gemma Tate's twin brother is the one who discovered the body and dies in an accident shortly after. Gemma is sure her brother was murdered as well and when she finds some scribbled notes in his notebook she is sure it ties both murders together. Although I found the details of the murder and autopsy way too descriptive for me, this was a nicely paced book full of suspense and many red herrings.

Irina Shapiro writes evocatively about 1850s London — the huge gulf between the haves and have-nots, the space and light the wealthy enjoy versus the stench and filth of the poor areas. The mystery is well-written, with a solid trail of clues to follow, but I found the central plot line of violence against women to be distressful and detracted from what was otherwise a great story. I will be back for the next installment of the series because nurse Gemma Tate and police inspector Sebastian Bell are compelling characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Shapiro writes a convoluted story of murder and mystery with hints of romance and redemption set against the backdrop of 1850s London, England. I found myself reminded of both the Wrexford and Sloane stories by Andrea Penrose and the Holmes and Watson series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in atmosphere and (of course) location, with the similar affliction of drug addiction that Holmes wrestled with.

Overall the story was tightly written; vocabulary was appropriate to the time and class stations; the violence of the described crime would benefit from a trigger warning (gang rape). I did enjoy the book but would recommend for mature audiences due to subject matter.

I hope to read the next installment of this series, as I did very much enjoy getting to know Gemma and Sebastien

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

"His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: "Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I'm being followed."

Hours later, the man's cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn't save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth.

Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother's notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what "milky way" meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?"

Oh, cryptic last messages? Yes please!