I was already hooked on this series when I read the first book in this series, The Highgate Cemetery Murder. So I was looking forward to the next episode in this series about nurse Gemma Tate and police inspector Sebastian Bell. So when the book became available on Netgalley I was quick to request an advanced reader copy. I must say, I am certainly not disappointed. The second book is even better than the first one!

Since the previous book Gemma has a new job at an orphanage and is now living in a boarding house for women. Sebastian is investigating the murder of Jacob Harrow, a journalist who worked at the same paper as Gemma's deceased brother Victor, whose body is found hanging from Traitors Gate. Jacob featured in the previous book as well and since Sebastian is quick to grab every excuse to visit Gemma he consults Gemma to find out if she has any background on Jacob. As it turns out Jacob has a link to the Crimean war as well so Gemma is indeed able to assist him in his investigation.
As the investigation is slowly unravelling the relationship between Gemma and Sebastian is also slowly developing.
I really do like the well documented descriptions and evocations of London at the end of the second half ot the 18th century and the way the author invokes an atmosphere that reminds me of Dickensian novels. Love this series and are looking forward to the next book.

BOOK: MURDER AT TRAITOR'S GATE
AUTHOR: IRINA SHAPIRO
PUB DATE: 24TH JUNE 2023
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REVIEW- 4.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Another masterpiece in Gemma Tate and Sebastian Bell's series! I read and loved the first book in the series, so I was up to read the next one, and I loved this too! In fact, I think this might be better than the previous one!
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While solving this murder case, there was no evidence, no murder weapon. It was solved by Sebastian's sheer determination and grit. I admired that. He doggedly went after each suspect and made his research. Gemma also helped with the research since she was kinda involved, too.
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I would have loved to see more of Gemma. She was more like a supporting character rather than the main one. But, I was able to feel her loneliness and the aftermath of her brother's death. She was living alone in a boarding house and working as a nurse in an orphanage. I really hope her loneliness is reduced in the next book.
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I loved reading about the progress in Gemma and Sebastian's relationship. I can't wait to read more about them! At first, I was worried that Sebastian was still traumatized by his wife's death, but he's ready to love again. I love that for him
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The murder victims were unsavory and cads. They were characters we had seen before. I liked that the author didn't just add in new characters anyhow. Anyway, I'm really excited for the next book!
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Shapiros' books are becoming my obsession.

Wow, I loved this book. Just when you thought you had the killer, that person is killed, and the chain continues. Sebastian is called in to uncover the killer of a famous journalist who is hung on Traitors Gate after being brutalized. The characters and link start tying back into Gemmas world from the Crimean war, and so he seeks out her help.

The two heads come together to gather clues and frame the story to catch the killer. Gemma and Sebastian also started formally courting by the end of the book, which made me glad.

Over a very fast-paced murder mystery that was unputdownable.

1858. Journalist and ex-Crimea soldier Jacob Harrow, is discovered dead hanging from Traitors Gate. Inspector Sebastian Bell investigates with the help of nurse Emma Tate. Then there is another murder. is there a connection, what could be the motive for both killings.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable main characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m loving this series! The main characters of Sebastian and Gemma both have traumatic backgrounds and I enjoyed the connection between them. I hope it develops into something more. There is a murder to solve and Gemma is determined to help Sebastian, even though he fears for her safety. It is quite complex and it had me guessing until the latter part of the story. It also relates how restricted the lives of women were at this time, even those working. Boarding houses were strict on visitors and curfews, in addition, women’s opinions were not taken seriously by some men. It must have been a very frustrating time for intelligent females. I’ve already preordered the next in the series. I was given a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, I did preorder my own copy,

Engaging!

The plot was intriguing. A journalist, Jacob Harrow, has been brutally killed and hung up by a meat hook at Traitor’s Gate at the Tower of London.
Inspector Sebastian Bell is once again involved.
As it turns out, the journalist had been in the Crimean War. Naturally Bell consults with Nurse Gemma Tate. Gemma had nursed at Scutari hospital. It had been in Gemma’s words, “hell on earth.”From here things become quite convoluted.
Bell is concerned for Gemma’s safety. As he should be because Gemma is making enquires that might be dangerous for her.
I find it interesting that society’s regard for the nurses who went to the Crimea. These women braved unspeakable conditions, forged on whilst struggling to survive themselves, and dedicated themselves to their patients. Yet when they return from the war they are greeted with harshness and judgment, regarded as little more than prostitutes. (Other writers have also posited this attitude.
This second in the series was engaging but to my mind not quite as sharp as the first. I’m looking forward to the next title, particularly to seeing how Sebastian and Gemma’s relationship might develop.

A Storm ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Book 2 of the Tate and Bell series takes place shortly after the events on Book1. Gemma Tate was a nurse with Florence Nightengale during the brutal Crimean War. Returning to England, the nurses were hailed as angels of mercy but public sentiment eventually turned against these women who were seen as too prideful with loose morals. Gemma’s beloved brother Victor was murdered and now she must move to a shabby rooming house and take a nursing job at the depressing Foundling Home, caring for orphans. Sebastian Bell is a Scotland Yard Detective whose wife and unborn son were murdered by the brother of a criminal who he sent to be hanged. Three years have applied since that horrible event and Sebastian is starting to come out of his grief and give up alcohol and opium that he used to numb is pain and guilt. Gemma helped Sebastian with the investigation into the murder of her brother and they formed a friendship based on mutual respect. Now Sebastian is investigating another murder that has a connection to the Crimean war and the soldiers and nurses who served….with and without honor. Again, he reached out to Gemma to gain her insights into what it was really like for those there and discuss, what eventually becomes 2 murders and the potential suspects, some of who Gemma knew. They make a great team and seem to be moving toward a more personal relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second in the Bell and Tate murder series and it is being published today. I was thrilled to get my hands on the ARC after thoroughly enjoying the first book in the series, The Highgate Cemetery Murder.

In this latest installment, we find Detective Sebastian Bell back on the job after convalescing with a broken collarbone he sustained in the previous book. Instead of a dead body in a cemetery, Bell is confronted with a murder victim who has been strung up at the Traitors’ Gate at the Tower of London. And our victim is Jacob Harrow, a journalist who helped Bell’s inquiries with the previous murder. Bell is also still in touch with Gemma Tate, the nurse whose brother was murdered in Highgate, and who helped him solve that crime. Since Harrow was in the Crimea with Gemma, Bell wonders if she might have some insight into his life and maybe why someone might want to kill him. I mean there might be ulterior motives too. Could it be that Detective Bell is ready to fall in love again after the brutal murder of his wife?

This is a cleverly plotted mystery, tightly written with just the right number of twists and turns and a few red herrings. I always love the second book in a series since we can just jump right into the story since we already have the backstory. Still if you had not read the first one, you wouldn’t be too lost but I would still recommend the first one as it is just a really good read.

Again, these two books make me realize I know so little about the Crimean War and even Florence Nightingale. I need to find some good books on both!

Murder at Traitors' Gate is the second book in Irina Shapiro's Tate and Bell Mysteries series. If you're a fan of historical mysteries, this series is for you! If you haven't read the first book, this mystery stands alone; however, you will be better served if you read the prior book first. You will be missing out on important character histories that shape their interactions with each other and have impact on their current investigation. The Highgate Cemetery Murder was my first book by this author, and I'm now a fan for life.

In Victorian London in 1858 during a bitter December, Gemma Tate is doing her best to put memories of nursing in the Crimean war behind her. She now lives on her own in a little boarding house since the death of her brother, and is currently working at a foundling hospital. However, when Jacob Harrow, a journalist who served in Crimea, is found murdered, Gemma finds herself pulled into the investigation. Police Inspector Sebastian Bell of Scotland Yard prefers to work alone; however, he needs Gemma's help when it seems Harrow returned from Crimea with the dark secrets of others. But investigating the past has devastating results when Gemma’s friend, another nurse from Crimea, is found murdered in her boarding house. Sebastian and Gemma race against the clock as more secrets are revealed. Will the killer set his sights on them to hide his crimes?

I really liked the first book in this series, but I loved this one. The mystery was fantastic, and I read as quickly as I could to discover whodunit. Layers upon layers were revealed, and I got to the point I gave up trying to figure it out and just went with the flow. I did guess correctly about one piece of the puzzle, but I was shocked when the killer was revealed. I never saw it coming! The suspense really kept me on edge. As wonderful as the mystery was, however, it's the characters in this series that will keep me returning for more as long as Ms. Shapiro keeps them coming...which I hope will be for many more volumes. There has been significant characters development since the first book. Gemma and Sebastian met when Gemma's brother was murdered, and together they solved the mystery. She was devastated by the loss of her brother but is now moving forward with her life, living in a boarding house and working with orphans. Gemma still struggles at times with the horrors she experienced nursing in Crimea, and how nurses are now treated differently at home. In Crimea they were heroines, saving lives and bringing comfort to the dying. However, now home in London, they are treated as women of loose morals, as if they went to Crimea as prostitutes! It's hard working in the foundling hospital, as the staff is not encouraged to get close to the children. But Gemma can't help but falling in love with 5-year-old Lucy. Sebastian is the most changed, however. He was a hot mess in the first book! After his young wife and their unborn child were brutally murdered, he sought retribution, then became an opium addict, with addiction to other intoxicants as well. After being injured in the prior book, he was nursed by Gemma, who also helped him through his addiction. Now sober, Sebastian has become dear friends with Gemma. He still prefers to work alone and he worries about Gemma's safety, but he acknowledges that he sometimes needs her help. It seems they are becoming closer than "just friends", and I am thrilled with that development. There are other characters making reappearances in this book, my favorite being Sebastian's friend Colin Ramsey. He performs postmortems for the police, and he also teaches private surgical students in his basement mortuary after the police are done with the bodies. My other favorite? Gustav the cat, of course! Sebastian took over Gustav's care after his neighboring owner died, and Gustav repays his kindness in this story. You da cat, Gustav! I hope the next book in the series comes quickly; we get a glimpse of the next mystery in the Epilogue. I can't wait!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Firstly thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy of Murder at Traitors Gate. This is book two in the Tate and Bell series and was as enthralling at the first. In Murder at Traitors Gate a grisly murder and blackmail trail leads Bell and Tate On a gothic hunt for clues in Victorian London.
Shapiro is excellent in painting the scene of a miserable and dark gritty London where the dark deeds take place and keep the pace fast moving, enveloping you in the setting and tale.

An impressive second instalment and I cannot wait to get into book 3!

Nurse Gemma Tate and Inspector Sebastian Bell team up again in this 2nd book in the series to solve murders that are connected to Gemma’s time during the Crimean War. Gemma is learning to live on her own after the loss of her brother, having found a new place to live and a new job where she feels like she is making a difference. Inspector Bell is recovering from prior injuries and coping with the memories and guilt of the murder of his wife and unborn child. Both characters thoughtfully consider their lives, dreams, and what they want in their futures. The Inspector interviews a series of suspects, piecing together information that connects them with the murdered journalist, discovering blackmail, secret loves, suicide, and keeps finding himself wanting to discuss the case with Gemma. Gemma feels drawn into the mystery and does some legwork on her own to reconnect with those she knew in her past, which reminds her of the horrific conditions during the War that they all have to carry with them. The book is fast-paced and keeps you guessing about who the murderer is and why they are driven to kill.

An amazing continuation of the lives and mysteries of Gemma Tate and Sebastian Bell. After the death of Gemma’s brother and the conclusion of the Angel of Highgate case, she has found herself in a new place. Now in a new place of lodging and a new job Gemma works to get back to a new normal. When an acquaintance from her past is murdered, she must help Sebastian find the killer, before he may end up finding her. As her past war experiences come crashing back into her life Gemma must sort out the truth to help find the killer. This was a great continuing sequel to the first book, and I loved “watching” the two friends stories continue to grow.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers at Storm Publishing for allowing me to read this digital ARC. I can’t wait for the next one!

The first book in the Bell and Tate Mystery Series by Irina Shapiro sealed it as my new favorite historical mystery series but, if possible, I loved Murder at Traitors' Gate even more. Such authentic characters who try to toe the Victorian social line but also see the great need for change. They are two of my all-time favorite characters. They have their demons, struggles and sorrows but still are trying to make a difference in life. As for this book, the conclusion wasn’t just Christmas in 1858 but Christmas for me. It couldn’t have ended any better!

I read somewhere that if you liked the TV series Miss Scarlett and the Duke you would like this. I have watched all of those episodes and let me tell you I enjoyed these books much more. Sebastian is certainly not without his issues which could easily go from recovery to relapse but there is an integrity about him that I admire. I loved Gemma from the beginning with her straightforward look at life and honesty though jaded after being a war nurse and not to mention the lack of women’s basic rights. The crimes get solved with the right person getting caught in the end. The best Victorian England mystery series being written today.

The favorite duo are back with another case. When a body is found hanging from the traitors gate, with its tongue missing, Sebastian knows that something is not right. When another body is found, that seems to cement the suspicion. There is also a link to Gemma, which makes Sebastian nervous, as the time during the Crimean War was not easy - for soldiers or medical staff alike. Together, they are going to work to solve the case before another body turns up.

I absolutely LOVED this read! I could not put it down. Bell and Tate make a fantastic team. It is rather amusing that both seem to have a crush on each other, but hold back because of their pasts. As they work together to clear the case, they form a deeper bond, which seems to be bound for book three.

This is a highly recommend read, especially if you love a good mystery. This is one investigative duo you will not soon forget!

I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy of “Murder at Traitors’ Gate.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Events from the past make their way to the present, in a tale of death and revenge in “Murder at Traitors’ Gate,” the latest in the Inspector Sebastian Bell and Gemma Tate Victorian mystery series by Irina Shapiro, this one set in 1858. Our dead man, strung up on Traitors’ Gate at the Tower of London, is only one of a string of bodies that stretches back to the war in the Crimea. Author Irina Shapiro includes in “Murder at Traitors’ Gate” a reminder of the folly of war, and the consequences of evil actions. All wrapped up in an orderly police investigation, with tempting clues and suspects galore. A satisfying read all around, for mystery fans.

This is a book that will anger you and make you think in equal measure. The passages that outline the treatment of the nurses who volunteered their services during the Crimean War are dreadful, as is the telling of the loss of life due to the horrific conditions. The author pulls no punches in outlining every terrible aspect of a sordid, sad point in history. But at the end, we have a bit of hope: Sebastian asks if he can court Gemma. So, there is light within all the shadows.

When journalist Jacob Harrow is found brutally murdered, Inspector Sebastian Bell is given the task of finding the killer.
Harrow was a soldier in Crimea and it quickly becomes clear that more than one person may have wanted him dead. Following the trail leads Sebastian to the people Harrow met in Crimea and the secrets he knew about them.
Gemma Bell, Sebastian’s friend, worked as a nurse in Crimea, and Sebastian seeks her advice and knowledge of things that happened out there.
Then a nurse who worked in with Gemma is found dead and it's clear that her killing is linked to that of Harrow.
As Sebastian and Gemma work together to find the killer they uncover more than they ever expected and Gemma could find herself in danger.
A story of intrigue, secrets, and the lengths people will go to, to hide the past. This is a brilliant follow up to the first book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the first one to enjoy it.

Darkly atmospheric with a delectable gothic feel, Murder at Traitors' Gate by Irina Shapiro is the second in the Tate & Bell Mystery series. In 1858 London, a body is found swinging from a meat hook at Traitor's Gate. Jacob Harris, a well-known journalist, was silenced before he was killed and barbarically hung.

As a history fanatic and Tower of London visitor, my attention was riveted the entire time. The rich tapestry of Victorian details was intricately woven with daily life grit and seediness. Socioeconomic classes were more important than anything. Though nurse Gemma selflessly worked with orphans, nurses were viewed as second class, along with most women. Gemma's friend Inspector Sebastian Bell treated her as an equal, rare those days. The two teamed up to in investigate the murder of Harris. Police Surgeon Colin Ramsey was also a self-proclaimed criminologist and Sebastian's friend and added fascinating medical bits to the story. Colin understood Sebastian's grief better than anyone. I really like that the characters are interesting to read about, realistically flawed and faced hardships. No fluffy character nonsense here.

Though the first in this series was enjoyable, this one has a bit more oomph and depth which I loved. The multisensory descriptions enabled me to witness the hustle bustle, sights, smells and sounds of the city. Shapiro has a knack for beautiful storytelling.

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this beguiling novel.

Murder at Traitor's Gate is the second book in the Tate and Bell Mystery series set in 1850's London. Inspector Sebastian Tate and nurse Gemma Tate solve a series of murders that draw upon Tate's background as a nurse in the Crimea, beginning with the gory murder of former solider and current reporter Jacob Harrow and Lydia Morton, a nurse and acquaintance of Gemma's who is found murdered in a similar manner. It appears these deaths all trace back to the Crimea, where deathbed secrets have led to blackmail and more.

I really relished the well-written densely plotted murder mystery that slowly unfolded over the course of the book. But where the author really shines is in showing how perilous women's lives were in Victorian England. Gemma, without any family, has no safety line, and few career options other than being a nurse, caregiver, and domestic servant. As one character says "Life brings us all to our knees, albeit in different ways."

That adage also applies to Sebastian, who is slowly dealing with his horrendous loss, while pushing against demands that he quickly find a suitable suspect, rather than actually solve the case.

5 stars for this latest addition to the Tate and Bell mystery series, and I look forward to the next book

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the Arc copy of this book in return for my feedback.
This is the second book in the Bell and Tate series and I was apprehensive about reading it (as I haven’t read the first in the series) I found it easy to pick this book up fresh.

Set in London in 1858, Detective Sebastian Bell has suffered his fair share of grief and misery, but now he must discover why a man has been brutally murdered and left hanging by a meat hook at Traitors Gate.

While Sebastian works alone he draws on an unlikely sidekick, Gemma Tate a nurse who served in the Crimea War and acts as the Watson to Sebastian (if he was Sherlock)

I thoroughly enjoyed the way this mystery was weaved together, and I’m a sucker for a beautiful animal so I instantly fell in love with Sebastian’s cat Gustov.

I will definitely be reading the next book in the series once it comes out!

This dark, complex, mysterious story continues the tale of Crimean War nurse, Gemma Tate, and intrepid Inspector Sebastian Bell of Scotland Yard. Both of our protagonists have moved on from the events in the first book – Gemma has changed jobs and moved out of the home she once shared with her much-loved twin brother, and Sebastian has shaken his addictions and is working diligently to heal from the injuries he received in the last case. However, neither has quit thinking of the other, but neither has acted on those thoughts.

Sebastian was summoned to Traitor’s Gate at the Tower of London where the body of a brutally murdered man was discovered – hanging from a very large meat hook. Who is the victim? There is nothing on the body to identify him, but Sebastian recognizes him as Jacob Harrow, a newspaperman, and witness to the death of Gemma Tate’s brother. Why was his body displayed as it was and in such a disgraceful place? What message is the murderer sending?

Gemma and Sebastian struggle to untangle the twisted threads of the crime back to the Crimea and the sordid things that happened in those fetid battlegrounds. However, the crime comes much closer to home when there is another murder and an attempt on Sebastian’s life.

I found myself staying up late into the night reading ‘just one more chapter’ because there were so many potential criminals and victims and I just had to know ‘who done it’. I had the perpetrator figured out before the end of the book, but I sure didn’t have the motive figured out. If you love stories with complex characters, intriguing mysteries, and a tad of a budding romance, you will enjoy this book. Be warned, it is a dark book dealing with dark, sad times. However, most of this author’s works are dark – but then, murder is dark isn’t it?

I am already looking forward to the next installment in the series which should be released in October.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.