Wow this author is new to me and it was a rollercoaster ride nonstop!
We have Lucy Lawrence married for 10 years and suddenly a widow! Her husband kept secrets that led not only to his death but put her in danger!
Lucy is in terrible danger from unscrupulous men who believe as his wife she knows far more than she’s telling!
Lucy was kept in the dark about his affairs ( literally) but there is very few people she can trust!
When she turns to her family to escape the men who ransacked her home she is again betrayed!
At some point my heart went out to her after so much betrayal from people who should have protected you but exploited you!
Enter one Phineas Stone a very handsome and wealthy investigator and also working for an insurance company!
Mr Lawrence the deceased had scammed investors with a fictitious company! Of course this made believing Lucy’s innocence harder!
There is chemistry between them but no trust! Lucy is beautiful somewhat brave and resourceful! She doesn’t know her own strength or intelligence after years of lies told to her! She had shock after shock in discovery of all the lies!
When the clues actually make sense and arrive at a conclusion that will literally make or break Lucy! It is a race against thugs and the police as she races to the reward that can make her a very wealthy woman! If she isn’t caught by the very man who killed her husband!
Is Phineas friend or foe is he working against her or for her? Suspense, drama and nonstop action! Bravo definitely will read more!

I really enjoyed this new entry into the Victorian mystery genre. We follow Lucy Lawrence as her husband dies suddenly through her finding out more about her husband and her family. The mysteries keep developing, but she has the help of the enigmatic Phineas Stone who is clearly set up to be her romantic interest, but it’s going to be a slow burn which is what happens in the genre of historical mysteries that have an element of romance. This is my jam so I’m totally there for it.

After a bit, the story becomes a bit less of a mystery and little more of a thriller as Lucy strikes out on her own with the help of her loyal maid to figure out the dangerous mess that her husband left her in.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This was my first time reading a novel by Pam Lecky. I really enjoyed No Stone Unturned. The suspense drew me in right away. Eager to find out what would happen next, I finished the whole book within a day. I really enjoyed the main character and her transition from a damsel in distress to an empowered, clever detective. I look forward to reading the next novel in the series.

A slow burn Victorian romance full of intrigue and adventure - I think you’ll love the strong female MC, the broody but gentle male MC, and the twisty plot.

Unfortunately, I had issues with the pacing of the novel and felt that the first half especially was incredibly slow. It could have been trimmed by at least a third and lost nothing while moving things along.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for my digital copy. These opinions are my own.

NOTE: I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla. I had some issues with the voice acting, specifically the high London. I would recommend eye reading this if you can.

I love this first book in Pam Lecky’s new series! I was immediately sucked in and read in one sitting. Lucy Lawrence’s life crumbles throughout the book and she manages to keep picking herself up and figuring out what to do next. Her husband’s mysterious death, her estranged family turning against her even more, framed for crimes, finding out about her husband’s secret past, betrayal after betrayal, and she is never sure who she can trust and who will disappoint her. She begins a tentative trust in Phineas Stone but is never quite sure whether she should rely on him or if he could be one among many who hurt her again. Having been thrown into several crime investigations, she decides to try to solve what she can with help from a couple of true friends. I look forward to immediately reading the next book in this series to find out what she decides to do next with her new life.

I truly enjoyed this book. Lucy is left in a precarious situation after the death of her husband. She turns to her family, who had once turned their backs on her, only to discover they shouldn't be trusted. Before she knows it, Lucy and her maid, Mary, have groups of criminals after her, thinking she has knowledge of the crimes her husband had committed
The characters were great, personable and. a lot of fun. The plot moved quickly with a lot of action, adventure, friendship, and some self discovery. Looking forward to reading more!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book 1 of 4 - A historical mystery starting with a murder of her husband. Be sure to read all 4 books in order.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I kept turning the pages in the beginning but the pacing fell apart and my interest petered out. I wish Lucy was cleverer. I don’t need her to be a super sleuth but you can’t paint her as capable and then make her simply be an observer to events happening around her for half the book. The description led me to think we’d get Stone’s POV. Plus they aren’t really a team, which was disappointing after that blurb and long set up. He’s working the case and she’s just… there for more than half the book. I see he’s not even in book 2 and only reappears in book 3. Scene and chapter headings were distracting and unnecessary too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

This was an easy and fun read. While I did guess some parts of the mystery, there were some added elements I was not expecting and what I did guess didn't take away from my enjoyment. Looking forward to the next one!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

My Thoughts /

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Pam Lecky, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for July 25, 2024.

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mysteries series and my first read by author, Pam Lecky. Set in London in 1886, this historical-mystery series follows the adventures of our charismatic protagonist, Lucy Lawrence, as she tries to navigate her love of adventure and her unexpected talent for mystery solving against the often-unrealistic expectations of women in society in the Victorian era.

The Victorian era can be attributed to the forming of strict gender ideals and stereotypes. Men and women were allocated specific roles which led men to hold more power over women, and therefore women were significantly disadvantaged both financially and sexually, enduring inequalities within their marriages and society.

Women in the Victorian society had one main role in life, which was to marry and take part in their husband's interests and business. In the eyes of the law (prior to 1882), once a woman married, she basically ceased to exist. On her wedding day, she became one person with her husband and thereafter everything she did was under his direction. Before marriage, ladies would learn housewife skills such as weaving, cooking, washing, and cleaning, except for those women that heralded from a wealthy family. Those women did not always learn these skills because their maids primarily took care of the household chores.

So where did that leave those women who came from financially affluent backgrounds and wanted to defy the stereotype? Or women who, through no fault of their own, found themselves widowed or unwed. Those with strong personalities and high intelligence, or those women who just wanted to do more, defying the societal stereotypes could result in social ruin - and once marked, it was hard to escape.

And so we come back to the story. Lucy Lawrence hasn't been happy in her marriage. Truth be told, she suspects her husband may be looking elsewhere for affection. But with no access to money and estranged from her family, she couldn't just walk away. That all changes one morning when the police knock on her door and inform her that her husband, Charlie, has been found dead in what is said to be a tragic accident. It was thought he slipped and fell under the wheels of a coach and his body was severely disfigured. The police request she come to the mortuary and identify the body, as there was no other way to confirm whether it was indeed her husband.

With the identification confirmed, Lucy begins to realise what her life might look like now she's a widow. She's lost her husband; she has no means of income support and has to move out of her house, and she's estranged from her family. When times are bleak, sometimes life just hands you lemons. Lucy knew her late husband was not perfect, but finding out Charlie was part of an investment scam that promised returns on a sapphire mine in Kashmir was very surprising. Her late husband stealing gems from a maharaja and involved with organized crime? What had her husband been involved in? Lucy sets out on a dangerous adventure to uncover the truth about her late husband.

Also investigating Charlie's death is Phineas Stone. Originally working in law, Phin now works as an investigator for an insurance company. He has been keeping tabs on Charlie and his nefarious activities and thinks Lucy might be part of her late husband's scheme.

As the pair begin to investigate, a web of secrets and lies starts to unfold.

Bookish Yays
🌟Atmosphere - ✅ - authentic and realistic depiction of 1886 Victorian Era.
🌟Characters - ✅ - well-written and likeable.
🌟Writing - ✅ - on point - there are no wasted words.
🌟Plot - ✅ - believable and true to theme.

Bookish Hmms
🌟Lucy - ? - for an intelligent and capable woman, there were occasions where I found her decision making a little reckless and far too spontaneous.

Looking forward to book #2, Footprints in the Sand.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Storm Publishing for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

#NoStoneUnturned #PamLecky

No Stone Unturned is the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mysteries series and it's a great introduction to the characters and Lucy's story. I've been on a historical mysteries kick lately and this book fit right into what I was looking for.

Lucy Lawrence is our fmc and as we are introduced to her we find out she lead a bit of a lonely life. She is estranged from her family due to eloping with her husband (Charlie 10 years ago) and he has over the years become distant which she thinks is due to the fact that she hasn't given him a child. It doesn't help too that they struggle to get by with funds either but as the story opens, Lucy is contemplating ways she and Charlie and can find that spark again but unfortunately Lucy quickly finds out that Charlie happens to be the murder victim of this story.

When Lucy is brought in to identify Charlie, she is introduced to Phineus Stone, our mmc, but he only tells her he has some questions for her and she is quickly put off and does everything she can to avoid his calls. What she doesn't expect is for one of Charlie's "associates" to come to her home and threaten her and her staff. So much so that she does something she never thought she would, she takes her brother up on his offer to spend Christmas with her family. Not only does that get her out of danger, but she doesn't have to speak to Stone either.

Unfortunately for Lucy, her family really isn't that much better for her. I won't give anything away here but there is an underlying plot that she is the scapegoat for and she is truly lucky Phineus didn't give up on her. When he is brought in to investigate, she is released but Lucy uses this as a catalyst to follow her own path. While she does lean on Phineus for assistance, she is determined to figure out what Charlie was up to. She's had enough of putting her trust in men.

I thought this was a solid first book of the series. It did a great job of introducing the characters and setting up the backstories as well as giving a good story/plot. There were times where I thought Lucy was making a mistake and I just wanted her to talk to Phineus versus jumping to conclusions. I also get that she had been burned by Charlie and her level of trust was about zero but either way, I thought the book was great and I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series.

4.5 Stars

This was my first read of Ms. Lecky's; I found it to be entertaining and atmospheric in a very good way. Mrs. Lawrence (Lucy) is quite the spunky heroine after she recovers from a number of increasingly disturbing shocks, not the least of which is getting framed for a robbery she didn't commit. The mysteriously alluring Mr. Stone factors in to nearly every scene once the story gets going, and Lucy is not quite sure what to make of him.

I do hope in the next books of this series that Mary (the maid) is able to play a larger part. She was someone who turned out to be invaluable to Lucy's adventures and is a reliable confidant for her. I enjoyed the portrayal of their relationship as it moves from employer to more of a friend or companion.

Trying to categorize this book is a bit challenging: murder mystery, Victorian romance, romantic suspense... it had a bit of it all and was an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

I could not put this book down! From page one I was completely hooked and couldn't want to see what happened next. I loved Lucy right from the beginning. The more she learned about her recently deceased husband's actions prior to his death the more it drove her desire to take back control of her life. And if that weren't enough, the actions of her brother and mother certainly pushed her along in her drive to look out for herself. I didn't fully understand why her mother went to her in London when the full extent of Robert's financial problems came to light - she doesn't particularly like her and she had a sister more than happy to take her in. But it led to Lucy being reminded that her mother is pretty much the worst so she could close that chapter of her life and know that her family is not there for her. I loved the back-and-forth between Lucy and Phineas throughout the book - especially since sometimes she was in the right and sometimes he was. And it's completely understandable why she would be suspicious of him and why she wouldn't have confronted him about it. She barely knew him and she had recently come to realize that there were very few people she could trust. Although things could have gone poorly for her when she ran off solo, she showed her intelligence by getting out of the situation safely. And then she comes out ahead with the reward money! I enjoyed this book so much I started book 2 pretty much right away.

No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky is the top contender for my favorite read of 2024 so far. I don’t know how I missed it before, since I've been on the constant hunt for a murder mystery set in Victorian London. Luckily, I won't have to wait for the next installment as its already released.

Fate forces our recently widowed heroine, Miss Lucy Lawrence, to work together with a cold, handsome insurance investigator who initially rubs her the wrong way. But over time she realizes he might not be so bad. The only trustworthy person in her present circumstances, she's forced to set aside her fears and work with him. It is a complex, organized chaos. Guessing who's behind it remains a mystery until the final reveal. And like any good mystery novel, all the loose ends tie themselves in a satisfying, beautiful bow.

The book has a slow start, I admit. Lucy wasn’t showing any signs of sleuthing prowess and was quite a mess until Mr. Stone turns up. As they face harsh truths, reveal secrets, and spend an increasing amount of time with each other, they can't deny that they care about each other. But time tests their feelings. Misunderstandings bring their budding romance to a halt and force Lucy to embark on the journey to exonerate herself. Thus starting a series of foolish decisions being made (according to Mr. Stone, as they brought Lucy in harm's way on more than one occasion) and adventures with her fiercely loyal maid, Mary.

I'm so looking forward to curling up with the next installment to witness how their relationship progresses and the mysteries they'll solve together!

Lucy Lawrence is recently widowed and down on her luck. Her situation seems to go from bad to worse as she discovers that her husband of 10 years had many dark secrets which now come spilling out. He has left her in poverty and with a criminal gang trying to retrieve priceless sapphires that he stole. Her estranged family offer her an apparent olive branch and welcome her back to the family home in Yorkshire. However, all is not well in the Somerville household and Lucy is accused of theft when a family heirloom goes missing. She is rescued from this situation by Phineas Stone, an insurance investigator engaged in retrieving valuable gems.

Lucy’s journey of realisation about the true nature of her husband is delightfully told and although she repeatedly experiences set backs, as others use her for their own advancement, she remains determined to clear her name and rebuild her reputation and her life. Lucy’s character is nicely developed and the challenges faced by a young widow in the 1880s are well portrayed. The potential for romance between Lucy and Phineas is an underlying theme and provides scope for further interesting collaborations in future books.

There are plot twists, moments of suspense and some enjoyable humour. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, story and historical setting and look forward to reading more in this series

This was a genuine page turner. It was a well worked murder and heist mystery that saw a wife stick in a loveless marriage find out her husband was involved in stealing precious stones and then paid the price. As she uncovers the truth she is led into a web of betrayal from which she extricates herself with ingenuity. Throw in a love 8nterest who at one point is a rescuer at another a threat, then a chase scene at the end and you have a fulfill8ng read..

My first impression of this book is I hope this isn't your typical wife loses husband in a bad financial deal, family turns against her and her life falls apart. Well I was pleasantly surprised that No Stone Unturned was not that type of novel. Lucy Lawrence is a young women finding out her husband Charlie was in a terrible accident or was it an accident. As the events unfold we find out that Lucy and Charlie's marriage was all by happy. He could never keep them from being financially broke. Then the accident and the truth comes to light. After Lucy finds out that Charlie was supposed to be in Scotland and wasn't she meets Mr. Phineas Stone who Lucy automatically dislikes. Well we find out that Charlie had many secrets that Mr. Stone informed Lucy about. She then takes off to her family home to celebrate Christmas with her brother, sister in law and mother. Things seemed amiss with Lucy and her family when the family prized pearls have gone missing and her family accuse Lucy of the theft. She knew she shouldn't have trusted this family invitation. Lucy finds herself in deep trouble until Mr.. Stone gets her out of trouble, for the time being. You see Mr. Stone has found out that Lucy's brother is in financial trouble and he could possibly be involved in what happened to her husband. Lucy cannot believe what Mr. Stone is telling her until a Mr. Marsh makes an introduction to Lucy that things get out of control. With losing her home on the horizon and no family to turn to. Lucy and her trustful maid Mary embark on an adventure that could lead them into dangerous territory. Lucy must find out what Charlie was up to and how was her brother involved, even if what she finds out is truly upsetting.

I totally liked the character of Lucy. She was not your typical down on your luck character. She kept on going no matter what the danger was.She was losing everything and needed to find a way of changing things. Should she trust Mr. Stone. Is he really out to help Lucy out her predicament, or have her feelings for him or lack of clouding her judgement.

I love the strong female character in my mysteries, but I also like the pairing of Lucy and Phineas. Her determination in finding out the truth and trying to start her new life and him trying to protect her while not fully admitting that he has feelings for her. The back and forth between them is sure to bring many a fireworks between them. Especially when Lucy out smarts Mr. Stone, I was curious how he would react to her.

Since this is the first book in the series I was lucky enough to be approved for the next two books. So thank you Storm or the ARC'S. I hope that the other two are as good as this one. You all know I am a fan of twists and turns and this book has many. So again thank you NetGalley and Storm for the ARC. Thank you Ms. Lecky for giving me a new female character to explore. This is a book I would truly recommend to my fellow readers. Cannot wait to read more tales of Lucy Lawrence and hoping Mr. Phineas Stone is along for the ride.

This was a fairly enjoyable historical mystery set during the latter Victorian period. It was a bit slow at times, especially about half-way through, then it picked up. The characters are interesting and the two intertwined plots satisfying. I will probably read the second and third books in "The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries" series eventually, but not right away. The author has provided an obvious romantic path for her heroine if she avoids getting herself killed.

Lucy is a widow caught in a web of deceit that her late husband left behind. Phin is an insurance agent whose job is to find lost or stolen items. I will say that the beginning of the book seemed to drag quite a bit and was worried I would not be able to get through it. But a quarter of the way in I was so VERY glad I stuck with it. There is a lot of twists and turns, scary moments and sweet ones that kept my interest. I absolutely adored the discussion between Mother and Lucy ….hardly ever get an author willing to work that out, rather than leaving it to the reader’s imagination. Lucy was well written with her thoughts, emotions and fears and there were a few times I would have loved to have had a few minutes with her family! Phin is rather stoic, but it was delightful to see a growing warmth develop it him. This was a good story, my first time reading this author and will be back for the rest of the series

I received this story for free and these are my own opinions