I was excited to see a new historical mystery series from this author. I really enjoyed the bow street duchess mystery series. This has a unique premise with the main characters being a morgue assistant and a Scotland Yard detective. Great mystery with a potential for romance in the future.

I’ve been wishing for a compelling new series and this is it!

One of the more believable elements of that book is that Jasper doesn’t automatically accept Leo’s non-traditional, societal defying behavior, and he struggles to accept it. But he respects her and her intelligence, even if he finds her capriciousness frustrating.

It was a race to the end that left me wanting to know more not only about their personal mysteries but also how their relationship will evolve. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

P.S. For the cat lovers out there, the author artfully includes cats.


Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

I devoured Cara Devlin's fantastic Bow Street Duchess series last year, and when I saw this book was the start of a new series, I knew I absolutely had to read it. Once again, we are treated to a smart and unconventional heroine and an honorable yet sexy hero. Together, they team up to solve a dark, twisty mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

There's just something about Victorian
London, with its gas lights and fog filled streets that make an amazing backdrop
for murder. It doesn't get any more perfect than that, and this was a particularly well plotted mystery. There were plenty of unexpected twists and turns that made Shadow at the Morgue a true page turner.

I loved the banter between Leo and Jasper! If you like slow-burn, you'll definitely
enjoy it in this book. Overall, this
was so very enjoyable! I can't wait for the next book, and I'm really looking forward to the building romance in this series.

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

while i ended up having to dnf this book at 60%, it was definitely a me problem and not the books fault

the writing was easy to read and i quite liked the characters, leo was very charming and jasper seemed interesting, but unfortunately i just didn't find the plot intriguing

the mystery felt very slow and there was a lack of tension that made it hard for me to feel motivated to ever pick this book up, which meant it took me a month to make it halfway through, and i just don't have it in me to spend another month reading this book

all that being said i can see the potential in this author and may try her other books, this one just wasn't the one for me unfortunately

I have been starting a lot of murder mysteries lately that start with so many people, it is hard to keep track and the mystery is halfway through the book. This book is not like that. It had me hooked from page one. This is the first book by this author I have read and will now look forward to more in this series—the characters were well-written and very engaging. The mystery kept you guessing but let you think you may have worked it out. I found once I started I couldn’t put it down. This is a series I will put everything down when I get the next book. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review

I really wanted to like this book. It sounded dark, mysterious, and the setting had a perfect description! I just couldn't get into it. I couldn't care about the characters or wanting to know what happens next. Great premise, but it wasn't for me.

This one was just okay for me. I liked the still-yet-to-figure-it-out romance between Leo and Jasper. I liked the mystery and story. But it wasn’t really intriguing or interesting. Interesting, yes, but not REALLY interesting. I wanted to know what happened next but not in-a-way like I gotta know NOW. Towards the end it did get more intriguing, but it was still just an okay read for me. There was no language or any other regrettable activities that some may not like to have in their reading, so I will recommend to everyone who likes a mystery and crime. Thank you to #NetGalley, the author, and publishers for opportunity to read #ShadowAtTheMorgue with my honest thoughts and insights.

The Victorian age is one of my favorite settings, there was no way I could pass this book up. Not to mention, the cover just screams this will be the start of a fantastic series. Leo helps out her uncle in the morgue even though she’s not meant to as a woman. One night, someone robs the morgue and locks her in a closet. When she’s found by Jasper, the case really gets afoot. They find out another death is connected to the robbery and something larger is looming, a mystery they must work together to solve before it’s too late.

This is my first time reading Cara Devlin’s work and I’m highly pleased. This was a mystery which kept my interest and I had no idea how everything was going to end. Leo is strong and smart, despite the troubles she’s faced in the past. Jasper is the same as well, both of them have past trauma to work through. Leo is super helpful in solving the case with her photographic memory, but Jasper is constantly telling her to stay away. Still, they work together to solve this mystery.

The one part I can’t quite par out is if Jasper likes Leo or not. There were a few lines when I thought it might be true, but he was having dinner with other women. I would continue this series to see more of Devlin’s crafted mysteries and maybe if there’s any type of romance which would occur between Leo and Jasper.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sharing a review copy with me!

Thank you to the publisher for a book review copy!
I was hooked. at the start of this book. This isn’t just a book about the morgue—it’s a deep dive into a world where science, humanity, and the stark reality of death intersect in the most unexpected ways. As someone who’s always been fascinated by the hidden stories behind every life and every death, I found this book to be nothing short of transformative.

I reviewed this book on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7285676074 (I LOVED IT)

I’ve been seeing Cara Devlin’s other series around for a while and hearing wonderful things so I had to take the opportunity to check out her new series. Wow. I am so sad I’ve waited this long to read her books. This was exactly what I hoped for. Mysterious, smart, wonderfully curated historical setting and a slow burn we will be hoping for in books to come. So many questions are still circulating and makes it feel like an old school urban fantasy. Need book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and to BooksGoSocial for the ARC of Shadow at the Morgue by Cara Devlin,

I just recently starting reading Devlin's works, and am now on the third of her Bow Street Duchess mysteries. Shadow at the Morgue appears to be at the same time period as Bow Street Duchess, but is focused more on the "working class" characters and their perceptions of the same London.

Leo, a woman in her mid-twenties with an eidetic memory, helps her elderly uncle in the morgue. She has spent the past 16 years in his and her aunt's care, but both their health is beginning to suffer and Leo is not sure what paths she has ahead in her life as an unmarried woman should her uncle's tremors be discovered and he be removed from his role in the morgue.

Jasper Reid is a few years older than Leo, and the two were nearly raised as siblings 16-years-ago when Leo's family was brutally murdered and the police inspector that briefly took her in also took in Jasper off the streets.

It is through their connection with the ailing Inspector, a father figure to them both, that Jasper and Leo remain connected. She at the morgue and him an inspector on his own now. Their relationship is strained for a variety of reasons, but their love for the Inspector is one of the strongest parts of each of their lives and of the secrets hidden in their past.

When Leo is held at knifepoint and a body at the morgue is robbed of its personal items, Leo and Jasper embark on a mission to track down the item, only to have more bodies and mystery pile onto them along the way.

This is a really fun, entertaining opening mystery for a series, and the take on members from outside the ton gives a fun new perspective to the time period. I wish the mystery had a bit harder to solve in this one, I think I figured out who the villains were around 50% in, but I think there is enough surrounding mystery on the pasts of both Leo and Jasper to strengthen this series moving forward as well as whatever mystery they encounter next.

A well-researched, tightly plotted historical mystery!

There is something about Victorian London’s fog filled streets that make them the perfect backdrop for murder and skullduggery.

Cara Devlin is a master of the historical mystery, and her mastery of the genre is clearly visible in this book. The various twists and turns were perfectly plotted, and I was kept guessing till the end.

The book introduces several interesting characters including a likeable lead pair. I really liked both Leonora and Jasper and was intrigued by the unsolved tragedy in her past – a clear foreshadowing for future books.

So why only 4 stars? Because the Amateur Detective Curse struck again in the latter half of this book. This is a variation of the Too-Stupid-to-Live curse that affects so many female characters in mysteries and thrillers.

What would you, gentle reader, do if you think you have found the location of an evil-doer? I hope for your sake the answer is a) leave the location asap and call the authorities. Unfortunately, in a worrying number of cases, the Amateur Detective chooses d) walk into said location with no backup and no word given to friends/family. Which leaves most sensible readers rage-yelling at their books/e-book readers to the annoyance/ concern of friends, family and random strangers (depending on where the reader is at that moment).

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all opinions expressed are my own. This is the first entry in a new series and boy does it kick off with a bang. Leo was the only survivor when the rest of her family was killed when she was a child. The reason behind the murders and the culprits remain a mystery to this day. Jasper was adopted as a young teen by Inspector Reid and has followed in his footsteps to become a detective at Scotland Yard. His origins were murky and he has spent the years hiding it from everyone. Although the two iften rub each other wrong way, they are unitedin their love for Inspector read who has cancer and not much time yet. When someone breaks into the morgue where Leo is working, the two become uneasy partners to solve the crime.

The mystery in this book was very well done with twists and turns that kpt me guessing. The chemistry between the two is explosive if only they could recognize it. I love the setup around an overarching mystery about the murder of Leo's family. I have a theory that I'm curious to see if pans out. Luckily book two comes out in March so not too long of wait for book 2.

A new mystery series by this author was one I could not wait to read! I usually listen to audible and intent to once a few more in are published but this is one you do not want to miss!

Lenora is an interesting character that helps her uncle at his morgue and has a photographic memory (would be nice!) She gets involved in a murder and new detective Jasper Reid would like nothing more than to leave her out.

But she is a help and there is a journey with a lot of characters and red herrings that will keep you reading until the end!

What a delight this was, first in the series and am looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Leo is an unconventional character who is suppressed by the times she lives in, a rebellious , strong willed hot headed but dedicated individual, whilst Jasper is her complete opposite a more conventional character, a man's man an unlikely duo.

An intriguing entaining historical mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed.

One of the best historical cozies I have ever read! This was my first book by Cara Devlin, but it won't be my last. I loved the idea of a historical cozy that features a strong heroine in a nontraditional occupation and has an unapologetic manner.

Leo (Leonora) Spencer assists her uncle in the morgue. She is interrupted on evening by an unexpected intruder who locks her in a closet bring back traumatic memories from her past. She is rescued by Inspector Jasper Reid, the son of the policeman who rescued her on evening long ago. Jasper was adopted by the same policeman, Gregory Reid, who saved Leo many years ago. They have known each other since children. They both are fighting demons from their pasts and as well as an attraction to each other.

The intruder at the morgue leads them to a murder (or more) and lots of twists and turns and intrigue. The story never slows down. It had me from the first page.

I loved the characters of both Leo and Jasper. Leo's spunk and determination to be her own woman and use her brains, although she is attractive as well. Jasper hides his affection for Leo behind a gruff, exasperated by the book demeanor, While the book does wrap up this case it leaves Leo & Jasper's personal struggles ongoing for the next installment. The next book cannot come soon enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

Leonora Spencer, haunted by her family’s unsolved murder and now assisting her uncle in his London morgue, is drawn into danger when a thief steals a locket from a corpse, leaving valuable jewels behind. Determined to uncover the truth, she teams up with Detective Inspector Jasper Reid, a former street orphan determined to prove his worth at Scotland Yard, despite his reluctance to involve Leo in his investigation. As they unravel a deadly blackmail plot tied to the locket, suspicious deaths, and a powerful secret, they find themselves hunted by a killer intent on keeping the past buried.

I’ve seen this author’s books before, though this is my first time reading any of her works. Historical mysteries are some of my favorite genres to read and I’m always eager to find a new author to follow. Leonora Spencer was an interesting heroine to follow. We get hints at her backstory through the narrative, making a reader eager to know the truth. Jasper Reid was an equally interesting character, though his broodiness annoyed me quickly.

These two are presented as friends. I think. It was hard to pin down if they had really been childhood friends, given their connection with Jasper’s adopted Inspector father, or if circumstances had simply thrown them together. They certainly didn’t treat each other like friends, since they argued over EVERYTHING. And I was more sympathetic to Jasper’s view of things and was annoyed with Leonora.

Overall, the mystery was an interesting one. It is a bit dark so some might find it difficult to read. I think readers who have enjoyed the author’s previous works or simply enjoy an atmospheric, darker mystery may enjoy this one.

Startling events at the morgue!

A series of seemingly unrelated deaths come to the attention of Leonora Spencer and Detective Inspector Jasper Reid. A young woman has been crushed beneath the wheels of an omnibus, a necklace she wore is missing, a gunshot victim connected to a gang, the East Rips, turns up, and a missing man who ends up as a dead John Doe in the morgue.
Adding to the chaos is the undeniable fact that Leo’s aunt is suffering deteriorating mental fitness. Leo’s assists her uncle the coroner, supposedly typing reports. He is beginning to be not as steady as he once was. More and more her uncle is forced to leave her by herself to close incisions and tidy up the morgue before leaving. If discovered he and she would have their employment terminated.
When Leo is attacked in the morgue and articles belonging to the body she’s finishing up on are taken how is that going to be covered up. Who would break into a morgue and why?
The answers will reveal more corruption in high places.
On the personal side there’s Reid’s relationship with Miss Constance Hayes to consider. Mmm!
An excellent chronicle of Spencer and Reid!

An ARC via the author and NetGalley.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Having devoured Cara Devlin's entire Bow Street Duchess series at a breakneck pace last year, I should have expected this book would feature yet again a bold, unconventional heroine, an honorable and competence-is-sexy hero, a dark, twisty mystery plot, and the slowest, burniest of slow burns. I was excited for the beginning of this new series, and it did not disappoint. I am a huge fan of these characters (I too am shocked that Jasper Reid could replace Hugh Marsden in my heart, believe me) and am eagerly awaiting the next adventure! March can't come soon enough.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley; opinions are my own.