I received a copy of this book in return for my independent and honest opinion.
This is a historical crime, set in Victorian Scotland. One of my favourite periods of history.
I have loved David Ashton"'s McLevy on Radio 4 and was really looking toward to this new series featuring Jean Brash his so called 'Mistress'. Jean Brash is the owner of a High Class brothel, and she spreads her talents into amateur sleuth.
One of her regular clients, Judge Abetcrombe is discovered dead in a compromised position in her basement.! To prevent a possible scandal, Jean decides to investigate this case herself, whilst trying to keep McLevy out of it.
I loved the authentic Victorian atmosphere and the believable cast of characters.
The plot is well written and showcases how excellent an author David Ashton is. Jean Brash herself is a well formed extrovert character,which bodes well for the series. I admire sassy Victorian women who stand by their principles and are not afraid of the men in their lives.
The reason why I rated this only 3.5* is the strong Scottish prose which I found slowed down the flow for me, especially where letters were missing either at the beginning or ends of words.
I believe I would have enjoyed this so much more in audio format. This way I can relax and listen to a narrator tackling the language.
This is a must for those who have been following Inspector McLevy. It promises to be an excellent series. Hope it is going to be available on audible for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy which I found difficult to read.
However,thanks to my local library....
I came to the books after hearing the BBC radio programmes and do not find them as easy to take.Is this to do with the writing style or simply that the actors were so well-chosen that only by hearing their voices do the characters in the book come alive for me?
The book is atmospheric and, as an Edinburgher in exile, I appreciate the accurate depiction of the city and its people.
Jean is as feisty, McLevy as thrawn as ever but do the sparks really fly in this?
Decent plot, well-drawn minor characters but not top-notch