First time reading this author wont be the last. Reminded me a bit like Night of the Museum and Sherlock Holmes rolled into one

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Allison & Busby, in return for an honest review. While the fifth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. If you like solid stories with strong male & female protagonists, you should really like this historical series and its latest installment. Abigail is a leading archeologist and Daniel is a former Scotland Yard Inspector in 1896 London. They now are partners, both personal and professional, and have a private detective business. Somehow, they’ve ended up in the right (wrong?) place at the right time at various museums around England when a murder is committed. This time, they’re at the British Museum, Natural History, to investigate the smashing of a set of dinosaur bones when a body is discovered. Working with their friend, Inspector Feather, they investigate the vandalism, the murder and links to possible other murders. There’s a great cast of possible villains and the story is well paced and well written. Mr. Eldridge’s experience in writing is evident and his attention to details, including real people and interesting bits of history like the American ‘Bone Wars’, ensures this book moves the story and does it well. I’m looking forward to the next in this series!

This is the fifth book in the Museum Mystery series but it can be read as a stand alone. The book begins with Daniel and Abigail investigating the destruction of a dinosaur skeleton, possibly linked to the American "Bone Wars", soon there's a murdered man to investigate as well. The plot was fast paced with a variety of suspects. I appreciate that Danial and Abigail's relationship progresses in each book, I love that we learn more of Daniel's back story in this installment. I was kept on my toes trying to decide who the murderer was and I was definitely surprised in the end.
An excellent addition to this must read series for fans of historical mysteries!

1Martin Paul
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Murder at the Fitzwilliam by Jim Eldridge
Murder at the Fitzwilliam (Museum Mysteries, #1)
by Jim Eldridge
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Read in May 2018
I recently entered an historical detective phase and have devoured, among many others Imogen Robertson, Antonia Hodgson, A J Mackenzie and ES Thomson. All good reads. All featuring a him and her partnership, and drawn into a series of adventures. As such Jim Eldridge's Museum Murders series fits in perfectly. (Mostly) fast moving, not too complicated and enough clues for the reader to at least make a stab a whodunnit.

The slant here is that he hero worked on the Jack The Ripper case, and has moved on to try and distance himself from it and make his own name. The characters are lightly fleshed out and do develop as the series continues, which will probably keep me coming back for more.

In this latest episode, we see Daniel and Abigail investigate the vandalising of a dinosaur skeleton, and learning of the Bone Wars. On one level this book follows the same formulas and structure of the previous ones. So don't expect much new, but it's another rollicking ride, enjoyable and includes an appearance by Bram Stoker. The writing is well paced, the tone more or less of the period, and the repartee between Daniel and Abigail, while not on par with Imogen Robertson's Crowther and Westerman, carries on nicely.

Fans of the previous books (like me) will enjoy the latest adventure.

This series is a favourite and I throughly enjoyed this instalment that I think is one the best in this series.
The story is plotted and well crafted, the characters well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
It's gripping and entertaining and I liked the main plot and the subplot. The end came as a surprise and was exciting and gripping.
Can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The books in this series continue to impress. Mr. Wilson and Miss Fenton are such interesting and complex characters. At times I find myself a bit irritated with them proving just how engaging they are. The supporting characters and the setting are just as engaging and the action keeps you wondering what will happen next.

I really enjoyed this victorian crime caper. I've read the 2nd book in this series before and enjoyed this one just as much as that one. The writing was done well and it had a nice balance between quick-paced and enough detail. I thought the crime was not too far fetched or ridiculous that it wasn't believable. A solid and enjoyable mystery!

This book was absolutely delightful! I am a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle, so reading the description was an immediate draw for me . Officer Dan Wilson , who worked on the Jack the Ripper case, and his work and life partner , archeologist Abigail Fenton are hired by the Museum of Natural History to find out who damaged a dinosaur bone exhibit. While there, a body is discovered wrapped up of a museum attendant by none other than Bram Stoker. Rest of story is basically a whodunnit . Even Oscar Wilde pops up. With the 1890 s setting any Conan Doyle fan will enjoy.

Thank you Allison & Busby along with NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my review.
I loved this book! I think that author is spot on in his writing and I personally super enjoy stories set during this late 1800 time period, and since I am a museum nut this hits all the points for me. This continues the Daniel Wilson, Abigail McKenzie collaboration. The couple are now living together (in sin!) and together they are solving cases and have been dubbed "The Museum Detectives." Here we have lots going on. We have a new dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History Museum which is mysteriously vandalized one day. A day later we have the death of one of the Museum Attendants also by the dinosaur exhibit. Are these cases related, Daniel and Abigail are already investigating the vandalism and are now drawn into the murder. Also involved in the case are Oscar Wilde who is in prison serving his sodomy conviction, and Bram Stoker who is a theater manager. We have a bit of the illegal "gay" characters, along with blackmailers, multiple unexplained prior deaths and a host of issues that Scotland Yard wants solved ASAP. Good dialogue, very good plot and lots of action. This is the 2nd book of the series that I have read and I give it a hearty thumbs up to all mystery readers. Top Notch effort!!

This thrilling and satisfying period mystery series has another winner! Readers will thoroughly enjoy the new story (fifth in the series) and the deepening character development of our favorite team - the "Museum Detectives" - former Scotland Yard detective Daniel and the intrepid archaeologist Abigail. What an ingenious idea for a series, and how well written it is! The research for the time period and the wonderful array of real life museums is excellent. The series will make the reader want to go directly to these famous museums, as well as dig into the mysteries.

In this new entry, the Museum Detectives have a mystery to solve at the Natural History Museum in London, with interesting detail on the fossil "Bone Wars," the fascinating addition of several famous characters from the period - Bram Stoker of "Dracula" fame, actor Henry Irving, actress Ellen Terry, and even references to the infamous Oscar Wilde trial. Readers will benefit from all of the fascinating information about the museum, the history behind fossil discoveries, as well as the delightful connections to the London theater. Throw in a puzzling mystery or two, and the result is perfectly satisfying!

This reader certainly hopes author Jim Eldridge will not run out of museums anytime soon! Every new story is a cause for celebration! A winning series! A must-have series for fiction collections and mystery collections.

An enjoyable addition to the series, a good plot, plenty of interesting characters, some well known figures from the period even make an appearance, flows easily with lots of action and set in a museum, what more could you ask for.
A thoroughly good read!

This is the second book of the series I have read and it won't be the last.

Daniel Wilson and his partner Abigail Fenton are private investigators, known to the public as the Museum Detectives. They are called to the Natural History Museum to investigate the vandalism of a new dinosaur skeleton. Whilst they are investigating the vandalism, a body is discovered tied to another dinosaur found by no other than Bram Stoker.

This is a classic murder mystery set in the late 1800's, it has some great characters and this story features some special appearances! I was kept guessing all the way through and until the killer was revealed! I absolutely loved it and I will be looking out for more work from Jim Elridge!

Thank you to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Jim Eldridge has done it again, another excellent murder mystery.
The infamous 'Museum Detectives' Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are employed to investigate the destruction of a dinosaur fossil at the Natural History Museum but quickly become embroiled in a murder investigation that puts their own lives in jeopardy.
What I really enjoyed about this book is the weaving in of real historical characters and events.
Thoroughly enjoyed and hoping for many more.

Thanks to NetGalley & Allison & Busby for the chance to read this before it comes out in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read all this series, but I have read the first one, so I was introduced to the characters previously.
This is a great continuation in the overall arc, I love books set in the 1800's before any kind of technology came along. Everything is done in an old fashioned way, making it more enjoyable for me.
There was plenty of character development throughout, and it made me excited for the next instalment, and indeed to read backwards to catch up on the previous cases.
I did feel that it was a quick and action packed ending, and that there could have been a bit more action in the mid-section to even things out a little, which is the only reason I've not rated it 5 stars.
I loved the inclusion of real people that were alive during that time, it added to the whole adventure of the case.
This series and this book is a massive must for any fans of historical fiction.

This is 5th in the Museum Detectives series but like the rest can read as a standalone. I love the mix of murder, history and interesting real life characters woven into the plot. This time around we have murder, dinosaurs and Bram Stoker. And they all tie together in one historically interesting mystery. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is the first book I have read by this author a and whilst I realise now it is mid way through a series it is easy to read as a stand-alone novel. The atmosphere created of late 19th century England was very good and the characters well researched and full developed. It was a very enjoyable crime novel and I will definitely be continuing to read books by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy.

This is a good addition to this series, although I haven't read all of them. The author does a nice job of putting readers in the 1800s, and includes some action to help keep it moving and engaging. The characters are fun and the dialog is well written too. Recommended for historical mystery fans.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at the Natural History Museum as I found the combination of detecting, murder, and the museum location to be intriguing. Daniel and Abigail are fascinating characters, being very unconventional for the time and the secondary characters are very well done. The museum setting is one of my favorite parts, the plethora of motives that can flourish in these institutions is fascinating, particularly in the time period. This was my introduction to the series but I have now caught up and have enjoyed all of the adventures of the Museum Detectives. I look forward to future books!

Murder at the Natural History Museum is the fifth book in the Museum Mysteries series by Jim Eldridge and it is another well written, easy read historical crime novel.

All the main characters are well fleshed out and easily identifiable whilst the supporting ones are also well sketched out.

The crime or crimes are well described with the book moving along at a good pace.

This is a very enjoyable series and a book that is highly recommended

I've enjoyed this series from the very start and the author continues to delight and surprise the reader with a cleverly thought-out mystery, ever-developing characters and crisp, enjoyable writing.
In Murder at the Natural History Museum we have another enthralling mystery that's very relevant to its setting. We meet some new 'good guys' and 'bad guys', all very convincing and rounded and never stereotypes.
We learn more about Daniel's background in this novel, which is interesting and adds even more to his intriguing complexity.
Atmospheric settings and attention to historical detail give a vivid sense of place and time.
Can't wait till the next museum mystery!

This is a great crime novel taking place in London in 1895. The Natural History Museum is having a special dinosaur exhibit. When they find a dinosaur has been turned into a pile of bones, the new director, Evelyn Scott, calls in the "Museum Detectives", Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton. The museum has also had a threatening letter from a company claiming they didn't buy the bones from the company they promised. The next morning, Bram Stoker, business manager of the Lyceum theater, finds a dead man wrapped up in cloth. Daniel and Abigail soon determine that the company sending the letter about buying the bones was trying to raise money falsely, and the bones problem was not related to the murder.

The murdered man is Raymond Simpson, who was a museum attendant. Raymond had previously worked at the Lyceum and at a nice restaurant, and had testified at the Oscar Wilde trial. It turns out that he was also blackmailing several people, making for lots of possible suspects. Two museum trustees, Mr. Radley and Mr. Turner were also present in the museum, and manage to become suspects. Working with Inspector John Feather, Daniel and Abigail at first have several suspects for the murder, including a third trustee. They gradually figure several suspects are innocent. In the process of solving the murder, they also figure out that the death of the former museum director was murder (although the police had determined it wasn't). In the process, they put themselves in grave danger from the murderers before capturing them.

This is a very good story with great suspense.

Daniel and Abigail are a team of private investigators in 1890s London. This was my first exposure to the Museum Detectives series, and at first, I wasn't sure I'd like the book because I'm not a big fan of historical mysteries. But this one is written with a modern tone and fast pace that was easy to follow. Topics such as homosexuality and the unmarried main characters living together were included, even though both were taboo at the time.

I learned a lot, in addition to enjoying the mystery. I was intrigued by the realistic descriptions of life in Victorian London, including the impact of coal-burning, workhouses, and various modes of transportation. When I read of the main characters boarding a double decker bus, I was taken aback. Surely double-deckers were not present before the advent of the automobile? Well, I looked it up and learned that "horsebus" did indeed exist! The mystery was also enhanced by the addition of real-life ancillary characters such as Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and Sir Henry Irving. I learned a bit more about each of them as I read the book. All of this led to a very richly enhanced story that will stick with me for awhile. I'm definitely going to seek out additional books in this series.

I love reading crime/mystery thrillers even though of late I’ve shifted my focus to other genres. Thus, when NetGalley offered its readers an opportunity to read Murder at the Natural Museum (Allison & Busby; Pub Date: 20 August 2020) I didn’t hesitate to ask for it. The book’s title and blurb suggested that it would be an enthralling read. It certainly didn’t disappoint me, from the very start.

Murder at the Natural History Museum by Jim Eldridge is a historical whodunnit set in 1895 with the famous museum as the backdrop. It follows the investigative adventures of Daniel Wilson, a former Scotland Yard inspector famed for his involvement in the Jack the Ripper case, and renowned archaeologist Abigail Fenton as they go about probing their latest case.

Dubbed the ‘Museum Detectives’, they are asked by the Natural History Museum’s curator to probe an act of vandalism to a dinosaur skeleton on display in the museum. Who did this seems clear as the perpetrator left an ominous note of retribution if his demands are not met. But even before the detectives could get on with the case, a museum attendant is found dead in an anteroom. Scotland Yard’s Inspector Feather, a friend of Wilson, is called in to investigate the murder but his job is not made easier with a demanding boss, the much disliked and feared ‘Super’ Armstrong.

Wilson and Fenton inevitably found themselves involved with the murder case, in which, as it turns out, several respectable personalities are suspected by association: some museum trustees and the Lyceum Theatre’s infamous manager who found the body. Wilson and Fenton, with their ingenious sleuthing, manage to crack the case for Scotland Yard but not before several more dead bodies were discovered. And in the process, they solve other seemingly accidental deaths as well.

Author Jim Eldridge does a really good job with a credible and entertaining storyline which gets more complex as it progresses. Characters are well fleshed out. Even the famous Oscar Wilde is cleverly weaved into the plot.

I certainly didn’t find a dull moment in reading each page as there’s always a heightened sense of anticipating what’s going to happen next as I turn the page.

I’m happy to recommend this book by giving it a 5-star rating. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC eBook to read in exchange for a fair review.

This was a pleasant mystery with a great setting. This time around the Museum Detectives have been called in to find out who has vandalised a dinosaur skeleton. One crime seems to lead to another and pretty soon there is murder to investigate too. While the setting and plot were really good, the detectives themselves came off as surprisingly bland which made the story slow going at times. I did enjoy it overall so I'm giving it 4 stars. I also want to give a shout out to the cover artist. The cover is what attracted me to the book in the first place. Good job.

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for allowing me to read and review this book. This is my first time reading a book by Jim Eldridge and what an introduction for me! I very rarely finish a book in just a day, but I literally could not put this one down.

Daniel and Abigail, 2 private investigators, are investigating the criminal damage of a skeleton at the Natural History Museum when events take a more sinister turn and a body is found in the museum, prompting a new and dark twist for the investigation.

The character development in the book was really strong and I found it easy to keep track of what was happening throughout the book, which I can usually find a bit difficult in crime novels.

I found it exciting throughout and I liked that every character had their 'secrets' or were disappearing, as it kept you guessing and wanting to know more.

Highly recommend and I will definitely be looking for more of Jim Eldridge's work.

I love historical mysteries and this one is fun.
Dinosaurs, fossils and wicked trustees
Lovely characters, quirky plot
Ace

extortion, murder, private-investigators, law-enforcement, Victorian London

I am new to this series but I never felt lost because of it. All the characters have an air of reality about them that makes the story more enjoyable. The involvement of dinosaur fossils and Bram Stoker as well as Oscar Wilde and the laws of the time help make this more grounded. The mysteries pile up along with the red herrings. A very good read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Allison & Busby via NetGalley. Thank you!

Murder at the Natural History Museum is the fifth book in Jim Eldridge’s Museum Mysteries series. I read the first one in the series, Mystery at the Fitzwilliam, but then jumped straight to this latest one without reading the others in the series. As I suspected, it adds to the enjoyment of this novel to have read the first book in the series but it isn’t essential. Similarly, there are minor references to events that, presumably, happened in Murder at the British Museum but they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

I won’t repeat the publisher’s synopsis of the story but I shall add that the plot involves several of the Museum’s trustees and I wish I’d paid more attention to them at the outset. There are a lot of characters in the cast list – museum staff; their families, neighbours and shopkeepers; assorted villains – and I did lose track of who was who once or twice. That’s not a complaint, just a reflection of my casual approach. I expected the book to be a quick read that didn’t require much effort. It could be read like that but I would have enjoyed it more if I had slowed down and concentrated – definitely my loss.

A feature of the Museum Mysteries is the period detail. Eldridge inserts real-life people such as Bram Stoker and Ellen Terry into the narrative; and mentioning detail such as their age or references to real-life events add to the feeling that we are there. Oscar Wilde makes an appearance and I thought Eldridge handled this brilliantly. This is not a fleeting glimpse of a famous person at a public event where there is no real interaction with the characters in our novel and we feel the author is just name-dropping. In this book, we see Oscar Wilde in prison, gaunt and ill. He’s worried about Constance and the children. He has a meaningful dialogue with “our” characters that is about “our” murder. I’ll say it again: that episode is brilliant.

#MurderattheNaturalHistoryMuseum #NetGalley

This is the fifth book in the museum detective series, but the first I have read, However, it can be read as a stand-alone, and arriving late to this series did not spoil my enjoyment of this particular instalment.

The book is set in Victorian London, and focuses on a series of crimes linked to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. The detectives, a former policeman who worked on the Jack the Ripper case and a female, Oxbridge educated Egyptologist, who are partners both personally and professionally, are a joy to meet and get to know. In fact all of the characters are well drawn, well characterised and are truly brought to life by the author. The descriptions of Victorian London are also excellent and the book has a firm sense of place throughout.

I found it genuinely difficult to put this book down. It is fast paced and pushed me, as a reader, to finish the book as quickly as possible, because I wanted to know who had committed the various crimes, and the conclusion was genuinely satisfying.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, I am a lover of historical crime books, was born and bred in London and know the Natural History Museum very well, so I may be biased. However, I think this Book would appeal to a variety of readers.

Having read and enjoyed this book, I will now read the other books in the series and hope there will be further books to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for a copy of this book in return for a honest review.

Who vandalized the iguanodon exhibit at the Natural History Museum and why? Those are the questions ex-Scotland Yard detective Daniel Wilson and his partner archeologist Abagail Fenton are called in to answer. It's 1895 and there's a lot going on in the museum world, in part because dinosaur bones have become, shall we say, collectable. Little did they expect that a body would turn up. What did the attendant know? What does Bram Stoker have to do with all of this? No spoilers from me but this has a nice sense of time and place. I've only read one of the books in this series, making it more or less a standalone for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are good, the setting fun, and the mystery just twisty and compact enough to make for a good day's read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical mysteries.

Murder at the Natural History Museum is the 5th in a series but can be read as a stand alone. It is the first in the series that I have read and I will definitely be going back and reading the others!

The book begins with "Museum Detectives" Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton called to the Natural History Museum to investigate the vandalism of the iguanodon exhibit. Daniel is ex-Scotland Yard and Abigail is an archaeologist. The story takes place at the end of the 19th century, when dinosaur bones have become "the rage" and numerous companies from the US have begun "marketing" the bones to European museums. Unfortunately, not long after Daniel and Abigail are called into the case a body turns up in the museum and they begin to wonder if the murder is related to the act of vandalism.

Well-known characters of the era appear in the story - Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, HG Wells and George Bernard Shaw to name a few - all adding to the realism of time and place. All of the characters are well-developed and bring the story to life.

As Daniel and Abigail investigate the murder, they soon discover connections between the dead man, several trustees of the museum, the trial of Oscar Wilde, and yes, the dinosaur bones.

This story has many twists and turns, and many threads excellently woven together. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end, making you want to read the book in one setting -- highly recommended!

Murder at the Natural History Museum is the fifth book in Jim Eldridge's Museum Mysteries series. I haven't read books one through four and there was absolutely no confusion in the storyline; it completely stands alone. It's a fun and breezy mystery that makes me interested in going back and finding out how our hero and heroine became known as the Museum Detectives.

Daniel Wilson - a former Scotland Yard Inspector who was involved in the Jack the Ripper case - and Abigail Fenton - a renowned archaeologist - are both professional as well as personal partners. They are asked to investigate the deliberate damage to a fossil at the Natural History Museum. It is believed the "Bone Wars" for fossils in the United States may have made its way to Britain. However, after a museum attendant is found murdered in an anteroom, they begin to think a lot more is going on. Aided by Inspector Feather of Scotland Yard, they begin their investigation into murder and blackmail.

This was an exciting mystery set in Victorian London. Daniel and Abigail actually live together without the benefit of marriage, which was rare in that period. I really liked their relationship; they appear settled and ready to marry, but are still discovering new things about each other. The murder discovered in the museum was only one of the mysteries being investigated in this installment of the series. There are some red herrings thrown in to make matters more complex. My favorite thing about this story, however, is the inclusion of two characters who actually existed: Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde! They were more complex than I ever knew and cinched my enjoyment of this book. Bring on the next museum mystery!

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.

In this fifth installment of Jim Eldridge's "Museum Mysteries" series, we find archaeologist Abigail Fenton and P.I. Daniel Wilson--partners in detection and in life--investigating not a death, but the vandalism of a dinosaur skeleton in London's Natural History Museum. True to form, however, a murder is soon discovered at the museum, launching Abigail and Daniel into a twisty mystery involving London's elite, blackmail, and one of the most dangerous situations the pair have found themselves in up to this point.

I think this is my favorite installment in the series. One of the aspects of these books I have really enjoyed is the historical and factual information given throughout the story--in this case, around dinosaurs, fossils, and archaeological digs. It makes for an interesting read and it is clear that Eldridge has spent time researching, which I love. In this story in particular, I loved the introduction of real-life historical figures as characters. Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde figure prominently in this one, as well as some others. As a reader, these details made the read more fun and if this series continues, I would love to see this happen more. As far as the mystery went, this one kept me guessing primarily because of the sheer number of angles and suspects, but it wasn't overwhelming at all. I had an inkling of who the culprit might be as the story went on, but because of the various red herrings, I was never completely sure. There were moments throughout the story where the dialogue felt a little flat, or were assumptions were made that felt out of nowhere, but this didn't happen enough to really bother me.

I rated this 4/5 because while I was not blown away by the story and it fell into a predictable pattern like its predecessors, I really liked many aspects of this story and I feel the characters of Abigail and Daniel have grown since this first book. If you love mysteries, mystery series, stories in Victorian England...I definitely recommend! Plus, the concept is cool: an archaeologist and a private investigator solving museum mysteries in Victorian England--what's not to like?

1895 Partners Daniel Wilson, ex-Scotland Yard detective, and Abigail Fenton, archaeologist are called in by Miss Evelyn Scott, Curator of the Natural History Museum when shattered bones of an iguanodon exhibit are discovered. But the next day the body of one of the museum attendants is discovered.
What could be the motive, who is the guilty party. The partners investigate with the help of Inspector
John Feathers.
An enjoyable well-written Victorian Mystery, with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to the series.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s August 1895 in London when Abigail and Daniel are called in to determine who bludgeoned an iguanodon dinosaur fossil. The remains were found with a cryptic note, “Because of he that betrayeth”. But the next morning, a man is found strangled in the same location with another note around his neck, “The price of treason”. Now, Abigail and Daniel must solve both vandalism and a Murder at the Natural History Museum.

I adored the use of real historic personages as suspects. And who knew Bram Stoker was red-haired! Oscar Wilde’s trial and conviction, for what was considered indecent behavior at the time, is a prominent part of the book. The tight one-hour timeframe for the murder and the numerous red herrings make the Murder at the Natural History Museum a perfect case for armchair detectives. It’s a jolly good time! 4 stars!

Thanks to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The latest installment in the Museum Mysteries series takes place in and around the Natural History Museum. Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say this book stays true to form and I enjoyed it immensely. The characters are well-developed and the pace of the book never lags. A thoroughly enjoyable read! Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC in order to review.

An enjoyable read. I have read three of the previous Museum Mysteries, and they have all been enjoyable. Long may the series continue. As an avid reader of historical mystery books, I am rather hard to please and am somewhat intolerant of infractions in terms of anachronisms and historical inaccuracies of all types, but these books pass muster all round! At the risk of some political incorrectness or other, I'm sure that this is due to the Author being neither American nor young!

Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton, the euphemistic 'Museum Detectives' have another case on. This is an interesting specialism for a detective agency in the usual run of things because one might wonder how many crimes take place in the average museum that would require the services of an enquiry agent. This aside, the story is a good read and the mystery has twists, turns and red herrings enough to keep even the most exactly mystery fan interested.

The main protagonists are very likeable, though their relationship leads to the only anachronistic aspect of these books. Abigail and Daniel are 'courting' but also living together as man and wife. In the mores of the day this would brand Abigail as no better than she should be and ostracised from all but the lowest levels of society, but everyone else around them seems to accept this as perfectly normal. This strikes a most unrealistic note, while almost everything else seems quite correct for the period. This aspect of their relationship was used in an attempt to discredit them in a previous book but even then, it was no more than a damp squib.

In terms of social politics of the time, the book blows hot and cold. The writer is quite definite and correct about the differences in perception and treatment by the establishment between the rich and the poor in a generic sense, or more accurately, between the upper and lower classes, but he then seems to become a little confused when it comes to gender. I am all for strong female characters but it is unlikely that, even in an era where the current monarch was a woman, one would come across quite as many strong women as this story seems to imply. All the female characters in this story come across as having much more strength and moral fibre than the male characters. One might believe this if the story were contemporaneous with today, but set in the repressive Victorian era???

The book successfully mixed real and fictional characters and events to form an enjoyable romp. This being said, the relationships between the central recurring characters are somewhat hackneyed for this genre, but not to the detriment of of book. We have the competent main detective, his faithful sidekick, the friendly detective from the official police force, the unfriendly detective from the police force, the tame reporter and the reliable forensic medico (although the last two do not make an appearance in this book).

One thing I would stay stood out and was a tad wearing for the number of times it occurred. All the characters seemed to be most sceptical and critical of the detectives' methods - even the detectives themselves! Take this example of a typical piece of dialog -

Detective: 'I will have to investigate this witness's story to see if my theory is correct'

2nd character: 'But you might be wrong'

Detective: 'I might be, yes, but I still need to check'

2nd character: ''Yes but what if you are wrong?'

Detective: 'If I'm wrong I will try a different line of enquiry'

2nd Character: 'But you will have wasted all this time'

Detective: 'I might do, yes, but I still need to check'

2nd character: 'Yes but what if you are wrong?...'

... and so on. This typical exchange went on so many times that I began to wonder how any of these characters thought detective work was done if not by asking questions and testing theories. Even the detectives themselves questioned each other in the same way, as if this were not the standard way of going about detective work. It both exasperated me and made me laugh by turns. Abigail Fenton herself had her own way of interpolating the same type of interrogation whenever Daniel expounded a theory

Daniel: 'I don't think XXX is guilty'

Abigail: 'Is this your policeman's instinct again?'

Daniel: 'If you want to call it that, but my experience says 'no''

Abigail: 'Has your policeman's nose ever been wrong?'

Daniel: 'Yes, but hopefully not this time'

This attitude of hers seems paradoxical, since she clearly respects him as an ex-Scotland Yard detective of many years standing and long experience, but she then constantly questions exactly the virtues she seems to extol. It seems an odd way to behave to me, especially when one can palpably imagine the cynically raised eyebrow as she questions him, as though she places no faith in his 'policeman's nose' at all. It say's a lot for Daniel's nature that he has not called her out about it as yet.

Another of Abigail's paradoxical tendencies is that she has accepted Daniel as a paramour despite the differences in their social status, yet whenever he mentions incidents from his less affluent childhood, she barks at him that that is all in the past and he has left that life behind him. As if a man's past can be shucked as easily as that.

For all their human failings though, the characters are likeable and the story enjoyable. I look forward to the next one, although our intrepid detectives may need to expand overseas to keep themselves in museum work. I'm not sure how many more notable ones there are left in England.

I had the opportunity to read and review this book for Netgalley. In short, I’d love to read all the previous installments in the series. The main characters are new additions to my favourite characters circle. Welcome.

If you thought that museums are wonderful but quiet, dusty and boring places where nothing exciting happens, think again. You can’t even imagine to what length people would go and what they would be willing to do to secure a place on trustee committee or position of curator or… contract to deliver bones and fossils.

A very unorthodox (for Victorian times) pair of detectives: male and female for that matter (and living together ‘in sin’, my oh, my) – Abigail Stoker and Daniel Wilson come on the scene to investigate seemingly harmpless incident, destruction of the exhibit… But the case takes unexpected twist becoming a murder investigation which, in turn, drags many more secrets, misdeeds and outright crimes that surround Natural History Museum.

I loved the pair. I want to be their friend. And I definitely want to be invited to the wedding. Abigail and Daniel are surrounded by many colourful characters. Amazingly, police detectives and constables are not thick, short-sighted and purely stupid here as in most Victorian-times cozy mysteries (or not all of them).

Villains are big, pompous, titled and overbearing. Women are scheming, intelligent and fearless. Reader gets a very unexpected, unorthodox picture of Victorian London and its elite, a very unexpected.

Real-life personalities and celebrities are… just that.. real people. Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Bernard Shaw and many more… Reading this book felt like watching Midnight in Paris but set in 19th century London.

Mystery and suspense a plenty. Readers is entertained along the way with many sub-plots, back stories and descriptions. But they all are in the right place and at the right time.

Given that this is fifth installment, reader is getting only glimpses of the previous adventures. However, this book reads well on its own.

Overall, I enjoyed the read for characters and sprinkling of real-life personalities and celebrities. This book made me search far and wide for Oscar Wilde works and biographies.

My had is off for the author and his creation. 5 stars.