The Tumbling Girl

I listened to the audio of this, and a round of applause please for the narrator who was spot on.

It was great fun.
The music hall setting just gives off slightly magical, slightly seedy vibes, that I'm definitely here for.
A fantastic cast of characters (Yes I did almost cheer to see its book one, implying there's a book 2)
Minnie and Albert will definitely become favourites with me, but the lesser characters were great too.
I even enjoyed the bad guy, who was a bit of a pantomime villain.
Cracking ending.
All very enjoyable

What an incredible listen, barely have I enjoyed a book quite as much. Granted it's pretty gruesome content, but presented with so much humour and such well rounded characters, it was easy to overlook the horror within the tale.
Beautifully written with warmth and well researched historical context, I really couldn't fault it in any way.
As for the narration, an absolutely faultless performance with completely believable characters.
This book will join my list of favourites and I cannot wait to discover more gems by Bridget Walsh.
A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for my advance copy of The Tumbling Girl.

Yes to this book. Big yes. It was fab and entertaining from the very beginning. I loved the vibes and atmosphere in this book, a perfect blend of historical fiction and detective drama mystery.

Albert and Minnie - two great characters to follow as they take you around Victorian London and all that comes with it.

With the variety palace music hall at its centre, when one of the girls goes missing, Minnie takes it upon herself (along with Albert of course - he doesn’t have much of a say in her involvement !) to find out what unfortunate circumstance befell her. As more bodies drop and threats start flying, it becomes all the more important to get to the bottom of it all…

I always looked forward to going back to this one and to uncover more bit by bit to find out how it was going to end. It was well written and effortless in its entertainment factor and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

I Loved the narration, demonstrated a great range of voices and had the working-class ones like Minnie down to a tee. Also had the intangible sense that she was enjoying what she was doing.

The failure of the authorities to investigate the death of a performer, Rose a young acrobat from the local variety theatre, merely chalking it down as a suicide is a clear indication of the attitudes prevalent at the time. Some would argue that for some, like prostitutes they are not much better this century. Friend Minnie and Rose’s mother are determined to prove that it was a case of murder, but what can two women do in this man’s world. They enlist the help of a private detective, in this case Albert is a true gentleman detective, a loner who reluctant to find Minnie inserting herself into his investigation. He’s a soft-hearted truth seeker with a lot to learn about backstage life but Minnie is the perfect guide and along the way they both learn important things about themselves and each other.

Albert comes from a family of wealth and influence. He proves to be a disappointment to them when he decides to be a policeman, prompting as much opprobrium for this choice as he might if he came from a family of crooks. After some years of service in the force, he leaves to become a consulting detective. From a business point of view, he is too much of a soft touch, failing to charge the going rate, so it is a good job he has private funds to fall back on. His housekeeper Mrs Burn helps to keep him focused as well as seeing to his household needs and giving advice and imparting wisdom. It is she who warns him about letting opportunities slip through his fingers.

Minnie is a kind-hearted young woman who hides it under tough carapace thanks to a torrid upbringing and formative years, that ultimately led to a life on stage. No longer performing herself, she writes material for other performers, such as songs and sketches, as well being an unpaid de facto second in command to ‘Tansie’ (Mr Tansford) the owner of the Variety Palace Theatre.

Being the first novel in a planned series there is a fair degree of scene setting and background to be absorbed, but much of this has been cleverly absorbed into the storyline. Here we discover the motivation behind Albert’s career choice and the reasons why Minnie ended up on the stage only to eventually give it up.

The setting in the variety theatre is a stroke of genius as it provides great opportunity to change the narrative flow with interludes. These shows were incredibly popular and offered true variety even dipping into the territory of the other contemporary entertainment of the circus freak show. So, a one-legged dancer and the Mexican boneless wonder can easily be incorporated into the bill and moments of great levity are provided by a true cheeky monkey.

The investigation is involved and quite twisty as suspects are eliminated. Naturally expect surprises, shocks and a little theatrical deception. A key aspect is a stanhope, a piece of jewellery that hides a viewer for an enclosed microscopic photograph of a loved one. A true piece of Victorian ingenuity.

The principal motivation is the exercise of power. Power that becomes drug like, with a bigger fixed needed each time, which means bigger risks, but also the smug sense of satisfaction knowing that you are going to get away with it.

The writing is upbeat and the story skips along nicely. The dialogue is great, with Minnie getting some fabulous cutting remarks in, I think it is this that makes it work so well as an audiobook.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bolinda for access to an audiobook copy in exchange for a fair review.

*A big thank-you to Bridget Walsh, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
Enjoyable historical fiction which has it all: likeable characters and villains, atmospheric presentation of London in the second half of the 19th century, the world of palaces of music and not only, and intresting intrigue which is solved by a duo likely to appear soon in Book 2. Add to this superb narration and you receive an audiobook that will keep your attention throughout. Highly recommended to fans of the genre.
I opted for five stars since this listen was what I was looking for at the particular moment and it never bored me. Plus, it is a promising debut!

The Tumbling Girl by Bridget Walsh is a fantastic book. I listened to the e-audiobook version, which is brilliantly narrated by Jasmine Blackborow.

It’s 1876 Victorian London. Rose Watkins, an acrobatic tumbler, is found hanged below the Adelphi Arches and the police are convinced it is suicide. Rose’s mother, Ida, and Rose’s best-friend Minnie Ward are convinced otherwise. So, they enlist the help of a private detective, Albert Easterbrook, to review the case.

Minnie is a former Music Hall performer and now works backstage as a scriptwriter in the Music Halls. As she is from the world in which Rose worked, she offers to assist Albert Easterbrook with his investigation and provide access to the world of Music Halls.

Rose and Albert move between the Variety Music Halls and London’s high society investigating Rose’s murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian detective story and I have to say that Rose and Albert have a great relationship and rapport. I really hope there are more books in this series and I’ll certainly be looking out for more books by Bridget Walsh in the future.

Huge thanks to the publishers, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley for making the e-audiobook available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.