In the eerie stillness of a moonlit night, a ravenkeeper is brutally murdered outside the Tower of London. The only potential witness, his daughter, missing...
Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Field has few clues to follow but is determined to prove his quick rise through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police wasn’t simply because of his last name. Yet when the ravenkeeper’s daughter is found, the case becomes even more complicated.
Discovering the frightened, disheveled girl on her doorstep is a shocking start to widow Amelia Greystone’s day. So is the inspector assigned to the case—the same one who has yet to solve her husband’s murder.
Soon the investigation takes a dangerous turn that rouses fear of the legend surrounding the Tower’s ravens and threatens the Queen herself.
Can the unlikely pair protect the newly orphaned girl and halt the killer before he strikes again?
Fans of Irina Shapiro, Andrea Penrose, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke will enjoy this mystery series set on the dark streets of Victorian London.
Review:
Solid start to a new series–and a new direction for the author!
The Ravenkeeper’s Daughter is a Victorian murder mystery that introduces us to Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Field and widow/journalist/amateur scientist Amelia Greystone. There’s no romance in this book–yet!–but it’s clear that the two of them are developing some kind of feelings as the book (and their relationship) progresses.
There’s a nice blend of mystery and suspense here, with a bit of history and British lore (I loved all the lore about the Tower ravens, and found out that “Beefeaters” don’t appreciate the nickname–who knew?) sprinkled in. There’s a nice amount of danger here for our protagonists and the little girl they are taking care of–fingers crossed we get to see Maeve again as the series continues!–and I really enjoyed watching Henry and Amelia work together to try to solve the mystery of who committed the murders and why.
This is the second book I’ve read recently that was a genre shift to Victorian mystery by an author who usually writes Regency romance, and I’m not at all mad about it–I really enjoyed both books and eagerly look forward to more!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.