For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th century elite in this gripping series of riveting mysteries…
In Gilded Age New York, heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter investigate crimes that take them from the slums of Five Points in lower Manhattan to the Fifth Avenue mansions of society's elite. In the late nineteenth century, women are particularly vulnerable . . .
LET THE DEAD KEEP THEIR SECRETS
Childbirth can be dangerous even for the wealthy. So when opera singer Claire Buchanan shows Prudence and Geoffrey a postmortem cabinet photograph of her deceased twin sister and newborn niece, they express sadness but not surprise. The popular black-bordered portraits are the era's way of coping with the devastating losses that plague every family. What makes this death different is that Claire is convinced Catherine and her child were murdered.
Prudence's friend is haunted by a sense of her sister's lingering presence, and by the conviction that her dead twin is demanding justice. Catherine's widower, Aaron Sorensen, is a cold, controlling man who swiftly remarried. Now his second wife is already pregnant and may be in terrible danger. In order to discover the truth and find evidence of Sorensen's guilt, Geoffrey will delve deep into his past while Prudence casts herself as his next victim—putting her own life at grave risk . . .
Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets is the third Gilded Age mystery by Rosemary Simpson. Released 27th Nov 2018 by Kensington, it's 304 pages and available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Though this is the 3rd installment, it works perfectly well as a standalone. Necessary background info is provided. There are a few minor spoilers from earlier books in the series, so be aware of that if reading them out of order.
I really enjoy historical mysteries. This is a well written series with generally believable characters. The realities of life during the time period, even for the wealthy who had access to better living conditions, are stark.
The female lead character, Prudence, is intelligent and resourceful. The interplay between her and her partner is deftly written. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop over the course of the book.
There are some prominent themes in the book which may not be appropriate to all audiences. Obviously it's a cozy murder mystery, but the murders include some fairly graphic infanticide and maternal deaths. The plot also involves some coerced drug abuse, physical abuse, and gambling. The primary antagonist is a towering stereotype and I spent most of the book hoping he'd get his just deserts.
Enjoyable read. Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
