Prudence doesn't; believe what she's told about the death of her fiancé Charles. This is a well done historical mystery set in Gilded Age New York. It's highly atmospheric and the characters are wonderful.

What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson is a 2017 Kensington Publication.

When a record breaking spring blizzard hits New York, Prudence Mackenzie’s fiancé, Charles, was one the weather’s casualties, or so it would seem. His death, upends Prudence entire future, as the provisions and dictates in her father’s carefully worded last will and testament, which depended upon Prudence’s marriage to Charles, became null and void. This puts Prudence in a very awkward and vulnerable situation- as well a dangerous one.

Convinced that Charles met with foul play, Prudence seeks advice from Charles's best friend, Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent, to help her root out the truth. But, Prudence soon finds herself in the midst of a diabolical plot where her very sanity is at stake. Can she prove Charles was murdered, protect her inheritance and overcome her own personal demons before it is too late?

This first book in the “Gilded Age Mystery Series’, sets the stage for what should be a fascinating series. Set in the Gilded Age, where women were very much at the mercy of men, Prudence exhibits a great deal of grit and pluck, circumventing traditional female roles quite cleverly. She is a most interesting amateur sleuth, coping with a malady that takes great will power to control. While this was a bigger issue than many know, during this era, the mention of Prudence’s struggles, while a big part of the story, it is at times given more prominence than the mystery. I am interested to know if this will be an ongoing battle in future installments, though.

Other than that, the historical details are quite vivid,detailing the great blizzard of 1888, and the atmosphere is thick with sinister tension. The irony of the how everything comes together in the end is well played. The whodunit is quite apparent, as is the motive, but this doesn’t in any way hamper the suspense. The danger is palpable and builds to a taut crescendo!! This is definitely my kind of historical crime novel!!

The foundation is neatly set and will leave readers as eager for the next installment as I am!

I liked the setup for this novel but the characters and plot just fell flat for me. There is no real mystery involved because the villains are known from the start. The characters were all somewhat underdeveloped and the plot didn't have any interesting twists.

New to me author but I can't wait to read the next one in this series and I really enjoyed this one.

It's 1888 and there is a blizzard going on outside and Prudence is worried about her intended as he is out in the horrible weather. She gets word that her fiance had perished in the snow and that it was an accident. Or was it? 

Prudence has never liked her stepmother and she is starting to think something is not right with her. She is warned not to take any more lauden from her stepmother or anything they she might give her. Is Victoria trying to get rid of Prudence, did she have something to do with her father's death, to Charles? When she finds out about the new will and how her father thought she would be married and cared for and that the will puts her in the hands of her stepmother, she starts to wonder. Victoria her stepmother pretty much gets all the money until Prudence turns thirty which is a ways off but she could get it all if something happens to Prudence. 

Prudence meets one of Charles friends and finds out that they had a signal for each other to let the other know if they were in trouble. An ace of spades and when Geoffrey finds out his friend was found with the ace in his hands he knows something is not right. Prudence and Geoffrey start looking into things and find out some things about her father that she didn't want to know but it also explains why he married Victoria. 

I really like Prudence, she is pretty independent and spunky. She knows something is off because her stepmother has gotten rid of pretty much everything her father had, especially papers. Prudence and her father were close and he left her hints as he wasn't all dumb and knew Prudence would be able to figure out some hiding places.  We really don't get to know Charles but he sounded like he was a good guy and I felt bad for Prudence. I do like Geoffrey, he is an ex pinkerton agent turned lawyer and so he knows how to find things out. They would make a great couple! :) 

Great start to a new series and I can't wait to get the next one to find out what kind of trouble Prudence and Geoffrey get into!

What secrets are the evil step-mother and uncle hiding? What would make an upstanding judge marry such a woman. Prudence and Geoffrey are going to find out.
Goodreads

I tried to really like this book, it had all of the trappings of being a great read but failed to resonate with me. The writing was decent but the characters were just okay and the writing at times dragged.

This is an exciting find of a new series that kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The plot is engaging and moves along at a quick pace. Although we know who the "bad guys" are from the very beginning, it is seeing how the story unravels and the dangers our plucky heroine, Prudence, faces that make this book such a gem. The supporting characters are well developed, and the tension is delicious throughout, building to the last 50 pages, when I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed every page and I have already put the next installment on my "to read" list.

Rosemary Simpson has begun an excellent new mystery series!! Simpson has skillfully described the challenges faced especially by wealthy women almost one hundred years before the women's liberation movement began. A wealthy young women's complete dependence on the men in her life is painfully clear for Prudence MacKenzie. That dependence makes her determination to become her own woman particularly impressive. However, her struggles become a background theme as the various mysteries and her interactions with characters from all levels of society unfold. There are enough mysteries and complicated relationships to keep the reader fully engaged and guessing until the final resolutions are skillfully woven together. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!!!! Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing the eARC for this outstanding new addition to the historical mystery genre!!

Prudence was raised in a very privileged and wealthy environment. Her father a respected judge, and after her mother's death when she was nine, raised solely by him. Trained to notice things other young ladies in her circumstances were not, she was given an education usually afforded to men. The year is 1888, her father has now died, the widow he married three years preciously much to Prudence's dismay, her guardian until the marriage her father approved of takes place. The historic snowstorm will direly change her plans and place Prudence in danger.

I really enjoyed this rather old fashioned mystery. The time period was interesting, the characters equally so. No serial killers but plenty of adventure and danger. Enjoyed the spunky Prudence who will do anything to uncover the conspiracy of her fiancée death and the mysterious underpinnings of her father's will and his marriage to a much younger wife. A true to life lawyer, an ex Pinkerton agent and an old style crook will aid her in her discoveries. Not flashy, no alternate storylines, just good plain old writing and a wonderful evokes atmosphere. Can't begin to tell you how refreshing this was.

ARC from Netgalley..

This was a lot of fun to read, very Gothic in feel. I really liked that there was a strong female protagonist that still fit correctly into the time period.

"What the Dead Leave Behind" is a historical novel set in 1888 in New York City. It's not really mystery genre since it's pretty obvious who the bad guys are. Even the main characters felt certain they knew whodunit and were attempting to prove it. Also, the reader gets to see things (including the murders) that the hero and heroine never see and some of which they never discover.

Some suspense was created by the repeated attempts to harm or kill the heroine. However, the author included so much historical detail that the pacing was too slow to sustain a feeling of suspense. The slower pacing and attention to detail will appeal to fans of historical novels (though I noticed a couple details I suspect are inaccurate).

The characters were interesting, and the hero was gallant and generally clever. But the main characters were slow to make some obvious connections and ask some important questions of people who would have been happy to answer. The heroine assumed things rather than re-assessed what she knew based on new information.

She also kept telling herself that her step-mother underestimated her, but I felt like the heroine overestimated herself. She had potential, but she didn't act logically or even consistently. She panicked at one point and forgot something vital that had just happened that could help her. A few scenes later, she somehow located a weapon she didn't know existed and acted heroically. So...does she fall apart easily under stress or think clearly and act decisively when under threat? Sometimes she acts one way and sometimes the other.

The author would shift point of view in the middle of a paragraph and sometimes jumped in time in a way that left me briefly confused. At the end, the bad guys weren't handed over to the courts (though they were stopped). There was a brief (homosexual) sex scene. There was some bad language.

What The Dead Leave Behind is the first book in the Gilded Age Mystery series.

I have to say that I consider this book one of the best that I have recently read.

The book starts on March 12, 1888, with a devastating blizzard bearing down on New York City and centers around the death of Charles Winwood.

Prudence MacKenzie is to wed Winwood in two weeks and is expecting Winwood to call on her in the evening with marriage settlement documents that she needs to sign in accordance with her father’s will.

The devastating storm had begun to cripple NYC and businesses and shops are closing early, as Winwood, Roscoe Conkling, lawyer and long-time friend of the MacKenzie’s, and William Sulzer set out for their lodgings. But the next day the body of Winwood is found sitting on a bench and death has been attributed to the snow storm.

As the story continues it becomes clear that Prudence’s stepmother, Victoria, has been dosing her with laudanum so that there is a question of her sanity so that she can get her hands on Prudence’s inheritance. So, Prudence with the help Conkling and Geoffrey Hunter, a PI and former Pinkerton agent set out to find out just who this Victoria is and what she had on Prudence father to get him to marry her.

A well-plotted and very interesting story with a wonderful cast of believable characters.

Will be watching for the next book to see what Prudence and Geoffrey will be investigating next.

Thanks Kensington Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Some leeway should be given being that this is the first in the series and a debut author. The danger and malice are never far from the heroine. Will sher outsmart the villains? A tale of good vs evil

When her father marries again, she's not really surprised. He's still young enough to want a woman in his life. But why did he pick the one he did?

Kensington Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 25th.

Prudence has her wedding coming up and is looking forward to being married. She might not love him but he is her friend and has been since childhood. When a blizzard shows up and he dies in the storm, she's stunned. Her father died earlier. The doctor says it was heart failure. She's suspects her new stepmother may have helped that long. After all, she's been doctoring Prudence with laudanum. What did she use on her father?

This story moves along slowly and gave me more detail than I needed. When she finds that her future husband died with a card in his hand it means nothing to her. But it means a lot to his best friend. It means it was no accident. Together, they work on the case. Prudence learned a lot from her father and Geoffrey used to be a Pinkerton agent. They are making progress but Prudence is finding things out about her father that she wishes she didn't know. He was bought off on a few cases because he needed the money to care for her mother whom he loved deeply. He quit after her death.

Prudence has to sneak around to look for evidence. Doors are locked and she has to find hidden keys. The Judge has left her clues hidden in secret places. All the old help has been let go and anyone who helps her gets hurt or dies. Prudence is in danger but she refuses to give up.

I found it fitting that those who flaunted the law and didn't abide by it were killed by men following the same rules. Things were covered too well to prove murder but murder was done. And now the murderers have paid...

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

From the book description "As the Great Blizzard of 1888 cripples the vast machinery that is New York City, heiress Prudence MacKenzie sits anxiously within her palatial Fifth Avenue home waiting for her fiancé’s safe return."

An intricate tale of murder and greed set in 1888 New York City. Well written with wonderful period descriptionset.

3☆

A nicely done historical mystery of the Gilded Age, featuring a strong and determined heroine. Prudence MacKenzie has lost both her father and fiance and finds her life and inheritance controlled by a stepmother she never warmed to. Before long, she realizes it is more than dislike at work -- Prudence suspects her stepmother of having a hand in both deaths. With the help of her late fiance's best friend, Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton operative, she tries to uncover the truth and any evidence that might discredit the fortune hunting widow of her father.

The narrative moves along at a brisk pace, with well-fleshed out characters and nice historical detail. I look forward to watching this series develop. The relationship between the two main characters is surprisingly equal given the era.

I was given an ARC of this book via Net Galley in return for my honest review.

Prudence McKenzie is no weak, shrinking violet even though the death of her father left her grief stricken. Now with the death of her fiancé she should be devastated but she is more concerned with her stepmother’s attempts to ply her with laudanum. Prudence knows Victoria’s after her father’s money but at what cost? What disturbs her more, is why her father married Victoria in the first place? An event as big as a blizzard and as small as a playing card will be the turning point which will seal the path that young Prudence will set out on. With help from her deceased fiancée’s friend and a beloved family friend, Prudence hopes to bring Victoria’s true face to the society Victoria covets.

The practice of caregivers overstepping their bounds is a well-known fact that is often told in tales of the late 19th, early 20th centuries and let’s face it, 21st too. Women often found themselves the victims to be legally removed from the picture by schemers. Simpson takes the theme and turns it around by giving Prudence a mind and steely disposition to take matters into her own hands. Filled with plot twists, nasty characters and a few heroes this book has some surprising turns that many mystery lovers will not be able to predict. I was often surprised by the direction Simpson took her story. I hope we get to read more of Prudence’s adventures.

What the Dead Leave Behind begins during the Blizzard of 1888 in New York City. I was immediately drawn into the story as the main protagonist Prudence MacKenzie is anxiously awaiting word that her fiance has made it safely home. Prudence has just recently lost her father and is looking forward to leaving her step mother who she dislikes greatly (for good reason) behind by marrying Charles Linwood. Her father has put provisions in his will that state that as long as Prudence and Charles marry she gets the bulk of the estate including the family home. Of course all does not go as planned and Prudence discovers her stepmother, Victoria is even more terrible than she imagined.

We know right off the bat that Victoria is behind much of what happens. The real mystery here is figuring out how and also how and why some of the supporting characters are involved. Along with Victoria, there is also Victoria's brother, Donald Morley, the new maid Francis Barstow, the new butler Obedia Jackson, and the local crime boss Billy McGlory. There are several elements at play here and sorting it all out was a good deal of the fun of reading this mystery.

There are a few slow parts in the book and things were repeated a few times that I thought didn't need to be, but overall this was a very good read. I really liked the way things ended. Obviously this is intended to be the beginning of a series, and while this would be a fine stand-alone, I'm not opposed to starting another mystery series. I'll be looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Kensington Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously did not want to put this book down, even for a minute! Ms Simpson had me turning pages as fast as I was turning thoughts in my mind as to what was going to happen next! Stunning & brilliant portrayal of how little in control women actually had over their own selves, back in the 1800's. Using the actual New York blizzard to add authenticity made the book even more realistic! Kudos to Rosemary Simpson on this engrossing mystery!

Set during the Great Blizzard of 1888 in Old New York, this is a good historical mystery. Prudence MacKenzie is waiting for her fiancé, Charles, to return. Unfortunately, his body is found the next day. His cause of death is listed as a tree branch falling on his head, but Prudence and Geoffrey Hunter (Charles' best friend) think it was murder. This is the story of an investigation that involves murder, blackmail and an evil stepmother. Rosemary Simpson has written a good debut mystery full of historical intrigue.