I just wasn't a fan of this book's writing style. The text was very straightforward with little interpretation, subtext, or clues. The characters could be interesting but there didn't seem to be much emotion involved. Sarah talks about how she and Hugh are good friends, good enough to share accommodations, but it feels forced because I don't feel like there is any connection between them. Sarah is helping the butler take care of household chores and Hugh, who was of higher status before being disowned, and let him steamroll their concerns about food, money, or keeping a roof over their heads.

I believe the incident with her father (and her memories of his disappearance) had potential to be an interesting story on its own, but it was added to muddy the waters and make it less emotionally impactful.

Sarah and Hugh are immediately framed for murder in no surprise to anyone after they photographed the people the day before they were found dead. (I personally really dislike this trope.) It felt like there was too much going on, likely on purpose to make the reader feel the protagonist's feelings of pressure, but for me, it detracted from my experience. I DNF'd early in the book, probably at 1/3 way in or before.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Absolutely loved the fast paced book. Always been interested in Jack the Ripper, and Victorian era England. I would recommend this book (and the entire series) to anyone who wants to be transported back in time! I plan to get the entire series of books and read more from the author!

Hugh and Sarah’s detective agency isn’t pulling in a great deal of money, so they’ll take any case. As they follow the husband suspected of cheating they become too close to a murder of the same man. As they are trying to prove their innocent they are hired to find a young child and his kidnappers. The cases intertwine as they get closer to solving them.
Goodreads

RATING: 4 STARS
2018; Crooked Lane Books

Sarah Bain and her crew are back and are now running a detective agency. After solving the Ripper case, Sarah can go back to her studio. Since they cannot take credit for the Ripper or that it was even solved, they don't have any experience to back up their new venture. Sir Gerald Marine posts a generous reward for his kidnapped son to be found so the crew jumps at the chance to get the job. When Sir Gerald hires them, it is the only the start of their trouble.

I always worry after loving the first book in the series, if it will continue to have that magic...and this one did! The gang has a even tighter chemistry and banter now that they have been with one another for a bit. I love the way Fitzmorris fits in the series and keeps the trio calm and take care of them. Sarah and Constable Barrett are the cutest thing ever. Of course he does not like her getting involved in the dangerous cases, but does see that she is smart and capable. It will be interesting to see where they go.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

A Mortal Likeness is second in Laura Joh Rowland's Victorian Mysteries series. In the aftermath of the Ripper case, Miss Sarah Bain and Lord Hugh Staunton set up a detective agency. Cases are sparse, and funds sparser. While tracking an adulterous husband, the pair stumble upon evidence that may be of help regarding a prominent kidnapping case. When they take the information to Sir Gerald, father of the missing Robin Mariner, he hires them to investigate the possibility of the kidnapping being an inside job. There are stipulations to employment though- they must sign a confidentiality agreement and must move into Mariner House for the duration of the case. From the start, these conditions cause problems. Sarah ends up having to lie to her new fiance. Both have to lie to Mick, their young charge. He's too smart though, and tracks them down. Life at Mariner House is fraught with danger for the trio. The family and servants are hostile to questioning. Deadly accidents plague the investigators, and personal agendas begin to cloud their objectivity and drive a wedge between Sarah and Hugh, and between Sarah and her fiance. Can they solve Robin's kidnapping, and keep their relationships intact?

Ok, so this was my first foray into Rowland's Victorian Mysteries series. I didn't realise it at first. Mentions are made of the events in Ripper, enough that I got the gist of what happened. I do plan to read it soon! I want the full story. I love stories set in Victorian times, and this read didn't disappoint. The mystery itself was interesting, and called to mind the true kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. Sarah is a photographer, a profession fostered by her father before his disappearance, and she brings that talent to the investigation business. It was neat to learn about earlier photography. Rowland has a certain gift for bringing place to life. It's easy to immerse myself in her stories and feel as if I'm there. I adore her Sano Ichiro series set in feudal Japan.

I feel Sarah and Hugh both have a lot of growing up to do. There were times when Mick, the teen, seemed the adult of the group. This was probably due to him being a street kid and needing to grow up very fast. Hugh, on the other hand, lived a life of privilege until being disowned. Sarah seems in the middle of the two, personality-wise. There were still times I wanted to thwack her for her behaviour. The insistence that Hugh be objective regarding Tristan was ludicrous given her thoughts regarding Sir Gerald, or the times it felt like she was twisting evidence to fit certain people. Especially Tristan, which I feel was due to her fear that he would lure Hugh from their partnership. I'm looking forward to reading the first, and the next, in the series. Recommended for those who love mysteries and historical fiction!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for the Tulsa Book Review.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. I am loving these books and I can't wait to read the next one! I love Laura Joh Rowland's writing style and the mystery and the characters kept me engaged.

This was a fun murder mystery. I thought the protagonists were very unique. I thought the author did an excellent job in bringing Victorian England to life because it was very atmospheric and foggy. The only thing I did not like about this is that the mystery was predictable. Still, it was a fun ride! I look forward to the sequel! In the meantime, I plan to read the first novel in the series to get a better understanding of the characters.

A fantastic read and follow up to the first book in the series. I love the strong female lead, Sarah Bain, and how she has a profession - amateur photographer AND private investigator. A wonderful peek into late 19th century England, it's a satisfying mystery and a secondary mystery of sorts. Whodunit and where is Sarah's long missing father?

I really look forward to the next book in the series!!

Thank you to the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

published January 9th
I received a complimentary ARC copy of A Mortal Likeness (#Victorian #Mystery No.2) by Laura Joh Rowland from NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

A fast-paced, suspenseful whodunit set in Victorian England, A Mortal Likeness, will keep you on the edge of your seat. I read and reviewed book one, The Ripper’s Shadow last year and found this one to be just as enjoyable.

In this story, we join photographer Sarah Bain and the disgraced Lord Hugh Staunton after the fallout of solving the Jack the Ripper case. Hugh, short on cash after being disowned by his wealthy family persuades Sarah to open a detective agency. With funds running low they are at the mercy of whichever cases fall in their lap. While working on a case investigating a philandering husband, they are thrust into a high-profile case which although paying well will throw them into peril at every turn.

The wealthy and influential Gerald Mariner frustrated with the lack of progress by the police in solving the kidnapping of his son Robin Mariner hires them to solve the crime. Broke and in need of cash they accept the case but Sir Mariner has one caveat, they are to tell no one they are working on the case. Although Hugh is nonplussed about it, Sarah is uncomfortable lying to her police constable lover who has been assigned to the case. There also may be connections to Sarah’s supposedly dead father whom she sees in the background of some surveillance photos she’s taken. Sir Gerald, is convinced that the kidnapping is an inside job and invites them to stay on his estate to investigate. With emotions running high and a killer under the same roof, they are met with hostility and distrust. To make matters worse the other officer on the case had his career damaged on the Jack the Ripper case, partly thanks to Sarah and Hugh, has a vendetta against them and will not rest until he can pin the kidnapping on them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists, turns which lead up to a surprising but very satisfying ending. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery.

I love Victorian mysteries, but unfortunately found this one disappointing, to say the least. I did want to know whodunit so read to the end despite misgivings. It wasn’t the plot that bothered me as much as the first person present tense and that there weren’t many likable, relatable characters, if any at all. There was something off about the language also. I think I would have liked it more if it was written from Sir Hugh’s point of view (in the past tense).

This was enjoyable for the most part. The characters were good, if not feeling wholly complete, and I managed to follow the story despite this being the second book in the series. Victorian London felt real, but I 'fell out' of it on occasion with some of the dialogue - would Victorian characters say 'what the hell?' or 'the jig's up'? It felt a bit Americanised, although the former (police inspector) is more likely than the latter, which felt a bit 1920s mobster, rather than Victorian street urchin.

The mystery was good, with a slightly startling wrap-up, but the main characters Sarah and Hugh, on only their second case as detectives, spent a lot of time up to then accusing everyone of kidnapping and murdering the baby they were hired to find. As you need to suspend your disbelief in fiction (to a degree), it was a bit difficult to believe that they would be hired by someone as wealthy and influential as Sir Gerald.

Regardless, it did pick up after a bit of a slow start and I would read the next in the series now that I know the characters. The story itself was good and there was plenty of action and deaths. Sarah is also a bit too 'modern' for the story at times, but I do like the secondary mystery thread of her wanting to find her father and I will be interested to see what the author does with this.

A Mortal Likeness is the second book in the Victorian Mystery series. I have not yet read the first book, The Ripper's Shadow, but was easily able to follow the plot and characters in this story. So, it isn't necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this newest book in this series. There are references to the first book, however. I very much enjoyed this book, so I'm going to backtrack and read The Ripper's Shadow.

Sarah Bain is a photographer and a detective. Sarah is hired by Sir Gerald Mariner to find his infant son, Robin. Sir Gerald says the boy has been kidnapped, but the case turns out to be much more complex than a child abduction. As Sarah and her partner investigate the baby's disappearance, some secrets from Sarah's past complicate things. The story moves at a nice pace and builds suspense. Some nice twists and turns definitely kept my interest for the entire story. There is also some character development for Sarah in this newest book, along with a bit of romantic tension as well.

The cover art is excellent! The cover is what first got my attention and made me want to read this book. :)

I'm going to read The Ripper's Shadow now! I like the characters in this series, and can't wait to read the next book!

Sarah Joh Rowland is also the author of the Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte series and the Sano Ichiro series.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

-Joh Rowland covers 1889 London through the kidnap-murder of a toddler. Sarah, photographer, and her gay friend Lord John are surveying a couple near the Crystal Palace in order to photograph adultery when they get caught up in the search for the missing toddler. The father of the toddler hires them to solve the crime and they travel to the Mariner estate to investigate. Family conspirators, false charges, confusion. Whodunit?

A fast paced historical mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing. The story has a bevy of possible suspects, each with their own possible motives and means. I constantly thought I knew who it was, only to change my mind a few pages later. The story takes place in Victorian London and Rowland does a great job of pulling you in and setting the scene without being overly descriptive. Although this is the second book in the series it works well enough as a standalone and I was able to catch on fairy quickly to what had happened in the first book.

3 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in a series, but is a stand-alone mystery. You don't have to have read the first book (which I haven't) to enjoy this book. This was a fairly entertaining murder mystery.

Sarah Bain is a photographer and amateur detective in Victorian London. Her partner is Hugh, a disgraced Lord that was shunned by his family for being gay. While following a cheating husband Sarah and Hugh find themselves in the middle of a high profiled child kidnapping case. The powerful and wealthy father of the kidnapped child hires Sarah and Hugh to investigate his family, much to the displeasure of the local police.

This was an ok book. Sarah tended to jump to a lot of conclusions and although she thinks of herself as a savvy person, tended to be easily mislead by the multitude of suspects in the case. The book had a lot of false leads and red herrings, but the ending made sense and was pretty good.

Photographer Sarah Bain and her friend Hugh Staunton are eager to get their newly formed private inquiry agency off the ground but so far they haven’t had much success and realize that they need to find a means to provide for themselves before they are out on the streets.

A fortuitous turn of events will have them working on a child abduction case for one of the wealthiest families in London. If they can get the child back safe and sound surely their services will be sought after but Sir Gerald Mariner has a confidentiality clause that won’t make this easy for the team. Still they take on the case and move into the Mariner mansion to learn about the family and all events leading up to the kidnapping.

The Mariners and those working for them all have secrets they want to maintain and the pair quickly find themselves at odds with everyone. Despite a few “accidents” Sarah and Hugh persevere in their sleuthing but being so close to the family will even put them at odds with each other and their friendship is even at risk.

So not only is Sarah uncomfortable with her feelings toward Sir Gerald but she’s had to lie to her boyfriend, police constable Tom Barrett. Will Tom forgive her for taking on another case that will pit her against Tom’s boss?

This sequel to The Ripper’s Shadow is a good follow up and once again we visit with great characters like Mick, the young street urchin, who has formed strong bonds with Sarah and Hugh. Sarah also is finding more clues about her own family’s past which should be interesting to explore in the next installment. While I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, sometimes I did feel like our main character acted and thought a bit too “modern” for her time but I’ll be curious to see what she does next.

I did enjoy this book. It is very well written.
I have not read the first book but I had no issues just jumping into this one.

Perfect for those who love Historical Mystery novels.

A Mortal Likeness (Victorian Mystery #2) by Laura Joh Rowland is a book set back in the late 1870's and is book two in the series. While I didn't read the first book it found the story easy to follow, very fast paced and has a strong female lead.

Sara Bain's photography business is no more, and Lord Hugh and Mick have teamed up with her to form a detective agency. Clients are in short supply, and Sara and her crew getting involved in a kidnapping while following a wayward husband. They move to the elegant home of a wealthy man to find out who kidnapped his son, and everyone has a secret to hide. All of the occupants is not above killing someone to keep the secrets undercover. Several violent events follow, and as a reader I was never sure whodunit. The author moved me around like a chess piece on a board, first believing that this one did and suddenly, getting another piece of the puzzle which changed my mind completely. All of the characters were well drawn and their motivations to be involved discovered as Lord Hugh, Sara and Mick pursued the killer. In this second novel, there is more emotional development of Sara, Mick and Lord Hugh which was a welcome addition to the characters. Complex plots and well developed characters make for a great read!. Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.