A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed the first two novels in this series. However, I did not find this as compelling as the previous novels. The reason for this may be the setting. It was too dark and gritty for my taste. The mystery was predictable. I could see the killer miles away. Overall, it was still a fun fast-paced mystery, and I’m still interested in reading the next installment. It just was not as enjoyable as the first two.

Thanks Kensington Books and netgalley for this ARC.

This one was not my favorite in the series. I still enjoyed it but it was a little too far fetched almost.

Lilly Long is on her third assignment for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. This one is personal. She is answering a plea from a friend who is in great danger. The Hells Half-Acre in Fort Worth is a very dangerous place. The danger here is very real. Again Cade McShane is her partner. There is a lot more backstory about Cade and we meet his sister who helps on this case and some of his other siblings. This case pulls at the heart strings as they work to change a place that is full of corruption . At the end of the case Lilly is having second thoughts about being a detective while Cade is getting more and more comfortable being her partner.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Lilly long, and her fellow Pinkerton Andrew Cadence "Cade" McShane are on a case dealing with prostitution, and children being abused. Receiving a letter from her friend Lenora "Nora" Nash, Lilly is sent to the wild west. Outside of Ft. Worth Texas (In 1881) there is a place called Hell's Half Acre. This parcel of land has many places of business, but is home to some parlors that house women of the evening. I will admit this book was hard to get threw at some points. The subject matter is something that I don't ever like talking about. I admit that I can not fathom why a woman would want or have the need to sell her body. It was this topic that I felt was a little sad for me. The author has used the term dove for these women, and that made it lighter than I was first expecting. This matter of prostitution was handled well. This is a historical mystery, and the contents seemed accurate for the time period featured. The author also brought out the character of Bonnie. Bonnie is a woman who wants out of her current situation. That is a great way to tackle this issue. With madam's like Velvet and ladies like Bonnie, you really get an idea for what it would of been like for these girls of that area at that time. I felt the inclusion of Erin McShane as the character to aid in the cover story of the (new madam) was a great plot device from the imagination of the author. I would think that in a modern scope of the term prostitution would have a slightly different look. This is a tough book to write out all my thoughts. I found myself hoping that it would all turn out okay. Well after the rough and tumble, and guns going off; things wrapped up pleasantly at the end. One thing that leaves me wondering is, will Lilly and Cade form a closer relationship? Will Lilly continue being a Pinkerton?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Pinkerton agents Lilly Long and Cade McShane are back in MURDER WILL SPEAK (published April 24, 2018 by Kensington Publishing Corporation). In the third installment of the Lilly Long Mystery Series, Lilly and Cade travel to Fort Worth, Texas, on a job that is personal to Lilly. One of Lilly’s friends from her acting days recently moved to Texas as a mail-order bride. Instead of getting married and settling into a new life, Nora Nash was forced into prostitution. Nora managed to contact Lilly and ask her to come help her, and the other women and children who are working in the brothels in Hell’s Half Acre. Lilly, Cade, and Cade’s sister Erin (a prostitute in Chicago) arrive too late to save Nora, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to find the personal responsible for Nora’s murder. They also try to unravel the prostitution ring and find the person who is supplying the women and children to the brothels.

MURDER WILL SPEAK is a good follow up to the other two books in the Lilly Long series. Both Lilly’s and Cade’s character development continues to progress, adding more depth to their characters. A lot of Cade’s past is revealed in this novel. As Lilly’s detecting skills improve, she begins to question why she is a Pinkerton. She wants to help people, but seeing the ugly sides of human nature leaves her deeply disturbed. Her moral struggle will keep the reader engaged. But there are certain things about Lilly and her attitude that rubs me the wrong way. Even after nearly getting killed, she still has the attitude that she could never kill someone. It might be a personal thing, but, to me, that just doesn’t seem like the right attitude for someone to have when they are frequently dealing with criminals and killers. Otherwise, the MURDER WILL SPEAK was very enjoyable. The time period is very well captured, and the continuing storyline is intriguing.

Another well crafted and well written addition to a fun historical mystery series. I liked learning more about the characters and how relatable they are. The plot of the story was fun and interesting. The book was well written and flowed nicely and kept me interested. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

In the 1880s Pinkerton detective Lilly Long of six months standing and her partner Cade McShane are employed to determine what has happened to her friend Nora Nash. Last heard of Nora had traveled to Fort Worth as a mail-order bride but had been forced into prostitution in Hell's Half Acre, an area of the town. They are joined in the enterprise by Cade's sister Erin.
An entertaining read which I mainly enjoyed, and look forward to see how the relationship between Lilly and Cade develop in future books.
Athough the third in the series it can be read as a standalone story.

Nicely done historical mystery featuring Lily and Cade- both Pinkertons- and Cade's sister Erin, who I a terrific character in her own right. Lily, newly minted as a Pinkerton, wants to find and rescue her friend Nora, who has gone missing in Fort Worth. What they find is not good, not good at all. I did not read the first two books but I very much enjoyed this one, which opened a window for me into the world of women in the Pinkertons, as well as into female trafficking in the period. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC- I'm looking forward to where Lilly goes next.

"Most important, could she be surrounded by so many bad things and still live a good and meaningful life? In the end, it boiled down to one simple question: Did the good she accomplished outweigh the bad?"

To me, the above is what really sets this series apart from others of the same genre. In this third installment of the Lilly Long series, we find our Pinkerton heroine only about six months into her new career. Lilly is still learning not only how to physically defend herself, but how to emotionally protect herself. And truthfully, if that's something she really wants to do.

I find it refreshing that the author allows Lilly this moralistic struggle, and allows Lilly to share her struggle with her reluctant, gruff-exterior/soft-centered partner, Cade McShane. Unsurprisingly, Cade has issues of his own regarding his past and his family (which is expanded upon here from the first two books), which makes the introduction of his sister Erin all the more interesting. (I hope we see more from Erin in future books - she has tragically fascinating story).

The mystery is tight and fast-paced, but the author still gives the characters enough room to breathe. Lilly and Cade are allowed to reflect on what they learn about the crimes and how that affects their own lives and choices they make. There's also a tiny bit of hesitant romance, but both characters need to heal from their respective pasts before they can make any decisions moving forward. I look forward to see where they go next!

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall a good read getting deeper into the work of Pinkerton detectives Lilly Long and Cade McShane. I read the first book, but missed the second, so I know I missed a large chunks of interaction between Lily and Cade, but it wasn't essential to reading this book. The subject matter of the case was a disturbing read, which it was meant to be, but it brought the readers the addition (I'm assuming she wasn't in the second book) of Erin, who was an amazing, strong character. I wouldn't call it an "enjoyable" read given the subject matter, but a wonderful cast of characters who grow throughout the book that I'd certainly read more about their adventures.

Lilly's friend, Nora, gives up the theater and moves to Fort Worth, Texas, as a mail-order bride. Unfortunately, that's not what she found when she got to Texas, so she sends a letter to the Pinkerton Agency, begging Lilly for help. When Lilly, Cade and Cade's sister, Erin, arrive in Fort Worth, they find things to be more grim and depressing than they had expected in Hell's Half Acre. They are determined to find out who is behind all of the dangerous, illegal activities and bring that person to justice before their time runs out.

I have enjoyed the previous two books in this series, but I found this one to be even harder to put down. I won't say that I would want to visit Fort Worth in this time period, I will say that the author painted a vivid picture of what the town must have been like – and much of it made me shudder. I would like to get to know some of the townspeople, but not many of them. Lilly, still a relatively new agent, has grown tremendously since the series started, but she still has a long way to go. And I liked learning more about Cade and his family, even though much of what the reader learns is this book is heartbreaking. I look forward to reading the next book in this series when it is released.

Lilly Long and Cade McShane, two Pinkerton detectives, find their latest case takes them to Fort Worth ,Texas. And this time it is personal - as Lilly is trying to find and save her good friend Nora from enforced prostitution. Set during the 1880s, Hell's Half Acre in Forth Worth is a law unto it's own and Lilly, Cade, and his sister Erin will be tested to their limits in trying to locate Nora, and shut down the illegal activities affecting so many lives.

This is the third book in the series, and I have found that each book pulls me further into the Pinkerton Detectives world. The mystery, while deeply disturbing at times did capture my attention. It also made me spitting mad that people are capable of such disregard for human life. However, I was pleased that the culprits received their just due in the end.

The further development of Lilly caught me by surprise and I must admit I really enjoyed reading about it. She is able to self reflect, and while still unsure of her path forward, she remains determine to be independent, self sufficient, and to follow her conscious.

I also appreciated the relationship between Lilly and Cade. It is clear they are growing and learning to trust one another. And while there is romantic tension between the two that isn't the main focus. Rather it is the developing respect and trust for each other.

Lastly, Erin - oh Erin. What strength she has especially in light of all she has survived. Her character was a welcome addition to the series and I hope we see more of her in the future.

This was an entertaining read for me and I look forward to further adventures with Lilly and Cade.

I received an e-arc of this book via Netgalley from Kensington Books. I appreciate receiving the e-arc but note that all thoughts and opinions are mine alone.