This is a delightful second addition to Trent's Florence Nightengale mysteries. The historical information alone is amazing, and learning about Nightengale's time before the Crimea (where her nursing standards really became more widely known) are fascinating.

The mystery itself was pretty benign. Her good friend is almost shot in the street with her military father. instead of involving the police, they ask Florence to investigate to find out who the culprit might be. This leads Florence directly into the heart of Soho and a "King Cholera" outbreak. This puts her back in her element. She assists the locals with treatment and even helps a local Reverend try to find the cause of the outbreak.

I enjoy historical mysteries that include a nod to real life events. Florence Nightengale's life is fascinating, and it looks like if there are more books we might actually see her in the war.

his is the second historical novel of which there has already been a first, in which Florence Nightingale's character becomes detective as well as pioneering nurse and statistician.
In the middle of a cholera outbreak in inner-city London, Nightingale's friend is verbally attacked and her manservant murdered, as she travels in a carriage with her general father in what is also a less-than salubrious part of the capital.
Florence Nightingale is asked to investigate. Her inquiries lead her to learn more than she wanted to about monglings between Downstairs staff and Upstairs gentlemen and also take her right into the epicentre of where cholera has hit most. As she interviews traumatised ex-servicemen connected to the area, she begins to suspect that blood on the general's hands is now seeking some form of retribution.
This is about two whodunnits in one, as the first is about tracking the source of the cholera by mapping its movements. The novel is factually accurate in that the good nurse is not the only real character depicted here - all the doctors named here, also were. Plus, this is not a mystery that Nightingale really solved, it was a doctor who recognised a pump of contaminated water was to blame, even though she had grasped the importance of hygiene for hospitals. Here incidentally lieth the only real bloomer to the cleverly- written Victorian British English: it all hangs on a dirty diaper, which of course, should have been called 'nappy '
The novel is otherwise excellent in recreating both visually and vetbally, an authentic-feeling nineteenth-century London. Also, just as TV and the net have revolutionised modern perception of current affairs, so was the photograph doing the same thing for individuals living then. Poverty, squalor, war atrocities are becoming less and less abstract for people. This Nobel's heroine in turn makes what she witnesses in these things, real for the reader. Thus, there does seem to be an element of social commentary all this.
As far as the whodunnits side of the tale goes, this is one of the better ones: the final denouement, or reveal, genuinely comes as a satisfying surprise after the finger of suspicion was pointed at several possible suspects.
This novel works nicely as a standalone, though it is also revealed that Nightingale will be taking her crusade for revolutionising patient care to the war in Crimea. There will no doubt be plenty of opportunities there for murder aplenty for the nursing sleuth to turn to there as well.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.

Having not read the first book in this series, I was playing a little bit of catch up, as far as getting to know the characters and events referenced that I'm assuming played out in the first book. This was not a difficult hurdle to overcome, and within a few chapters I didn't feel like I was behind on anything/anyone.

The plot was fine-fairly standard murder mystery fare, with a side of cholera thrown in for fun. The "twist" was good and overall, the book wrapped up in a satisfactory way.

My main issue with the book was that I found the main character to be insufferable. Barely a page went by without Florence reminding the reader that she had her own money and didn't need to earn money from being a nurse...or from congratulating herself for helping some poor person she came across. I could barely make it through the book because she came across as such a snob that her desire to help the less fortunate seemed disingenuous.

To be honest, I felt this was nothing like Raybourn or Todd, not in the writing or the narrative. The writing lacked the emotional depth and polish of the above-named authors, and I frankly don’t care much for that type of marketing, anyway, as it sets the author and the reader up.

I don’t mean to sound dire. I enjoyed Murderous Malady and the concept of using Florence Nightingale as an amateur sleuth in a 19th century medical setting is brilliant. The research is well done, but sometimes the seams show and too much time at the hospital complicated the plot, but ultimately caused the pace to drag. The mystery is well conceived and executed and kept me reading. Though I couldn’t guess who the murderer was, it was a pleasant surprise (as those things go, lol) at the reveal.

The cholera epidemic is an important character in the story, leading Florence into the deepest and dankest parts of Soho and returning because finding the killer appears to point in this direction. Florence Nightingale seemed to know intuitively that fresh air, good food and clean sheets aided the sick better than the abysmal treatment by the trained medical men, and she was pushy enough to get them to change some of their methods. That fortitude serves her well in solving the murder.

I will likely go back and read the first book, and I’m very excited about where the series is going to next.

Florence nightingales best friend is attacked .. but why was she, wife of a high up way strategist and high society in that part of London anyway where cholera was raging. The family ask her to make discreet enquiries as two more members of their household are killed.. by the end, she's worked out what's happened, and the source of the cholera outbreak has been discovered, and she's off with nurses to the Crimea to help war effort. All very unlikely, good fun despite story's lagging at times..

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I found the historical description of London during this period to be extremely detailed and the squalor and horrendous conditions in which the poor were living was brought to life very vividly. However, I found the narration to be quite tedious at times and I just couldn’t help getting impatient with the pace of the story. Mary in particular was driving me to distraction and some of Florence’s attempts to get an answer to her questions seemed to be far too drawn out. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any further than about half way through the book before I gave up.

Very disappointing but I had to put this book down after reading about 25% of it
No respect and appreciation for NeyGalley nor my love of history and Victorian England period could make me to persist and read this book to the end.
Florence Nightingale comes across as very prim, up herself woman of rigid norms and ambiguous standards. I love to identify with main characters. So this Flo would never be my friend.
The rest is history... or a very detailed if disgusting list of details of London slums, disease and vast abyss between upstairs and downstairs. Even the crime itself seems to escape the reader as it's importance is overshadowed by so many unnecessary details.
No suspense, no drive or dynamic of crime fiction. No joy.
Sorry.

Great period reproduction - you can 'see the fashion, region and people clearly.

Characters are complex but have room to grow if another book is in the works.

It is great historical mystery based in London. I just found out it is the second book in Florence Nightingale Mystery, so I need to read even the first one. The characters are nice and the plot too.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

Florence Nightingale solves crimes. Do I need to say more?? That is exactly what this book and this series is about. Once again, because I never check anything beforehand, this is the second book in the series and I haven't read the first one. Is this the third or fourth time this has happened? I have no clue. I just can't believe it keeps happening!! 

But enough about that. Let's get to the review!

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Cholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder. The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London. It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household. Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease, but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal.

A Murderous Malady starts off with Florence trying to figure out who attacked her good friend, Liz, and Liz's father (the General) in their carriage on their way to the British Museum. They don't know if they were attacked because of Liz's husband's duties as the Secretary at War, because of her father, the General, or because of Liz herself. Liz and her husband, Sidney, put Florence on the case and she takes to the streets of Soho and Liz's own household to figure out who could be responsible for the attack.

But that's not the only thing Florence has to deal with. Cholera has also come to London and as one of the best nurses in the city, she must take care of the many residents in her hospital and also must make sure other hospitals are running efficiently as well (they are not!!). Florence and her companion, Mary witness awful deaths but also a few spectacular recoveries. 

With the disease spreading across London and time seemingly running out to find out who the attacker is, Florence and Mary must go where ladies of their station are rarely seen. They witness the despair of poverty and the brutality of the pubs in Soho. But despite Mary's hesitance, Florence is ready to step into just about any situation and use her wits and intellect to talk the clues she needs out of the people of London. 

I have to say, I was expecting more of this book. While the story was good and intriguing at points, it didn't pull me in as much as I expected. I wanted a little more depth to all the characters but especially from Florence. Yes, there were allusions to a life beyond nursing but we never get to really see it.

The one friendship we do get to see is between Florence and Mary (or as Florence calls her, Goose). I really enjoyed their adventures together through Soho, either helping people or interviewing them. The bond between them is clear. But beyond that and Florence's nursing, I wanted more. More of Florence than just the caregiver and the fixer of everyone's problems.

I wanted a bit more action as well, but I really wanted to be immersed into these characters' lives and I felt like I was only just skimming the surface. Maybe it was that the mystery didn't seem urgent enough. No one that we had gotten to know had died because of this attack. Just a coachman who we learned almost nothing about. 

That being said, I was genuinely shocked by who the attacker/killer turned out to be. I never suspected them. I read a lot of crime/mystery/detective books, so I usually suspect everyone in the book, but this one definitely surprised me.

Overall, A Murderous Malady was a good read, but not as good as I expected. I am giving it 3 out of 5 stars. If Florence Nightingale solving crimes sounds like something you can't pass up, give it a shot. You might like it better than I did.

A Murderous Malady by Christine Trent comes out May 7, 2019 (I know! Not for a long time.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I did not read the first book in this series but I now must do so. Very well written and I love the era for this mystery. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Excellent book. Good storyline that kept you guessing! I found the book to be a fun read. Highly recommend.

A Murderous Malady by Christine Trent is an exciting new Florence Nightingale Mystery. It’s the second book in the Florence Nightingale Mystery Series. Many of the same characters from her excellent first book in this series “No Cure for the Dead “ also appear in this book. I enjoyed all the history of wars, diseases, medical practices and Florence Nightingale’s life and work. Plenty of murder mysteries, medical mysteries and the evil in men’s hearts. I recommend both of the books in this series, they can be read separately but why miss one they’re great reads. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. My thanks to the author, the publisher and netgalley for making this book available to me to read, enjoy and review. Add this book to your wish list.

Historical fiction is one of my all time favourite genres, especially when the story is based in London. I was born and raised in London. As much as i enjoyed 'A Murderous Malady', a few words had me stumped and had to look them up. I totally agree with the views of another reviewer in that a couple of words were for the American audience and were not in keeping with the language of Victorian Britain. It is the first time that i have read any books by Christine Trent and would happily read more.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, freely given.

The voice of "Flo" Nightingale is strong and sure, leading her readers at a quick pace through the odorous, diseased streets of London in search of both a human killer and King Cholera. As a fan of light, murder-mystery fiction which is rooted in historical fact, I was entertained and informed by this novel. It was obvious that Christine Trent did her homework and took her mission to weave the story into fact seriously. She added in off-hand "soft" observation by the characters to personalize them and humanize the story. However, her sidekick Mary/Goose spent far too much time nattering on about her dead husband, causing me to feel impatient with the pace if the story at times, since I felt that the author had already established these characters. Much time was also spent describing the dresses of the women; time I felt would have been better spent describing more of the setting or giving additional historic details. Trent did an excellent job of looking back at history already made in the areas of medicine (nursing) and women's rights (marriage, financial and child custody laws) through the novel's exploratory lens through the every day conversation of the characters. This novel is entertaining as well as satisfying an intellectual bent of the history buff!

I’ve never read the author’s books before, but once I saw the sleuth in this one is Florence Nightingale, it got my curiosity piqued. So glad I tried it! It’s sort of a combination mystery/historical fiction as there is a lot more than just the mystery she is trying to solve going on. The story takes place around the time of a cholera outbreak and around the same time as a war is brewing, and both have big parts in what is going on around Florence. You get a really good look at not only how people in this period lived, but also other historical happenings around the same time and real historical figures. At the end, the author has a chapter devoted to telling you about each character (turns out most of them were real people in history, not just Florence) and also about the wars and cholera outbreaks going on at the time. The mystery itself didn’t have an obvious culprit until the end of the book, so you’re pulled along with that also through the entire story. All in all, a very enjoyable read, and I’ll be following the author and seeing what else she has to offer.

I did receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. I’ve always enjoyed historical mysteries and this was one of the better ones. The period details were precise and accurate and added so much to the story itself. The characters were well drawn and felt perfectly at home in the era with their mannerisms and speech. The storyline held my interest all the way through and lead me to look up additional information about Florence Nightengale. This author portrayed her to a tee. I wasn’t aware that this was the second in a series so I am anxious to read the first one and seriously hoping for a third! An excellent book for anyone who is a fan of historical mysteries involving real life characters.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to review.

London, murder, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, disease, historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-research

Sorry to say, but I found this one disappointing. The characters are very well done and interesting, but the plot seems a bit forced and I found that it was work to finish it. Perhaps because I viewed it as detail oriented with the emphasis on less relevant details.
It's a real shame because I was really looking forward to reading it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

I really loved this murder mystery! I'm a huge fan of all things historical so when I heard about this book, I knew I wanted it! I loved how this book used real living characters from that time period. You can really see the author did their research to try to portray them as accurately as possible within a fictional setting. The plot itself was very engaging and I could not stop reading.. (hence the dark circles under my eyes the next day from staying up till 3am lol) Overall i highly recommend this read!

(Didnt realize this was the second book in a series but the book was read fine as a standalone)

I love a good historical murder mystery, so I couldn't wait to start reading A Murderous Malady. I discovered later that it's actually the second book in the series, but I don't think that I missed out by having not read the first. It works fine as a stand-alone novel.
Choosing to use real people as the characters in your book is always a challenge. Are you just borrowing the names of these people, or are you trying to faithfully recreate them as they were. In this book, not only is the main character a real person but so are many many of the other characters. On the whole, I think this worked and worked well. I will admit that this isn't really my period, so I don't know much about any of these people and can't comment on how true to life they are. From a murder mystery novel point of view, they all work really well. I don't know if I can picture Florence Nightingale being an amateur detective, as well as all of the nursing reforms that she undertook, but in terms of the book, it worked well.
There were a few Americanisms that crept into the story, which for me at least, did detract from the overall read. I know that this book is probably mostly for an American audience, but it is set in Victorian Britain and personally, I prefer it to be more faithful to the language that would have been used. The word 'stoop' was used quite a bit, I tried to look it up and I think that it's something to do with the front of the house, but I'm still not entirely sure. Apparently, it comes from the Dutch language originally. Either way, it's not something that we have ever used in Britain and it really got on my nerves.
Little niggles like this aside, I really enjoyed the story and the mystery setting. I'd be more than happy to read more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.