Lynn Brittney has created a hugely enjoyable historical crime series, set in 1915 amidst the background of WW1, with its carnage of death and destruction, the physical and mental health issues of returning soldiers, anti-war protests, women filling male roles, the suffragette movement and the developments in policing and forensic science of the era. The Mayfair 100 group in London, a covert investigative group with its unprecedented inclusion of women has been set up by Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Edward Henry, it is led by Chief Inspector Peter Beech, afflicted by leg injuries from the war. The team has been getting restless after the successful conclusion of their first case, wondering when and what will be their next case.

The Treborne Catholic aristocratic family has fallen on hard times, and has distanced itself from Adeline Treborne, a scurrilous gossip columnist for The London Herald newspaper. Adeline is a pariah, shunned by London society, when she is discovered in her bedroom having hanged herself. Her mother, the Duchess of Penhere, begs for a below the radar investigation, and so our crack team get to work. Dr Caroline Allardyce conducts the post-mortem with the help of the cutting edge forensic and photographic input of pharmacist, Mabel Summersby, and the invaluable help of PC Billy Rigsby's Aunt Sissy. Victoria Ellingham proves her worth both on the legal side of the case and in keeping Beech on the straight and narrow. Detective Arthur Tollman has his work cut out as he looks into suspects with the help of Billy, whilst at the same time having to keep several steps ahead of some of his police colleagues when another murder takes place. Adeline turns out to be a woman who barely left her flat, she was a persona non grata in London high society so how was she getting her information? With a host of suspects, from a QC, an MP to a baby farmer, the team unearth intrigue, prejudice, blackmail and a oddly suspicious sewing group comprising of servants.

This is a series that has the feel and atmosphere of the Downton Abbey series which touched on the turbulent changing times of these years, with the economic decline of the aristocracy, whilst having to face their declining influence in the social sphere as class differences begin to minimise, and the changing role of women in the world. All these factors, as well as critical aspects of WW1 and its impact in London can be observed in Brittney's gripping narrative and in her diverse range of characters, not to mention the scientific advances in policing. I am truly looking forward to the next in this wonderful historical series. I have developed an affection for many of the characters, and am interested in seeing how they will develop next. A fabulously entertaining read for those who love their historical crime fiction. Many thanks to Mirror Books for an ARC.

I enjoyed the second installment of this fun series. It wasn’t a challenging read - really, these books remind me more of a TV series than the more rigorous historical mysteries I usually read. There were no notable historical anachronisms, but as is often the case with period TV shows, the social norms were modernized to make them more palatable to 21st century readers. The protagonists were likable, although the characterizations were superficial. Again, similar to TV characterizations. The mystery itself was exciting and enjoyable. Not every book needs to be a treatise. Sometimes, fun and easy is just fine. I’ll look for more books in this series. .

This is the 2nd book in the Mayfair 100 series - Mayfair 100 is the phone number for a small specially-formed crime investigation team - set up at the behest of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Edward Henry and based in a house in London's upmarket Mayfair in 1915. What makes this team unique is that it includes two women - Caroline Allardyce, a pharmacist and a legal professional, Victoria Ellingham who adopt a forensic approach to crime, a new procedure in the early part of the 20th Century. Chief Inspector Peter Beech heads the unit with his deputy, Detective Arthur Tollman and Police Constable Billy Rigsby who - similarly to Beech - was invalided out of the trenches at the battlefront of The Great War.

This time, the Mayfair 100 team is called on to investigate the death of a young woman at a block of flats in Chelsea. It turns out that she came from an upper class family which has fallen on hard times. Her death is originally thought to be a suicide, but Caroline and Victoria - with the aid of Billy Rigsby's redoubtable Aunt Sissy - soon establish that the victim, Adeline Treborne, was murdered.
Adeline was a much hated society gossip columnist who, as a result, had been disowned by her family and friends. It also seems that she had turned her hand to blackmail. The team splits in two with the women carrying out an autopsy and checking the flat for clues while Beech's deputy, Detective Arthur Tollman, aided by PC Billy Rigsby, visit some of London's seedier districts as well as some upmarket areas as the list of suspects widens. Among them are a hardened confidence trickster, a member of Parliament, a Queen's Counsel and Adeline's brother who is trying to restore the family's good name. Even more shocking is the discovery that a "baby farmer" was also the being blackmailed. A baby farmer was a woman who bought and sold illegitimate babies, a practise which was not illegal in Britain at this time. Since it was more profitable for the baby farmer if the child she adopted died, many babies died of neglect or were murdered.

Given that some of the murder suspects are part of Britain's aristocracy, Commissioner Henry wishes them to be treated with kid gloves, but the ongoing war is gradually changing people's attitudes and class divisons matter less and less. The author, Lynn Brittney, gives us constant reminders that this story is taking place during the 2nd year of the First World War. One example is the Suffragist movement which has faded away somewhat due to women working to aid the war effort. It transpires that a suffragette is another blackmail victim. Everywhere there are soldiers who have returned from the battlefront, broken in mind as much as in body.
Meanwhile, the females in the team turn their attention to a seemingly innocent sewing bee attended by servants from the capital city's most notable households. In this they are helped out by another member of Billy's family - his mum, Mabel!
This is a fine mystery thriller incorporating well researched historical details which perfectly capture the mood of the time and reflects Britain's class divide, particularly the breaking down of many barriers as women moved from the kitchen to the workplace. Although this is the 2nd in a series, it can easily be read on its own and I look forward to reading more about the Mayfair 100 team. My thanks to Mirror Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A very interesting read. This book will keep you turning those pages. An entertaining book. Would recommend this author.

Lynn Britney is really hitting her stride with “A Death in Chelsea”, the second in the Mayfair 100 Mystery series.
The premise is simple. The London police force needs the talents of both women and men, aristocrats and working-class people, self-educated and university educated. Although it is unorthodox, such a team is assembled and put to work to solve crimes that are beyond the abilities of the conventional police.

Without being preachy, this series highlights in an entertaining way the real value of diversity, all set in a historical London.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Mayfair 100 series, featuring an unusual team of women and men, brought together by CI Peter Beech to investigate special cases on behalf of Scotland Yard. It is set in London in 1915, and has a fairly complex plot involving blackmail and murder, with a few other crimes thrown in for good measure.

The investigating team is composed of well-delineated and interesting individuals. As well as serving policemen, there are a woman doctor, a pharmacist with forensic interests, a lawyer, and sundry others. The historical detail is nicely-integrated, the London backdrop is vivid, and a good cross-section of society is portrayed.

The dénouement was rather complicated, and I am not sure that all the loose ends were tied up in the solution. However, this is a good read, well-written, and very readable. Although part of a series, the novel works fine as a stand-alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror Books for the digital review copy.