I loved this historic cozy mystery from the first to the last page, it was really a pleasant discovery.
Elizabeth is a photographer for the newspaper. After a hurricane she must go with a writer colleague to photograph a corpse. The maid's body was found in a devastated house but she didn't die from the storm, she was killed. Later it turns out she was also pregnant. The two colleagues have to try to find the culprit to save their work, the newspaper is in crisis and it takes a big scoop to increase sales.
Elizabeth is a strong, independent and very modern woman, intelligent with a great intuition.
I loved the setting, this New York of the 30s really fascinated me, the author showed great historical accuracy even in the smallest details.
It's written really well, with a slowing and compelling pace, so many suspicions and many alibis to verify, we must wait for the end to discover the culprit.
This is my first book to read in this series and wow... I will be going back to catch up and read the first one.
Highly recommended especially for those who love cozy historical mysteries.

Peg Cochran's Murder, She Uncovered is her second book featuring Elizabeth "Biz" Adams, and I really enjoyed it. Ms. Cochran perfectly captures the New York of the late 1930's, and her wonderful descriptions (clothes, scenery, etc...) really added to the story! The mystery was very well told, and I kept going back and forth on who I thought the culprit was right up to the big reveal. Well done! A+++

Top Pick - 4.5 Stars

After a hurricane hits New York City in September 1938, newly appointed newspaper crime photographer Elizabeth “Biz” Adams joins veteran crime reporter, Ralph Kaminsky, to cover a hot story. They travel to Westhampton where a body has been found in a wealthy family’s summer home. However, the young woman who worked there as a maid isn’t one of the storm’s many victims. Noeleen Donovan was stabbed, and Biz and Ralph launch their own investigation to uncover a scoop as well as get justice for Noeleen.

I have read a couple other books by this author, but I missed the first one in this series. I was intrigued by the main character, Elizabeth, from the first chapter. As part of a wealthy family, Elizabeth had a sheltered upbringing, but is now enjoying the new experiences she is having working at the Daily Trumpet. It’s fun seeing the joy she receives from what are everyday things for many New Yorkers, such as riding the subway or eating a hot dog from a street vendor. There is definitely chemistry between Elizabeth and the handsome New York City detective Sal Marino. Their very different backgrounds and the attitudes of Elizabeth’s upper class friends and family are obstacles to their fledgeling romance. Although the era is different, fans of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries will enjoy this book and will see parallels with the main characters in that series who fall in love in spite of coming from different worlds.

Kaminsky is a seasoned reporter and works so well with Elizabeth. I like their partnership and their growing friendship. Kaminsky sometimes brusque manner hides a kind, insightful man. He offers valuable career and personal advice to Elizabeth and it’s great to see the respect she has for him. I enjoyed following their investigation and seeing them find more viable suspects than expected for the death of what appears to be such a nice, unassuming young woman like Noelle.

This book is well-written and the descriptions allow you to get carried away by the story. It’s detailed enough to give you a wonderful sense of the time and place of the story without slowing the pace. The unveiling of the murderer is actually sad, and unfortunately seems a little rushed. However, all loose ends of the case are wrapped up by the end of the book thanks to the teamwork of Kaminsky and “Biz.” I love the way the book ends with Elizabeth continuing to become less dependent on her wealthy, sometimes judgmental, family. I hope there is a follow-up book so I can continue with Elizabeth on her journey, growing in both her job at the newspaper and in life outside the newsroom.

~ Christine

Peg Cochran easily transports readers to another time, New York of the late 1930s, to be precise. The descriptions of fashions, events, even buildings and people are all worked seamlessly into the narrative and paint the most vivid picture for readers to enjoy. Dialogues and even conversation topics are also perfectly suited to the time period and also lend a touch of authenticity to the tale.

This is Book 2 in the Murder, She Reported series and works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. I haven’t read Book one and had no trouble falling into the story. A few hints as to events in the previous book were dropped but it was just sufficient to bring the reader up to speed on relevant details.

Elizabeth ‘Biz’ Adams is a woman clearly far ahead of her times but she would not have been an unlikely lady to come across. After all, if it wasn’t for the forward thinking women of the past, where would we be today?! I liked that for all her determination and bravery, she still hesitates to step out from all that she knows. This makes her character seem even more believable and adds an intriguing complexity to a wonderful cozy heroine.

The only issue I came across relates to the secondary character, Kaminsky, who is Elizabeth’s partner-in-crime, so to speak. He’s a rough-and-tumble, seasoned journalist who recognises and respects the young lady’s talents for solving a mystery. One thing I found a bit out of character was Kaminsky’s not so subtle revelation of abuse when he was an altar boy. I realize it was actually a handy plot device to move an area of the mystery along, but the how and where of that very personal revelation didn’t seem in keeping with the rest of the picture painted of this character.

The murder mystery itself is very well-plotted. There are several varied suspects. The motive, means and opportunities for each of these suspects are valid. The potential culprits are quite well-fleshed out and I found myself hoping for the innocence of a couple and rooting for the guilt of others.

Overall, this was my first foray into Peg Cochran’s work but I strongly suspect it won’t be my last! I look forward to the next instalment.

4.75 stars
I absolutely loved this story and was so pleasantly surprised by it. I assumed from the cover that it would be a simple, predictable, and a somewhat cliched cozy mystery, as this genre tends to be. I hoped it would be entertaining, cute and fun, but still superficial. I was wrong. It was well-written, with startling character depth and emotion, a rich and well-developed historical setting, with deeper issues explored. The mystery was notably complex and well-plotted. I loved the characters and found myself so drawn into their lives and relationships that I really hated to see the story end and only wished the book was available in physical form to purchase and keep. I will definitely be buying the first book in this series. Kudos to Peg Cochran for elevating this genre with her remarkable story.

Set in the late 1930's, the lovely socialite, Elizabeth "Biz" Adams fancies herself a photographer who is acquiring quite a nice career. After a devastating New England hurricane, Biz and reporter, Ralph Kaminsky are sent to a glamourous vacation home to report on the death of a maid. At first, the young maids death seems like the result of being caught by the storm. Upon closer inspection, a head wound is discovered. The police believe fowl play and those who seem innocent suddenly become suspect. The plot thickens as the woman murdered was pregnant. Evidence points to the maids boyfriend, but Biz believes someone else is to blame, someone who will do anything to keep their secret safe.

If you're drawn to period mystery series, then look no further. "Murder, She Uncovered" by Peg Cochran is a classic "who done it" that does not disappoint. It's cozy, timely, and adequately paced. I would definitely recommend this lovely mystery to others and look forward to new books in this quant series.

Elizabeth Adams is a modern young woman of the late 1930s. Having taken sort of a girl Friday position at a newspaper, wanting to earn her own money and make her own mark on the world, when a photographer position opens up she takes a leap of faith and becomes the second hand to a gruff, seasoned reporter, Ralph Kaminsky. This story takes place immediately after a hurricane destroys Long Island. Over 700 persons are reported dead, but for at least one of them it was murder.

Kaminsky has his own need to prove himself. He fears some young reporter with more pep in his step and his eyes on the prize, that being a byline and coveted scoop on the front page, will send him into early retirement. He has to be in best form and beat out all the others reporters and competing papers on the big stories.

On top of work stress, Elizabeth deals with family expectations. She is of an age to be settling down with a suitable husband. The trouble is, Elizabeth feels an attraction for a detective she meets as part of her job. This difficulty of the classes mingling is a repeated theme through the book.

I especially enjoyed the number of suspects and various motives for murder presented.
All of them were very plausible. Elizabeth puts herself in danger to get the story and to follow her values. Once again, the ending is quite exciting.

Murder, She Uncovered is the second book in the Murder, She Reported series.

A week after a terrible hurricane has hit New York City and Long Island crime photographer, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams and crime reporter Ralph Kaminsky are headed for Long Island to the investigate a body that has been found in one of the mansions. Their first thought is that she got caught up in the storm, but they arrive and talk to the coroner they learned that she had been stabbed and found in the servants quarters of the Mr. and Mrs. Post’s home. They also find out that the victim, Noeleen Donovan, was 5-months pregnant at the time.

There first thought was the father of the baby was the killer, he is the son of a prominent family in Westhampton. But they soon find other suspects to consider, she had lived in a boarding house where her cousin, Orla. They both had interviewed for the Post’s position, but when Noeleen got the job, Orla had to end up taking a job in a garment factory. The son the cook, Killian Brown comes under suspicion. The teenager is mentally challenged and tends to stalk the staff, making them very uncomfortable. Also, her priest, Father McGraph, had recently been transferred to her parish for unexplained reasons. But soon the priest is found hanging in his closet at the rectory. It’s unsure if he was killed or did he hang himself out of guilt. Biz and Ralph know that they need to pull out all stops before any more deaths occur in Westhampton.

Biz and Sal Marino, a police detective who Biz had worked with in Murder, She Reported, seem to be developing some interest in each other. Marino has asked Biz to have dinner with him and his parents but Biz is hesitant. They are from different social structures and her folks, her mother for sure, wouldn’t approve of her being seen in public on the arm of a “police detective.

I love this new interesting series. The stories are well written and told and extremely interesting. The characters are all interesting and well developed. The story is set in 1938 and the scenes seem to be
historically accurate.

I can’t wait for the next book, Murder, She Encountered and due out in December 2019, to see what stories Biz and Ralph will be following. And of course, to see if romance will be blooming for Biz and Sal.

Taking a step into history from the first page and getting submersed into this story was amazing. Everything is woven together perfectly to make for a read that is hard to put down until the very end. Full of twists and turns, this story is one to read again and again.

Murder, She Uncovered is the second book in the Murder, She Reported Series, and whilst I have not read book 1 I found you could read this book easily as a stand alone. Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is from a well to do family and it seems that she has broke tradition and is quickly establishing herself as photographer for the Daily Trumpet.

Set in 1938 this was a good cozy historical mystery. I loved the relationship that Elizabeth had with her fellow reporter Ralph Kaminsky, who it seemed to be in the right place at the right time to get the latest scoop and be one step ahead of the police. Our Two reporters turn investigators when a death discovered after the hurricane turn out to be murder, the begin questioing for the paper but that soon becomes the catalyst to investigate further.

There was plenty of intrigue and mystery throughout this book, and when I thought I had it all figured out, the author would throw something else into the mix and throw we off kilter.  I loved the setting of the story and can't wait to read more from this series.

Well written cozy mystery! 2nd book in a series, but reading the first one isn’t necessary to enjoy this one on its own. I loved the two reporters and their unlikely friendship, the atmosphere & the setting. The plot was well paced and entertaining. My only complaint is how often (pretty much always) the two reporters were in the exact right place at the right time to hear or see something that put them ahead of the police and other reporters. It also allowed them to crack the case.

Oh well, a fun read nonetheless!!

Manhattan socialite Elizabeth Adams, now reporter and photographer on The Daily Trumpet, is making her way home from work when she is caught in a blackout and tremendous rain and wind storm. Little does she know that it is the edges of the 1938 Long Island Hurricane. The storm formed on the coast of Africa as a category 5 and stuck New York and New England as a category 3, killing nearly 700 and destroying millions of dollars worth of property. The next few days are taken up with storm coverage, but when a young woman is found in the wreckage of one mansion on Long Island, it's clear that she was not killed by the storm. This young woman was murdered, and it becomes the story that everyone is chasing. Elizabeth called "Biz" by her crusty partner, Kaminsky, dive headfirst into the story of the murdered girl, who immigrated from Ireland and worked for one of the wealthy summer families. Everyone describes Roeleen, the murdered girl, as a quiet and devout girl with no boyfriends and no enemies in the beginning. But as they look beneath, a different picture emerges. Several people may have wanted her dead,

urder, She Uncovered is an excellent follow-up to the first in the series, Murder She Reported, and one I have been looking forward to. The historical detail is exceptional, and I enjoy Biz's struggle to navigate her wealthy and well-connected family's disapproval and her own desire to not become just another rich man's wife. The secondary characters are just as impressive, from Kaminsky to her friend, Irene, who was crippled by polio in childhood. Biz herself had a brush with the disease, leaving her with a slight limp at times. Biz won't let that stop her though. There is a very promising romance with the dishy Detective Sal Marino, one that I hope continues to blossom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alibi for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.



RATING-4 Stars

"An intrepid 1930s Manhattan socialite uncovers deadly secrets during an assignment to the Hamptons in this riveting historical cozy mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Westhampton, 1938. To the dismay of her well-to-do family, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is quickly establishing herself as a seasoned photographer over at the Daily Trumpet. Growing more confident in her decision to pursue a career, Elizabeth is thrilled when she and her reporter sidekick, Ralph Kaminsky, are sent to Long Island to cover the story of a young maid found dead in one of the glamourous summer homes in the devastating aftermath of the Great New England Hurricane - also known as the Long Island Express.

At first it’s assumed that the young woman was caught in the terrible storm, but when a suspicious wound is found on the side of her head, the police suspect murder. The maid’s death becomes even more tragic when it’s discovered she was pregnant, and with Elizabeth and Kaminsky at the scene of the crime, the Daily Trumpet scoops all the other papers in town.

The young woman’s boyfriend emerges as the likeliest suspect. But as Elizabeth follows the story, she begins to wonder whether someone in the household of the maid’s employers might be responsible - someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth about the baby’s paternity hidden...."

And even more coziness here!

Murder, She Uncovered is the second installment in the Murder, She Reported series by Peg Cochran. Set in 1938 New York, Elizabeth Adams is an intrepid newspaper photographer in a male dominated world. She's young, rich, and trying to break from the confines set by society. This novel sees our young heroine looking for the next headline to help her favorite reporter, Ralph Kaminsky, and trying to solve the murder mystery of a young Irish maid.

This book was so incredibly good! The characters are well written and the plot moves at a pace that keeps your attention. A real joy to read.

This period mystery is one that really keeps you guessing. I usually can figure out "who done it" but in this book, I didn't. The time period also led to a rich description of life in the time period.

I loved that the heroine was a modern woman who was stepping outside her social class and the norms of society to discover her own path. This is really important in this day and age.

I was given an advance copy of this book for review.

Murder, She Uncovered
(Murder, She Reported #2)
by Peg Cochran

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: May 28th 2019 by Alibi



Goodreads synopsis:
An intrepid 1930s Manhattan socialite uncovers deadly secrets during an assignment to the Hamptons in this riveting historical cozy mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.
 
Westhampton, 1938. To the dismay of her well-to-do family, Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is quickly establishing herself as a seasoned photographer over at the Daily Trumpet. Growing more confident in her decision to pursue a career, Elizabeth is thrilled when she and her reporter sidekick, Ralph Kaminsky, are sent to Long Island to cover the story of a young maid found dead in one of the glamourous summer homes in the devastating aftermath of the Great New England Hurricane—also known as the Long Island Express.  
 
At first it’s assumed that the young woman was caught in the terrible storm, but when a suspicious wound is found on the side of her head, the police suspect murder. The maid’s death becomes even more tragic when it’s discovered she was pregnant, and with Elizabeth and Kaminsky at the scene of the crime, the Daily Trumpet scoops all the other papers in town.

The young woman’s boyfriend emerges as the likeliest suspect. But as Elizabeth follows the story, she begins to wonder whether someone in the household of the maid’s employers might be responsible—someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth about the baby’s paternity hidden. . . 

***

4 Stars

This is the second book of the Murder, She Uncovered series set in 1930’s Westhampton, Long Island, New York. Elizabeth “Biz” Adams is a high society gal who prefers to work even thought every other lady of her nature is not. Working isn’t a thing that is done by a lady back then. They are of society. It is above them. Elizabeth is a photo-journalist at the Daily Trumpet working along side Ralph Kaminsky, a seasoned reporter who is afraid budget cuts might lose him his job.

There is a lot going on in this book. A couple of different murders occur, guys stepping out on gals, gals causing trouble for other gals, a murder made to look like a suicide, the gamut. Elizabeth takes everything in stride taking pictures of a women pushed from a window lying dead on the pavement to a priest tied up as if he had killed himself. She is one gutsy lady. I am not sure I would have taken such photos even today.

The mystery is engaging and she and Kaminsky follow every lead they come across. Elizabeth provides quite a few insights that the duo follow. The police are not stupid in this series either. She finds herself in a quandary when her mother wants her to marry Phillips who is a man of her society standard and she would rather hang out eating pizza with Detective Sly Marino. I was surprised how looked down upon the police were at that time in the 1930’s. I felt bad for Marino. He seemed a standup guy just looking to solve his cases and find love with Elizabeth.

The ending was sweet and the mystery solved to a surprising conclusion. I liked the whodunit of it all. Following the duo around was fun and entertaining. I will definitely pick up book one in this series and add Peg Cochran books to my TBR.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

It's 1938 and the Long Island Express hurricane blows through New York and hundreds die. One of the bodies discovered during clean up was a maid who was known for being a "good girl" but it turns out she had actually been stabbed and she was five months pregnant. Now veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky and photographer Elizabeth "Biz" Adams rush to find out the truth before their newspaper's deadline.

The author does a really good job of conveying the reality of social class in the 1930's. Her descriptions help you get a visual of the scene and the mix of actual history and fictional mystery make this a captivating read.

This was cute historical murder mystery that rang true on all the history of the day. 1938 and a murder is meant to look like an accident out in the Hamptons. 2 intrepid reporters vow to solve the case for glory and newspaper sales.
The characters rang true and I liked the protagonist Biz Adams. Even though she was raised in society, she was more a regular gal than the rest of the characters in the book pretended to be.

Loved this book! The heroine is fiesty and independent, which I love. Determined to break free from her wealthy family, Elizabeth Adams is determined to continue working as a newspaper photographer. Teamed up with grizzled newspaper man, Ralph Kominsky, she is trying to make her way in the world, and to keep her new love with a cop a secret. After a massive hurricane, they are called to report on the murder of a young housemaid to a rich family. Elizabeth takes it upon herself to get the story and hopefully save her mentor's job in the process.

Elizabeth Adams is back as Biz, the intrepid crime photographer for the Daily Trumpet. And once again she is trying to navigate two very different worlds. The one in which she grew up in, of privilege and social responsibilities, and the one of her heart, where she can shine on her own.

I really enjoyed this book, as well as the first one. Elizabeth has many sides to her and she is an interesting character to get to know. Kaminsky is probably my favourite. He comes across as old-fashioned, but he gives Elizabeth a fair chance in a world ruled by men. And the relationship between Elizabeth and Detective Marino also develops quite nicely.

There is plenty of intrigue and mystery, and I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. I also like the setting of the story. I will definitely continue reading more from this series.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.