I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

1895, London - Taking risqué photographs is the only way Julia McAllister can retain her independence as a young widow in London. But one by one, her models are dying — and now she is being framed for their murders.

I liked the characters and setting of this book but the writing style bothered me at times making the story harder to read and follow.

2.5 ☆

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book. A good story and easy read. Look forward to more books by this author

This was an interesting book. It was easy to read and kept my interest. I highly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.

If this was the author's debut novel then bring 'em on!! Funny, atmospheric, skillful, entertaining, sad, descriptive of the era and on and on and on. I just loved this book - and what's more the murderer came as a complete surprise . Red herrings galore, wonderful characters, crisp, snappy and realistic dialogue....what more can I say other than READ IT! Fantastic book - and I was sorry to come to the end. I hope we see more of the would-be sleuth Julia McAllister in the future. I, for one, will be in the queue for her next offering. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. My review is my own and an an honest one.

Although the cover has no real connection to the book which is set in 1895 and is not gory in the way the cover implies, I liked the description and the Victorians setting and decided to give it a go.

from description: 1895, London--
Taking risqué photographs is the only way Julia McAllister can retain her independence as a young widow in London.


Snap Shot is the first in a new series featuring Victorian photographer Julia McAllister. Julia is intelligent and skilled; however, in order to keep customers, she has to pretend that the previous owner of the studio is still alive. An independent woman with her own business doesn't sit well with the Victorian social norms, so Julia keeps up the facade of being the apprentice photographer. But taking the ordinary pictures of the trade barely sustain her, and Julia wants a nest egg large enough to help her travel and take artistic photographs.

Thus the sideline of naughty pictures. I was happy with this one, which has some light moments among the more serious incidents...until the end. I wasn't as pleased with the end.

I imagine the next book will be about Julia becoming a crime photographer. She mentions that the French have already begun using crime photography. I imagine she is referring to Alphonse
Bertillon, the Parisian who pioneered the practice of mug shots and crime scene photographs.

Read in June; blog review scheduled for July 18.

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Mystery. July 29, 2019. Print length: 252 pages.

Marilyn Todd's novel, which was well-written and very descriptive, opens with Julia taking a photograph of a child...a dead child. Oh, the Victorians and their morbidly weird customs! When she arrives back at her photography studio, she is greeted by questions from a police inspector. Three of her clients were found murdered and Julia's pictures and stamp tie her to the crimes.

Readers quickly learn that Julia isn't all that she seems, but she is not a murderer of innocent women. With the help of a street urchin named Bug, Julia sets out finding the real killer to clear her own name, as well as solving another crime, and investigating a suicide.

"Snap Shot" is the intriguing first book of a new series called the Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries. I found it to be an entertaining, but somewhat quick and light, read. Even though mysteries are not my usual genre of choice, I will probably keep reading the series. I did not figure out the real killer prior to the author's big reveal, which is always a plus.

Thank you, as always, to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

Snap Shot is a good historical thriller that has a interesting storyline. I could see how some could get confused with the writing. Overall I found it a decent read.

I am not even halfway through this but am super confused as to the whole storyline and who is who. What I "think" is going on is a case of two identities, one more dark and sinister and the other appearing to be a standout model citizen.
On the surface, Julia appears to be a stand up citizen. Well liked by her photography clients. She is a widow trying to make a new life for herself.
On the flip side however, she makes money on a side business taking risqué boudoir photos for some of the local women. When one by one, her clients are killed, Detective Collingwood suspects Julia . Julia must seek the truth as to who is behind the murders, but by doing so secrets of her past start coming to light.
Where I am confused is how "Bug" fits into this story. I just cannot seem to understand his presence. I am just having trouble completely getting into this story, one because of how the young uneducated Bug speaks!

Well I didn't see that coming. Julia is trying to be independent and make a living for herself in a world where women have no rights.- in Victorian England women were possessions. Then, she finds that someone is trying to frame her for the murders of young women who had appeared in pictures for 'French' postcards, soft porn, which she had taken. Can she clear her name and find the real killer?

A good read. I'm hopeful there may be more cases for Julia to help the police to solve.

19th century London; serial killer; independent woman photographer takes crime scene photos. Marilyn Todd ticks lots of boxes in writing this, and I'm sure it will be popular, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected.