I was given this book for an honest review
This book is a historical book , and the author put me right in the Victorian Era , I enjoyed this authors point of view , a female forensic photographer from the Victorian Era from a time in history where women didn’t fully have their rights. The story was interesting, but sometimes I was confused about who was featured because they started and stopped abruptly. This book peaked my interest about the first book in the series ,I want to know the beginning of Julia’s story and I look forward to what comes next .

Set in Victorian England the CAST IRON narrative takes the reader into the life of Julia McAllister, currently assisting her part-time paramour. Detective Inspector Collingwood, as a crime scene photographer. Prior to her current assignment she applied her photographic talents to producing risqué “French postcards” and turning a handsome profit. Before that she stepped up and became “savior of her family” when she murdered her violently abusive step-father, disposed of his body and moved to her current digs.

Now Julia is doing her best to stay one step ahead of the law while she assists in applying her talents to catching the killer of a local woman. Will Julia be able to identify the woman’s killer without exposing her own questionable past?

Author Marilyn Todd has created an irresistible protagonist. Julia is my type of amateur sleuth who, while she doesn’t have access to the same information as the constabulary and has her own personal problems where the law is concerned is nonetheless a smart, independent woman who uses her powers of observation and deduction to provide surprising solutions and resolutions to the intertwined multiple story-line arcs.

If you’re looking for an inventive and entertaining reading experience, make that cup of hot chocolate and get ready to be whisked away to the murder and mayhem of another time…....another place.

Cast Iron is the second Julia McAllister period mystery by Marilyn Todd. Released 20th Oct 2019 by Sapere, it's 234 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a very well written period murder mystery with a strong, intelligent, and sympathetic female protagonist. This is the second book in the series, but I had no trouble following the plot or keeping the characters straight. It works perfectly well as a standalone; the author is adept at giving enough backstory to bring readers up to speed (without feeling like one is being force fed). The plotting is spare and tightly controlled. The technical aspects of the writing are well done (dialogue, characterization, etc) and unobtrusive. It's an engrossing read. It's not a cozy, it's serious and in some places gritty. The first crime scene Julia photographs was so well described it gave me chills.

The ebook version includes an interactive table of contents Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the first book in the series) are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. It's always fun to find a new to me author and series to read. I would recommend this one to fans of period mysteries. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Five stars. I really enjoyed this book.

The description sounded promising, but I kept thinking that I'd just read another story about a woman photographing crime scenes in this same time period. Couldn't really get into this story.

This was my first reading of a book written by Marilyn Todd. After reading Cast Iron, I would love to read the first book in this series, Snap Shot.

The book summary describes Snap Shot as follows: “A brilliant new Victorian mystery series you won’t want to miss! For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Thompson. Julia turns from murder suspect to England’s first crime scene photographer…“

Both Snap Shot and Cast Iron take place in England, circa 1895. If you haven’t read Snap Shot, here’s something to catch you up. As a young widow in London, Julia McAllister supported herself by taking risqué photographs. Unfortunately, when her models began dying, Julia was being framed for their murders.

Now, fast forwarding to the future: As Cast Iron begins, we learn that Julia has apparently moved on from the problems she faced in Snap Shot. She is ready to board a train, and move forward with her life. But, before you can say, “All aboard,” Julia finds herself right smack in the middle of a crime scene on the train line. And the police call upon Julia to photograph the crime scene.

I am partial to historical fiction and enjoy a good mystery as well. I found this story compelling and the characters quite engaging. Cast Iron was a completely enjoyable read for me.

An excellent and entertaining historical mystery, well written and with a cast of interesting characters.
I liked the well described and researched historical background, the solid mystery and the fleshed out characters.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Cast Iron, the second in this series featuring Victorian photographer Julia McAllister, takes up where the first book left off--with Julia preparing to leave and begin a new life.

When the house across the way burns down, Julia takes in the two annoying little old ladies who have been left homeless. She's planning to leave on the next train anyway and has cleared all evidence of the naughty pictures she has taken to keep her independence.

An accident on the train line and a request to photograph the details of a crime scene, prevent her escape.

As Julia photographs the body of the murdered woman, she notices things that Inspector Collingwood wouldn't be aware of: the condition and quality of the woman's clothing, the movement of the body, the importance of the missing hat. Julia has a woman's perspective, an artist's perspective, and a past victim of abuse's perspective that the police lack.

Although her dream is to travel and take pictures of the wild places in the world, Julia also has an interest in the French use of crime scene photography, and Inspector Collingwood is smart enough to take advantage of a crime scene photographer and a woman's perspective. Julia's sympathy for the unidentified woman leads her to do some investigating on her own.

And Julia has a secret of her own that she is desperate to hide.

Snap Shot, the first in the series, introduces the characters and background, but Cast Iron can be read as a stand alone.

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Mystery. Oct. 20, 2019. Print length: 221 pages.