Did not love this one like her other two. Struggled to get through it and waited to review. Did not purchase for my library, I think it’s too slow for my students.

I’m such a sucker for historical romances. I can’t get enough of them. This was another I really enjoyed. It was a nice break from all the adult fantasy I’ve been reading lately.

Historical fiction isn't selling well at my high school right now and this reads fairly middle grade. They will pass on this one.

This book was just not for me. I didn't really care for the characters or the plot. Was basic.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this book because I was intrigued by its premise and I also really liked the book's cover. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me at all. I found Sophia to be insipid and I didn't like how she was used as a plot device for the male detective to solve the mystery rather than an actual person. The book is also not plotted nor paced well with multiple bodies appearing one after another with large spots with nothing happening. I solved the mystery long before the characters did. While I did think the author did a sufficient job in capturing the time period, the book did not hold my interest and I can't recommend it for my library.

This was a lot of fun (for me). I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper, so I had a feeling I would enjoy this one, too.

Sophia is living with her family when she receives a letter from her cousin, Daphne. Daphne’s brother, Andrew, was murdered almost a year earlier. No one had been arrested and the murderer was still out there. Daphne was afraid that her family was being targeted. It was mostly small things, but she was scared. Sophia wants to be an investigator for the Bow Street Runners. She’s read about murder investigations, but women were not allowed to be police in 1834. Daphne knew of Sophia’s interests and she asked her to come for a visit. Daphne needed someone there that she trusted to get her mind off things.

Jeremy is a young detective for Bow Street Runners. He hasn’t had a murder case yet, but he was sent from London to help out on Andrew’s murder. Sadly, he was told nothing about the case or why he was even going to this small town. Mr. Waverly had asked for their help after finding a new clue. The family was still struggling with the death. Jeremy wants to prove himself and starts looking into things right away.

While Sophia is visiting, strange “accidents” do start to happen. It could be something as small as an old toy left on the stairs for someone to trip on. Then there were shots into the house that could have hit Sophia and Daphne. It appeared that someone really was out to get the family. After a man was poisoned, both Jeremy and Sophia believe this all has to do with Andrew’s murder. During this time, Sophia had pushed her way into the investigation. Mostly because she was stubborn, but Jeremy realized quickly that she was helpful. Both of them work well together and feelings do develop. The romance wasn’t a huge part of the book and I really liked them together. They question people, follow clues, and start putting things together. They know the family is being targeted and that someone close to the family has to be the murderer.

“You are nothing like the usual, Miss Thompson,”

“Thank you, Mr. Fraser. I will take that as a compliment.”

I loved how stubborn Sophia was and I loved how sweet Jeremy could be. The small town setting in the 1880’s was perfect and I liked the pacing. I did have an idea somewhat early on who the murderer was, but there were still some surprises that came out later in the book. I’m definitely looking forward to trying out more of the author’s books.

I read 20% of this book before deciding to set it aside. Sophia was ridiculous as a main character. She consulted her detective book like it was a bible and believed the most ridiculous notations. I sometimes cannot get into books with multiple viewpoints (because of the way they are written) and this one fell into that category. The detective's voice was stilted and I couldn't connect to him. Sophia on the other hand acted years younger than her actual age and I honestly couldn't force myself to keep reading when so many things were irking me.

This was a fun, twisty mystery that wasn't too heavy but complex enough to keep me interested. I found the characters likeable and compelling.

Deadly Curious is a light and pleasant YA murder mystery with a little romance thrown in, and frankly, sometimes that is just the ticket.

Wannabe detective Sophia is determined to solve the mystery of her cousin Andrew’s murder, though obviously that is very much NOT the duty of a well brought-up Victorian lady. Sophia, though, dreams of being a great detective, and so she’s happy to team up with actual detective Jeremy (who is very much on a Performance Improvement Plan with his bosses) and Andrew’s sister Daphne to solve the murder. Hijinks and detecting ensue.
There’s nothing weighty here, and the solution to the murder is kinda obvious pretty early on, but it’s a fast, fun enough read for folks who don’t mind a few anachronisms creeping into their Victorian mysteries. (I do get annoyed when books turn heroines feminist in un-feminist periods while basically just saying “look how feminist she is” and not actually making said heroine demonstrably different from her peers except in the fact that she’s always thinking about how she’s so feminist.)

I really enjoy mysteries and this one did not disappoint! I would highly recommend! This story and characters were overall phenomenal and I will definitely be picking up books by this author in the future.

I wanted to like this book, and did find it a fun read, but also found it didn't always hold my attention and slowed down at times.

What started out as a fun mystery premise, turned into a tedious and repetitive story. Sophia, who wants to become a runner, which is an investigator, has feminist ideals, but lacks a certain complexity that I like in a feminist character. Jeremy was forgettable and not all that interesting.

Deadly Curious was a delightfully entertaining mystery that kept me guessing. All Sophia wanted to be was the first female detective for the Bow Street Runners but her troubled family history kept this dream away from her fingertips. When she gets the opportunity to help her cousin solve their own family murder, she feels that this is finally her chance to proved what she can do. She never imagined that her mystery solving skills would put her in harm’s way and she must find a killer before it is too late.

This was a great mystery and I loved the dark historical atmosphere. This mystery had so many wonderful twists and turns, which showed Sophia that could do what she needed to do to help those in need. This is my first mystery by Ms. Antsey and I’m so excited to go back and read more of her exciting novels. Deadly Curious is definitely one that shouldn’t be missed.

This book ticks all the boxes: romance, mystery, history, suspense, comedy. Anstey has written a wonderful novel that will appeal to all types of readers. It's great as a standalone or as an intro into other classic works. I can't wait to talk about this with my students next school year!

Sophia is an 18 year old female living in 1834. Wanting to be part of the part of Bow Street Runners. As a female in that time period she wouldn't be able to do something like this. The story was...ok. Slightly predictable, but enjoyable.

While this story was likened to Agatha Christie and Kerri Maniscalco, Unfortunately, it was a little bit on the cookie cutter. The romance was a little bit fluffy. I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to!

I loved "Deadly Curious" so much! It delivers exactly what it promises with a badass main character, an intriguing mystery and a too cute romance.

What reason would a young lady with a genteel upbringing have in pursuing a career with the elite corps of detectives?

Zero marriage prospects.

When her uncle was sentenced to the colonies, Sophia Thompson’s Season was cancelled and the family’s reputation took a downturn that her future was compromised. Or as compromised as it could be when, in those times, a young woman’s future was either have a proper husband and run the household and have a family or spend the rest of her life attending to their mother or living off a small stipend from an inheritance or their brother’s generosity.

But Sophia Thompson was obstinate that she if she won’t get her Season, then she might as well have a career. With her heart set on joining the ranks of the Bow Street Runners (inconceivable!), she was looking for a chance to prove her capabilities.

And an alarming letter from her cousin asking Sophia for help in looking into her brother’s murder would just be the right point in jumping her career off.

One running theme in this series is that the heroines are intelligent and headstrong, wanting to explore more of their worth than what their current circumstances are giving them. They want to use their talents and skills for more than house management and raising family. Not that there’s something wrong with domesticity, but I feel like the books are trying to convey that the young women could be strong and soft at the same time. A career and a family - a girl could be one of the boys.

This is common/popular trope in most historical romance fiction, but academic research and history established that women have been awesome and bad-ass since the ancient times but we all know that popular history tends to be written leaning more into the masculine side.

But what I also liked in Cindy Anstey’s books is that the love interest, while noticing the fair countenance of the main character first, is more attracted to their drive, mind, and personality.

I deemed Sophia and Jeremy’s romance to be more adorable and cute that I would sooner coo and pat their heads than swoon.

I figured out the one behind the murder about halfway through. And I would advise the two to consider another career choice. But what was interesting is to find out what the motive was, what the culprit’s history as to have a reason to murder that particular person.

I still love the setting and a peak at the local history from the perspective of landed gentry. I loved finding new terms I haven’t encountered before, i.e. haberdashery, oriel windows, Vandyke beard, poaching and the laws pertaining to it, that I was deep into a chain-google-search. Which landed me in reading a lot about something other than the drama of the royal family during the Georgian period.

'Deadly CUrious' is a Young Adult Victorian mystery novel. It is light-hearted fun (which is quite refreshing in YA, sometimes they tend toward the moody). The mystery is not tight and many will deduce the murderer well in advance.

I wanted to love this book because I am a fan of 19th Century London, and who doesn't enjoy a good murder mystery? However, I felt like the story fell a bit flat for me. I struggled to connect with the characters and wished they were a little bit more developed. The ending was exciting, but the rest of the story seemed to drag; I wanted more action to keep me hooked throughout the book. However, with all of that said, I was only 50% correct about solving the murder, and there was a good twist that I didn't see coming which is always enjoyable! I think I will still add this to my MS library because it was a clean mystery that I believe my students will enjoy!