I enjoy these mysteries and the characters are really engaging. I’m getting a little aggravated with Prudence though. Either enter the relationship with Geoffrey or get out and start your own detective firm. She loves him, but she wants her freedom. She wants to be involved in the cases, but doesn’t have the connections or confidence to run them herself, and at times she seems too hesitant to go after what she wants. I also hate being left on a cliff hanger. At this point in the series, we are going to read the next one regardless of her decision, JUST MAKE ONE ALREADY!

As far as the ending to the mystery, I felt that the killer got what he deserved, but I would have appreciated it much more if he had been brought to justice so there are no lingering questions for the characters. The mystery itself was pretty good. There were a few too many red herrings and odd rabbit holes that we went after that weren’t important in the grand scheme of things. I do feel that Morgan should have survived. I think killing him off, and the way it was done, was unnecessary.

Thanks to the publishers, Netgalley and the author for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 5th book in the series and my favourite one. When Geoffrey and Prudence are called in to uncover the mystery of some stolen diamonds they are once again drawn into something far more sinister.


Further complicating matters, Prudence's Aunt Gillian is determined for Prudence to take her rightful place in society and marry well. And of course, Prudence and Geoffrey have STILL not acknowledged their feelings for each other.

This is another compelling, well-researched book and I can't wait for the next one. The cliffhanger at the end was a bit mean but I won't hold it against the author.

Rosemary Simpson’s 5th Gilded Age mystery is infused with difficult choices, secrets, and sadness although these sober notes are not immediately apparent. Under the chaperonage of her exquisite Aunt Gillian, Prudence MacKenzie prepares for the Assembly Ball at Delmonico’s. Colleen, Prudence’s Irish maid, laces her mistress into the “whale-boned corset” that the sumptuous gown demands. Like the scene in Titanic, when Rose is laced up by her ambitious mother, lacing “made it impossible to take a deep breath.”

But tonight was the first Assembly Ball of the New York season, and the elegant Worth gown had been sized for the fashionable wasp-waist silhouette that could only be achieved by cruelly constricted lacing. “You might as well get started, Colleen.”



“Yes, miss.”

When Aunt Gillian overhears Prudence complaining, she has a tart rejoinder: “Breathing is highly overrated. I haven’t breathed naturally except in my bed for more than twenty years,” announced the dowager Viscountess Rotherton, former American socialite and heiress Gillian Vandergrift, from the doorway of her niece’s bedroom.” Lady Rotherton’s paramount goal, why she “sailed from London and endured seven days of rough Atlantic seas,” is to shepherd Prudence through the social season and find her a “suitable husband.” Gillian has her work cut out for her. Prudence is a partner in a New York detective agency and envisions a life where she is more than a wife: “her father’s ambitious tutoring had taught her to yearn for and seek to attain.” The late Judge MacKenzie’s precepts are never far from his daughter’s mind.

Not much escapes Lady Rotherton. She watches her niece twirl around the ballroom in the arms of her attractive partner, ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter (not suitable marriage material for her niece), until she is distracted by the magnificent diamond necklace that adorns Lena De Vries’s neck. Lena is banker William De Vries’s second wife.

The diamonds around Lena De Vrie’s neck caught Lady Rotherton’s eye again. There was something about them. What was it William had confided on one of those trips to London? Loose stones once owned by Marie Antoinette and destined to grace the guillotined French queen’s lovely décolleté had recently fallen under the auction hammer and been carted off to the New World. Where William had commissioned Tiffany to create a necklace for his wife that would be the envy of every woman who saw it.

Gillian notices that Lena seems a little under the weather and wafts smelling salts under her nose, which allows her to get nose-to-nose with the necklace. The aromatic mist from the vial causes some stones to fog up. William De Vries is aghast. He hires Prudence and Geoffrey’s firm to investigate, exhorting them to keep it completely confidential.

“And Lady Rotherton could tell which stones were true and which were not by how quickly they cleared.”



“Very good, Mr. Hunter. But then I understand you were a Pinkerton at one time. I had no idea until Lady Rotherton explained it to me. She was the one who insisted I bring the necklace back to Tiffany.”

Fake diamonds don’t make themselves. Prudence and Geoffrey tap into their rough and tumble sources and determine that James Carpenter had the talents to create a reasonable facsimile of Marie Antoinette’s sparklers. Alas, someone beats them to the fence’s shop; the police. It’s a gruesome scene but Prudence insists on staying.

Her throat tightened and her stomach threatened to surge up against her teeth when she saw what had been done to James Carpenter. White feathers lay all over and beside his body, a damaged display pillow tossed to the floor where it floated in a puddle of red. He hadn’t died right away. That was obvious from the anguished expression on his face and his hands clutching the gaping wound from which coils of intestine spilled out.

Who commissioned Carpenter? Experience suggests that persons living in proximity to a crime are the prime suspects. The De Vries household is rather sad. Lena’s son from her first marriage, Morgan, lives with them as does Williams’ nephew, Everett Rinehart. Lena and William have not been blessed with children. Both young men work at the De Vries bank although Morgan’s alcoholism has made him an unreliable employee.

Lady Rotherton is diabolical in her willingness to subvert societal customs in order to ferret out information. Watch her in action at a gathering to mourn Lena’s son.

She took a pearl-encrusted gold snuffbox out of her reticule, flicked open the lid, and extracted a tiny smear of white powder onto one gloved hand. Sniffed onto one gloved hand. Sniffed. Sneezed delicately into a cobweb-thin lace handkerchief. Gave a little shiver of delight.



“Now,” she said firmly, taking hold of Prudence’s arm. “Let’s go see how much information we can squeeze out of the very naughty and misbehaving Lena De Vries.”



“She’s in mourning, Aunt Gillian. She’s standing next to the body of her son,” Prudence protested.



“No better moment,” Lady Rotherton asserted. “Or would you rather give the lady time to cover her tracks?”



Geoffrey wondered if the firm should put Prudence’s aunt on retainer also.

Drugs, alcohol, laudanum, seemingly everyone indulges although some are more able to deal with it than others. Aunt Gillian does threaten at times to overwhelm the story: she’s a perceptive and ruthless force of nature. For all intents and purposes, she is the third member of the detecting team. Her instincts are superb. Fueled by her inner knowledge of the upper classes, on both sides of the Atlantic, she detects dissembling effortlessly. No wonder Geoffrey and Prudence’s loyal team adore the highfalutin lady.

Rosemary Simpson’s Gilded Age Mysteries delve into the realities of the time, like her fourth book, Death Brings a Shadow, set on an island in Georgia. A dear friend of Prudence is murdered, just days before her elaborate wedding. Prudence and Geoffrey Hunter are unflinching in their quest for the truth.

Death Brings a Shadow is as far from a cozy mystery as you can get. It may be set in the Gilded Age and star an independent, outspoken heroine who defies the conventions of her time, but it’s a story full of terrible sadness and nauseating injustice. Simpson, brutally true to history, spares none of the violent, disgusting, and reprehensible details of the post-Reconstruction South.

Diamonds, Death, and Deception can also, “at times, be almost too painful to watch unfold,” because Simpson doesn’t shy away from the difficult choices people make in order to survive. The theme of personal choice threads through Prudence’s actions, as she contemplates her future. What does she want more—love or independence? Given the age, 1889, can she attain satisfaction through Freud’s definition of happiness: “Love and work…work and love, that’s all there is.” Stay tuned!

In Rosemary Simpson's Death, Diamonds, and Deception, the 5th installment in the Gilded Age Historical Mystery series, this captivating caper would transport you to a most enchanted time in our history. In Fall 1889 in New York when heiress Prudence Mackenzie's Aunt Gillian arrives in town for London to escort her during her Social Season to find a suitable suitor for marriage. But she wasn't interested on being married to anyone anytime soon. During this time, she received a call for their next case with her investigative partner, Geoffrey Hunter, in their firm. They've been hired to find the missing diamonds that's been stolen from the De Vries Mansion. Right off the start, they talked to the staff and Lena and William DeVries about the missing jewels. As they search for clues, they learn that someone hung themself in the attic of the same home. This was when Prudence and Geoffrey run into the NYPD when it happened in the DeVries household and look behind the story of the footman's suicide. From there, they've became tangled into a web of deception and deceit when they've hit a snag or two to discover another death, until Lena's own son lost his life due to alcoholism... and later her husband suffered a stroke and later succumbed to it. The closer they look for answers on unraveling the culprit's identity, the more surprised they were to find out it was under their noses right along until the climaxing and twisting ending.

An exciting and entertaining read involving murder and stolen jewels. The plot is cleverly thought out and presented in a twisty way so I was always kept guessing. Prudence and Geoffrey make an ideal partnership. I can't help but feel a little bit sorry for Geoffrey as he waits patiently for Prudence to show her feelings for him. However, I am enjoying their slow-burn romance and I wouldn't want it to develop too quickly. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I found this story gripping and entertaining.
It's the second I read in this series and I liked the mystery, full of twists and turns, and the vivid historical background.
I was happy to catch up with the characters and I think that New York is the perfect setting for them.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Really enjoy this historical series.Prudence and Geoffrey are characters that really come alive.The author blends history with fiction making for an entertaining read,#netgalley#kennsigtonboks

Another great entry in this series. I really enjoy the relationship between Prudence and Geoffrey and the addition of Aunt Gillian gave the story a little boost. The mystery is well conceived but a tad transparent as it was pretty obvious who the thief was. Because the books are so well written and the descriptions of the how the “gilded” lived I can forgive that the mystery is just not that mysterious. And there is nothing like a good cliff hanger, but this one really leaves you on the edge. The author has to hope that readers are so engaged and committed they will look forward to the next book’s publications to find out what happens to Prudence and Geoffrey. Overall a quick and fun read.

Oh, how I love a well written historical mystery with a generous amount of solid background research built into it. It adds interesting detail to the story without allowing the story to be bogged down by it. Author Rosemary Simpson has the balance of this down to a science and entertains the reader with lots of interesting historical facts of 1889 New York City which engages the reader's imagination without overwhelming the reader with excessive detail. This fifth installment in her Gilded Age Mystery series is perfectly balance in this regard. We catch the glisten of faceted gems as they sparkle in their spectacular settings adorning the décolletage of New York City's grand dames. We hear the rustle of the ladies' gowns as they sidle down a darkened hallway or the muted sound of horse hooves on the straw strewn cobblestone resulting in muted street noise outside a home, with its drapes drawn closed, of a family in mourning. The vignettes are richly described and transport the reader to another time and place.

Certainly Ms. Simpson's fine turn of phrase drew me into the book and her strong female protagonist, Prudence (daughter schooled in law by her father, a judge) held my interest as she put forth an image of a feisty, bright and fearless women in a age where such character was extraordinary. Prudence and her partner, Geoffrey run an investigative law firm. He is a southern gentleman schooled in law and a former Pinkerton man. There's a bit of a spark between them as he tries to steer her away from seemingly dangerous situations but Prudence will have none of it and that's what he so admires about her. She's an independent woman with a strong mind of her own, an admirable trait and simultaneously vexing to Geoffrey.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and do look forward to reading more stories by this gifted author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I know I picked this based on the niche genre of turn of the century historical fiction however, the beginning and a lot of the dialogue was really similar to some other books I've read. I am not claiming plagiarism but the dialogue seemed unoriginal. It reminded me of Daisy Goodwin's writing as well as Shelley Gray. For example the conversation about corsets is in nearly every book and movie set in this time period. I mean come on. I love this sub genre but I get tired of reading the same book written by different authors.

Rosemary Simpson immerses us in a fourth Gilded Age mystery in Death Diamonds and Deception. Prudence Mackenzie and ex Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter are engaged to trace diamonds pried from a waterfall necklace and replaced by fakes. Prudence's aunt Lady Rotherton has returned from England to chaperone her niece and stick her nose into the investigation. The household of businessman William de Vries is upset by murder and suicide. His wife's son is a wastrel and much is amiss in his family relationships. The underbelly of New York throws up corruption. No one is who they seem. Get ready to solve the crimes.

Death, Diamonds, and Deception is the 5th book in the Gilded Age mystery series, which just keeps getting better with each book. It’s 1889 and Prudence MacKenzie and former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey Hunter are back investigating in New York City. This time Prudence has a chaperone—her aunt, Lady Rotherton. Since Prudence has no interest in finding a husband, or interest in social activities, she finds her aunt to be something of a hinderance to her private investigation business. But while Lady Rotherton disapproves of Prudence’s business and her partner, she actually comes in handy during their latest investigation. It’s Lady Rotherton who reveals that a priceless waterfall necklace contains fake diamonds, prompting the owner to hire Geoffrey and Prudence to investigate.
Death strikes before they’re able to speak to the first witness, making the case all the more difficult. The investigation takes them to the gritty streets of Five Points and to the glittering ballrooms of 5th Avenue, both of which are beautifully wrought on the page. The mystery is complex. The historical detail is fascinating. It’s a great book to lose yourself in.

1889 New York and Prudence Mackenzie has to grind her teeth and bear with the Lady Rotherton her Aunt from England who has come to especially escort and chaperone her on a season which hopefully (in her aunt's opinion) end up with a good match.

For Prudence marriage is really not on her mind, not with those whom her aunt is associating with. Having solved one murder with the Pinkerton Agency, Prudence wants to use the intelligence she has been blessed with to do something with her life rather than a life of dances, balls and basicaly doing nothing.

When a diamond necklace reputed to belong to Marie Antoinette is found to contain fake diamonds, the Agency is called in to discreetly follow up because the man who purchased the necklace believes the rogues are close to home in the form of his step son. Enquiries are put in place and when death comes closer it is obvious that someone does not really want too much of investigations to take place. Murder follows murder, followed by accidental deaths which seemed too coincidental to be accident and the pace hots up. All this amidst a huge social season.

Very good detective work in the format of the era, alongside a budding romance and all the glamour of a New York season rolled into one. Very riveting read.

Death, Diamonds and Deception s the fifth book in this very enjoyable series. Prudence McKenzie is being corralled by her Aunt to find a husband. While attending a ball, which Prudence abhors, her aunt makes the discovery that a stunning necklace is actually a fake. the diamonds have been replaced with paste. The murders begin, and the prime suspect is anything but. Prudence and her partner Geoffrey Hunter are determined to find out what happened.
Simpson's books are well written with good pacing. They are well researched and bring to life the Gilded Age. The characters are all well developed and we are waiting with baited breath for Prudence and Geoffrey to take their romance public. I recommend this series, but feel the reader would be best served if they read them in order.
I thank Net Galley for allowing me to review this book in return for an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This is a mystery that begins with a jewellery theft and quickly develops into a murder investigation. It is part of an established series but I read it fine as a stand-alone.
It is set in The Golden Age New York, and while we see all the glitz and glam of being one of Mrs Vanderbilt’s lucky 400, we also see the snobbery, the broken souls and addictions that ran concurrently with that all. I particularly found the inclusion of some of the experimental addiction treatments of that time interesting and it really added authenticity to the story.
It was a fast paced read and it had quite a few plot twists to keep you guessing. I found the ending a little abrupt but overall really enjoyed this historical mystery.

Death, Diamonds and Deception is the fifth book in Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson.

This is an excellent book to read about New York in the early 1890's. Descriptions are absolutely charming and so vivid that you can imagine herself to be there. I have found out so much about the traditions, parties, social expectations, road conditions, woman position in society. I was truly enlightening.
As this is the first book in the series that I have read I had some difficulties getting into the story and familiarizing with all the characters.
Main protagonists are likable, intelligent and reliable. There are certain details that do not seem so believable but overall I believe it to be a pretty accurate portray of that time.
The story grabbed me as I like to read about thefts and expensive jewelry. Mystery was intriguing and absorbing. There were several red herrings to keep things interesting.

I have to say that I really didn't enjoy the abrupt ending, I found it slightly irritating how main protagonists dance around each other's feelings without revealing anything and it ends in the most infuriating way.

I trust that my opinion of the book would be even better have I read previous books, which I strongly recommend.

Death, Diamonds, And Deception is the fifth book in the Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson.

I really enjoy this series. Prudence and Geoffrey are well developed and work well together and look out for each other but, at the same time, aren’t overprotective. The writing seems to be accurate for the period(1889).

The story begins with the start of the New York season of society balls, and Prudence’s Aunt Gillian(Lady Rotherton) has arrived in New York City to be Prudence’s chaperone at this season’s balls. Prudence is sure that her aunt wants her to get married and wants to find the perfect gentleman for her to marry. But Prudence is delighted with her single life and enjoys working with Geoffrey in their Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law business. Prudence has convinced Geoffrey to be her escort to the Assembly Ball. Aunt Gillian is soon approached by William DeVries, who introduces her to his wife, Lena, wearing an exquisite diamond necklace adorned with diamonds that reputedly belonged to Marie Antonette. Aunt Gillian knows her gems and informs DeVries that some of the diamonds are paste. When DeVries learns that Prudence and Geoffrey do discreet investigations, he hires them to discover who had stolen the diamonds. As they begin their quest, a disreputable jeweler isDeVries murdered at his store. When the DeVries son’s valet is found hung and suspicion begins to appear that the theft was someone involved within the DeVries household, DeVries asks them to stop their investigation. They will privately continue their investigation.

The story is well-written and plotted. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this exciting series to learn what might be ahead for Prudence and Geoffrey.

I have enjoyed all of the previous mysteries in this series. Set in the Gilded Age of New York with all of its glitter and grime, it pulled me into the world that Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter inhabit. Prudence is a young woman who pushes against the societal norms of the upper crust. She and Geoffrey, a former Pinkerton agent, have their own investigative agency, Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law. If her Aunt Gillian has her way, Prudence will be wed and so we enter the world of the great balls, women dressed by the great House of Worth wearing elegant jewelry and on the hunt for the proper husband. It's the jewelry that lands Prudence and Geoffrey their next case. Aunt Gillian has a sharp eye and upon seeing the gorgeous necklace being worn by the wife of banker William DeVries, she declares them to be fake. Fearing a scandal and wanting to find out how the theft was done, DeVries hires Hunter and McKenzie Investigative Law to find the thief and return the diamonds. Murder soon enters the case and another theft. There are lots of secrets being hidden in the DeVries family that may have ties to the theft and the murders. I'll say no more about the crime so I don't commit any spoilers.
Prudence is a wonderful character, a woman who knows what she wants and it isn't to become a society matron. Her father taught her well and her partnership with Geoffrey suits her. Geoffrey has feelings for her so there is a romantic thread through the series. As for her Aunt Gillian, she is one of the best characters in the book. The mystery itself was well crafted and it kept me guessing. While this can be read as a standalone, I think reading them in order is best.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The farthest thing from Prudence MacKenzie’s mind is finding a husband. In Gilded Age New York Lady Rotherton, her aunt, has arrived from England to ensure her attendance at the season’s balls to find a suitable match for her niece. While attending an event at Delmonicos, Lady Rotherton, who considers herself an expert on precious gems, discovers that the necklace of Mrs. Lena De Vries contains a number of fake diamonds. Prudence is a partner in Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law with Geoffrey Hunter, a former Pinkerton agent. Approached by William De Vries to discreetly discover who stole the diamonds, Geoffrey is hesitant to take the case, but William was a friend of Prudence’s late father so they accept the assignment..

The missing diamonds were originally a gift for Marie Antoinette and are unique cuts. The De Vries necklace was carefully stored and transported by Tiffanys. The only time the switch could be made was in the De Vries home. William’s nephew works with him in finance and is his heir apparent. Morgan Whitley is Lena’s son from her first marriage. He is a gambler with considerable debts and an alcoholic who has currently relapsed after being sent away for therapy. William believes he is guilty, but Lena insists on his innocence. Lena’s maid is in charge of cleaning her jewelry and was trained by her father, a jeweler. As Prudence and Geoffrey get close to finding the jeweler who received the diamonds they discover the first murder. It is not the only death that will be tied to the theft and their search for the thief ultimately puts them in danger.

Prudence is an independent woman who refuses to be guided by society’s expectations. Her aunt does not believe that she should be involved with Geoffrey or their business, but she pushes her way into their case with advice and an ability to enter places that Prudence would not consider entering by herself. From Fifth Avenue to the seedier side of New York, this is a mystery that will have you guessing to the end. This is the fifth entry in Rosemary Simpson’s series and will leave you eagerly awaiting her next mystery. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing my review of this book.

The strict social and class structures of New York in 1889, where any kind of scandal could ruin a family, provide an excellent foundation for this engaging cozy mystery.
Heiress Prudence MacKenzie is in town to find a suitable husband but she soon becomes involved in the race to track down missing diamonds and find a ruthless killer who is both determined and clever. The search will take her from a jeweller’s workshop to families such as the De Vries banking dynasty.
Has Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law finally met their match?
Written in the third person, this mystery is layered with historical detail with mannerisms that match the strict formality of the era.