I almost stopped reading this series after the last book Death Brings a Shadow, but now I'm glad I didn't. This was probably my second favorite book in the series. I enjoyed reading about Prudence and Geoffrey in this book. Prudence was less annoying and reckless than she was in the last book. I was happy that there seemed to be some positive character growth for her, and Geoffrey is beginning to realize that he needs to accept that she isn't going to take a back seat in the investigations, no matter how dangerous they might be. Also, Prudence's aunt who was visiting from London was an interesting character, even though she could be a bit of a snob, and I really enjoyed reading Josiah's thoughts regarding Prudence and Geoffrey.

I thought the mystery in this one was quite good. Though I figured out one element of the mystery early on, part of it kept me guessing for most of the book. This time around there was no real big historical event tied to the book, but that was ok. The author notes in her afterward that the Marie Antoinette diamonds were completely made up by her. Regardless, it was a good plot devise. Keeley's Gold Cure for Alcoholism that was talked about in the book was a real thing however. After reading up on it, it sounded like a money making scheme to me.

My one big complaint about this book is the way it ends. Just when something I've been waiting for seems about to happen, it ends and now I have have to wait another year to find out what happened. That was so frustrating!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I enjoy this series. Evocative and interesting with likable protagonists.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

I rolled my eyes when I realized that I'd downloaded the first romance (I know of) where the pandemic is key but you know what- this is a charmer. Sophie retrained as a teacher after leaving the law. She's also lost her ex, her mom is on the front lines, and she's got epilepsy. It all gets a bit much one day and she finds herself crying on the balcony where she is heard by Jack. Jack's got kidney disease and an ex in Greece. The two of them find themselves bonding, sending treats and necessities up and down via a basket system Jack rigs. You know they're going to fall in love. I liked this more than I expected because, even with all the darkness there could have been, James kept it light. You will root for these two. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

It would be time for the author to decide the direction to be taken in the story between Prudence and Geoffrey, because their behavior, especially when they are together, is becoming particularly annoying and this is not good for the rhythm of the story or the crime they are supposed to solve. I liked the initial stories more and I am not so motivated to continue the series....

Sarebbe ora che l'autrice decidesse la piega da dare alla storia tra Prudence e Geoffrey, perché il loro comportamento, specialmente quando sono insieme, sta diventando particolarmente fastidioso e questo non giova né al ritmo della storia né al crimine che dovrebbero risolvere. Le storie iniziali mi piacevano di piú e non sono poi così tanto motivata a proseguire la serie....

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

The fifth in the Gilded Age mystery series, this one may just be my favorite. Whether the author has grown with her writing, or I have grown with the author, I found this book to be the most accessible of the series. The mystery was intricate and engaging, the characters’ motivations were understandable, and I felt like I was in 1880s NYC with every description. And with just a smidge of romance, and can’t wait to see what happens next.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Kensington Books for the opportunity to review an advanced reader copy. This was an excellent book - fast-paced with engaging character development. The two main characters exhibited greater depth and range than in the previous books and the introduction of Prudence's aunt brought in a bit of levity and an excellent foil for the leading lady. The mystery and action stand on their own merits as well. What is more, Simpson's writing itself is simply lovely. She spins a fun and interesting story against a backdrop of powerful and at times haunting imagery. I will definitely be reading the next installment as soon as it is available.

Death, Diamonds, and Deception by Rosemary Simpson is a Historical Mystery is set in late 19th Century New York. This detective mystery series doesn’t have to be read in order to be enjoyed and each book is very distinctive. I do suggest reading every book because while there is continuity it is not the same story with variations. Ms. Simpson’s latest book has exciting action, priceless jewelry, thieves, mysterious deaths, secrets and thrills to the very end. If there is a moral to this story it could be summed up as ˋˋbe sure your sins will find you out´´ or the old adage ˋˋthey got their just desserts´´. A well woven story that will keep you wondering who did it, why and how it was done?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

This is an enjoyable historical series. Ms. Simpson does a wonderful job of blending in factual information with historical fiction. The characters come alive when reading. Prudence and Geoffrey are joined in their investigation with Lady Rotherton, who is Prudence's aunt. Her insight begins and finishes the mystery in this installment. Very enjoyable.

Death, Diamonds, and Deception by Rosemary Simpson is the fifth book in the Gilded Age historical mystery series and is set in New York in late 1889 and early 1890. Prudence MacKenzie’s wealthy father has been dead for a year and she has become a partner in Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law with Geoffrey Hunter. However, her aunt, Lady Rotherton arrives from London intent on chaperoning her niece through the social season to find a suitable husband. At the Assembly Ball, Lady Rotherton determines that some of the diamonds in a necklace worn by Lena De Vries are fake. Soon thereafter, William De Vries hires Prudence and Geoffrey to recover the stolen diamonds and who stole them. What ensues is a complicated pursuit of the truth.

Prudence and Geoffrey were likeable characters supported by an array of secondary characters that enhanced the story, but were not fully developed and did not seem to grow. (Part of this could be because I have not read the four previous books in the series.) However, the relationships seemed believable and not contrived. The writing was so descriptive that you could feel that you were actually in the Gilded Age of New York. The street conditions, the social distinctions and interactions, the expectations of women, the parties, the carriages, and much more came alive in Simpson’s descriptive style. However, at times the writing seemed to edge into flowery and slowed down the pace of the story line. Additionally, some of the transitions were not smooth and the story seemed to jump rather than flow. The plot had some twists and turns and a few surprises, but I was able to determine the thief relatively early in the book. There was enough suspense to keep me interested in the outcome, but it dragged for me.

Overall, this was a descriptive historical mystery that was entertaining, but ended somewhat abruptly. If you enjoy historical mysteries, I would recommend starting with the first book in the series rather than jumping in at number five.

Kensington Books and Rosemary Simpson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

4.5/5⭐️

Fifth in a mystery series that I love. And even though I had deduced the villain before the end, their just desserts were especially satisfying.

Geoffrey and Prudence are hired to locate some stolen rare diamonds along with the thief. Deaths follow and a whole slew of would-be thieves/murderers abound.

The plot was well rendered with some twists and blind alleys, the writing had a good flow, and wonderfully developed leads as well as their secondary cast. I’m happy that this series is progressing so nicely. Definitely recommend.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are wholly my own.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

I was looking forward to reading this after seeing the blurb and it started off well, but despite best efforts - perhaps timing was wrong for me - I just couldn't get on and read to the end. Was it because it felt like the story was dragging on? I don't know.

Maybe I will finish it another time, when in a better mood.

Omg! Talk about a cliff hanger. This book was filled with all the pomp and circumstance of the late 1800's. It is after the Civil War in America and the country try is slowly winding it's way back up after the devastation of the war. Our heroine is an upper crust "dollar princess" whose dowager aunt is trying to get her onto the marriage market. But our heroine, while jumping through hoops for her aunt, still has her private life as a private investigator with our hero. The hero hails from the South and has moved to the North because in the aftermath of the War, his ideals and morals have changed. He doesn't feel the same as the other Southerners and is trying to carve out a place for him in his private investigation business that he shares with our heroine. He loves our heroine, but she loves her independence. She is going along with her aunt only to pacify her because of her heritage. This book moves a little slow because of all the descriptive verse of the author to place the reader in her story. I truly enjoyed be immersed in this tale, until the last few paragraphs. It is a cliff hanger. There is no end. It JUST STOPS. The hero is getting ready to ask the heroine to be his although his condition isn't the best, the heroine has just told him she has to go to England for the marriage mart and the book stops. They both love each other. But they never admit it and he never asks her. It just stops. I rate the book negative 20 stars because the book just stops. I just wasted all that time, reading this book and the author doesn't even reward the reader by giving the book an ending?? How disrespectful to the reader. As a reader we spend more than money to buy a book. We spend time and brain cells and the author has the nerve to just stop writing?? Do not buy this book unless you want to be disappointed. I have to give it 1 star because that is the lowet

My first introduction to the series was a great experience and has compelled me to seek out the first four books.

Prudence, an unusually independent young woman in 1870s New York, is from the upper echelon of society but abhors the insincerity and snobbery which is part and parcel of it. She is a female detective and along with Geoffrey, her partner, sets out to solve multiple crimes in this book. Along the way we catch snippets of class differences of the time from urchins to servants to aristocracy. We also realize that problems don't recognize class...everyone experiences the same emotions.

The plots and subplots held me in suspense...I was invested throughout one turn after another, spellbound by the historical details such as food, homes, clothing, balls, diamonds and conventions of the era. The importance of appearances trumped almost everything so when murder and other crimes are committed we see the lengths people went through to protect reputations.

Cliffhanger endings are great in my opinion; perfect resolution is less interesting. This fascinating book was a page turner and I found myself entranced to the very last word.

Lovers of historical fiction, mystery and romance should seek out this book. Well worth the read.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book. Much appreciated.

A tantalising novel, as are all the best thrillers of this nature, one that I enjoyed reading, and would highly recommend.
Prudence is advised to marry by her aunt, Lady Rotherton, but wants something more out of life, i.e. a career as a detective, much frowned upon in those days, but a choice that she can get away with, due to her connections in society. She investigates the case of the missing diamonds and finds she and her partner, Geoffrey, have bitten off more than they can chew, potentially, there being a number of deaths in consequence. How she deals with this I will not spoil, by spelling it out, but there are a lot of complicated twists and turns to the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Death, Diamonds, and Deception is a historical mystery novel set in Gilded Age New York City. This is the fourth (?) book in a series, but the first one that I read. Although some series can be dipped in and out of, I believe I enjoyed and understood this book less because I had not read any of the previous installments. I was interested in the main characters, Prudence and Geoffrey, but I didn’t entirely understand their motivations and they didn’t seem to have much personal or emotional development throughout the story. The setting is great and the author does a good job of giving atmosphere to the environments of the "high" and "low" society. However, that didn't quite make up for the fact that the main mystery ends in an abrupt and unsatisfying way; I definitely would've liked to see the denouement explored more from the perspective of the secondary characters involved in the crime.

Not my favorite read, but perhaps just a less exciting book in an otherwise good series. 3.5 stars

This is the fifth book in the series, but before now I’d only read the first one, so my perspective is different from others who have kept up with each installment.

I’m feeling torn about this one. Rosemary Simpson is a good writer, but my attention kept straying because of pages of uninteresting details. I also felt like, despite this being the fifth book, I still don’t fully know the main characters, Prudence and Geoffrey. The cliffhanger ending, along with other unresolved storylines/characters and a rushed denouement, also contributed to my 3-star rating.

The premise of the storyline involves a (fictitiously) famous diamond necklace belonging to Gilded Age NYC socialite Lena De Vries. Enter a jewel thief, leading to Geoffrey and Prudence’s agency being hired to investigate. Prudence knew the De Vries family all her life, having grown up with the stepson, Morgan, and William De Vries being a friend of her father’s. Things get complicated as more characters and potential motives for the theft of the jewels appear, as well as a murder or two. Prudence’s domineering aunt Lady Rotherton, still visiting from England, gets involved in the situation as well, dividing her time between assisting with the case (in her own way) and trying to preserve Prudence’s reputation as one of the city’s ‘aristocratic’, eligible young ladies. It’s a tangled web and I guessed correctly at most of the twists along the way.

All in all, an enjoyable read and I’ll give the next book in the series a try ... but I’d like more fleshing out of Prudence and Geoffrey’s personalities and less unresolved endings.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

The indomitable Lady Rotherton has crossed the Atlantic to find a husband for her niece Prudence MacKenzie. Prudence has other ideas about her life and continues her investigations with former Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter. But Lady R has other things on her mind including spotting fake diamonds in a necklace allegedly containing stones meant for Marie Antoinette. This discover leads to murder and mayhem. This series gets better and better with every book.

1870s, private-investigators, NYC, law-enforcement, friendship, family-dynamics, historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, prejudice

1879 Manhattan, New York.
Prudence, the daughter of a judge and independent woman, and Geoffrey, a former Pinkerton man, are Private Investigators (along with their secretary, an ex-NYPD cop, and others) are hired by a wealthy supercilious stock broker whose wife's elaborate Tiffany diamond necklace has been found to have had many of its diamonds replaced with paste. To top it all off, the person who actually discovered the theft was Prudence's visiting aristocratic and bossy aunt from London. The partners have only begun to investigate when the first murder occurs. There are more murders, a resentful NYPD detective, multiple family issues, alcoholic family members (the stuff about the gold cure and Swiss clinic seem well researched), red herrings, plot twists, and some really fascinating characters. I loved it for all that and more!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Prudence MacKenzie’s domineering Aunt Gillian is in town, and she is determined to escort her niece through the New York City social season and come out at the end with a suitable husband. When she is not husband hunting for her niece, the formidable Lady Rotherton is causing a stir among the elite 400 of New York City’s upper society. At the first Assembly Ball of the season, Lady Rotherton realizes that not all the diamonds in the waterfall necklace hanging around Mrs. De Vries’ neck are real. Soon after the discovery, Mr. De Vries hires Prudence and her partner Geoffrey Hunter to figure out what happened to the real diamonds and determine who stole them. Despite Lady Rotherton not approving of her niece’s occupation as a private investigator, she jumps right into the case alongside her. As the bodies continue to pile up and the hunt for the diamonds turns up more and more sordid details, Prudence and Geoffrey are in a race against the thief/murderer before their bodies join the others in the morgue.

I am a big fan of Prudence and Geoffrey, and I’m always excited to see where their next case takes them. I enjoyed DEATH, DIAMONDS, AND DECEPTION, and I think it is a great addition to the series. It also helps move along the secondary storyline involving Prudence’s relationship with Geoffrey as well as her battle against her former addiction to laudanum. That being said, I think there was a little too much going on in this novel. I lost count of the number of dead bodies that were connected to the missing diamonds. And there seemed to be too many characters involved—not all of which had a satisfactory ending to their individual storylines. Lady Rotherton—Prudence’s Aunt Gillian—came off as a bit hypocritical. She is against Prudence’s involvement in the private detection business and wants her to conform to society, but she had no problem crossing the line and dragging Prudence along with her when it suited her purposes. She also seems like a woman with a lot of secrets. Hopefully the readers will get to learn some of those secrets in upcoming novels. Overall, I enjoyed he novel and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rosemary Simpson immediately immerses readers in Gilded Age New York society. Her stories are almost gothic in nature with their isolated wives, stifled daughters, drunk sons and step sons - its all so dark and claustrophobic and I love it. With this mystery, she manages to plumb the idea that even with outrageous riches no one is ever happy. Not a single person - not even the two main characters who seem to manage to pine for each other without ever really showing it. I'm struck by the emotional complexity of the mystery if not the mystery itself. That oart of the story felt anti-climatic. After awhile it didn't really matter who stole the diamonds as much as how and why. Of course, there was the red herring of the step son but that was actually the story that really got to me that I wanted more of - all these people worn down by the expectations of high society. Any kind f perceived failure is a cancer to either be ripped out or suffocated. BY the time it got to the end, I knew who ithe culprit was. It had been telegraphed but again that was anti climatic because what mattered was how our two detectives ebded up solving it. That's not a complaint. I read these mysteries as comfort food to see the detectives figure out a puzzle not to surprised by how I did not see it coming. In that way, the author delivers handily. The mystery itself doesn't knock my socks off but the emotional resonance, the descriptive setting and complex characters and the ongoing romantic drama between the two leads are bar none and keep me coming back!