I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I loved this mystery,it kept me interested until the end.

This was a very atmospheric mystery series! I loved the characters, and I found the mystery to be well written! My favorite part of this book is the paranormal aspect! Thus, mystery fans will be delighted with this novel! I recommend this for fans of Karen Odden!

There’s a dead body in the crypt! (I have always wanted to say that). I came in at Book 5 of a series and the writing was so good I was able to follow this very good historical fiction mystery. I initially felt the protagonist was a bit prickly with a lot of baggage. Then we’re introduced to her backstory and get tremendous insight into her sense of justice and trust issues. The photographer at her wedding is murdered. There is some great insights into spiritualism and spirit photography which was in its heyday. Sarah Bain is a crime photographer for a newspaper which has placed her at various crime scenes and put her in the path of her now husband. She’s a good detective yet but impetuous and abrasive for the times. Sarah has created her own family with Irishman Mick and Lord Hugh. Lord Hugh is a beautiful and realistic representation of a gay man living in the 1800s. The acceptance and love of his close friends in spite of the societal issues with being a homosexual shines an honest light on him. Sarah’s husband and father in-law are both police officers but her “nemesis” is also a detective who resents her investigative skills and successes.

The mystery at the heart of this book is slowly unwound with a few false starts. Sarah is an imperfect protagonist who loves her “family” fiercely. She is a strong lady with her sights on injustice and she has a cause. All these things make her redeemable if not exactly “likeable” all the time. I’m really rooting for this imperfect heroine. #NetGalley copy. I highly recommend this book and the series.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Portrait of Peril is another strong entry in this series. The story picks up at Sarah's wedding to Barrett. At the end of the ceremony, some declares there has been a murder, and Sarah, Barrett and their friends rush off to find a body in the crypt of the church. Sarah is shocked to realize that the victim is the man who gave her a discount on a camera years ago that helped her start her photography career. Claims that a ghost had killed him capture the public's attention; Sarah and team cover the story for the newspaper. While investigating, Sarah discovers many unexpected details about the photographer and finds herself drawn into the spiritual community, including a young Indian girl named Anjali Lodge who quickly catches Mick's eye. After one of Sarah's friend charged for murder, it becomes even more vital to discover the real killer.
There are also developments in the mystery surrounding Sarah's father and the death of Ellen Casey in this book, that may lead to a resolution in the next one that I found well done. The main mystery was well written with enough twists and turns to leave me guessing, and I also enjoyed a glimpse into the spiritual movement of London during this time. I also enjoyed the seeing Sarah and Barrett working to find their feet as a married couple given Sarah's difficulties trusting and Barrett's battle between wanting a more conventional wife (as does his mother) and the reality of Sarah. I am looking forward to future titles in this series.

Sarah Bain remains one of my favorite characters in historic mystery. A strong independent woman surrounded by a strong cast of characters. The book opens with Sarah's wedding day, a joyful occasion that becomes marred by murder. Sarah and her new husband, Detective Sargent Thomas Barrett begin their investigation. Sarah recognizes the victim as someone from who past who was dabbling in spirit photography. As Sarah and Thomas looks for clues, subplots involving Sarah's father and another murder complicate the pictures.
I very much like how Sarah and the characters comb the underbelly of London, unlike some of other Victorian detective novels. Their depiction seems very real and the research into the era is impeccable.. I have read all the books in this series, and plan to continue on for the further adventures of Sarah, her husband and her friends. Recommended.

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2021; Crooked Lane Books

I love Rowland's Victorian mystery series, so it pains me to rate this one only 3 stars. I was happy to see Barrett and Sarah finally get married in this novel, but things felt off. We get more of Barrett, which was a good thing. We saw him trying to figure out his relationship with Sarah, as his wife and his mother's overbearing ways. Hugh wasn't as present in this novel, and I really missed him. His charm and easygoingness is a great balance, to Barrett's stiffness. I felt like there was a lot going on with this novel, but there also seemed to be something missing. In Portrait of Peril, Rowland looks at the spiritualism of ghosts in pictures. A man proposing he can take pictures of you and your passed loved one, is found murder in a church. In the church Sarah and Barrett get married in on their wedding day. There is a past personal connection to Sarah so she feels bound to solve it. Sally and Sarah are also still trying to clear their father, and more truth of Sarah's mother come out. I was a bit annoyed with Sally in this one. While I understand her need to exonerate her father and be with him, she takes it out on Sarah, which just rubbed me the wrong way. With the way the novel ended, I am ready to take on book six.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this one. I actually tried to read the 1st in the series,
The Ripper's Shadow, in order to have a better understanding of the characters and the premises as this one was the 5th installment.
I really disliked Sarah's character, her entitlement, the way she would go around in others' business, her immaturity, and her lack of rational thinking. She was a character that wasn't a bit realistic nor conformed to the era she was living in. I just really disliked this book and I don't think I will be continuing with the rest of the books.

As Portrait of Peril begins, crime photographer Sarah Bain is marrying Detective Sergeant Barrett, with whom I assume she has been developing a relationship in the previous books. (I wasn’t aware that this was the fifth in a series.) Just as they and their guests are sitting down to eat, they receive news of a murder in the church, the victim of which turns out to be Charles Firth, a fellow photographer who was also a mentor to Sarah. As they discover, he had been in the church the night before attempting to photograph a ghost that was alleged to be haunting the church, and the image in his camera, when developed, shows a blurry figure that sparks rumors that the ghost killed him.

Sarah and Barrett, along with her surrogate family members Mick, a former street urchin, and Lord Hugh, an aristocrat who has been disowned by his family due to his homosexuality, set out to find the killer. Along the way they find themselves entering the seedy but lucrative world of “spirit photography,” as well as that of its detractors, and facing the arrest of one of their number after a second murder occurs, adding urgency to their quest. Sarah also must navigate a tense relationship with her new mother-in-law, who disapproves of her continuing with her career, as well as attempting to exonerate her father, who has been on the run after being falsely accused of a crime that occurred when she was a child.

I’m not sure if it the fact that I started in the middle of the series or not, but I found myself unable to warm up to the characters in this book or have much interest in the mystery. I was a bit disappointed because I have often seen Ms. Rowland’s books before and know that she is a popular and prolific author, although the book was well written and I would consider trying another one. This one, despite a lot of action (maybe a bit too much), did not do it for me. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of Portrait of Peril for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Liked the story but it was very longer and i didnt care for all the characters but i feel if i had read the other books in this series first that may change

I ended up DNFing this book pretty quickly, the main reason being is that I didn't know this book was the 5th in the series until I began reading it. I won't say I woudn't be willing to read this entire series at some point as the premise is promising and what I read wasn't badly written, I just can't commit to a 5 book series read at the moment. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Victorian Mystery series by Laura Joh Rowland.

I don’t read a ton of historical mysteries but the Victorian era has to be my favorite.

I have to say first off that this is a new favorite author for me. I am loving her writing style and characters. They just flow off the page like water into my heart.

Sarah is a crime photographer and has just gotten married. Apparently, they thought she should put down her camera and leave the reporting to the boys. Uh, I don’t think so. I really respect this character for standing up for herself.

There is a lot of cool things in this story but the one I liked best was the spirit photography. What a great plot point and a way to ease into the mention of supernatural things. Just loved the concept!

Since this is book five, I am looking forward to reading the past four books in this series. What a great find! So excited to delve more into Victorian London.

If you like historical cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed. Hit me up and ask me for recommendations for this genre! I have some great ideas for cool reads!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I love this series and I think this is an excellent addition.
An atmospheric and solid historical mystery that kept me guessing and hooked till the end.
Well researched and vivid historical background, great characters and atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Newly married newspaper reporter, Sarah and her policeman husband, Barrett, find themselves solving two murders revolving around the Victorian rage of seances and ghost sightings. Sarah and Barrett are up to the task, but it becomes personal when one of their friends, Mick, is accused of one of the murders. Along with this Sarah is trying to help her father, now on the run, prove he was not responsible for a rape and murder 24 years ago. The fifth book in the Victorian Mystery series lives up to the expectations of its many fans.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
I really enjoyed this book with its whip smart and fierce heroine. The writing is spooky and good. There is plenty of drama and action. The characters are different and interesting. This book is a real page turner.
I would recommend this great book to anyone who likes a good mystery. A good read.

I have enjoyed this series and I loved this fast paced installment. The suspense was there as well as a little spookiness with the paranormal. The writing is very atmospheric and I felt transported to Sarah’s world. Readers who love Victorian mysteries will love this.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do ghost exist? Don't they? What about ghosts of our pasts and skeletons in the wardrobes? Well, all of us have them. Some of them do our best and our worst to hide them.
Portrait of Peril 5th installment in the series by Laura Joh Rowland set in Victorian London. I've read and reviewed 3rd book and the series. And I absolutely loved it. I liked Sarah Bain and wanted her to be my friend. In the 5th adventure Sarah gets married, gets to help her family and gets to lose against her arch frenemy... all in one book.
Portrait of Peril is about just what I said in the beginning: ghost and skeletons, secrets and cover ups, evil and more evil... When evil is done to evil, does it make it good? Doesn't it.
The book ponders these questions and many more. Suspense is plentiful, even though it is lacking in some points. There are quite a few pondering and philosophical musings on Sarah's part. And I found them a bit too much and boring (thus, 4 stars only).
Now I really need to read first installments in the series to find out the origins of Sarah's problems.. I will find the time.
Will I read on? Most likely.

This was a fun, entertaining historical mystery. I loved that this was set in the late 1800's. I enjoy the atmosphere fo that time period, and I liked that the main character was a crime scene photographer during that time. I was easily able to get caught up in the story and the mystery of the murder. I enjoyed the characters and their relationship. This is book 5 in a series, and I haven't read the previous ones. I don't think that it detracted from the story. I was able to easily jump in.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

1890 Victorian London. For Sarah Bain who was very different from the usual woman of the times, it was not a comfortable place to be. She resided with three men for a start, she was a crime photographer as a second and she was getting married to the love of her life. Detective Sergeant Barrett was a good man - but he could not stand up to his mother who disapproved of all of the above. Not a very good start anyway and when a murder happens at the very church where the wedding is being solemnized and Sarah runs off to start her work and her husband goes off in the middle of the party to attend to his, it does not add for much family harmony anyway.

Spirit photography is popular with the Victorians and seances and people who can talk to spirits is all the rage. The dead man is one of these spirit photographers and uncovering who could have murdered him is not easy as there are many who felt cheated by these charlatans who preyed on the weakness of those left behind.

Add to the story a deep seated antagonism by Barrett's boss to Sarah who he felt bested him in a previous investigation, and quite a bit of history added to the story this was a good Victorian type of mystery murder. The unconventional lifestyle of Sarah added interest too.

Hauntings unbridled!

Strangely, I has a secondary comment running though my consciousness when reading this. I was remembering my pleasure when I purchased the Phantom Comic, "Married at Last," when Mr. Walker and Diana Palmer finally tied the knot. Of course there's no prize for guessing what spurred that memory being dredged up from my brain's vault. After a torrid relationship Sara Bain and Detective Sergeant Thomas Barrett are no sooner finishing their last I do's in a church in Bethnel Green when chaos breaks out. Murder in the crypt!
It's fitting that the action takes place in the caverns and crypts under the church, in the hazy fog of the day. All is shades of grey frequently stained by the bizarre. Mediums and criminals mix. A clever title that looks to the interests of the day through a different lens.
Sara Bain / Barrett is a complex character. A crime photographer and reporter for the Daily World newspaper, she's loyal, determined, gifted and haunted.
Haunted by her childhood, by her father's life, by her mother's hardness. Her father,
"Benjamin Bain, had been missing for twenty-four years...The prime suspect in the 1866 murder of a young girl, he’s a fugitive from the law." Sara and her newly found half sister Sally have reunited with him and are trying to prove his innocence.
This next episode of Sara's life is no less harrowing than the previous.
Relationships are bruised and mended with new understandings. Once again, as one door closes another opens beckoning us on with Sara.
I think reading this without reference to former parts of the series reduces an understanding of Sara and her group of 'family', including Lord Hugh Stanton and Mick O'Reilly which impacts the reader’s deeper perspective. I am always on tenterhooks with Sara. She's an unusual character, likeable and yet not, even shocking at times. From the beginning I've had this love/hate relationship with her. Even so, her story is never dull.

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This series is one of my favorites. In this, the 5th in the series finds Sarah finally marrying Thomas Barrett and that should be a very happy day. Not long after the 'I Do's" murder joins the festivities and Sarah starts her married life investigating the murder, Add to that, the victim turns out to be a photographer who helped Sarah get her start as a professional photographer. His name was Charles Firth and he was making his living as a spirit photographer. Some believe and some say it's a scam. I found that theme to be fascinating.
There is a lot going on besides tracking down the killer. Sarah is still dealing with the issue of her father and the murder he supposedly committed. It comes to the party, too. Aided by her husband, her half sister and others they keep up a fast pace as they follow the clues to the solution.
The Victorian setting of London in 1890 lends itself to a grittier historical mystery. It's well crafted with an excellent pace and a complex puzzle. I'm already reserving a spot on my TBR list for the next in the series.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.