I am usually a fan of Alys Clare. However, this mystery did not seem to thrill me. The plot was slow moving, and the mystery was predictable. The characters also seemed to be bland. Thus, Alys Clare is an excellent mystery writer. However, this novel was just not her best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This is the second book in the A World’s End Bureau Victorian Mystery series, and I have not read the first book yet. However, I think this book can be read quite well as a stand-alone. There are no spoilers for the first book so I feel I can go back and read that With total enjoyment.
The Outcast girls is a historical mystery set in Victorian Britain. The series centers on a lady private investigator and her male employee, and if you sniff a whiff of possible romance then so do I, although that is definitely not the main focus of the book.
This story is of a school for girls that is privately financed by a secretive bunch of wealthy and influential men, who wish to support disadvantaged women and girls. Most of the pupils of this school have some sort of disadvantage such as disability, orphans, families abroad, too many daughters to provide adequate dowries etc. Our lady detective is asked by one of the teachers at the school to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a number of the girls, so she takes on the undercover role of a nurse (which we learn she previously worked as a military nurse in a India), and heads to the school to investigate.
This is definitely a page turner of a book, although the mystery was a little predictable. I still read it in one sitting one afternoon though whilst nursing a bad cold- which was quite coincidental as a bad cold sweeps through the school, which our undercover nurse has to administer to. I certainly felt sympathy for poor matron coughing up a lung or two. However, I digress! I would not class this as a hard boiled mystery, although some of the language and content certainly make this a lot more grittier than your average cozy mystery. Overall I did really enjoy this and I will be carrying on with the series- there were some story line nuggets sewn and I definitely want to find out where they all lead.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I really enjoyed this story. To me it was written like an old classic novel style which I really enjoyed! The story was engaging and I honestly didn't know how it was going to end. Perfect murder mystery set in victorian England.

Had high hopes for this one beause it seemed so intruiging and interesting. The characters were meh and sort of bland wich dragged the story down.In the end it just wasn`t for me.

Originally the review appeared in the December 2020 issue of Gumshoe Review.

Outcast Girls by Alys Clare begins after the World's End Investigation Bureau's fame from solving The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits has begun to fade. Their caseload has dried up, winter is setting in, and money is in short supply. In fact, Lily Raynor and her employee, Felix Wilbraham, are sharing one office to save on coal. Things are looking bleak when Miss Georgiana Long knocks on their door wanting to hire Lily.

Miss Long teaches at Shardlowes School where several girls have simply disappeared without anyone at the school seeming to care. She wants to find out what happened to the girls. Did they run away? If, so how? Or was something else going on? She's looking for answers. She's already made arrangements for Lily to take a temporary position at the school as the Assistant Matron.

For the position of Assistant Matron, Lily needs to be able to pretend to be a nurse. Luckily, Lily Raynor is a trained nurse and worked at an army field hospital in India. In the first book, there were some memories that haunted Lily about her experience there but it was never clear what happened. This time the reader gets more information about Lily's experiences in India.

Lily thinks taking the case will be a chance to reduce their expenses in London while earning a fee since the girls probably just ran away. Felix sees her off but has the feeling the case might be a bit more complicated than Lily was led to believe and begins to investigate the sponsoring agency for the school with the help of his journalist friend.

The narrative then splits as we follow Lily's experiences at the school alternating with Felix's investigation into the school's financial backers and expenses. At this point, things get very complicated and the angst factor rises as Lily begins to find that not all is as it seems at Shardlowes School. There's a dark undercurrent that has Lily on edge and flashing back to her experiences in India.

I ended up reading this in one long session. It was difficult to put down and, when I did have to put the book aside, I keep thinking about the storyline and wondering what was going to happen next. It was easy to get drawn into the world of the story and come to care for these girls and the situation they found themselves in and the stories they told themselves to set up a structure of belief that they thought would keep them safe.

The second book of the World's End Investigation Bureau certainly does not disappoint. I'm definitely looking forward to their next case.

I had high hopes for the second part of the series, since I really liked the first one.
Alys Clare establishes a solid and believable atmosphere for the time period and does a good job in making her main characters rather liekable. There was also some developement in their relationships with the already known figures and I always appreciate growth in such areas.
The mystery was alright, it was pretty predictable what would happen and I was dissapointed in the resolvement of the whole case. Another thing that bothered me greatly was the unnecessary crude way of talking about sexuality. The book doesn't require such cheap attention grabbers and it rather diminished my enjoyment of the story.

I thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an ARC to read and review.

This is an interesting Victorian mystery drama, set in a London-based detective bureau run by a woman. With a few successful cases behind them, the two operatives, Lily Raynor and her assistant, Felix Wilbraham are lamenting the current slow state of their business affairs and low level of the business bank account. Then they receive a visit from a teacher who presents a rather strange case. It seems that young girls have gone missing from the school for girls where she is employed.

Their new client has read about the World’s End Investigation Bureau and knows about Lily and, above all, believes she is the perfect agent to investigate what is happening at Shardlowes School. Her details are meager but enough for Lily to accept what will be an undercover placement at the school, one which she will fill easily. For the rest of the plot and character development, I refer you to the novel.

There were times during my reading when I wondered if the story could live up to the building foreboding tone. I believe it did. At times, a bit melodramatic, the novel feels of the time (though the the relationships-it’s always a question how men and women of different eras related, isn’t it). This is a light read for a winter’s day or night. Enjoy.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

In 1877 a small investigation agency is charged to find out what happened to The Outcast Girls in a girls' school for poor and disadvantaged girls. The manager of the agency goes undercover as assistant matron at the school to investigate and Felix her partner follows up leads on missing girls. They discover two murdered girls and members of a secretive men's benevolent club who harbor dangerous secrets. A wealthy member is insane and connected to the missing. Read and follow the threads as the two investigators navigate the dangers of threatening the rich and well connected in Victorian England.

This series is becoming a favorite as it's highly entertaining and well written..
This installment is a gripping story that kept me hooked and entertained till the last page.
The historical background is vivid, the characters are well written and likable, the mystery is solid.
An enjoyable read that I recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It is 1881. In the World's End Bureau work is thin on the ground & Lily Raynor struggles to find something for her & her assistant, Felix, to do. When a young school teacher comes to them telling her that there are girls going missing from the boarding school where she works. Nobody seems to be bothering about them. It is time for Lily to dust off her nurses uniform as she gains a post as Assistant matron, she is now in the perfect position to discover what is going wrong. A girl's school in the Fens shouldn't prove too dangerous! Felix meanwhile tries to find out some information & soon finds that is is very dangerous indeed!

I hadn't read the first in this series, but I really enjoyed this one. Lily is an interesting character working in a man's world, carving out a role for herself. I also liked Felix- although I did wish he'd stop faffing around & let Lily know his feelings- but I suppose that wouldn't be very Victorian would it?

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book. I will be looking out for the next one!

In the second installment of the World’s End Bureau Victorian Mystery, Clare takes you into the dark world of unfortunate girls who have been set aside due to physical ‘flaws’ or not being blessed with natural beauty. Some were sent to the Shardlowes School where suddenly, girls have begun running away. Lily Raynor, the owner of the World’s End Detective Bureau, has been hired as the Assistant Matron, by one of the school’s teachers to look into the matter. She believes the girls have not simply run away. Lily and her employee, Felix Wilbraham, soon find themselves involved with a secret, benevolent society of very powerful men who may have darker intentions for the school and its students.

Clare weaves a story slowly and deliberately and she places her characters before you fully defined and relatable. When you sit down with her book, at first you feel it is slow and dragging. The tension she builds is gradual, making you squirm. When you think it’s over, she makes a sharp turn that makes you hold your breath. I would recommend this to reader’s who like their mysteries complicated, detailed and with many surprises.

Mystery in the Fens

1881, and the World's End Investigation Bureau had a huge win in their previous case but now their work has trickled say to almost nothing. Lily Raynor, owner of the agency is concerned. Felix Wilbraham her only employee is wondering if he'll still have employment. Just as these worries are hurtling upon them they are visited by Georgiana Long, a school teacher, asking them to investigate runaway girls from the school she's been teaching at. Something is wrong.
Shardlowes School is situated out in the Fens. It caters for girls who are either from wealthy families from abroad who are left there until it's finally time for them to return home, or girls who have for some reason or other, been placed by their families out of sight and rarely visited.
Lily goes to investigate in the guise of a new Assistant Matron. Suddenly we see Lily as she once was, a very competent nurse. (This becomes a chance for us to learn more about Lily and her past demons. Almost the more interesting part of this story--uncovering Lily. And that's what lifted this from a four to five star read for me.)
Danger is just around the corner as Lily's investigation deepens. A mysterious organization, the "Band of Angels [which] constitutes a group of influential and affluent philanthropists who provide money for the education of the poor," seems related but how, makes no sense.
Once more Felix exceeds our expectations in his thorough and intuitive investigation, his concern for Lily's safety, and his focused abilities.
Clare has given us an interesting duo and their associates to follow and I'm enjoying every minute. On another note, I particularly liked the cover and what it invokes. I look at that and recall Lily's aloneness at the school and the isolation of the school's location, particularly in winter. Ripe for dreadful doings.

A Severn House 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.)

A Few of my Favorite Things:

Boarding School, check

English Setting, check

Historical Mystery, check

I really enjoyed reading this story about a female Detective Agency owner going undercover to find out why girls were disappearing from a boarding school for the disadvantageous.

Our lovely main character Lily is attempting to hold her own in a male dominated society placed in 1891 England. As the sole proprietor of a discreet “Inquiry” business she has her work cut out for her. Her assistant was also a joy and had her back the entire time.

While I figured out “who was what” early on, it didn’t stop me from liking the story. It reads like a cozy but the crimes committed are heinous so not light at all.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my advance review copy!

1881 the owner of the World's End Investigation Bureau, Lily Raynor, is called upon by schoolteacher Georgiana Long, of Shardlowes School in the Fens. It seems that pupils are disappearing and no-one is doing anything about the situation. Lily goes undercover as an Assistant Matron. Meanwhile Felix does his own investigation. But soon trouble arrives for Lily.
An interesting and entertaining well-written Victorian mystery. Lily and Felix are likeable and well-developed characters. A good addition to the series which can be read as a standalone novel.
The only thing I didn't like was that the story was written in the present tense.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been reading the novels of Alys Clare since the turn of the millennium. I have spent many happy hours in the company of the Abbess Helewise as she solved mysteries in the reign of the ever absent King Richard.
Now Alys Clare moves into Sherlock Holmes territory with just as much aplomb. Lily and Felix are endearing investigators. The plot is complex and at times sensitive and the author tackles it all with an engaging integrity.
A book for anyone who enjoys historical crime fiction, written by an author on top form.

Alys Clare is a prolific and able writer of mystery novels, many of which I've enjoyed. The Outcast Girls adds to the pleasures she's previously brought to readers. The central characters are Lily Raynor, owner of the World's End Detective Bureau, and her employee (and admirer) Felix Wilbraham. Lily, a former nurse with no desire to return to that profession, nonetheless agrees to pose as the matron's assistant at a school for girls that has experienced a series of disappearances—and that seems to be taking these disappearances very lightly.

The novel moves back and forth between London and the fenlands location of the school, and the settings contrast starkly with one another adding to the novel's tension. Clare keeps a sense of menace present without being heavy-handed. And Lily's inner strength and her nursing skills are well up to facing that menace.

If you enjoy novels with a hint of the supernatural, you will enjoy The Outcast Girls.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

One of my favorite Genres is Historical Mystery so I was anxious to read this book...and I wasn't disappointed. This is an excellent mystery set in the dark times of Victorian England. Girls are going missing from Shardlowes, a girl's boarding school,
Lily is the owner of an inquiry agency and agrees to investgate by going undercover. Felix works for her and worries she may be in danger as he conducts his own investigation. Both characters are well defined and interesting.
This is the second book in the series...but the first one by Alys Clare that I've read. I hope to read more.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a real page turner with very engaging characters. I hadn’t read the first in the series but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment, I found it difficult to put down. The story just flowed along, the mystery unfolding slowly, little snippets to keep me guessing. Lily and Felix run an investigation business. Lily had been a nurse and some of her background story is told. Felix is obviously an attractive man and enjoys older women. Felix obviously comes from a monied background given the school he attended, even though he hasn’t much money himself. There is some humour in the descriptions but also the feeling of tension and danger. There are some interesting secondary characters, Felix’s flatmate, the enigmatic boatman and the housekeeper. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Outcast Girls by Alys Clare
A World’s End Bureau Victorian Mystery #2

Interesting, intriguing, and informative this was a book well worth reading. It worked well as a standalone story although at some point I may want to read the first book in the series.

What I liked:
* Lily: investigator, nurse, returned from India, business owner, compassionate, good friend, intriguing
* Felix: investigator, good friend, outgoing, caring, warm hearted, interesting
* The unflinching look at treatment of women in India by the British troops – I learned from this story and then learned more after researching the topic a bit more.
* Marigold: sweet, intelligent, a wonderful child, strong, caring, capable – hope she gets the medical help she requires
* The writing, twists, and turns
* The way the investigation transpired
* The flashback to Lily’s past and why she gave up nursing and left India
* Some of the supporting characters that I want to know more about
* That my suspicion about the missing girls was not quite spot on
* The relationship between Felix and Lily as they worked together
* Tamáz: not much said about him in this book – would like to know more about him
* That it felt of the time and historically accurate
* All of it really except

What I didn’t like:
* The things I was meant not to like including issues in India, the reason girls went missing, coverups, the way girls were regarded in the school…
* Being reminded of how cruel some can be

Did I enjoy this book? After I got into it, I did
Would I read more in this series? I believe I would

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Lily Raynor runs a detective agency in London in the year 1881, an uncommon thing for a woman to do at that time. Queen Victoria is on the throne, India is under British rule, and the most desired expectation for women is marriage. Lily is in her 30's, unmarried, and was previously a nurse in India.

It is nearing Christmas time, bitterly cold, and business is slow at the agency. It is so slow that she and Felix, her associate, began sharing an office so as to save on coal. Then there comes a knock at the door, and a woman enters who has an extraordinary tale. The woman works at a respectable boarding school for girls where several have gone missing, and whose disappearances weren't reported to the authorities. Almost all of the girls in the school are disadvantaged in some way, with family overseas or no family, by being born out of wedlock, or by having a physical or mental disability.

She has come because while the disappearance of the first girl, who was 17, wasn't mysterious (an elopement), the disappearances of the two younger girls - aged 11 and 14 - without much investigation concerned her very much.

This is book 2 in the World's End Bureau Mystery series. I had not read book 1 and had no difficulty becoming immersed in the story and familiar with the characters. I appreciate receiving an advance reading copy from the publisher Severn House via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing this book.