This took quite a while to get going, and was quite heavy on the opera for me. I persevered because I like historical mysteries, even if I’m not the biggest opera fan, and overall I’m glad I did. While I don’t feel many of the characters were particularly vivid or fleshed out, I did like how the various plot lines all tied together at the end.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the long delay in providing this.

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I enjoyed this cosy mystery set in the 1920s. A little hard at times to keep up with the multiple character povs, and I feel I would have benefitted if I'd read the first in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I had a lot of fun in reading this book that I bought the rest of the series.
It's an excellent historical mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
Penelope is an interesting MC and I loved her and the vivid historical background.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Murder at the Met is as it names says a book about a murder at the MET whisch is happening in the 1920's. It is also a second book starring Penelope Harris, but for me it is the first book I read from this author and therefore in this series as well.

Penelope Harris, a talented opera singer has returned back to New York, to give her musical career a new start. She is trying to lay low while she repairs her reputation and a night out at the opera seems quiet enough to do so. While enjoying an opera at the MET, in the company of her love interest Thom Lund, she finds that her easy night has turned into a quite event when a businessman is found dead and near him is his poinsed daughter.

The book is written in multiple character's POV and with so many different characters Cooper created a fun mystery work where trying to get all the clues and find out who the killer is won't be as easy as finding a song you forget about. If you like historical books I think you would enjoy this one since the details of the story, such as clothing, people and their status are very spot on with the year of placement of the story.

Thanks zo the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free e-arc.

1928, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, private-investigators, NYC, historical-fiction, family-dynamics, class-consciousness***

I felt lost at the beginning because I had not read the first book and the early chapters were not as helpful as intended. While the characters were clearly drawn, their positions and purposes were not. Thom is now a PI, but had been with the police in Shanghai after the Great War. Penelope had been there also but has returned to NYC and they are attracted to each other. Now they come across a probable murder and probable poisoning of people from a family who are beyond unstable. The sleuthing is good anyway.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Ink Dog Press via NetGalley.

Our heroine's involvement with an operatic society is the prelude to multiple murders in the second Penelope Harris Mystery. As Thom Lund looks into a cold-case suicide, Penelope becomes increasingly entangled with a dysfunctional high society family and her curiosity leads to revelations and danger.

Jealousy, ambition, blackmail, and spite fuel this 1920's murder mystery. And one can only hope that there will be many more (fictional) murders for Penelope and her Thom to solve amidst their slow-burning romance and struggles to reconcile the past.

Murder at the Met is a wonderful follow-up to The Jade Tiger, with an increasingly complicated plot that keeps the pages turning and the reader guessing. Recommended - this Golden Age style mystery is, again, one not to miss.

This review refers to a temporary digital galley I voluntarily read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and these are only my own honest opinions.

Synopsis: November 1928, New York City. No one can keep a secret like high society – even when that secret is murder.

There are two things Penelope Harris would rather do than get involved with another murder—sing opera and flirt with Thom Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Thom get some precious time together at the Metropolitan opera, neither believes another murder will interrupt their romantic evening.

Fate has a different plan. Before the night is over a manufacturing tycoon is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, his poisoned and dying daughter nearby. Is it an accident? Or murder? When a fellow soprano pleads for help, Penelope just can’t help her inquisitive nature.

As Penelope pulls back the cover on a diabolical murder, Lund rushes to complete the investigation of a suicide on the Gold Coast of Long Island. What they find will uncover the sordid underbelly of high society and put Penelope on the wrong side of her own gun.

Review: This was such a fun murder mystery. Set in one of my favorite places in the world, The Metropolitian Museum of Art in New York City. This is the second book in a series, but I definitely didn't read that one and I felt like I could follow the story well.

Another fabulous book by E.W. Cooper! High society secrets and a murder mystery - what could be more exciting! Looking forward to receiving a physical copy.

Cooper's novels are a safe bet. This is a fun story with with nice twists and characters. I read Jade Tiger too, and enjoyed them both for a variety of reasons, including that they're fairly short. It also has good pacing and a nice backdrop. Recommended for mystery fans.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Murder at the Met – E W Cooper
Entirely my fault but I was so hooked by the idea of a story involving opera and a murder mystery that I jumped in without realizing that this is actually the second book in E.W Cooper’s Penelope Harris historical mystery series. The Jade Tiger came first in 2020, and I think that although they are supposed to be stand-alone stories, I would have found it much better if I had read Jade Tiger first. It took an awfully long time for me to work out who everyone was, and to get to grips with their back stories. I would say I was at least half way through before I stopped feeling confused about who was who and really started to enjoy the ride, which is a shame because once I did, it was really good fun.
Both the setting and the range of colourful characters make this a great period murder mystery, but my recommendation would be to read The Jade Tiger first – which is what I’m off to do now!
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

In return for an ARC from #netgalley here is my review of Murder at the Met by E. W. Cooper.

The story picks up in November 1928 after the events of The Jade Tiger. Penelope is invited by her cousin, Mary to a meeting of the Hudson Valley Operatic Society. There she meets Patsy Galton, the hostess and Ivy and Tulip Warwick, and their overbearing mother, Violet. Penelope is hoping to find students she can teach.

Meanwhile, Lund is asked to investigate the drowning death of a woman in the summer of 1927 out on Long Island. Penelope and Lund meet after both are gifted tickets to the opera at the Metropolitan Opera House. There is a page that describes the minutes right before the performance starts and Cooper does such a great job of describing the sounds and the feelings that I could picture myself in a theater waiting for the curtain to rise.

A dead body is found on the stairs and it is Roger Warwick, Violet's husband. And then Tulip is found in the bathroom, poisoned but alive, barely.

Lund investigates the drowning death of Coralee and Penelope takes it upon herself to help Ivy and Tulip.

A fun cozy mystery - just enough red herrings and enough action to keep me turning the pages. Looking forward to more in the series.

This is the second installment in the Penelope Harris Mysteries. There is a bunch of Penelope’s history only to be gleaned by reading the first book in the series which might be difficult as the book is hard to find

Penelope used to run a casino in Shanghai, was married to an abusive man and was a performer of some note. That was then and as this book opens she is attempting to navigate the social rules of high society in New York. Her cousin Mary is trying to help her navigate the ins and outs of the misery of being a part of the social elite. Oh who cares?

Murder at the Met was a piece of fluff which provided a few hours easy reading. I was hoping for a little more about the old Metropolitan Opera House, the performances and performers but despite the title the book was light on that score. Get it? Opera House, Score, Ah well I might have just proved that the pun is the lowest form of humor.

Your basic murder mystery - this one just happens at the Met- a dead body, a love interest, a semi-intriguing past history, some very unlikeable characters, some difficult situations, maybe a little blackmail, some dry humor, another dead body or two - the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Ink Dog Press for a copy.

November 1928 and Penelope Harris is in the thick of it. Another murder and she would like to be anywhere but here. She would really prefer to be with Thom Lund all the time but murder seems to follow Penelope wherever she goes, and this happens at the opera, not just one but two murders in the presence of a couple of hundred people.

Lund is investigating a suicide, which hints more and more to murder which is being covered up very well. The two murders at the opera are also in the process of being "cleaned" up as the family do not want to be associated with murder (father and daughter murdered at the same time) not something to be lived down and that is what the violent Violet mother and wife wants done. So far she has been successful in controlling her family to behave just the way she wants, but this time around she is facing something not quite within her control.

The book has to be read slowly because there are multiple characters all very relevant to the story, and all with their differing points of view, motives and reasons for being part of the story. It could get confusing if you try to rush through the book.

The characters were very well placed and the setting was descriptive.

Murder at the Met is the second book in Penelope Harris Mysteries by the author E. W. Cooper.

I particularly liked the time period and the enchanting setting on New York.
Main heroine is a lovely, smart, caring and talented young woman who is struggling to succeed in her chosen field. Romance between her and the other main protagonist is charming and so tender, reminiscent of bygone times.
There are seemingly two separate mysteries which are being investigated which may overlap at some point. I have to say that it had a distinct noir feeling to me, which I am not a great fan of. It was much darker and grittier than average cozy, but not so much regarding murders more about relations between the family in question. It is almost diabolical and so disturbing.
Mystery is well developed, pacing is steady, there is never a dull moment. Characters are realistic and reletable.
I think I would have benefited greatly from reading the first installment in the series as there are many references to previous happenings and although they were somewhat explained I felt that it wasn't thoroughly enough for me.
I will probably go back and read book one as I would like to continue with the series. I think by doing that I will have better understanding about main character's preceding adventures.

Delicious Escapism....
The second in the Penelope Harris mystery series (following ‘The Jade Tiger’) set in 1920’s New York. Whilst Penelope prepares for a romantic evening at the Metropolitan Opera with Thom, fate is about to intervene and thrust the pair into another round of murder and mayhem. With delightful characters and a thoroughly entertaining plot this is a wholly entertaining mystery and a delicious slice of escapism.

There are two things Penelope Harris would rather do than get involved with another murder—sing opera and flirt with Thom Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Thom get some precious time together at the Metropolitan opera, neither believes another murder will interrupt their romantic evening.
I like this series. I like the opera setting and I really like the two main characters. I don't really love the whole "will they won't they" angle....it just feels tired and that aspect does kind of drag out in this book. Also the plot seems a bit mixed up early on and some things that happen seem to get lost by the end so I was somewhat confused during some points. But having said this, I did enjoy this plot line andante will certainly read the next adventure of Penelope and Thom. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

What a fun and interesting story! It was so great to be back with Penelope and her wild life and then Lund joining the mix. I loved that they bumped in to one another at the opera and their banter before the show started (they are so cute!). I also really enjoyed the two different storylines. Lund is investigating a suicide someone is suspicious about. Penelope is roped in to a messy family as one member is found dead and another at the brink of death. I loved that with each turn, you could tell Penelope and Lund, in turn, were drawing closer to their conclusions, and yet I couldn't see it and didn't guess it. So well done.

Also, if you decide to give this one a try without reading the first, this one absolutely stands well on its own (although Why you wouldn't want to read the first one is beyond me! It's great too!)

I'm so glad I continued the series. I can't wait for more!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

This mystery set in New York City in the 20's, features quasi-detective/investigator Thom Lund and his love interest Penelope Harris. This is the second in the series, and I felt seriously handicapped by not having read the first book. There are a lot of references back to that story, and I never did completely figure out the relationships among the principal characters.

The beginning chapters felt murky to me. The action centers on three sisters, Clover, Tulip and Ivy and their bizarre relationship with their parents. The father is the murder victim and he was unpleasant enough that there is no shortage of suspects. Their mother Violet is even more awful and right after the father is murdered, one of the daughters dies. Is it murder, suicide, or a gruesome accident?

Lund and Penelope are in love, but they don't do much to further their relationship. I just didn't click with this book or these characters. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.