Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose is the second book in the Marion Lane series by T.A. Willberg. A thrilling mystery that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat until the very end, with unexpected twists and turns lurking around every page turn. It is jam-packed full of mystery, intrigue and murder! I can't wait to read more in the Marion Lane series.

Ok, now I need to go back and read the first book in this series. If this were set anywhere but London, the idea of this massive organization essentially living underground and being tasked with investigating crimes would seem ludicrous. But, well, we're used to London being half underground and all the mysteries there so... not so unbelievable. Marion and her friends/colleagues are an odd bunch and I want get to know them and how Miss Brickett's works. It sounds so prim for the things they get up to, and the gadgets? the touch of the Bletchley Circle and Cold War and all that? A fun read.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

I have really enjoyed the Marion Lane mysteries! In this sequel to Marion Lane and the Midnight Murders, Marion is in her second year of apprenticeship with Miss Brickett's. She receives a mysterious message, telling her to be wary of one of the new recruits (but not which one). She is tasked with giving them a tour and helping them acclimate to the agency, while continuing to learn herself and continue on the path to becoming an Inquirer.

A new group is formed at Miss Brickett's, ostensibly to improve communications between the staff and the administration, and to support staff rights, but in reality, the group seems to be sowing discontent and distrust. Items are disappearing from the gadgets lab, more notes appear in Marion's room, and there's a cold-blooded killer named the Florist above ground that the agency is trying to stop.

If you like historical mysteries with strong female characters and insanely cool gadgets, the Marion Lane mysteries are for you!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance reader's copy!

I was so excited to see that there would be a second Marion Lane book. The world-building of Mrs. Brickett's in Willberg's first novel sucked me in and I couldn't wait to get back there with Marion. Unfortunately, the second book is missing all the things I liked about the first book and seems to have only the things I hadn't liked. The deep descriptions of the underground world seemed either completely missing or barely touched upon. The character development felt nearly nonexistent and the plot was somehow simultaneously beyond belief but also obvious and far too convenient. This one was a serious miss for me.

Marion Lane is only just recovering from the events of the first story when there is a mysterious death caused by an assassin known only as The Florist. But there are also new inquirers coming to Miss Brickett's and someone has slipped Marion a note that one of them is not what they seem. This is on top of the fact that there are mysterious flyers being distributed around the company and a secret subgroup that is intent on changing the way Miss Brickett's fundamentally works. Unfortunately, one of Marion's cohort will not be alive by the end of the book.

Three stars
This book comes out February 1st, 2022
Follows Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I love the premise of these mysteries, and I enjoyed learning more back story about the main characters in this installment. Overall, I think it is a really different read for people who enjoy historical mysteries, or stories with espionage. I will definitely suggest it to readers who enjoy series like Maisie Dobbs and are looking for something fresh and new.

I’m a sucker for boarding school mysteries. And while Miss Brickett's Investigations and Inquiries is not exactly a boarding school, it meets the essential criteria: an isolated location (in this case in an ancient underground tunnel system under the streets of London), a pressure cooker emotional atmosphere, a strictly enforced hierarchical line of command, a hidden history, shifting alliances and secret agendas, discreet and not so discreet deaths and attempted murders, and of course, a locked room mystery. Marion, the delightfully resourceful, self-doubting inquisitor trainee featured in the series debut novel, "Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder" is back and somewhat the worse for wear, having sustained emotional and physical scars from her novice year in spycraft. And there is more than an echo in the underground chambers of some other underground chambers authored by JK Rowling, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

This time around the threat initially originates aboveground in the guise of a grim character nicknamed “The Florist,” for his habit of branding his victims with a rose before their deaths. Marion is assigned to this case, right around the same time she begins receiving mysterious notes warning about the trustworthiness and potential danger of one of the three new recruits who will be starting at the agency. And then there is another source of discontent at Miss Brickett’s, in the form of the rise of the ERPS or the Employee Rights and Protection Society, which begins as an almost fringe group, but grows, using persuasion tactics such as conspiracy theories and manipulation within the agency to distort the truth. The parallels to current real life circumstances are unsettling and timely. Still the ending of the book seemed a bit rushed, with characters almost falling over themselves to herd us to the conclusion. But along the way, we discovered more about Marion and her connection to Frank, her mentor/father figure. Of course we also learned that we have more to learn.

I appreciated getting a little more of the backstory of some of the members of the high council, and look forward to additional revelations about them as well as for some of Marion’s classmates and inner circle of friends in upcoming books. In this one, for gadget hungry fabulists in the reading audience, there are more spy glasses, electrical conduits, and clock springs in store; for those hanging on to the whiffs of romance between Marion and several of her Inquirer cohorts, they will not be disappointed; and for those who are after the thrill and blank of uncovering a puzzle, Willberg does a good job of keeping the identity and paradox of the turncoat apprentice until the last moment, which is not an easy thing to do.

This was a good book. When second-year Marion Lane is asked to take the case of The Florist, she doesn’t tell her supervisor that she’s already working on her own case. Marion has received an anonymous note warning her that one of the new recruits cannot be trusted. When a secret club forms within the organization, Marion and her friends are ostracized when they refuse to join. When Marion is asked to infiltrate the secret organization, she realizes she there is much more going on than she suspected. Then a fellow second-year is murdered, and she realizes her informer knew it was going to happen. Marion must take things into her own hands to figure out what is going on, and who is behind everything that is happening. There are plenty of suspense and twists that keep the story moving along and keep your attention.

I loved T.A. Willberg's Marion Lane and The Midnight Murders, the first installment of this new series, and was excited to dive into the sequel. The Deadly Rose delivers on all of the charm and intrigue of the first book, with a culty subplot. Marion is a delightful main character, smart, feisty and independent. I'm eager to see where the series goes next.

I enjoyed the first Marion Lane adventure so much that I was worried the sequel would be less. My fears were unfounded as the author has delivered another cracking good adventure featuring Marion, Kenny, Bill, and the rest of the crew from Miss Brickett’s.

This time, Marion must unravel the mystery surrounding the mysterious Florist while at the same time figure out what the heck is happening internally with the mysterious posters and clandestine meetings that are splintering Miss Bricketts from within.

One of my favorite things about this second novel is the introduction of Ambrosia Quinn, a minor character who I hope we see much more of in future books.

There’s plenty of action, witty dialog, and enough suspense to support the exploits of our plucky heroine.

Recommended.

I am glad to say that I enjoyed this second book in the series just as much as the first. It was really hard to put down and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out which of the new recruits was not to be trusted.

Marion continues to be a delight to spend time with. She has shown a bit of growth in that she is feeling more confident in her skills and abilities than in the first book. She is to some extent still getting over the events at the end of book one and at times this hinders her abilities. She still doubts herself at times and occasionally makes the wrong decision, but she gets the job done in the end and that is what matters.

The plot of this story was well done. There were lots of twists to the mystery, many that I did not see coming. I liked the storyline of the group that called themselves the The Employee Rights and Protection Society, that often threw some red herrings in the mix, but ultimately became important in the end. There were some parts that related back to the first book, that might confuse some if they haven’t read that one. But other than that this one could also be read as a stand alone.

As I predicted in my review of the first book, there is a love interest that blossoms a bit into something more in this book. It was well done and although the man Marion finds herself attracted to is not the one I would have chosen for her, I’m ok with it. I’m still going to hold out that the other guy will get his turn at some point though.

A well done second novel in a very intriguing series. If you like historical novels with a little bit of light fantasy thrown in you really should take a look at this one. It is quite good and a lot of fun to read.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was an absolute delight! Marion Lane is a second year apprentice detective at Miss Brickett's Investigations and Inquiries; a secret underground London detective agency. Marion is a wiz in the Gadgetry Department and is surrounded by fellow detectives who have been recruited for their skills, intelligence, and lack of personal attachments. A murder takes place in a London back alley where the victim is branded with a rose. Marion is assigned the case and during the course of the investigation begins receiving internal notes including one that says not to trust one of the new recruits. Brilliantly written with subplots that keep you interested and inter-dispersed with Harry Potter like gadgetry and mood. I often thought I could imagine myself enjoying the pursuit for answers with Marion! Hope there is more to come.

I was so happy to see a sequel to Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder on NetGalley that I requested it right away! I thought the first book in the series was engaging and inventive, and I was curious to see where Willberg would go. I appreciated that, in this case, the whole odd semi-fantastic world of Miss Brickett's (a detective agency in 1950s London that is literally underground), was already set up and there wasn't as much need for description of the physical setting (though I think you'd be lost in this if you hadn't read the first one). In this sequel, Marion and her colleague/crush Kenny Hugo are asked by one of the higher ups in the organization to investigate a crime that seems to be the work of a serial killer. While the first book was very much set within the halls of Miss Brickett's, this one takes Marion and co aboveground more often and expands the world a bit. I really liked how the mystery (well, mysteries) played out here, and I love the odd setting and characters in this world. I hope there will be a third book!

Marion Lane receives a private note pointing suspicion at one of the new recruits, her own personal mystery to solve, even while the Inquirers at Miss Brickett's agency need to track down a gruesome murderer. This is the second in the series and so didn't sweep me away in quite the same fashion as the first. But the plot twists and the intriguing underground world of Miss Brickett's still drew me in and had me reading non-stop. While Willberg provides background for those who haven't read the first in the series, I still think they would be confused. So, read "Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder" first to enter into the world of Miss Brickett's and get to know the characters, then jump into this fun mystery (that includes hints of darker secrets still to be uncovered.) I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.

I really enjoyed the first Marion Lane book and am pleased that there is a second. This was an enjoyable read. I love the cloak and dagger aspects and the subterranean local. While I liked this book I did not find quite as engaging as the first one. I do look forward to a third and certainly will read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this title.

Mystery mixed with fantasy this second book in the Marion Lane series is a solid continuation and exciting follow up to the first one.
Thank you to NeGalley and the Publishers for the eBook arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I was very hopeful at the end of the first Marion Lane title that this would indeed become a series, and I think this is settling into a wonderful, and hopefully long-lasting, series. Marion is back in her second year at Miss Brickett's and things kick off at a quick pace. The whole book is plotted marvelously and the "whodunit" was great! I love when I get it wrong, because I believe that means the author did a great job of building the suspense and intrigue. I would *love* to see this series hit the small screen at some point-I think it would be so cool. The blend of steampunk, mystery, suspense and a bit of history is just perfect. What a great read!

Part mystery, a little bit fantasy, totally fantastic. In this second Marion Lane book she is again tasked with finding a murderer and possibly even saving the agency. With true friends to help her she must overcome her fears. Another winning title.