Fiona Mahoney is still looking to capture Jack the Ripper who killed her friend Mary Kelly. But while she is waiting for her opportunity, the murders of two other prostitutes grab her interest and her compassion. Since the police don't seem to want to find justice for the deceased, Fiona decides to do it herself. With the reluctant help of Inspector Croft and his sister, a former prostitute, she goes where most would fear to go, to find the murderer. Along the way, she renews her acquaintance with the dangerous and ruthless crime boss the Hammer and his equally scary employee, Night Horse. The investigation process kept my attention but what really sets this series apart from others is the depth of the characters. Each one is unique and has a fascinating backstory we only get to know a little of. Fiona doesn't have a romantic relationship with anyone but there are feelings and definite sexual chemistry between her and Grayson Croft, the Hammer and Nighthorse. Each of the men deserve a book of their own, as they are complex characters I really wanted to know more about. The mystery is concluded in this book but there is a cliffhanger regarding regarding Fiona's personal Iife that goes to the next book. I can't wait.

Finally! We have been waiting for this book for so long.
Again, great atmospheric mystery with gothic vibes. It's always a pleasure to read Byrne's stories. Fiona is a wonderful and strong heroine. I like her all three potential love interests, but the most intensive and interesting is her connection with Aramis. We have only one scene with them, but its the best scene in the whole book. I know that her endgame is Croft, but I really hope for her and The Blade.
I think the book one was better, but of course I can't wait for another Fiona's adventure,

I I’ll loved the first book so I couldn’t wait until book two came out!

In this one, we meet up with Fiona, a unique heroine for a historical fiction series who’s a post mortem sanitation specialist who cleans up murder scenes and lives a rather interesting life. After a series of deaths at brothels, she becomes involved in the hunt for Jack the Ripper again, after he killed a friend in the first book.

I loved this! It’s so different from typical historical mysteries, and Fiona and her cast of sometimes unsavory characters are so well written. Kerrigan Byrne writes a great fast paced story with a touch of romance and lots of chilling twists and gothic vibes. I usually hates love triangles and this is more like a quadrangle, but the author makes it work.

I’m absolutely looking forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I have been looking forward to this book since I read the first book in the series a year or so ago. Kerrigan Byrne is a great writer, and I usually enjoy her books a lot. However, because it has been a very long year since I've read the first book, I did feel like I was missing some of the plot. For example, early on Fiona mentions that she is grieving the loss of her first love, who turned out to be not as wonderful as she'd thought. (He'd also become a Catholic priest, which does tend to put a damper on a relationship.) I know that that whole plot was in the first book, but I could not for the life of me remember what was so awful about him, and it dropped me out of the story because I was wracking my brain. With that in mind, I would definitely recommend a re-read of the first book before you begin this book.
Despite that quibble, this was an engaging mystery. While it is a little darker than I can generally handle these days, that is a me problem, not an author problem. Fiona is smart, stubborn, and caring, and I liked her a lot. I did spend more time than I'd hoped with the urge to smack her pet detective on the backside of the head, but I still have faith that he'll continue to grow as a person. Overall, this was a good book that I will revisit when the world is a little less bleak.

Fiona is strong, smart, and unwavering, and she inspires admiration in almost everyone she meets.

Fiona Mahoney is still mourning the death of the one man she loved and couldn’t have. She is also struggling to come to terms with Aiden’s betrayal. But murder waits for no one, and soon Fiona finds herself in the middle of another investigation when Inspector Croft’s sister, Amelia, asks for her help. And thus, she embarks on a dangerous quest to solve the murders of a few prostitutes with the shadow of Jack the Ripper haunting her every step.

I love Fiona. She fearlessly goes where no one else wants to go. She selflessly puts herself in danger to help a group of women that society doesn’t want to acknowledge. And she is trying to deal with her own complicated feelings about the men in her life while all of this is going on.

As usual with this author, the writing held me captivated, the plot moved along seamlessly, and the solution to everything was a complete and interesting mystery. I’m tickled pink by the fact that Fiona managed to catch the eye of three very different men, each powerful in their own way. And for a change, there is no indication whatsoever which one of these, if it is even one of them, might play a larger role in Fiona’s life. I also don’t know who I want to root for. Definitely something to look forward to in more books to come.

This is the second book in the Fiona Mahoney Mysteries series. I can definitely recommend this series and this author if you like historical romance with a good dose of suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review is also posted on my blog at hookedbythatbook.com.

A Treacherous Trade is the second book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Fiona Mahoney series. It picks up pretty much right after the end of book one so if it’s been a while since you read book one (like me) maybe skim it before diving in. Fiona Mahoney is the Victorian London version of the cleaning up after a dead body service, she’s got multiple suitors (including Jack the Ripper), an unusual variety of friends (Oscar Wilde and a psychic Aunt) and is now going undercover at a brothel to find who is murdering the working girls.

While I love Kerrigan Byrne and really enjoyed book one, this one fell flat for me. There were too many characters, from the triangle of men vying for Fiona’s attention - The Hammer, The Blade and Inspector Croft- to her household, the women of the brothel and lurking in the background Jack, there were so many people to keep track of that didn’t feel really flushed out. The three heroes all felt like they had tiny roles in the overall book, making it hard to cheer for either one, even though this is not really a romance, these guys are all trying to get into Fiona’s chemise, so I really wanted to feel strongly for one for them. The Ripper storyline was underlying in the whole book but I wish had more to do with the ending instead of the actual murderer.

Fiona herself was an interesting character but I am not sure that I really liked her. She was constantly putting herself down - she doesn’t feel pretty enough for any man- and obsessed with her virginity as the reason that Jack the Ripper doesn’t kill her. I did enjoy her championing womens rights, fighting for under represented women and striving for equality in a mans world. There were very feminist vibes throughout which I liked but ultimately it wasn’t enough to sway my overall opinion of the book.

Thank you to Oliver Heber Books and Xpresso Book Tours for an e-ARC. In exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own. A Treacherous Trade is out March 8, 2022.

A Treacherous Trade is the second in the Fiona Mahoney series. In this case, I do think reading the first novel provides quite a bit of context and plot line and shouldn't be skipped. I have very much enjoyed this dark world that Kerrigan Byrne has created - this is not a typical historical romance. This is very much a thriller/mystery with a sprinkle of romance, which was really great. I loved the moodiness of this book! There is a lot of death (obviously - murder!) and our Fiona's job of cleaning up after dead bodies definitely adds to the dark mood. I very much enjoyed all the side characters, and though there is very little romance it keeps you wanting to read on and continue the series. I will say that this second book wasn't quite as compelling as the first, which I thought was very action packed and exciting while this book had a slower pace.

This picks up right where book 1 left off. The mystery of Jack the Ripper continuing, still its definitely engaging. Detective Croft is starting to show some feelings for Fiona and its just beautiful to watch. Fiona starts to actually be in the investigations to find some answers and I can't wait to see what is next!

I really enjoyed this audiobook in duet style with narrators Sarah Mollo-Christensen and John Hartley. They did an amazing job with their characters.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Up until this point I’ve only read Kerrigan Byrne’s romance novels (Goode series anyone??). I loved this book. It’s the second in the series (need to go back and read the first) and it was such a great mystery.

Women are dying in Whitechapel. Could it be the infamous Jack the Ripper or is there another evil lurking the streets of London? Fiona knows she needs to solve this mystery, so she goes undercover to draw out a killer, but will she be able to survive herself?

I cannot wait to read more mysteries by Kerrigan Byrne!

Fiona Mahoney cleans up after murders in Victorian England. She has made it her mission to find The Ripper for viciously killing her friend Mary in Whitechaple. Prostitutes are still dying, but not from The Ripper. The only way to discover the truth is to pretend to be working at the Orchard, whispered to be of sexual decadence. Fiona is now targeted and her life is in danger. "Fear. Rage, Greed. Sex. Hate.... Revenge." All she wants is to find out the truth. Three men are attracted to this fascinating woman. Who will she choose?
A gripping read!
After reading this book, I want to backup and read The Business Of Bood and I have already Pre-ordered.
A Vocation of Violence. Not for anyone with a trigger for extreme violence, especially of a sexual nature.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Enthralling continuation!

Oh my goodness! Victorian clean up specialist Fiona Mahoney is surrounded by men of power! And such men! Like the Scotland Yard Inspector, Grayson Croft and The Hammer, dangerous lord of London’s underbelly, alongside the exotic assassin, Aramis Night Horse, and yes, Jack the Ripper. All take an interest in Fiona. Fiona is London’s premier post mortem sanitation cleaner. The sanitation work is how Fiona puts food on the table. Her true passion is investigating who’s killing prostitutes in Whitechapel. This has become her overriding raison d’être after her best friend and prostitute Mary Kelly, was butchered by Jack the Ripper.
In this issue Fiona has slowly come out of the dreadful place she’s been in following her ex fiancé and childhood friend, Father Aidan Fitzpatrick’s death, to be given the news that another young courtesan has been brutally murdered. Not Fiona believes, by the Ripper. Her investigations lead her into dark alleyways, physical assault and DANGER!
Aunt Nola (Fiona’s somewhat unusual aunt who communes with the spirits and taro cards) had it right when she warned of “Betrayal, Fiona. They’ve told me. Someone close to you is going to betray you…or worse. You are going to betray them. Lovers, I think. Your lover? Or maybe someone you love? Someone will be in love, and then…treachery. Treachery will tear them apart.”
Depravity is nothing unusual for the ladies of the night but here new depths are reached, even as Fiona and Croft’s sister Amelia search for answers.
Ending on a note that has me absolutely tantalised with anticipation, and screaming with frustration, I am on tenterhooks for the next in this compelling series.
Let’s just say that this tale has all the energy, passion and suspense that the best of Byrne’s titles give.

An Oliver Herber 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.)

An intense, dark, murder mystery told in first person from the heroine's point of view.
Prepare to be drawn in from the very beginning and not let go until the end! Of course this is Kerrigan Byrne and her stories have always done that for me! Also, they linger in my mine for some time which to me is what a great story does..

Murders are happening to ladies of the night and Fiona Mahoney is asked to help solve them. She goes undercover to try to speak with others in the same profession and try to find the killer.

Through many twist and turns filled with memorable characters, the story unfolds and the suspense intensifies. I did not read the first in this series, but know I will go back to enjoy.

Cannot wait for more from this mesmerizing series!

The Fiona Mahoney mystery series by Kerrigan Bryan is a hard and gritty historical mystery series that gives us a look into the darker side of Victorian London. Fiona Mahoney's hunt for Jack the Ripper has lead her into the mystery of two dead prostitutes for the same brothel. The never-ending twists and turns of the story keep you guessing until the very end.
This is a great series and I cannot wait for the next book and the continuing adventures of Fiona.
Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for a copy of this book for review.

This is was the first mystery I read by Kerrigan Byrne and thoroughly enjoyed it as it's solid and kept me guessing till the end.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, the characters are fleshed out and the plot is well developed.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I don't even know where to start. In true Kerrigan Byrne fashion, she absolutely killed it (no pun intended) in this one. The suspense building is phenomenal, the twists and turns kept coming and I was honestly guessing until the very end. While we've learned a little bit more about Fiona, Inspector Croft, Aramis Night Horse, and Jorah Roth, we're still left wondering who the Ripper is. I hate to admit it but that's not even the biggest question I have after finishing A Treacherous Trade. I was completely enthralled from the very beginning needing to know what happened next. So far I highly recommend this series. It's dark and macabre and raw and amazing!

Some things to know before reading this book- This is not a Kerrigan Byrne historical romance-it is a dark mystery, there is no romance (there is some tension and a kiss), there is some colorful rough language used, there is talk of sex and prostitution, and this book picks up where the last one left off and heads right into the next book at the end.

I will preface this review by noting that I have read the first book, "Business of Blood" and loved it but not in the same way I liked this one. And I must encourage readers to read the first book before this one. I have seen reviews with low ratings who noted that they had not read the first book and I would feel lost if I hadn't read the first one. Yes, Byrne does kind of fill readers in on some back story but you really need the full thing to appreciate what happens in this book.

To paraphrase the Hammer when speaking of Fiona, she's changed a lot since the first book. She's become bold and wants justice. In this one, she plays detective rather than her chosen profession of postmortem sanitation specialist. I really enjoyed reading this one for the depth of mystery and the characters which again, I don't think I would have appreciated had I not read the first book. I enjoyed hearing from some of the characters once again that were in the first book like Night Horse and the Hammer.

My grumbles about this book were
* that it really had nothing to do with Jack the Ripper. I must say that Jack is what made the first book so exciting. Without him, you had the hint of his name but nothing else so then the entire book just became a mystery of who killed the prostitutes? Which is a great mystery all told, one that had me guessing up to the end but as a storyline, it needed more.
* there wasn't much of Inspector Croft in this aside from a few lines which was disappointing.
* there are several paragraphs where something was told but then reiterated in a different way in the second paragraph. It seemed too repetitious and more like filler space.

For me, I gave this book 5 stars for the artistry Kerrigan Byrne put into this book making it an exciting mystery and weaving in all the elements that she did. It's hard to write a series of books with such a heavy subject as death, and then to set it in a historical time with fictional characters blending into the world of a real life figure from time is a work of art. There will always be bits here and there that us as readers may not enjoy or feel differently towards. It is always great when an author can take you on a journey back in time and make you feel apart of the adventure or keep you turning pages to find out what happens.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review however my thoughts and comments are all my own.

I am completely hooked by this series. I love that A Treacherous Trade picks up right where the first book, The Business of Blood, left off in the gritty world of Jack the Ripper's London. Kerrigan Bryne does not shy away from darkness and flawed characters. She keeps the reader on their toes, constantly trying to solve the crimes through the eyes of Fiona, a strong, fierce heroine with a rather gruesome job. The series is full of fascinating male characters too who all seem to have some sort of attraction to Fiona. In addition to the crimes, Fiona's possible love interest is another mystery to be solved. I can't get enough of it all.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Still on the trail of Jack the Ripper and grieving her ex-fiancé's death, Fiona is a postmortem sanitation specialist, cleaning up grisly crime scenes and getting rid of 'evidence' for a brutal crime boss. Except, since that death, she hasn't been able to do her job. Now we're dropping the down the rabbit hole and learning of her feelings for the three men she has dealings with almost daily.

What a great second book in this series. I love the wit and wisdom Fiona has. Her intelligence sometimes gets her in trouble, although she'll go toe to toe with Croft or Aramis or Jorah. The first a police detective, the second a crime boss, and the third an enforcer. She is also friends with a former prostitute, who happens to be Croft's sister.

So much detail about the times and the subjugation of women. Discussion of her virginity plays a large part in the book and I'm not sure why, other than she's dealing with trying to find out who is killing prostitutes and she knows nothing about sex! Why some people die while others don't is a continuing theme throughout the book.

I was pleased with this second book in this series. In my opinion, the books need to be read in order. There is too much back story in the first book about how Fiona came into her occupation and the people she has relationships with to just jump into this book.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I like my books light, entertaining, with romance and a little mystery. This book is soooo not that. It is tough, gritty and downright depressing. It also is full of unnecessary prose and was just plain slow. Halfway through I swore I would not read the next book, then she ends this one with the one question that would make me even consider opening the next book. Ugh! I just hate that!

Fiona Mahoney had her heart ripped out by the man she loved, not once, but twice. Now he's dead and she has been enticed out of her morning by the murder of two prostitutes. But these are definitely not the work of Jack the Ripper who Fiona has vowed to hunt to her dying day. As it turns out, Inspector Grayson Croft's sister, Amelia, wants Fiona's help to solve these murders. Grayson is not on board with their plan, at all.

As Fiona enters the world of the high-priced prostitute, she discovers there is no love lost between these women who ply their trade in a luxurious place and expect protection. Fiona is undercover to find out what the other women know, not to service customers, but the other women have other ideas and Fiona finds herself face to face with Aramis Night Horse, "The Blade", an underworld assassin. Their encounter is the highlight of the book.

In a meeting with Jorah Roth "The Hammer", the boss of the London under world, he leaves Fiona with no doubt as to his intentions toward her or that he intends to continue their business dealings. He also has dire warnings about the situation Fiona has found herself in. Later she discovers that these women have a sideline that may very well have gotten two of them killed. Jack is also watching, and he doesn't like what Fiona is up to.
3 1/2-Stars

A great addition to the Fiona Mahoney series. These books are so atmospheric when you read them. Just like the beautiful cover, you feel like you're in 1880s London while you're reading. Fiona Mahoney, London's premier postmortem sanitation specialist, has been asked to look into the murders of two women who work at a brothel. As usual, danger follows as Jack the Ripper watches from afar, or is it afar? Sometimes it feels like he's quite close. Just like the first book in the series, Croft the Scotland Yard inspector, Aramis Night Horse the assassin and the Hammer, the leader of London's underworld are involved. These men are typical of Kerrigan's heroes. They're all deadly and dangerous. It's hard to decide which one Fiona will choose. This story kept me guessing from beginning to end.