Fiona Mahoney is again in the thick of things in A Treacherous Trade (A Fiona Mahoney Mystery Book 2) by Kerrigan Byrne. I know of this author through historical romance so a suspenseful historical murder mystery is a first for me to read by her. There is a bit of lust strongly suggested but not what anyone could call love or romance.

Fiona Mahoney cleans up after death has visited. Not an easy job but one that I could see would be necessary. However, there is so much more to this self-called spinster than that. She is on the job for reasons of revenge. Sadly this case does not give her much of that. It does however open up the door to so many male admirers.

Well-written with character development being one of slowly peeling the layers back on those involved. I wish I had read the first book because the lines of right and wrong are blurred so in this story. Like life “bad people” are capable of doing good and “good people” are able to do great evil. I was quite taken with the story finding it a page turner to see more about the characters as much as who was the murderer. Then the conclusion! Who was the man!

Now I have gotten the first book so I will catch up with all the background that has been hinted at in this story. Still I want to know – Who was the man who received the note. I can only hope the next book will not be long in coming. I am just that nosy.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Postmortem sanitation specialist, Fiona Mahoney, is still searching for Jack the Ripper. But now she has been asked to investigate the death of two more prostitutes. Much against the advise of Inspector Grayson Croft. Danger is all around, not just from the killer but the possible men in her life.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story, it was well-written, with its varied and likeable characters. But there are references to Book One and it's events which is unfortunate as it might have been useful to have read that first.
But overall an entertaining mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona Mahoney is a “Post Mortem Sanitation Specialist,” a job that brings her to the scene of more than a few gruesome murders. A Treacherous Trade finds her accidentally entangled in a string of mysterious deaths at a London brothel. Encouraged by the sister of her detective acquaintance, Inspector Grayson Croft, Fiona embarks on a salacious and dark journey through vice, desperation, and deceit.

Things I love about this book were the hard stance it took against victim-blaming and its refusal to malign sex-workers. Moreover, the female characters were unflinchingly blunt. I loved them. The narrative doesn’t skimp on difficult topics or shy away from the seedy underbelly of humanity.

"It was because men like Croft were angrier at the fact that I might become a prostitute – or pretend to be one – than he was that two of them had been killed." - A Treacherous Trade, Kerrigan Byrne

The overall content of the book was philosophical and overwhelmingly morally gray. The prose was delicious and it moved at a pace that kept me interested.

A Treacherous Trade TLDR
This book was interesting and very dark. In general, it reminded me of a Stephanie Plum novel set in Victorian England. While reading, I found myself highlighting so many pithy, witty, and heartwrenching passages. There’s no shortage of fantastic paragraphs I’d love to reread. In the end, I’ll likely read the next book when it comes out, even though I probably won’t read the first book now that this book has given away the big twist. There is a small cliffhanger at the end, but there’s enough resolution to make it satisfying.

I enjoyed the setting of this novel, but the story didn't really resonate for me. Too many potential love interest and less about the actual mystery.

Fiona Mahoney chases Jack the Ripper from the shadows of Whitechapel into the most infamous brothels of Victorian London’s thriving sex trade. Standing in the ashes of her tragedy and laden with the secrets of the dead, Fiona seeks out the rough and relentless Inspector Grayson Croft to unburden her conscience. Before she can confess, Croft reveals the one thing that could dispel all thoughts of revelation. Prostitutes are again being murdered, and a name is being whispered over their suggestively staged corpses. The name of the man who brutally slaughtered her childhood best friend. The name against which Fiona would sell her very soul for vengeance. Jack the Ripper.
Only the promise of justice could entice Fiona to do something as reckless and daring as infiltrating the ranks of elite courtesans who accept the threat of violence as a nightly norm. When the danger becomes too deadly to face alone, Fiona is forced to call upon old enemies and new friends including “the Hammer” a charismatic gangster, and “the Blade” an enigmatic assassin, and maybe even the Ripper, himself.
This is the second book in this gripping series, whilst it could easily be read on its own I feel that to fully appreciate it it would be better to read the first book too. I love the author’s books & this didn't disappoint, its dark, it’s chilling & it's thrilling - I loved it. The characters have depth, the pace is good, there’s a touch of romance & lots of mystery. I devoured this book in two sittings & look forward to more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I'm not usually one for historical books but this series has me hooked. The characters are complex and the hunt for Jack the Ripper has me invested. I can't wait to see if my guess is right. I figured out the culprit in the brothel murders almost immediately but it didn't take away from the story. Fiona and her interactions with the other characters are what keep my attention. It's a great cast of characters. And that ending! I really can't wait to get the answer on who! This is an escape read that makes me feel like I'm right there with Fionna.

Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC. I happily anticipated this second book from Kerrigan Byrne. Fiona Mahoney is quite an unorthodox woman living in London. She's a post mortem sanitation specialist and has several connections with rather unsavory characters. One most prominent of them is Jack the Ripper. He sends letters to her that he's near and watching her. Not because he wants to kill her but rather that he's infatuated with her. After losing a very dear friend to him in the first book, Fiona has been in the business of blood and death, literally.

This time she finds herself confronting a series of deaths from a brothel. Although not Jack the Ripper's work, she offers herself as not just her profession of sanitation services but also of lady detective. Fiona is quite the strong woman and a champion of all women. She seems justice for those who are overlooked because of their profession as prostitutes. There's also a tantalizing breath of romance in the book that's intriguing to see it play out. I love the characters and their personalities. Kerrigan Byrne's writing is so descriptive, interesting and witty that it's easy to be absorbed. I was highly entertained and can't wait to see what's next for Fiona, her love interest and her quest for Jack the Ripper.

This is defined a series book and should be read in order and it does leave you in a little suspense at then end on who she invited to the hotel so it is getting ready for the next book. I usually don’t like first person narratives, but for this book it works very well as it lends itself to the intrigue of the story. The heroine is very different from the norm. Who would have thought of a job as a person who cleans up murder scene. She is feisty, yet compassionate. She wants to help others and is trying to catch the Ripper to avenge her friends murder. There is a cast of characters and the villains in this story are many, but some of them aren’t as bad as others. Enjoyed the inspector and his sister. It was well written and suspenseful, but also rather morbid and sensual.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I have waited for this second book eagerly, why maybe I was a bit disappointed by it.
First it ends with a kind of cliffhanger and while I know which choice I would want Fiona to do, I am not sure he will be, only the third book will answer my surmise.
After all she made so many mistakes in this book.
Letting her own prejudices drive her on the wrong path when the proofs, clues and hints all pointed to the real culprit.
Blind she was, so maybe blind she will stay.
So she is grieving the biggest of betrayal, mourning the love of her life or more truly simply love.
Part of the story was like a catalogue of the men in her life, all potential lovers, so who will be her final choice. To know it, we will have to wait for the next book.

After, about the case, the villain was easily guessed, I did not see the motives immediately but if not for Fiona’s wrong leads, it would have been figured out maybe a bit earlier. Plus as it is told on only Fiona’s point of view, the narrative is oriented to her own bias as she dismissed potential culprits to focus on others, even when an important piece of advice if offered to her on a platter quite early in the story.
3.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kisses, talk of sex

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

I thought I would just make a start on this, but ended up reading it straight through and staying up half the night, lol. Every step of the way I just really wanted to know what would happen next.

The heroine is a bit hot tempered, and walks right into danger a few times, but overall I still quite liked her. And the potential romantic interests... spoiled for choice is our Fiona! It was a fun element to the story sprinkled in.

Overall it held tight to my interest and brought me enjoyment. I want to read the next book ASAP.
** I received an advance review copy and am leaving this honest review of my own free will. =)

A magnificent story. This is a great piece of historical mystery by Kerrigan Byrne. The lead character is a marvelously strong female who is not afraid to go head to head with some of the most fearsome males. Fiona is in the crosshairs of Jack the Ripper but that has not stopped her from trying to solve the murders of two prostitutes. She is exploring who she is as a person and what her place is among all she does. The story is intriguing and page turning. The plot is wonderful and gives the reader ample opportunity to get to know the important characters. It is a story you will enjoy having in your library for many years to come.

A Treacherous Trade by Kerrigan Byrne is a lovely follow up to the first in the series. It has been awhile since we were last in Fiona's world. I needed all the recap's from the first novel. They were woven and unveiled throughout the novel, so it works as a stand alone and is never stale.

Kerrigan Byrne is an insta buy for me and I love her books. In this installment, Fiona is called upon to investigate the murder of two women who worked at a brothel, The Orchard. Fiona is led through many twists and turns to find the truth. Fiona is such a great character. I love that she is clever and hard working and very real. Many similar series make their heroines a genius or extremely skilled. I love that Fiona is not a genius, has knowledge befitting her life experiences and posses a keen interest for truth and justice.

Many characters pop back in and there are glimpses of romances that could be. I can't wait for more to come about with Detective Croft but the most spark in this novel was with Jorah, The Hammer. The supporting characters are lovely and I'm hoping that future books will have some characters more heavily throughout. Would love a book with more of Oscar Wilde or her ominous Aunt!

I read an Advanced Reader Copy of the book. All opinions are my own. #Kerrigan Byrne #ATreacherousTrade #NetGalley

In this installment, Fiona goes undercover in a brothel to discover who is killing its prostitutes. There is a love quadrangle(?), mystery, and danger.

I have really enjoyed Kerrigan Byrne's historical romance books and decided to give her newest series a read and it did not disappoint. I wish she would flesh out her Chinese (I think) assistant as a character. It feels like a nod to "Victorian London was diverse" than anything else at this point. Overall, I look forward to reading more of Fiona's story in the upcoming books.

This book (and series) is not for the faint of heart.

This is book two in a series, and should not be read as a standalone. This one picks up right where book two left off. With very dark topics, as you would expect with a subject matter of Jack the Ripper, please do not go into this book thinking it’s a historical romance.

With many twists and surprises, this book kept me on the edge of my seat, especially near the end. I really enjoyed the side characters of this book, and I hope to see more of them in future books in this series.

While not a romance novel, there are hints of possible romantic possibilities between Fiona and three other characters. This definitely keeps me on the hook trying to figure out who she will end up choosing.

This book was about a 3.25 for me so I am rounding down. Though I was given an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I was excited to return to Fiona and her hunt for Jack the Ripper. This book picks up where the first left off with Fiona now in mourning.

Once again, I knew who was behind the murders at the brothel and knew it very early in the book. The same happened in the first book but the fact it happened again makes me think the story needs more nuance. I still think the Ripper is the same person I suspected in the first book.

Like the first, Fiona has several males interested in her. It advances her relationships with each of them, and while I enjoyed that, I feel I know who she will end up with. My favorite parts of this book were Fiona’s conversation with her aunt, with Oscar Wilde, and with Amelia. I liked seeing a different side of her.

What an amazing sequel to book one of this series. A Treacherous Trade is filled with so much mystery and suspense, it had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what comes next for Fiona and the other characters. The ending made me want more and I hope we get the next book soon, cause I'm impatiently waiting for it. Amazing job Kerrigan, you always draw me in with the way you write and create the world and characters.

[Book #2 in “The Fiona Mahoney Mysteries” series. Can this be read as a standalone? I did, but as I’m currently reading the 1st book I can see where I missed the important beginning’s of Fiona’s story. It’s very useful to this one. Is best to read them in order.]

After I read Kerrigan Byrne’s 7-book Victorian Rebels series.. AND LOVED, I spotted this soon-to-be-released 1890’s historical MYSTERY mentioning Jack the Ripper. So of course I had to read it!

Our heroine is none other than Londoner Miss Fiona Mahoney whom Ripper has been in contact with through letters. She’s obsessed with catching him—he’s obsessed with her.. or so you’d think, yikes!

Fiona works a job cleaning up grizzly crime scenes as a Postmortem Sanitation Specialist. After two prostitutes are murdered in Whitechapel, her cleaning services are requested by ex-courtesan Amelia Croft at a brothel on Fleet Street where the last woman is killed. After viewing the crime scene she suspects this latest victim could not be attributed to Ripper.

Amelia, and her friend Beatrice—the Orchard’s madam, request Fiona to investigate by going incognito as a prostitute in that very brothel.

Amelia’s brother.. Detective Grayson Croft.. is against it, calling it a harebrained idea. Amelia wears him down enough to look into the murders. And to keep Fiona safe.

Fiona catches on a little too late that she might be trusting the wrong people. And when she does find something or it finds her, it’s nothing I’d ever.. EVER GUESS.

This is a.. THRILLING.. CHILLING.. mystery with a smidge of pining.. and a smattering of heat.. between Fiona and several admirers. The one man I can see it, but the other two are highly questionable lol. As with many Kerrigan Byrne books there’s some violence, dark scenes and language which I’ve come to expect. Just know that going in.

I loved the dark’n gothic vibes.. so creepy, and finding twists around every turn kept me invested. If you’ve enjoyed her other books don’t hesitate to pick this up. I read in a day, it’s that good! I plan to continue on with this series. Oh one more thing.. it does end with an enticing cliffhanger! #teamcroft 🤩📚🔪 This is out 3/8/22.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for kindly approving this arc. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic. Though there are aspects I was not a fan of, I still greatly enjoyed this and could not put it down.

What I didn't like: I'm still iffy on the Jack the Ripper angle, although to Byrne's credit it is more about justice for a victim. Also, I easily spotted the villain and it was very similar to one of Byrne's romance novels.

Everything was great. Byrne's writing is rich and easy to fall into, the characters are intriguing and I both want to know more and enjoy their mysteriousness. You can tell a lot about the characters from a single movement, reaction, exchange which is my favorite kind of character writing.
Another thing Byrne is incredible at is addressing today's issues through historical fiction without it feeling (entirely) like an outlet for her, while still feeling true to the story and the time.

Really looking forward to book three!

I found this to be a thoroughly engrossing and well crafted story with a whole cast of characters that kept me turning the pages. Fiona is a spectacular character, unique and captivating amongst a vivid world of treachery and danger.

Fiona was born in the wrong time period, a strong independent woman of modern times living in the Victorian age of London. She is self employed, can hang with the big boys and has the respect of everyone she meets. I truly enjoy how the men in her life will do anything for her yet she has not a clue about their true feelings. She’s even got Jack the Ripper sending love notes, which grosses her out and intrigues her equally. Byrne’s historical books have everything from killers, suspense, friendship, romance, a smart sense of humor and intelligent characters. We waited a while for Fiona’s second book but it was worth the wait, and there are plenty of reminders throughout the story. I always feel fortunate to read an advance copy and leave my review voluntarily.