I love a good historical mystery so this author was already on my radar as I have loved her other books. Well written as always with such vivid descriptions of the times and area's make you feel like you could almost be there. This mystery is a little different as it's an investigation into an accident so not at all straight forward who done it so I wasn't sure how this would play out. However I still loved it and would recommended it highly as I couldn't put it down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 Stars
One Liner: This is good!

Sep 1878, London
Pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with an iron-hulled collier, Bywell Castle, in the Thames. Princess Alice is torn apart, and 600 passengers are in the waters. With only 130 of them surviving, the case is one of the biggest accidents on the river.
However, the problem is that the collision may not be an accident. It appears that the Irish Republican Brotherhood planned the incident as a way to demand the restoration of the Irish Home Role.
Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan is on the case. His Irish roots and connection could help him solve the case or put his life at risk. The increasing violence in Whitechapel adds to his troubles. Colin, the youngest Doyle, seems to be in the middle of it. Corrovan has no choice but to save the Doyle family. After all, they are his family, albeit adopted.
But can Inspector Corrovan get to the heart of the matter before it’s too late? The life of the Irish in London is horrible as it is. Will his investigation make it worse? What will it do to him?

My Observations:
The book works very well as a standalone (I read book one though I confess I don’t remember much, which isn’t uncommon).
Corrovan’s character arc is getting better and better. I love that he has issues but does justice to his job as a policeman.
The side characters are just as important and do their bit to keep the story going. They aren’t mere cardboard pieces but are growing similar to the main character (except for a couple, maybe).
What I love in the book is the theme. It deals with the Britishers’ hatred for the Irish and how this causes long-lasting repercussions on the poor and innocent. The writing is hard-hitting and straight to the point.
The themes of politics, gang wars, racism, personal prejudice, deliberate misinformation (some things don’t change), etc., are handed with a deft hand. The book is darker than the previous one, but nowhere does it get hyper, dramatic, or preachy.
There’s quite a bit of philosophical introspection (which reduces the pace), but it is a part of character development. I see how this might led to crucial revelations and developments in book three.
What could have been better are the pacing and the blurb. I didn’t read the blurb until I finished the book (I requested a copy when I saw the series title and didn’t bother with the blurb) and noticed that it reveals a little too much information. A tighter blurb will make the book more intriguing and effective. And maybe Belinda could have had more space.
To summarize, Under a Veiled Moon is an excellent and strong continuation of the series. Pick it up when you want something thought-provoking and slow-paced.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Full teaser review at http://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2022/10/under-veiled-moon-by-karen-odden.html
****************************************************************
I loved Karen Odden's first Inspector Corravan novel, Down a Dark River, with such extreme fervor that I was actually a bit afraid to read the second. I've been in such a funk about pretty much everything the past few weeks that I was afraid it would tarnish the story for me somehow. I even attempted to break the funk with an escape to Xanth and that only kind of worked.

Note to Self: grab Odden's other books and hope that they have the same effect because holyomigoodness. I may actually have been more entranced with this book than I was the first (and that one goes onto the "big puffy heart" list for how much I loved it). Now, I'm hoping that the funk stays away for a good long time (I would be okay with it never coming back), but at least now I know who to turn to if it doesn't.

I said in August that "Corravan may easily become one of my favorite characters, and Odden one of my favorite historical authors, if the second book in the series (which is currently sitting on my NetGalley shelf calling to me like a Siren) is even half as excellent as this one."

Mission most definitely accomplished

I really enjoyed this tale of Inspector Corravan. In 1878 there is a disaster, a fully loaded pleasure boat is stuck and sinks in the Thames. It looks as though the Irish Republican Army may have been involved. Corravan has to find find his way through a web of anti-Irish prejudice, street gangs, and MPs behind the scenes negotiations to get to the truth. Very twisty and enjoyable with a nice handling of actual events.

Incredible. Just incredible. The pacing, the action, the winding mystery, the relationships (both romantic and familial) - all of it adds up to an engaging and emotionally honest historical mystery. I was as frustrated as some of the characters, and I did shed a few tears at one point, but I cannot wait for book three.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

It’s 1878 in London and Scotland Yard’s Inspector Michael Corrovan is now acting Superintendent at Wapping River Police, so when a pleasure streamer, the Princess Alice, returning at night collides with a large collier he rushes to the scene to manage the disaster. Of the more than 600 people on board the Princess Alice only 130 would survive, since the boat sank so quickly and most people were unable to swim. Coming on top of a recent train derailment rumoured to have been caused by dynamite, which killed several people and injured many, the popular press is fearful that the Irish Republican Brotherhood has started a terror campaign to support its quest for home rule Northern Ireland. However, Corrovan is not so sure that the IRB are to blame.

Blending fiction with real events, Karen Odden transports up back to the sights and sounds of Victorian London. The sinking of the Princess Alice after a collision was the worst maritime disaster ever on the Thames and led to changes in not only shipping rules but also the way major disasters were handled. With hundreds of bodies spread over many locations on both shores of the river and no passenger list, identification was a major problem and many had to be buried unidentified. The politics surrounding Irish Home Rule are also front and centre in this novel, especially the racism against the Irish refugees who were forced to flee to England during the potato famines. That Corrovan himself was born in Ireland and raised by the Doyles, a loving Irish family in Whitechapel, makes it difficult for him to be seen to be unbiased in his investigation, although his intelligence, upbringing and integrity see him deal fairly with everyone, despite their background.

This second Michael Corrovan mystery is just as good as the first in the series, if not better. Corrovan is a good detective, following up every clue and potential witness in this complex case and not jumping to easy and convenient conclusions. There are also some engaging secondary characters, including Corrovan’s love interest, Belinda and his ward Harry, that I’m hoping to see develop further in the next novel.

It is 1878 and Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan has been assigned to the Wapping River Police after some police scandals. He's busy with some murders that look like gang problems between two Irish gangs. Then the unthinkable happens, the Princess Alice which is filled with day trippers collides with the Bywell Castle which is a coal hauler. The Princess Alice comes apart drowning more than 600 people.

When it looks like the accident could have been caused by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, Corrovan is pulled in many directions. Some of his superiors are concerned that he will be too sympathetic to the Irish because of his own Irish heritage. While he struggles to unravel the tangled threads of the disaster, he is also dealing with family issues. His young foster brother Colin, who deeply resents the fact the Michael took off unexpectedly when he was young, is getting mixed up in the doings of Irish crime lords. Michael wants to get him out from under their thumbs and give his brother an easier, legal future.

The setting was fascinating. The politics of the day intriguing and reflecting current day politics as well. I liked Corrovan who was a dedicated police officer determined to find the true culprits behind the accident. He was a complex man who deals with guilt and grief with the strong support of his foster mother and lady friend.

Fans of historical mysteries won't want to miss Inspector Michael Corrovan and his colleagues and his world.

Well, I am hooked on this series. Karen Odden paints a very atmospheric setting for Inspector Michael Corravan, self made man, raised in the slums of Whitechapel. He is Irish in a time of bias and hatred aimed at the Irish. Despite this, he believes in justice and the law and works to accomplish this for everyone. His background as an orphan taken in by an Irish family works both for and against him. A disaster on the Thames draws him into Irish gang warfare and English politics as he tries to determine what happened and who was at fault, while dealing with the heartbreak of so many victims, This rich and absorbing story is a rewarding read. I cannot wait for more of Corravan.

My thoughts as I read this excellent mystery were vindicated when I read the authors notes at the end of the book. I read books to escape the modern world, for a time to be somewhere else, live in a different period and another place. The contemporary trend of imposing political beliefs is misplaced; in my opinion,
I did enjoy the mystery, and I love Inspector Comorravan and Mrs. Gayle; they are good people, doing their best; who can ask more of anyone? The story of the crash on the Thames was dramatic enough; add to it the misdirection of the papers, and you have the making of a good story; then we have the Doyle family, and my emotions were captured, the family dynamics, the love relationship, the excitement of the investigation, all join for an excellent read.
I highly recommend! Thank you #Netgalley #UnderTheVeiledMoon

I'm a fan of CS Harris and Anne Perry's William Monk and this is becoming another favorite of mine as I love this book more than the first one.
Well plotted, twisty, dark, and highly entertaining. It kept me hooked and guessing, I loved the characters and the vivid historical background.

This is book two in the series. It’s a good continuation with the same characters. It moves along fairly well, with a good mystery. I enjoyed the book but really think the first one was better. It sounds like there might be a book three too
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

A great second book in this series. I hope the author continues this series. Rich in details and great use of historical events.

I give Under A Veiled Moon 5/5 stars.

The first several pages of this book did not grab my attention at all and I considered DNFing this novel. However, the overwhelmingly positive reviews convinced me to give it a second try, and I am so glad that I did. The atmospheric world-building in this novel is beyond amazing. I felt transported to 1800 London and the details of both the location as well as the cultural upheavals that occurred at this time in history were the perfect backdrop for murder. I hadn't really contemplated the Irish stigma and what it meant for refugees trying to make a leaving for themselves. This book was not only an amazing mystery but also opened my eyes to a new historical theme to research. I highly recommend everyone give Under a Veiled Moon a try. It is well worth the effort.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC to review.

1878

Inspector Michael Corravan, a senior officer at Scotland Yard now finds himself as acting superintendent at Wapping River Police for the past three months. As a man born in Ireland, orphaned at an early age and raised by the Irish Doyle family, it’s a tough time for him. He’s caught in the middle, working for the English crown while fighting down his disgust at the very active prejudice he sees against his own people across England.

But Corravan is nothing if not dogged in his police duties so when a body is discovered near the docks and found to be likely something more than an accident, he sets out to investigate. But soon his work is overwhelmed by a catastrophe upon the Thames. The pleasure steamer named the Princess Alice is struck by the massive Bywell Castle, an iron-hulled collier, resulting in the loss of most of the 600 passengers. All police are sucked into the effort to search for survivors and handle relief efforts. Local newspapers start reporting rumors and innuendos about the Irish Republican Brotherhood being responsible. A single case of possible murder appears to have turned into a complex case of mass murder for political purposes.

Karen Odden has once again written a wonderful, historically accurate novel of murder, intrigue, and deadly peril. For the first few chapters I wondered what she might have in mind for us readers as we get to peel the proverbial onion back on a society prone to prejudice and political activism. Sure, there was a what appeared to be a murder case and surely Inspector Corravan would investigate and uncover the truth of the matter. But then the whole plot took a deep turn into unexpected territory. The sinking of the Princess Alice is a historical event and many of the characters involved with her destiny and that we read about here are actual historical characters. This incident remains the greatest loss of life of any British inland waterway shipping accident in history. The author uses this tragedy and creates a masterful story of political intrigue around it, forcing Inspector Corravan to solve what amounts to one of the very first incidents of terrorism ever, even when it means working with sordid figures of the seedy London underbelly. And to think I thought this would be just a simple murder mystery.

I’ve read a couple of other novels by Karen Odden and have always come away impressed. She has a knack for creating complex plots and yet keeping them entirely readable. The settings, society, and true-to-life history reflect her in depth research. But, as in all good stories, the characters make the novel and here, Karen Odden has pulled out all the stops. Inspector Corravan is a superb character, filled with human foibles to balance out his honorable intentions. We get to see a lot of his adopted family and their destinies, heavily influenced by a decision he made long ago. Indeed, one of the central themes of the novel is how one learns to live with prior regretful choices.

This is the second of the Inspector Corravan novels and I will add that I have yet to read the first one. However, at no time did I feel like I was missing anything. The author provides any backstory needed so I was quite comfortable throughout. Of course, I do feel the need to go back now and read that first one (“Down a Dark River”), not to fill in anything about this one but simply to revel in the experience of reading a Karen Odden novel.

Under a Veiled Moon is the continuation of a series starring Michael Corravan, Irish Scotland Yard inspector. Odden keeps the reader enthralled by the way she weaves history, mystery, the Victorian period, politics, and the pervasive influence of the media in this wonderful story. With many parallels to the present day, she thoughtfully plots the continuing story of Michael Corravan, whose early history includes his adoption by the Doyle family in White Chapel.

Corravan is placed in the middle of a terrible dilemma when a tragedy based on London's history challenges his Irish roots. He finds himself in the middle of prejudice against the Irish, and the government and media's push to blame the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) for the tragedy. The Princess Alice, a pleasure boat that sailed the Thames River each day, is hit by the Bywell Castle, an iron-hulled collier, resulting in the deaths of 130 out of 600 people. Odden does a masterful job of describing the chaos and attempts to save or recover those passengers.

Who is responsible? The media, as well as the Home Office, wants to blame this on the IRB, a group that could be connected to a recent train bombing. Irish Home Rule is on the table in negotiations at the time, and this could be yet another attempt to push Parliament toward letting Ireland go.

In a perfect subplot, Corravan's adopted family is feeling the violence of guns being brought into White Chapel, a situation that results in a tragedy for his family. The inspector's own history and decisions play a role in this tragic subplot, and the reader delves deeply into Corravan's thoughts about his past and his part in what happens to the Doyles.

Who is responsible for all this chaos? The media? The IRB? The street gangs? Or some insidious mastermind of crime? Corravan must wind around all the politics and assertions to bring justice to his world. As always, Karen Odden does a masterful job of researching real events, Victorian society, and politics to create an intriguing story that has connections to the world we inhabit today. I had to read every last word and reluctantly close the book. Loved this story. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read it. All opinions are my own.

5 stars

The first book in Odden’s Inspector Corravan series was a best-of-the-year read for me, so to say that I had high expectations coming into the sequel was an understatement. Fortunately, the novel lived up to those expectations.

While the first novel was a rather straightforward serial killer mystery set in Victorian England, this second begins with a murder but quickly becomes a much more politically-oriented mystery, concerned with anti-Irish prejudice and terrorist attacks. I was curious as to how the political angle of these crimes would change the ‘feel’ of a Corravan mystery, but the prose is absolutely excellent, and Corravan such a compelling and consistent character, that the change in type of mystery served the narrative and proved utterly enthralling. I was engrossed from the start.

One of the things I’ve loved, about both the first book and this one, is that Corravan solves mysteries through solid, good police work. He isn’t a Holmesian genius, he doesn’t stumble upon MacGuffins and dash into climactic battles; he puts boots on the ground and chases down leads, and asks for help from many different sources, until he has enough pieces of the puzzle to put together.

I do wish that we’d had more of Belinda and Harry, who I loved in the first book, but I cheerfully look forward to their inclusion in later installments, especially as Harry’s medical knowledge progresses (Harry’s trip to Edinburgh makes me hope we get a Burke and Hare-inspired story in the next novel).

One hit may be a fluke, but two is a proven track record. I will certainly be reading the next installment in the series whenever it appears.

ARC e-book via NetGalley
Provided by Crooked Lane Books
Publication: 11 Oct 2022

The second in Odden's Inspector Corravan series is just as wonderful as the first. As soon as you start reading, you fully sink back into Victorian London and Corravan's latest case. The bodies and mysteries start piling up right from the start, and the details of the case, the larger political machinations at play, as well as Corravan's own history and tribulations are all so deftly woven together that even though a lot of the history & politics involved is fairly intricate, it never drags or slows down. The path to solving the case and to sorting out Corravan's family's troubles are neither clear nor easy, and that's part of what makes the story so gripping and real - by his own admission, Corravan is bumbling along, just trying to piece everything together, right along with the reader. In the series' first installment (Down a Dark River), the ideas of justice and revenge flowed through the heart of the book, and here the deeper themes expand to include regret and how the decisions and actions of our past shape us and guide us, and how each person has to live with those - whether good or bad. 

Part of what makes this, and her other books, so rich and captivating is that the characters feel real and even secondary or smaller characters are developed and interesting -- the series could shoot off in so many ways, and I find myself wanting to know more about so many of them. What will happen next in Corravan's working relationship with his boss Vincent? How about Stiles (can we have a whole book focussing on him, please?! And Harry? And same goes for the astute, perceptive Elsie - what will she do next?) I also love how Tom Flynn of the Falcon keeps popping up in every book -- sleeper star of every story! See, you can't help but get invested in the whole cast of characters. There's never a missed note or a clanger - the depth of Odden's knowledge and research of the time is clearly extensive & keeps the reader immersed in this world throughout. 

 I have already pre-ordered this book for the library, and I very much hope that publishers/book-world-powers-that-be see how fantastic this series is and give Odden a chance to bring us many, many more episodes from Corravan's London.

When the passenger steamer the Princes Alice collides with the iron-hulled collier the Bywell Castle, Corravan is called in to investigate the collision - was it human error or deliberate?
Is the collision related to a recent railway accident where the Irish Republic Brotherhood are being blamed? As Corravan attempts to interview surviving crew members, connections to the Irish gangs arise, complicated by his adopted family's involvement. As the newspapers link the IRB to the incidents, Corrovan must discover who is behind all of this before terror and chaos envelop the city.
Character driven, complex relationships.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for a copy.

Wow! What a complete, inspiring reading experience! I have loved every novel of Karen Odden’s and this one is now grafted to my heart leaving me with incredible reading memories. Under A Veiled Moon (such a poetic title that conjures up so many feelings and images) is extra special. It truly captured my imagination on so many levels. It is another shining accomplishment that caught my attention from the first line and had me racing through the pages, pausing only to wipe tears from my eyes and to push down some of the lumps welling up in my throat. There are some incredible heart-choking scenes, to say the least, that kept me pinned to the plot. It reminded me why I love Karen’s writing so much. Exceptional story-telling, intelligent mystery weaving, moving scenes and memorable characters. It is so finely crafted, that you can see every detail, smell the action and taste the danger.

Instalment two of the Inspector Corravan historical mystery series, takes us inside the heart and mind of the Irish born inspector where we learn more of his roots and the family that took him in when he was younger. We get to know him at a more intimate level: to feel the cloth from which his life has been fashioned. The depth and complexity of these revelations make him even more intriguing. It is easy to sympathise with his emotional upheavals while each painful drama unfolds externally and internally. His family traumas and difficult history only prove to shed light on his skills as an insightful, resourceful inspector. Getting a broader picture of this man, helps us to understand his influence on those around him and his drive for justice and his passion to correct wrongs and set the world right. With all that swirls around him, he proves that everything isn’t as it seems and prejudice is a dangerous path.

His latest mystery is solving the Princess Alice pleasure craft collision with the Bywell Castle bulk cargo ship (collier) on the Thames. We get a personal inside view and account of the survivors’ experience (including crewmen) and a frightening picture of those who lost their lives in the worst maritime disaster London had ever experienced. Was it an accident or sabotage? If an accident, what went wrong with the crew in charge allowing such an event to happen? If sabotage, who would aim such a vicious attack on innocent lives? There are lots of questions that need answers and our Inspector Corravan skilfully and tirelessly scrutinises every morsel he can grasp and follows every clue imaginable. He travels down various paths in front of him, some obvious and others hidden, for he is determined to get to the root of this disaster (and others that may be connected to it); especially since there may be personal connections that could cause his own family harm. The past is never very far from his present life and even though he has escaped a dire background and the wrath of many, there are still quivering wakes across the sea of his life. These ill effects are often whisperings and sinister shadows in the background that could leap out and hurt those he loves and holds dear.

The subject of Irish Home Rule takes centre stage in this novel. Are the IRB behind the collision and other attacks happening? Could there also be other groups involved? This is a story (as in life) where things may not always be as they seem. In this case, the Irish are blamed for every ill event. We are well reminded of the ongoing war between the Irish and English. It has often been a smouldering coal throughout history, that at times, bursts into angry flames. Did this uncontrolled fire try to gain a voice for freedom with this maritime disaster? The Inspector tries to figure this out and, of course, hopes this is not the case. But truth is what he seeks above all. And that not every Irishman is trouble. An entire culture/country of people should not be tarred with the same brush because of a few bad apples. This story shows how wrong this thinking is: for innocent people will inevitably and unfairly be labelled guilty when they are not.

This story covers so many things: prejudice, jealousy, hatred, pride, power, revenge, anger, bitterness, soul-wrenching grief but also unfathomable, unconditional love, priceless forgiveness, spiritual reconciliation, blood-ties reimagined, reshaping of family, and so on… I loved this novel from start to finish. It will stay with me forever, especially one heart-breaking scene that was handled with great respect and creative rightness. I felt the ending was appropriate and it left me at peace with the outcomes. It also made me look forward to the next leg of the Inspector’s journey where there will be more criminals to catch and more cases to solve and even more personal revelations to come. Under A Veiled Moon was masterfully executed. I highly recommend this 5 Star triumph.

Many thanks to Karen Odden, Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for a review copy.

Review will be posted on Amazon when the novel is released.

London, September 1878

“We all carry pieces of our past with us.”

In the Under a Veiled Moon the pleasure boat, Princess Alice collides with Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier. The early clues implicate, The Irish Republican Brotherhood, but as Inspector Michael Corravan investigates it starts to take twists, and a somewhat personal twist that points the other way.

In the beginning, I was still not sure about Michael(Mickey) Corravan but I really liked how it involved his adopted family, the Doyles. It was a mystery that kept unraveling as I turned the pages, but it revealed a part of Mickey that showed us his true heart for his family and the length that he was willing to go for them. He made mistakes but he wanted to know the truth, and he was willing to as far as he had to. I really liked his integrity and his willingness to make amends with those he had wronged. The mystery (and context) of who was guilty of murdering all the passengers( except 130) on Princess Alice had a nice almost contemporary feel to this most definitely historical mystery. I am definitely hooked.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions expressed are mine.