The Body at Carnival Bridge is the third book in the Iris Woodmore series and the first I have read of the series. I plan to play catchup ASAP. It's 1922 and Iris has returned to England after an extended period on the Continent. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation involving Constance Timpson, a local businesswoman who is very modern in her thinking. She pays her female employees well, lets married women keep their jobs, believes in women voting and access to contraception. It may be 1922 but, sadly, those issues still face women today. Questions and suspects abound. Did the sniper have a bad aim or was the shot a warning to Constance? Why was the young woman killed and are there connections between them?
Besides being a very well crafted mystery with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me guessing, the historical research is also very well done. Historical mysteries are one of my favorite sub genres and, after reading The Body at Carnival Bridge, this series has earned its place on my list of must reads. I'm looking forward to reading #4, A Killing at Smugglers Cove due out July 10, 2023.
My thanks to the publisher Boldwood Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Iris Woodmore, in her early 20s, aspiring journalist with a detective instinct, is returning to her native British town of Walden after a long trip through Europe. Iris is hardly back in the country and at a rally of the local factory owner Constance Timpson, when the events are already overturning. Constance, who has just introduced equality and above all equal pay for men and women in her factories, is threatened by a sniper and the event is canceled. Shortly thereafter, a young woman worker at the factory is found murdered and another one is missing. Iris resumes her old job as a reporter and begins investigating...
This series is classified as a "cozy crime" , but I actually didn't find it that cozy. Yes, we are getting by without a lot of blood and splatter, but we do have a serious historical and feminist background: In the 10s and 20s of the last century, the suffragettes, the first organized women's rights activists, were on the move and fighting for equal rights for men and women. These themes run through the entire novel. Iris' mother belonged to the suffragettes and was imprisoned for their causes, and another protagonist in the novel - Blanche - has a similar past. The equal-pay debate is picked up again and again throughout the novel: the male workers in Walden are – unsurprisingly – not really impressed; and so not only Iris wonders whether the attack on the feminist Constance has a political background.
There is also a socio-political debate about the murder victim who is found under the Carnival Bridge and about the circumstances of the crime - I dare to spoil it now, it's about abortion, and in 1922 that topic was even more emotional than today….
Well, there are some hot potatoes here and the author handled them brilliantly. Really exciting settings in a crime thriller with a really cool heroine. I definitely liked Iris: a modern young woman, smart, humorous, standing on her own two feet, courageous, emotional, and yet never superficial. And on top of that, she just got out of a romantic relationship — which brings me to another topic. This is Volume 3 of a series about Iris, and it seems to pick up seamlessly where Volume 2 left off. Yes, and that made it a little difficult for me to get into the story. It took me a moment to sort through what was going on with Iris, why she was away from Walden for so long when she's obviously rooted here, and how she relates to the other protagonists. There are quite a few of them, and as a newcomer to the series, it took me a few (short) chapters to get by.
Apart from that: The criminal case is complete in itself and absolutely worth reading. Very, very well researched historical facts, written wonderfully fluently and vividly, and as I said, with a detective to cheer for. Very exciting, very witty, and it picked me up. All thumbs up!
I think I'll have to get the first two parts soon 😊, I'm curious now and a new fan of Iris Woodmore 😊.
Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the review copy!

Iris is back from her travels with her heart if not her reputation intact. She's avoiding Walden and her father and is in London staying with her Aunt and Gran. Whilst covering a talk by entrepreneur and feminist Constance Timpson, she witnesses a shooting and becomes embroiled in a deadly case, putting her heart and life on the line again. Iris has developed as a character and is keen to return to Walden and her former job. The mystery has two main elements, the shooting and the suspicious death. The socio-political aspects of 1922 society are explored through the characters and events, making this a disturbing and poignant story at times. The suspects are numerous, and the mysteries are solved as the story progresses. The suspense builds as each clue is revealed. Iris is a likeable and intelligent amateur sleuth, the cast of characters makes the story engaging, and the historical setting is well-researched.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Iris Woodmore Mysteries is one of my favorite historical mystery series. I love the main character Iris Woodmore, the setting, the storyline, and of course, the writing. I came across this series in the beginning of this year and so far, I have nothing but praises (and more of it) for this fantabulous historical series.

Michelle's Salter's attention to detail and the historical facts are to the point. Each installment concentrates on a murder mystery as well as some progress in Iris' personal life. Iris has been through a lot - lost her mum at a young age (she was a suffragette), has a turbulent relationship with her dad (Iris and her dad are alike in many ways, hence the clashes), and of late, Iris seems to be making a lot of bad decisions when it comes to affairs of ze heart. Mon Dieu!!

Apart from the murder mystery, various issues are highlighted here. Abortion rights - women (married/unmarried) desperate to abort a child have to go through the procedure illegally. They are being educated on birth control methods, but some are helpless as they are controlled by their husbands. Then, there are young girls like Rosie (the victim) who look for alternative options - pills advertised in newspapers claiming to 'remove obstructions.' I had no idea that pills and alternative medicines used to be advertised in the newspaper. Not just women related issues, there were pills for men too.

Coming to Iris' choices in men - gosh, someone please tell her that bad boys aren't for her! This is probably the second time she's attracted to someone who's not of the nicer kind.

There are two mysteries here - murder of a young girl and multiple sniper attacks on Constance and other women in power. Both mysteries kept me guessing till the end. The side story that melted my heart was that of young Rosie's - the poor thing went through a lot of struggles before she was murdered.

Though each book in this series can be read as a standalone, I suggest you start from the beginning. The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter is a fantabulous historical mystery. Engrossing, unique and riveting. Highly recommended!

The Body at Carnival Bridge is the third book in the Iris Woodmore series, and it is going from strength to strength.

Some time has passed since the tragic events of book 2, and Iris is perhaps a little out of sorts with herself, but no sooner has she made contact with her old friends than tragedy strikes, and Iris is compelled to investigate the death of a young girl.

What ensues is a well-reasoned and intriguing mystery, highlighting the social inequalities of women in the aftermath of World War I and also referencing the harsh realities of the lives of women unable to access birth control. The author really excels in placing the reader in the period without overloading the narrative., and always with an eye to moving the mystery onwards.

The Iris Woodmore mysteries are fast becoming some of my favourites. The mystery is always reliable, the author has an eye for detail, and Iris herself is a likeable character, as are those surrounding her.

A fabulous mystery with more than an eye to the historical details.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

I love this series! It's set in the 20's and it is full of historical information and themselves weaved together with fiction and it is perfectly done. This is such a great addition to the series and can't wait to read the next.
I just reviewed The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter. #TheBodyatCarnivalBridge #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Iris Woodmore Mysteries #3

It's 1922; and after spending a year travelling through Europe, Iris Woodmore returns home to find a changed Walden. Wealthy businesswoman Constance Timpson has introduced equal pay in her factories and allows women to retain their jobs after they marry. But these radical new working practices made her deadly enemies. A mysterious sniper fires a single shot at Constance - is it a warning, or did they shoot to kill? When one of her female employees is murdered, it's clear the threat was all too real - and it's not just Constance in danger.

This is the first book in the series that I've read. This is an easy to read, cosy, murder mystery. There's lots of twists and red herrings. There's also plenty of suspects for us to choose from. With many relevant topics being covered, an they're still fighting for them today - workers' rights, equal pay. This is a well written book, and I was pulled in from the beginning. The characters are well developed. I really liked Iris, but I think I have missed out on some of her backstory. I will be looking out for more books in this series, and I hope to get the first two books read before then.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldWoodBooks and the author #MichelleSalter for my ARC of #TheBodyAtCarnivalBridge in exchange for an honest review.

It's complicated and that's just the way I like it. Having read others in the series, this one didn't disappoint. A great combination of historical context (changing labour practises as well as the fallout from WW!) and murder mystery. I appreciated a period of time having lapsed since the last instalment, Iris has definitely matured and while being her own woman, she is becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of some of her choices. Great book, great series, I highly recommend it. It's four stars out of five on the enjoyment scale.

With thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The murder mystery is suitably complex with plenty of red herrings twists and turns motives and suspects for Iris to wade through along with her friends. However this isn't the only good thing about the book. It also covers so many societal issue's which are still relevant today such as equal pay, rights for worker's, safety for women etc. This series just keeps getting better and better as we learn more about the times and Iris herself, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Michelle Salter delivers another compelling and gripping cozy historical mystery, another excellent story that mixes historical fiction and mystery.
I was glad to catch up with Iris and the solid mystery kept me guessin and turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

1920s, London, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, amateur-sleuth, attempted-murder, murder, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, social-injustice, social-changes, relationships, relatives, missing-persons, reporter, journalist, politics, local-politics, local-law-enforcement, newspapers, shell-shock, secrets, lies, PTSD, grief, grieving, relationship-issues, gossip*****

As a murder mystery it is intense and very well done. As a social history of the time it is beyond impressive. The characters are so real and the descriptions of what they are going through are deep.

Canary Girls – Women Munition Workers In WWI Turned Yellow And Gave Birth To Yellow Babies.

I requested and received an EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you

I immediately fell in love with Iris. She gave me proper Phryne Fisher vibes with her forward thinking feminism and direct nature. The links to the suffragette movement in the story were really interesting. I was taken aback by the first criminal but I had already figured out the second. This is the first Iris Woodmore Mystery I have read and I will definitely be reading the first two! This book fit perfectly in my reading niche; period cosy mystery with strong female characters.

I was so excited to read the third book in the Iris Woodmore historical murder mysteries and The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Slater lived up to my expectations.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
I’ve become more invested in Iris’s complicated personal life ( family, professional and love life) over the course of the last three books. Iris has returned to Walden following her scandalous trip away with George and now has the reputation of a fallen woman. A big thing in 1922 England, despite the efforts of the suffragette movement and the hard work women had to take on in World War 1. I love how Iris is a reluctant and conflicted feminist.
I enjoyed the diverse range of characters including the romantic and realistic description of romantic relationships between older people and not just the complicated love lives of the young.
Although this is a murder mystery, I found the underlying historical and societal context more fascinating. As with the author's other books, the issues described in the book such as equal pay for women, the right to access safe, effective contraception and equal opportunities in the workplace are still relevant today.
Despite this, the underlying murder is suitably complex with plenty of motives and suspects for Iris to wade through along with her friends Percy, Constance and Ben.

This is the third book in the series and the character of Iris Woodmore is developing nicely. This instalment is all about change: Iris' father has a new relationship and this alters her relationship with him, society is changing and not everyone can (or wants to) cope with that and Iris herself has changed. Although she has always seemed confident on the outside, this time we are given the distinct impression that she is more at peace with herself. The loss of her mother still troubles her (I'm not sure anyone ever really 'gets over' the loss of a parent, especially at such a young age) but she is more at ease with the kind of young woman she wants to be. She knows that society will judge her for the decisions she has made, but whilst this might bother her superficially, she does not care for their opinions, knowing she made the decisions that were right for her at the time. However, it is the change in her friendships that really strike at Iris in this book. Both Percy and Ben take on a much more important role in previous books and we begin to see just how much Iris values both their friendship and their good opinion. I'm starting to form some ideas about where those relationship arcs may end up, so it will be interesting to see if I'm right as the series progresses.

I said in my review of 'Murder at Waldenmere Lake' that one of the reasons I liked this series so much was because it doesn't shy away from tackling the darker side of 1920s society and this continues in 'Carnival Bridge'. So many social issues are woven into the plot and they're not just tacked on to make the story more authentic to the time, they are genuinely integral to the motivations of the characters and the lives they lead. In reading them, it feels as though we are being brought into a very realistic 1920s, not the more Downton Abbey style of story. (Don't get me wrong, I love Downton Abbey and the light and fluffy version of the 1920s we often get, but sometimes it's also nice to have something a bit more gritty and realistic.)

I look forward with keen anticipation to Iris' next adventure and to sharing this review as part of the blog tour!