Rosemary Simpson takes us into the Gilded Age in 1891 New York in Murder Wears a Human Face as the Chinese cultural attache Lord Peng is murdered at the Metropolitan Museum Chinese art. Prudence Mackenzie, heiress turned sleuth, along with her partner Geoffrey Hunter witnessed the event and are engaged by Peng's family to find the murderer. The killer is avenging his family honor and wants to wipe out the Peng family. Prudence spirits the family to the shelter of their uncle, a Chinese tong leader in China Town. Intrigue, inner workings of the Chinese New York community and detective work. Great read.

This was a good addition to the series and left us with a good set up for the next book. I enjoyed following along with Geoffrey and Prudence on their investigation through Chinatown. It is great to see how these characters develop over time.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely love this series but this entry was just OK for me. The Chinese element was super interesting and I appreciated the opportunity to learn about The Chinese Exclusion Act. I didn't feel very connected to the characters involved in the crime - I feel like that angle could have been played up a bit more. And I’m ready for Prudence and Geoffrey to be together already. We got some off-page kissing in this one, but I wish there were a bit more tension between them.

3.5 - rounding up to 4 because I love the series overall.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the eighth book in the excellent Gilded Age series. As always, a splendid mix of cultures, the high and the low in society. This time, Prudence and Geoffrey race to find out who killed Lord Peng, a culture attaché on a visit to the Met with his family, and why.
What I love about her books is the deep dive into multiple characters’ viewpoints, and this time we are immersed in Chinese culture and the subsequent clash of cultures. Prudence is a great character, one of the first women lawyers in the country, though she is young and makes mistakes. Geoffrey is an ex-Pinkerton, and his eye is always on the security for any given case, and its failures.
A deeply complicated plot, vivid writing, excellent characters. Highly recommended for lovers of all things historical mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review.

In this excellent Prudence Mackenzie mystery, readers follow Prudence as she investigates the assassination of a Chinese diplomat as the Chinese Exclusion Act is gaining power in the United States. The investigation becomes more and more complicated, however, as the diplomat's widow and daughters grow uncooperative and slowly reveal their long-hidden secrets and the diplomat's crime boss brother gets involved. As Prudence continues to build her clientele and work this case, she deals with the attitudes of the Americans towards China and China’s attitudes towards the Americans and the missionaries, presenting a fascinating insight into the racial climate of 1880s America. Simpson’s characters are, of course, the star of the novel, and she has masterfully built the world of Gilded Age New York City up for her cast of characters. The inclusion of the Chinese Exclusion Act was well done, and Simpson did an excellent job building the early New York Chinatown culture and scene into this novel. The setting in New York City is a massive part of the novel, and Simpson moves between social classes and neighborhoods with ease, adding layers to the world that Prudence and company inhabit and Prudence’s ongoing investigation in this fascinating historical fiction mystery.

Murder Wears a Hidden Face is a book that took me several tries before I was able to read to completion. In all fairness, I didn’t realize it was the 8th book in a series when I first picked it up, so perhaps I would have felt more connected to the characters had I read some of the earlier books. I didn’t feel that there was a whole lot of interaction between characters in the book as a whole, so reading previous books may not have helped. It seems as if the author felt it so necessary to include large chunks of historical background information that the fictional plot gets squeezed out of the allotted pages. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me and I’m not likely to try another in the series. Perhaps readers already invested in the series can more easily overlook the overuse of background in sacrifice of story.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book by this author. It was an interesting mystery involving the Chinese community. I found the character interesting and the murder very different to my usual reads. I received this as an ARC through Netgalley and freely give my review.

Murder Wears A Hidden Face is the eighth book in the A Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson.

Prudence MacKenzie has passed the New York bar exam and can now practice law in New York, adding a new facet to the private investigative firm with Geoffrey Hunter.

Prudence and Geoffrey have an invitation to the grand opening of Chinese artifacts and the introduction of Lord Peng, A Chinese diplomat, and his wife, son, and two daughters. Lord Peng had just arrived from a posting in England and would be traveling to Washington, DC. A man quickly approaches Lord Peng, and before anyone takes notice, the man pulls out a knife and stabs Lord Peng to death. The man leaves as soon as he arrives and escapes capture. Soon, Lady Peng hires Prudence and Geoffrey to find her husband's killer. They soon get the Peng family settled in the home of a dangerous Tong leader. Prudence and Geoffrey will be undercover in Chinatown's most hazardous warrens.

The book is well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The characters are well-developed and believable. There were enough red herrings that I kept guessing who the killer was until the end of the book. The Author’s Notes at the end of the book provide an excellent look at how Ms. Simpson determines the storyline.

I love this series. I always learn something about the history of America.

I’m looking forward to the next exciting book in this series.

Whats not to love about a historical mystery? This one delivers with historical fact and fiction mixed together to present an exciting journey to find a murderer.

This one takes us into Chinatown with Prudence and Geoffery on the hunt trying to find the man who murdered an important diplomat from China.

A fascinating road that will keep your attention to the end! Love this series!

Historical fiction with flair and creativity. Impressed with research that had to have taken place since story was so detailed. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderWearsAHiddenFace for advanced digital copy.

This was an intriguing historical mystery, a short history lesson (I had never heard of the Chinese Exclusion Act), and a glimpse into Chinese culture in the late 19th century. Prudence and Geoffrey delve into Chinatown and the Chinese custom of honor killings after a Chinese political figure is murdered and his family threatened. Well defined characters, an engrossing plot, and lots of action make this an excellent mystery and a good addition to the series. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

"Pearls don't lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it." (Chinese Proverb)

Rosemary Simpson dives deeply in this one and presents an intriguing novel so different from anything else in this series. Simpson pulls from timely situations in New York City in 1891. She brings forth untraveled roads into this city of immigrants representing all corners of the Earth. We'll follow through these streets and experience the dark edges of secrets clutched tightly in the hands of those not wishing to be found.

Geoffrey Hunter, former Pinkerton Agent and an attorney, stands with Prudence MacKenzie, his partner in a legal investigative firm. Prudence, a rare gem of a woman, has passed her bar exam and can now practice law in New York. They are attending the opening ceremony at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcasing Chinese artifacts. Lord Peng, a Chinese diplomat, has arrived from London with his wife, his son, and two daughters.

The occasion is on a grand scale. Everyone's heads turn about viewing the majesty of this exhibition. No one notices a man in dark clothing and a hat approaching the diplomat. He is swift in his actions and Lord Peng lays dead on the marble floor from a fatal knife wound. In the rush of people wishing to attend to Lord Peng, the man escapes into the crowd. Potential witnesses are nothing but confused.

Lady Peng hires Geoffrey and Prudence to find the killer. Their search takes them into Chinatown where they hope to have assistance from Wei Fu Jian, an emissary of a benevolent association. They must also contend with Tongs who are serious groups of Chinese gangs who rule the streets. With luck they have found Matthew Lam, a Chinese investigator and a graduate of Yale. Lam speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. It's my hope that Simpson will bring back Lam in future novels. He's quite the asset to this series.

But at the core of all this is why was Lord Peng killed and why is his son also in danger? Do these threats travel all the way from Peking or are they local in nature?

Murder Wears A Hidden Face can be read as a standalone even though it's #8 in the series. Simpson has done some fine research into these years in New York City as well as into the Chinese culture. She emphasizes the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its impact on an entire culture. Don't miss this one as it's filled with history, societal views, and sheer adventure. Another stellar one from this talented author.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to the talented Rosemary Simpson for the opportunity.

This is an excellent historical mystery series and I thoroughly enjoyed this instalment. The author did an excellent job in mixing historical facts and fiction and delivering well round characters and a solid mystery
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Gilded Age Mystery series continues to be a pleasure. Prudence and Geoffrey become involved in a case set in the Chinatown neighborhood of 1891 New York City. The book features a murdered Chinese diplomat and his family and a powerful criminal mob organizer. A critical point in the history of this book was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its impact on the lives of the immigrants in America at the time.

Rosemary Simpson always does a great job of interweaving history with mystery and ongoing character development and I think she has delivered again!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Murder Wears a Hidden Face is the latest entry in Rosemary Simpson’s Gilded Age mystery series. Although the series has been on my radar for quite a while, this is the first one I have read—and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I wish I had started at the beginning of the series.

The novel takes place in Gilded Age Chinatown in New York City, right after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act which severely restricted Chinese immigration. It was extremely informative about the social issues of the day, which I admit made it a little dry. I believe I would have gotten more out of the minor romantic subplot between the detectives if I had read previous books in the series, as it might have made the plot a bit lighter.

However, all in all I really enjoyed this one and will go back and start the series from the beginning.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The mystery in this book is ok, but no big surprises at all. Geoffrey and Prudence don't have much contact in this book so there is no real development in their relationship which is a shame. It was a bit slow overall although the highlight for me was the view into the Chinese culture of the time as I wasn't aware of much of this. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Prudence and Geoffrey find themselves struggling a bit when they step out of their comfort zone to investigate the murder of a Chinese diplomat at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's 1891 and the diplomat's family flees to Chinatown where bad things await them. Prudence and Geoffrey, who have tackled all sorts of things in the years they've worked together, find some of the cultural issues challenging but they (and the reader) learn a great deal. This latest in the series sees them wavering about their relationship as well. Maybe not wavering but....I've been a fan of the series, which is a little grittier than a cozy and this was a nice addition. It will also be fine as a standalone. Prudence with her stoic determination and quick mind remains a favorite character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There's a hint at the end of this for things to come- and I'm eager for the next installment.

Hunter and MacKenzie find themselves involved in an extraordinary case that takes them into the alien world of Chinatown. I love how this relationship between them is growing but Geoffrey hasn't acted on it because he knows Prudence isn't ready. An intuitive man! Except, of course, when he is scolding her for taking chances. The story touches on fascinating detail of the government policies against the Chinese, the anti-Chinese discrimination of Americans, and the politics of China.

4.25/5⭐️

Hard to believe this is already 8th in the Gilded Age mystery series set in 1891 NY and featuring Prudence, a wealthy independent, ambitious hopeful future law student and Geoffrey her partner in Hunter & MacKenzie Investigative Law, and a former Pinkerton agent and attorney from the South.

A China diplomat’s murder draws the duo into NY’s Chinatown where they uncover secrets from his family and become involved with a powerful crime boss as they struggle to track down an assassin bent on securing more victims.

This was another good addition to the series with the bonus of a surprise cliffhanger to set up the next chapter of adventures.

I recommend this entire series for historical mystery (with a bit of romance) fans.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early ARC of Murder Wears a Hidden Face for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Geoffrey and Prudence interact less with each book. I wouldn’t be as mad about the drawn out “will they/won’t they” if they shared more page time to talk and solve crimes together like they used to. We need to actually see their relationship to continue to care about them.
I found this slow to develop and at times it was more like a history lesson than entertaining read. It didn’t pick up until halfway in. Everything comes together but the pacing overall didn’t work for me. While I’m invested from reading the series in order, I can’t see anyone unfamiliar with the series getting drawn in by Prudence and Geoffrey in this one.