A young female aristocrat is murdered and left in a comprising position in Highgate Cemetery. Sebastian, a disgraced Scotland Yard Inspector, is assigned the case. By a seeming coincidence, Gemma’s brother was killed near the same location. She asks for Sebastian’s assistance as she is convinced her brother was murdered. During the course of their investigation they discover the two seemingly disparate cases are linked not only to each other but to previous suspicious deaths and assaults.

Gemma and Sebastian struggle during the course of this novel and I appreciated the support they offered each other through their burgeoning relationship. I thought novel was easy to read and enjoyed the slowly building suspense it contained. Even better, I was unable to identify the culprit despite the clues dropped during the course of their investigation.

I’d recommend this novel to any reader who enjoys police procedurals set in Victorian England.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All of the opinions offered in this review are solely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoy Irinia Shapiro's other series - her Redmond and Haze series and her Timeslip series - so I was very excited to receive an arc of the first book in her newest series and my expectations were HIGH going in.

And, while I did very much enjoy the novel and can't wait to see where this series goes next, something about this first volume fell slightly flat for me, possibly because my expectations were so high.

The main female character - Gemma Tate - is delightful, and I love her intelligence and determination to solve her brother's murder. I just never felt the level of tension between her and the main male lead - Sebastian Bell, a police detective - and didn't feel quite as invested in their relationship as I'd hoped to. This is my only gripe, however, as the pacing was great, the prose eminently readable, the plot suitably twisted enough that I felt drawn right into the mystery along with the characters.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in historical mystery, particularly set in Victorian England, and for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Andrea Penrose, and Anna Lee Huber.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I enjoyed the characters, character development, the pacing and I thought it was very well written. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I really enjoy Irina Shapiro’s Redmond and Haze mystery series set in Victorian England. This new series is set in the time period and Daniel Haze shows up for a brief moment. But this new series looks like it is also going to be an absolute winner! The mystery is suitably difficult to figure out who the murderer is and what the motive is. Scotland Yard inspector, Sebastian Bell has to investigate this grizzly murder in a high pressure atmosphere as his boss and the London journalists along with the high-class family of the victim hound him to solve the case. He ends up working with the sister of another murder victim whose death seems oddly connected to the other murder. That woman is Gemma Tate, a nurse who served in the Crimean War and is now trying to make her way as a single woman in Victorian England.

Both Sebastian and Gemma have suffered similar terrible tragedies and are trying to cope as they share notes on the murders. They make great partners and are each interesting main characters. I can’t wait for the next entry in this series!

A mystery set in victorian London. A nurse, Gemma Tate, seeks the assistance of police inspector Sebastian Bell after the death of her brother, which could be linked to his assigned case.
The story telling had me gripped from the first page. The descriptions of victorian London really set the scene and a plot twist I didn't see coming!
Would definitely read more Tate and Bell mysteries.

Gemma Tate’s brother is dead. Cryptic messages in his pocket journal suggest that he might have been murdered. Inspector Sebastian Bell is trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his supervisor. He’s been handed a murder case where a young aristocrat was murdered then put on display in Highgate Cemetery. Gemma brings her concerns to the police and soon she and Sebastian realize the two cases are definitely connected. Danger seems to lurk everywhere as the pair try to bring the killer to justice.

“Murder at Highgate Cemetery” is a great start to a new series by Irina Shapiro. Mid-19th Century London is brought to life with a lively cast of characters. Both Gemma and Sebastian have trauma in their pasts and find sympathetic ears in each other. It is a quick read when you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery.

This book is great for those who like historical mysteries and historical mystery series.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Storm Publishing for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This historical mystery set in Victorian London begins with a dead woman hanging from a grave with a pig’s heart around her neck. The only witness of the potential murderer falls (or is he pushed?) beneath a horse-drawn cab and dies immediately, but he leaves behind some mysterious notes.

The sleuths—a grief-stricken Scotland Yard detective who can often be found in the opium dens and an unconventional nurse whose brother was the eyewitness to the crime—are excellent together. The author does a wonderful job bringing the sights, sounds and even smells of the setting to life, placing the reader directly into the story. She showcases the realities of class and gender limitations and privileges, and the case proceeds at a compelling pace.

This book is an excellent choice for historical fiction and mystery fans!

This was my first book by Irina Shapiro. Not knowing anything about her back catalog, I expected more of a cozy mystery. However, that may be more of my fault and "operator error". However, now I know. She is a great writer and you really feel the dark and dreariness of the setting. Both the mcs, Sebastian and Gemma are lonely and I really hope some kind of relationship develops with future books. Please let their be at least a little romance. They both deserve love!
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC

This was a riveting, but gut-wrenching tale that captured my attention almost immediately. This author is really fantastic in portraying Victorian England in all its stark realities, including some very heartbreaking moments.

The story began with the discovery of the body of a murdered young woman who was affixed to a cross in a graveyard plot. The man who discovered this was visiting the grave of his dead wife, when he sees a suspicious character near the hanging body, and is frightened away. He is killed minutes later after being hit by an omnibus, His grief-stricken twin sister later began to suspect his death was murder, and went to Scotland Yard,and is dismessed, Through a series of events she is introduced to Sebastian Bell, who is in charge of the murder nvestigation of the unidentified woman, Bell is also fighting an opium dependency that began after suffering a devastating and horrific loss. In spite of this, he is committed to seeking justice for all, no matter the social status, in this vein, he and Gemma form an alliance of trust and compassion for the other. Not sure if this will lead to romance, but they care about each other's well being.

I wish the epilogue was longer and included more details about the arrests, as the crimes were despicable. I can't wait to read more about Sebastian, Gemma, and their friend, Colin, the coroner. Two characters from another series make brief cameo appearances.

Victor Tate is visiting his wife’s grave when he discovers the body of a young woman and sees a man running from the scene. Shortly after Victor is on his way to his office when he dies under the wheels of a carriage. Victor’s sister Gemma is distraught at the death of her brother, he was all the family she had left. Claiming his possessions Gemma finds his notebook. He had scribbled facts about the body he found, the man he saw fleeing and the words “I’m being Followed”
Inspector Sebastian Bell is given the task of solving the young woman’s murder. When Gemma points out the connection to her brother’s death, and the notes he made, Sebastian takes her seriously. Reluctantly he agrees to let Gemma help him but the case will take them to far darker places then they could imagine.
Set in Victorian London this is an atmospheric, intriguing story with strong characters and a good plotline.

Gemma Tate - a nurse, smart, independent and brave in a time where women were not equals to men. I enjoy her wit and practicality, her courage and grit.

Sebastian Bell - a detective with Scotland Yard. Observant, intelligent and open-minded in a field where others closed cases by picking a suspect and planting evidence needed to convict them. A widower struggling with the vice of an opium addiction to mask the pain of a tragic loss.

I love period pieces and the glimpse into history they give you. Small details like stopping the clock in the house when someone dies, the fact that women weren’t supposed to be reading newspapers added color to the story, immersing me completely in place and time.

I found myself pausing from the story only to google image words like “reticule” & “omnibus”, allowing me to more vividly picture the world that Gemma and Sebastian inhabited.

Absolutely in love with this book and halfway through I bought another book by this author. Now to read all things Irena Shapiro!

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC!

I requested an ARC of this book based on its description. It seemed it would be a good read and the author did not disappoint. Gemma Tate and Sebastian Bell are an odd combo (reminds me a bit of Miss Scarlett and the Duke) but their wits are matched when they solve a murder together. They both have pasts that have left them with scars but I predict we will see more of both of them in future books.

This book came at the perfect time! Something about mysteries in mid 1800's England has always been fascinating to me. The book was great with a well thought out plot and interesting characters. It was a bit slow to start off but once it did everything took off. This seems to be the first in a new series, so I'm excited to see how bell and Tate's story progresses. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was great!

I enjoyed this murder mystery, my first by this author. It was well-written and well-paced, with strong, likable characters.

At first I thought it was a very different model than the typical Victorian murder mystery, since there wasn't a big backstory with a multitude of possible culprits and red herrings. It seemed more like a deep delve into the inspector process as he uncovered the clues and discovered the possible murderer, bringing us along for the ride. However, at the end, it seemed that the author was indeed aiming to leave red herrings. I'm not the type to guess whodunit, but I found it boringly obvious that some of the people who were originally thought to be innocent were actually involved. Previously, the inspector kept finding everyone's reaction "genuine," which a seasoned inspector wouldn't fall for so fast.

I also felt there was a lot of "telling" rather than "showing," which would have added more drama and tension to the plot. I also thought there was a setup for a potential romance that didn't quite ensue. Maybe in a follow-up?

Altogether, I recommend this book for readers who enjoy this genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I didn’t have any expectations going into this story but was quickly drawn in by the plot. Taking place in 1850 England, the author does a great job at setting the scene and really creating an immersive atmosphere, describing two murders simultaneously. This one was easy to follow and very mysterious. There’s a heartwarming relationship that slowly blossoms and I can’t wait to dive more into that in the next installment. I didn’t have it all figured out from the beginning but once they put the pieces together, I almost want to re-read the story from the beginning.

I was hooked, basically. The story is extremely gripping that it's hard to put the book down.

Beware that while it's not overly described and we don't see the bad things happening, what is done to the victims is very hard to hear and it's not for everyone's heart. But this story really relate to what could happen to victims that are considered in the low ranks, and how easy it is for the police to rush a case aside because they don't care about the victim...

This story gives justice to multiple victims and it feels good to see how things go and the final decision for the culprit ! The inverstigation was donne well, it wasn't that easy and we get both Gemma and Sebastian's point of view to get to know the whole story. The case wasn't really rushed and culprit quickly found, and I don't remember reading any shortcuts the author could have made to make the investigation easier, so it was indeed very satisfying.

I really liked Gemma and Sebastian's own stories, as well as how they got to know each others and are just starting to get close.
The epilogue gives hint of what we could get in book 2 and it's intriguing! It'll be hard to wait on book 2 when this book 1 is only getting released by the end of the month... so it says a lot on how much I enjoyed this book!

I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was drawn to the cover art and title and hooked by the blurb. This is a beautifully told historical murder mystery.

The tale is intercately woven to draw the reader in and immersed in Victorian London and does so brilliantly. It kept me guessing right up til the very end and even then I only managed to guess at half the story.

I loved getting to know both Gemma and Inspector Sebastian Bell. They were both wonderful characters. It was refreshing to see that they each had their own strengths and weaknesses. They complimented one another nicely.

I look forward to the next Tate and Bell mystery eagerly. A perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.

I really enjoyed this book. Kept me thinking ahead who could have done it The tenacity that Gemma had to let them see a woman can accomplish the same as men.
Wish more authors wrote historical mysteries.

I have started reading more historical mysteries and The Highgate Cemetery Murder sounded intriguing and suspenseful, but it was more gruesome and chilling than I expected. It’s the first book in a series that sees the beginning of an investigative collaboration between a Scotland Yard Detective who, following the death of his wife, has become addicted to opium, and a nurse whose brother has been murdered after discovering a young woman brutally murdered at Highgate Cemetery. The plot is well-developed and well-researched, but I think the ending was slightly rushed and it didn’t fit with the tension build-up throughout the novel. All in all, I enjoyed it, but I expected something less dark and more of a cosy mystery.

Most excellent read! All the characters were well drawn out and the story flowed nicely. I look forward to reading what Tate and Bell get up to next!

Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.