This was a thrilling new mystery that I hope will be series. The author did a fantastic job of creating a gripping, boldness, and strong female characters. I love the Victorian time frame as well.

Murder by Lamplight is a very promising series-debut historical mystery by Patrice McDonough. Released 20th Feb 2024 by Kensington, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out from the same publisher in Jan 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

A well crafted thoroughly researched historical novel featuring an intelligent and driven young female physician in London in 1866. She's fully licensed (having used a legal loophole to join the register of practicing physicians after finishing her studies in the USA), and has joined her grandfather's practice. She has a very keen eye for detail, and employs critical reasoning and observation to also help the police with inquiries on a particularly brutal series of murders.

It's not really a cozy, there are some gruesome details including a fairly graphic post-mortem emasculation, but overall, the violence occurs chiefly off-page, so it's not truly horrifying. The author also doesn't shy away from the historically accurate but distressing sexism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, poverty, and other unsavory details. Speaking of detail, the book is written around a framework of actual historical events and people, and interwoven with a lot of interesting real details of political and social movements of the time period. Ms. McDonough has definitely done her homework.

The characterizations are impressive (especially for a first book), and they're three dimensional and believable, with their own motivations and agendas. The murderer is particularly creepy, and has some internal monologue in the book, as well as a very "Jack-the-Ripper-esque" series of correspondence with the police.

There's a second book in the series due out in 1st quarter 2025 from the same publisher.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 10 hours and 9 minutes and is capably read by Henrietta Meire. She has a light RP English accent, but does a credible job with the varied London accents both male and female. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Worth a look for readers of historical mystery and very well written. Readers who enjoy Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, Tasha Alexander, et. al., will likely enjoy this book.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Dark Obsessions. Taunting Letters. Mutilated Corpses. One Lady Doctor. A Skeptical Partner.

Dr. Julia Lewis stalks the streets of Victorian London, solving murder cases as one of Britain's first lady physicians. Already, I was pulled in and completely engrossed in the story. Strong, intelligent, women detectives are one of my most favorite story plot points.

In this particular murder investigation, Dr. Julia Lewis is partnered with Detective Inspector Tennant of Scotland Yard. Neither are excited to work together in this historical mystery. The novel starts out with a clergyman's body that has been mutilated beyond comprehension, and being an ostracized lady dark is making the progression of the case all the harder for the two investigators.

Police begin receiving letters and more clues, leading the investigators on goose chases between London's workhouses and sewers in the underbelly of the city. This story takes place twenty years prior to Jack the Ripper's sadistic line of mutilated women. Though, our lady doctor is not the only one who faces hardships. Our Inspector served in the Crimean War, contending with both physical and psychological wounds due to the time he spent in the devastating backdrop of a bloody and unending war.

I am obsessed with the Victorian era and all its odd little Society rules. I loved that our lead character opened up the world of STEM and science to other women in a world that hated women with a brain. With a degree. The only complaint I have of this book is that it was difficult to get through the book at times. Some sections are dry, others so endearing.

Still, I recommend this dark Victorian novel to all those readers who are obsessed with strong women leads, who loves the main character taking on the world against the face of adversity. The dark parts are also very grisly, and I know how many people out there are just compelled to listen to and watch true crime podcasts/TV shows. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

Strong independent women, yes, please!

Murder by Lamplight is set in the 1800s, a time at which the Cholera epidemic is ending but the details of how it came to be are still unknown and readily discussed. To add, there have been a series of murders that have brought Dr Julia Lewis, one of Britain's first female physicians, and Inspector Tennant of Scotland Yard together. It should be noted that at this time, women weren’t allowed to train as doctors in England, which is why Dr Julia Lewis trained in America. She is also the granddaughter of a well-known doctor.

Throughout the book, Dr Julia Lewis and Inspector Tennant work together to find what links the murders together. I liked their dynamic it was great to see them learn how to work with each other.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! I'm going to stay on the lookout for any other books by Patrice McDonough.

Thank you to Patrice McDonough, Kensington and NetGalley for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This has a lot of potentially but honestly just didn't catch my attention. I might have liked it more as a physical copy- nothing against the narrator, I just wasn't getting into it. Not bad, just not for me this time around.

Murder by Lamplight is the first in the Dr Julia Lewis historical mystery series by author Patrice McDonough. Set in 1866, at a time when women aren’t allowed by law, to train as doctors in England, Dr Lewis, who trained in America, is able to practice thanks to a loophole in the law. She is called to London’s east end to examine a murder victim. There she meets Inspector Richard Tennant who is skeptical of her abilities. But, with a serial killer roaming the streets of Whitechapel, killing and mutilating and then leaving cryptic notes that have the police baffled, he and Julia will have to work together if the killer is to be stopped.

This is a dark, gritty, and very entertaining mystery with an interesting and complex protagonist. It also stays true to the time period for those of us who like real history with our fiction. The mystery kept me guessing right until the surprising ending. I look forward to reading more in this series in the future. I listened to the audiobook of this novel narrated by Henrietta Miere who does an excellent job of portraying the atmosphere and tension running throughout.

I received an audiobook version of this book from Netgalley and Highbridge Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I selected this book not only because it is a Historical Mystery, but because it is set in the gritty streets of the late 1800s in London. From the cover and description, the book gave me a Jack the Ripper feel, and I wasn't wrong. The doctor/ME is female and the killer seems to be targeting men. The killings are definitely personal. I loved the characters; they were easy to relate to. I did not have a clue who the killer was, it was a total surprise.

The narration is fantastic. I love the accents and how I was able to picture it all in my mind (even some gruesome details.)

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for the advance audio version of the book.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to more in this series.

I hope there are more in this series. Put two smart but broken people together and you get a great team.

You have an extremely broken hero Richard Tennant. He's damaged inside and out after war, his father's false scandal, losing his mother and fiancee, but he's plodding on in the metropolitan police force.

A series of murders requires him to utilize the services of Dr. Julia Lewis, a smart, brave woman, who got her education in America. She battles woman's place in a man's world and has a chip on her shoulder bacause of this. Julia works with Tennant to uncover clues and find the murderer who is closer to home than they suspect.

A fast paced good read and the narrator did a good job with the voices and tones

OMG I loved this book!!!
I am buying the physical copy because I enjoyed it so much. I thought the story telling was great! I love medical history and I am a nurse practitioner in a Detroit ER so I loved the medical aspect of this book. I will write a better review once I calm down but i thought this was an amazing book and I am going to a cocktail/book post about this on my insta! I would love to read the sequel

My first read by this author and it certainly won't be my last! Full of suspense, tension, and humor, I was hooked until the very end. I literally gasped at thr ending not believing my ears! The narrator was outstanding! I highly recommend this author and narrator.

In the twilight streets of Victorian London, a gruesome series of murders unfolds, and Dr. Julia Lewis—one of Britain’s first female physicians—along with the aloof Detective Inspector Tennant of Scotland Yard reluctantly team up to investigate in this atmospheric, vividly authentic historical mystery series debut.

I found the premise of this novel interesting, but the execution lacked in a few areas. The police chief took to Julia WAY too quickly to be believable. The plot and subsequent information was dumped on the reader, and the characters felt like caricatures. The narrator’s lisp and monotonous delivery made the audio version unlistenable.

Murder by Lamplight
by Patrice McDonough
Narrated by Henrietta Meire
This book seemed to have it all for me. I love the "lamplighters" time, I love murder mysteries, I love British murder mysteries in the time of the "lamplighters"! What could go wrong?
I had the first twinge when I noticed that Henrietta Meire was the narrator. Ms. Meire and I have a love/hate relationship. To be clear, I have never had the pleasure of her acquaintance, and I have no doubt we'd get along like a house on fire IRL, but her VOICE and I have had a love/hate relationship. I give Ms. Meire total props for narrating for some of my favorite authors, but even though I will continue listening, I think some of those authors chose wrongly. She does dialogue better than many other narrators. But strictly text becomes strictly text. So precise that there are moments at which I feel like I'm listening to one of those creepy AI readers on Audible.
The twinges kept coming until finishing was painful.
I am going to try to stick to the only real problem with the entire thing, and that is the whole book was so educational I felt like I was at a lecture at times and unfortunately at a soapbox the rest.
We got the suffragette cause lauded.
We got cholera rants.
(Even Florence Nightingale bashed!)
We got the Crimea touched upon all too briefly, as that would've been relevant to one of the characters.
We got the plight of rent boys in detail.
We got the racist boxing organization decried (because at this point, why not?).
Topics broached were anti-Semitism, the gay situation, sanitation, racism against blacks in particular, the lack of resources for mental health, immigrants and their situation, again with the women's rights, and so so so SO much more. We learned random facts, such as the source of the misnomer "Scotland Yard", and the reason Fleet Street is called...well, Fleet Street.
There was TOO much. As if the author had so much to say and so much knowledge to impart and only one book in which to unload it.
At times, I forgot what the actual crime was.
This is probably a general observation, but it is always surprising to me that the uber enlightened sleuth happens upon the ONLY so enlightened inspector on the force. This is super for the plot, but odd, as the rest of the novel is a veritable textbook.
In conclusion, I don't remember the names of the murdered as I sit here writing this. I vaguely recall the reason they were murdered, actually. But I do know much more than when I began listening. One of the things I now know is that this particular book series is not for me.

This was my 1st book by Patrice McDonough but is def not going to be my last! I am adding all of her books to my TBR. This book was a hit with an awesome historical fiction background and a kickass woman doctor who solved the crime and also took no shit! I can't wait to read more of her books! i would love to see the crime-fighting duo of Dr. Julia & Det. Tennant solve all of London's crimes!

#MurderbyLamplight
#NetGallley

12/10!!!! SO well written. Meticulously researched, spot on details. (I was a history minor-focus on Victorian era). THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE. The time period details fit seamlessly into the storyline. Characters are well rounded, believable figures.

Loved the narrator. Great with accents and different characters--I was easily able to tell different characters apart.

So happy this is first in a series. Will absolutely be reading more from Patrice McDonough.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and HighBridge audio for the audiobook.

Dr Julia, one of Britain's first female physicians, teams up with Inspector Tennant of Scotland Yard to solve a series of gruesome murders that are linked together. Overall, a well-written and engaging novel, with some thought-provoking aspects as well as a page-turning mystery. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always on the lookout for a new mystery series, historical or otherwise. This first installment of this new series has all of the typical elements: an amateur, female dectective (although in this case, she serves as the coroner, so she's not completely amateur), the reluctant male officer, a mysterious killer, and a cast of secondary characters. This particular story is set in the gritty, London landscape. Unfortunately, none of those particular elements caught my attention. There was nothing compelling me forward, and I won't continue with the series.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for a free copy of #MurderByLamplight by Patrice McDonough. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book in the doctor Julia Lewis mysteries by Patricia McDonough. It’s called Murder By LampLight, it’s set in the 1800s during a very busy time. The Cholera epidemic is ending but the argument about whether it comes from water or the air is ramping up. Dr. Lewis has been very busy she not only has the clinic she shares with her grandfather but works as a main doctor at the Work house and now helping ScotlandYard more specifically she is helping DSI Richard tenet who at first is very critical but thanks to policeman O’Malley not everyone at the yard doubt a females ability to deal with the strange murders they keep finding. They fine what they believe is the first murder but there is many more to come will the doctor drop dead from exhaustion before they find the killer or will she drop dead for more direct means? I love historical mystery… Actually I love historical anything but especially historical mystery and it is such a special treat when I cannot figure out the ending and when I say this book had a twist and store it certainly did throughout the book we get hints of the mind of the killer and hear from his voice but I was not prepared for who the killer Wass I thought I knew but I had no clue and OMG if this book wasn’t good I can honestly say I will be reading the second book in the series whenever it comes out I’ve never read a book by Author before but I will definitely read another. I got almost halfway through the book and then requested the audio which I think was a much better experience the narrator did a great job and really set an awesome tone for an awesome book. I want to think Kensington Books and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A Scotland Yard detective and a female doctor work together to chase down a serial killer in mid-19th century London. Lots of characters in this one, and the similar-sounding voices used by the narrator made the audiobook version a bit hard to follow at times. But I enjoyed it otherwise and look forward to the next book in this new series.

Wished for more story and less research.i hope this author tries again. The store and twists were unique and there is potential.

Dr Julia Lewis is one of Victorian England's first female physicians and she becomes embroiled in a deadly race against time and a clever killer with a grudge...

Dr Lewis and Detective Inspector Tennant of Scotland Yard are a new detecting team to watch- with her medical knowledge and Tennant's team of rozzers to back them up, I think this will be an enjoyable new series to watch.

I enjoyed the plot of this series too: the murderer and their motivations make sense and aren't far fetched at all. Quite a few books I've read lately have had extremely tenuous plot connections, so I appreciate this more than I may have at a different time.

The middle Victorian period is very nicely described and atmospheric. I had no problem envisioning the streets, workhouses, and homes of the characters. All around good book and I look forward to the next one in the series.

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange with a fair review.