I do love a good cosy murder mystery and being based in Adelaide I could just imagine what was going on and the places that were mentioned. This is a great book and story and once I started reading I just couldn't put it down.

When Dora Black is found dead and who better to investigate than policewoman Miss Kate Cocks and her junior constable Ethel Bromley. But some men in the police force don't want this to happen as in 1917 this was pretty much unheard of. Just reading this book and learning more about Adelaide, the war, women becoming policewomen made this book not just good but intriguing and genuinely interesting.

This well written book brought the characters to life and the story became very real. And even though it isn't one of those very fast paced, excitement at every turn type of read it is a steady story with depth and twists while also flowing well and f=giving us a hint of humour too. I enjoyed this book immensely and would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Death of Dora Black is a historical fiction/police procedural. It follows the first South Australian policewoman Kate Cocks and her junior colleague Ethel as they investigate a suspicious death, despite being told to leave the case to the male police officers.

This book was so good! It was very interesting to learn about Adelaide during the first world war and the struggles faced by the first policewomen due to sexism. I loved the characters of Kate and Ethel, the relationship between them and how this progressed throughout the book. I also loved Ethel’s mum and the Aunties. I did sometimes struggle a bit with Kate’s age. I had to keep reminding myself that she was 41 years old and not an old lady.

I found the pacing to be slower than other police procedurals, which would usually annoy me, however, that was not the case with Dora Black. The parts which gave more depth and back story to the characters and setting were just as enjoyable as those that progressed the police investigation. Looking forward to the next instalment. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Australia & New Zealand and the author for this eARC.

The Death of Dora Black
Lainie Anderson

This was a delightful read composing of historical mysteries, strong independent female characters and empowerment. Both charming, capable and feisty Miss Kate Cocks and her trusty sidekick Ethel Bromley take you back to 1917 Adelaide Australia.

“What’s the point of the South Australian Police Force employing women officers if they don’t take you seriously?”

Fans of historical fiction, Australiana and cosy murder mystery’s will enjoy this novel.

I really enjoyed the twists and the wit and banter. It was fun to read this all with the lens of the twenty - first century.

This was fantastic! I really enjoyed reading this! It was so much fun. The mystery was an interesting read and the story was well written

I truly enjoyed reading about the first Policewoman Miss Kate Cocks and her sassy junior constable Ethel Bromley in figuring out who did the crime to poor Miss dora black, definitely had me guessing who did it and the storyline behind it, I also enjoyed learning a little slice of south Australian history back in that time when world war one was happening and definitely inspiring on the historics as it is based on a true person named Fanny Kate Boadicea Cocks.

I would like to thank Hachette Australia and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy!

Was lovely reading about women in the police force in Australia (South Australia), definitely a book you would want to binge. Felt more like a literary fiction/ a woman’s fiction than a mystery, but was still good!

'What's the point of the South Australian Police Force employing women officers if they don't take you seriously'.

It's January 1917 and a body is found floating, face down, beside the Glenelg Jetty. Inspector Clarke is determined that it's a clear case of misadventure or even suicide. However, Policewoman Katie Cocks and her young colleague Ethel believe he's surely being too quick to solve the case. Despite being regarded as no more than the 'petticoat police', employed more for 'morality enforcement' than any real crime fighting, the ladies can't help doing some quiet investigation of their own, as they go about their daily business helping the community with burgeoning city problems and the effect of WW1.

3.5 stars rounded up. Initially, I felt this book would be a 3 star read as the sleuthing wasn't gelling for me. However, as I read on, I realised that this book is a lot more than just a cosy mystery. It’s a great insight into some of the history of Adelaide at the close of WW1 and all the issues the growing city and state faced. This book was inspired by the real-life, Katie Cocks, who joined the police in 1915. Although a policewoman's role was more like a social worker than a crime fighter, Katie did indeed help foil crime.

Overall, I did enjoy discovering just who killed Dora Black but even more so, I enjoyed learning more about Adelaide's history and community during the early 20th Century.

'Miss Cocks is a window to another era, and to the women of World War One Adelaide who deserve to be celebrated'.