This second in series throws DI Tennant and Scotland Yard’s medical examiner, Dr. Julia Lewis, into a complex maelstrom of pornography, prostitution, human trafficking, and murder. In 1867 Julia attends upon the wealthy Charles Allingham after he falls through the ice at a skating event. Both his sister Mary and his wife Louisa agree he’s unusually distant and morose at home, and spending inordinate hours at his club. But the family are nevertheless utterly shocked by his suicide a few days later.

When the body of a missing Cheapside shopgirl is thrown from a carriage, Julia’s postmortem reveals violent sexual assault. And a lot of details point towards the stunningly beautiful artists’ model, Margot Miller, who may be involved in more than she’s willing to reveal. DI Tennant’s investigation broadens as he uncovers what looks like human trafficking along with sexually explicit art copied from local artists’ work with salacious additions using replacement female models. Disappearances, art vandalism, blackmail, assault, and a couple of murders mean Tennant has his work cut out for him.

The cast are all well portrayed, and McDonough takes time and effort to add nuance to her background cameo players —Julia’s sounding board, her grandfather Dr. Andrew Lewis; Aunt Caroline; and the impatient foul-tempered Chief Inspector. A frisson of sexual tension runs beneath the very proper Victorian cordiality exhibited by Tennant and Julia, and a glance or a hand-hold here and there leave the reader pondering whether Julia will one day renounce her independence for love. Tennant and Sergeant O’Malley’s investigation takes readers in a sweep across London from Kensington to Pall Mall, Harley Street, and the stews of St. Giles. The participation of two shrewd police officers who aren’t afraid to use a woman’s powers of observation, is quite refreshing, making this a very enjoyable read.

It was nice catching up with Dr. Julia and Inspector Tennant in this new installment. I enjoy a good historical fiction story every now and then; it’s a nice break from all the police procedurals and crime thrillers that I read so much about. However, this is no cozy mystery, both installments have shown the dark and dangerous and seamy side of London and especially for Dr Julia (who was almost killed in the last book), as the first female doctor in London as well as Scotland Yard. I especially like historical fiction stories that have bold, brave, strong, smart and unconventional FMC’s, like Dr Julia. In other words, the original feminists who fought the battles and paved the way for the feminists of today who are still fighting some of the same battles.

The book summary introduces the primary storyline of women artists being harassed and threatened and their models being killed or “disappearing”. What the book summary doesn’t mention is that some of these women were being targeted for a purpose so horrible, while their deaths and disappearances were being ignored and blamed on the women instead of the rich, evil and despicable men who were behind it all.

There is also a secondary storyline of Dr Julia’s and Inspector Tennant’s growing affections and attraction towards each other. With Dr Julia returning to her family’s clinic after having recuperated from almost being killed in the last installment, she is diving back in full speed ahead. With Inspector Tennant entrenched in the “Yard” as well as dealing with a difficult superior, they both have no time for courting and are so pitifully awkward in the romance department. At this point, I’m thinking if this goes on much longer, it’s going to become painful to watch. Lots of eye-rolling and snickering during these parts.

Most of the story revolves around the threats, murders and disappearances of the female artists and models. As the clues and leads came in along with more dead bodies, my armchair detective was all over the place trying to decide who the real monster was, but did start to zero in on someone after a while. WOW!!! Was I ever wrong! The ending was so shocking, intense and kind of disturbing! However, it was the final scene that had my eyes becoming just a little moist and the whisper of a “oh no” for Dr Julia. I don’t know what’s going on, whether it’s just me being a little too invested in my characters and their fate or if it’s just the last few installments for some of my fave series have all just had sad endings. I’d like to think it’s the latter, but it’s probably a little of both.

The continuing character development for Dr Julia and Inspector Tennant was well done. It will be interesting to see what McDonough has in store for them. The pacing was steady and the storyline very interesting. I really enjoyed the Author Notes at the end that included some additional history and info on the art world and artists of that time. The writing was also well done and on par for the series so far. McDonough has definitely done a lot of research and portrays in a realistic manner. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.3 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #KensingtonPublishing #ASlashofEmerald

I thought this was a good police procedural story.
I was hoping Julia would have been more involved with the investigation. The story just seems to revolve more around Tennant. It was a good mystery and I was surprised by the ending.

We are dropped right into London is 1867 when Dr. Julia Grey is called to a police station to examine a woman who has been arrested for prostitution by her friend Inspector Tennant. Just passing by an Army base is enough for any woman to be arrested. In this case, the young hatter has been on a legitimate errand and is let go. The blatant sexism of the time is something that winds its way throughout the plot of this story.

Not only did Julia get onto the registry of doctors through a loophole but she has to face all sorts of prejudice from most men who can't believe that a woman can be a doctor. When she is instrumental in rescuing a man from ice breaking while skating, he doesn't let her examine him leaving his sister Mary concerned about his welfare.

Mary Allingham is facing prejudice of her own as she is trying to make her name as a female artist. Richard Tennant is concerned about these female artists because there have been blackmail letters and other threatening letters sent to many female artists and many artists' models have been disappearing.

Tennant is looking into the death of a young artists' model whose body was thrown from a speeding carriage. And shortly after, he also has the case of a famous artists' model who has had her throat cut. Margot Miller was frequently the subject of both male and female artists.

Tennant's investigation leads him into the world of pornography and trafficking which is partially wrapped into the art world. Mary's brother who is a wealthy printer and publisher is a suspect in both the trafficking and pornography until he is found dead in an apparent suicide.

Julia and Richard are both involved in the investigation and have different sources of information. I liked the way the mystery unfolded. I also liked the way Julia and Richard's slow-burn romance is progressing. The story had great historical details.

I really enjoy this new series featuring a female doctor in Victorian England. Dr. Julia Lewis began the first book called out on a police case, and now the police have adjusted to the fact that she’s female and tend to call on her with more frequency. She also has a regular practice, of course, but the focus of the books is her work with the police, specifically one very attractive yet damaged Inspector.

While I loved the first book, it was jam packed. This one has a more focused plot, to the benefit of the book. As the story opens, Dr. Julia is called in to perform a pelvic exam on a woman who was walking close to an army barracks and assaulted. Under British law at the time, the woman was required to be examined for infectious disease, not the man. Inspector Tennant asks Julia to perform the exam, thinking it will be a gentler iteration than one performed by a man. She agrees.

The other kick off event is a massive skating accident on a frozen pond as Regent’s Park. Among those who went into the frozen water is a man whose sister is a friend of Julia’s, and being on the scene, she’s pressed into an exam. This draws Julia into the story of the Allingham family. The man who went in the water is an important art critic and publisher; his sister, recently home from Paris, is a painter; and the man’s wife is mourning several miscarriages. When the man dies by his own hand shortly after the accident, apparently having put poisonous green paint in his drink (green paint at the time was loaded with arsenic).

The sister asks Julia to investigate, because of the successful resolution of the last case where she helped the police. As Julia and Inspector Tennant are now friends, she has a smoother path forward. This investigation takes Tennant and Julia through the London art world, an extremely lively one at the time, when artists like Turner and Whistler reigned supreme. As a woman, Mary Allingham, the dead man’s sister, has a bit of a tougher path.

Both books to date have hard a strong theme of women’s agency and place in society. This one looks at the lives of prostitutes as well as the lives of female artists. As Tennant and Julia uncover a nefarious scheme of what we would now call human trafficking, McDonough demonstrates her narrative chops. These books are expertly paced and the characters the series is built upon – Julia and Tennant – are interesting and sturdy, and should easily be able to shoulder a long lived series.
The look at the art world at the time, from small timers to members of the Royal Academy, is also a fascinating one, and there’s an especially vivid scene set as the annual Academy show is about to open and the artists visit the gallery on “varnishing” day to put final touches on their work, which are already hanging on gallery walls. These books are the whole package: setting, tight plot, wonderful characters. Book three really cannot come soon enough.

Another fun outing in this series!

We previously met Dr. Julia Lewis and Inspector Richard Tennant in Murder by Lamplight, and A Slash of Emerald takes place shortly thereafter, with Richard having gotten Julia's name on Scotland Yard's official list of medical examiners. I quite enjoy the burgeoning connection between Julia and Richard, and if there's anyone else out there who, like me, rage-quit Miss Scarlet and the Duke when they wrote the Duke off, this series might help fill that small hole in your heart.

This second book in the series sees Julia and Richard investigating a series of crimes connected to a group of female painters. Why are the female artists receiving nasty poisoned pen letters, and how does it connect to another string of crimes? Once again, this mystery does address some heavy topics, so content warning.

I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and was quite satisfied when we found out who was behind it all. Just like with the first book in the series, I did guess who the killer was, but I was excited about being proven correct. The clues were clever, the motive compelling, and it was satisfying when all came to light in the end. The mystery also features cameos from real Victorian-era artists and the author's note at the end about what was real and what was fictional taught me some interesting facts I didn't know.

There was a whiff of Julia and Richard's growing feelings for each other, and I like their nice slow-burn. I do wish we got a bit more of Richard's backstory in this - I thought his PTSD from Crimea would be explored more than it was, and I don't think it was necessary to make one of the characters in the book, Louisa, his former girlfriend. It didn't have much impact on the story, other than Julia briefly feeling jealous one time.

Overall, enjoyable second entry. I hope there will be a third in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Patrice Mcdonough for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Slash of Emerald coming out February 25, 2025. AThe honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was obsessed with the first book, so I was really excited to receive this book. I love Victorian stories. Julia is a really strong character and I love that she’s able to practice medicine. I think she and Richard are fun together. I really like Mary’s character as well. I love the writing and the mystery. I’m definitely excited to check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Victorian mysteries!

This was another engaging read in this series. Dr Julia Lewis is faced with the usual prejudice against women in occupations that some think should be for men only. Inspector Richard Tennant isn’t one of those people and actively engages Julia in his investigations. This is a complex case and involves artists of the time and there are a few murders to solve. It did keep me guessing until the end. There is also the possibility of a romance between Julia and Richard, but they are unsure of the other’s feelings. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In “A Slash of Emerald,” Dr. Julia Lewis and Inspector Richard Tennant explore the underbelly of the Victorian art world after an art studio break in, poison pen letters to artists, and missing female artist models. They are puzzled about how all of this fits together and become even more baffled when the bodies start piling up. Now they have to race to find the killer before those they are trying to protect become the next victims.

Patrice McDonough’s second in the Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery series is a complex story that explores the Victorian art world, but also highlights the roles and rights of women during the time. Julia is struggling with her feelings for Richard in part because she has a career that she finds fulfilling.

The exploitation of women and girls discussed in the story is sometimes difficult to read, but the characters are as horrified as the reader and they take specific action to make a difference in the lives of at least a few people. Ultimately, the reader is left thinking about how women’s agency has improved, but we still have a ways to go. This is a thought-provoking mystery.

Trigger warning: discussion of kidnapping, rape, child rape.

This story is great for readers who enjoy historical mysteries.

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

A Slash of Emerald by Patrice Mcdonough is a great historical fiction and mystery which is the is the second book in the Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery series.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this was a nice follow up. This series is a bit more dark and gritty than other “cozy mystery” series, but so far, it seems to fit.

The murder/mystery plot was intricate and kept me engaged, however I could have used a bit more of Julia…jmo.

I will definitely continue to read to see how this goes.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/25/25.

I reviewed the first book in this series, and it continues to be a compelling read. In this installment, Julia gets involved with the art world when the brother of a friend commits suicide by drinking arsenic—the main component of a particular green in the artists’ palette. The world of artists and artists models overlaps and leads into the darker recesses of the human heart. Excellent writing, believable characters, great setting, and suspenseful mystery. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the second installment of the Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery series. I like way the main characters are developing. The writing was very good and the setting was authentic in detail. My only criticism is that the plot could have been a bit tighter. It seemed to drag on for awhile.

I enjoyed this mystery so, so much. I found it to be just as engaging as the first in the series. I loved that while it was primarily told from Dr. Julia’s POV, the author also includes narratives from a number of others, which I think helps to flesh out the story. Bravo! Thanks to Kensington for the ARC.

While there is an underlying romantic relationship between the two protaganists, Dr. Julia Lewis and Inspector Richard Tennant, the story only makes glancing references to it. This is primarily an historic mystery, and seems accurate to the period. The characters are pretty well fleshed out and the investigation takes several convoluted turns, which keeps the reader guessing. My only criticism is probably a matter of taste - I never got personally involved with .Julia and Richard. While they have interesting backgrounds and a supposed romance, there didn't seem to be much emotion between them. I did enjoy the book and recommend it, especially for armchair detectives.

Mcdonough delivers another fantastic historical mystery that delves into the darkness of the human condition. I was impressed by the rawness and take-no-holds narrative of her first Julia Lewis novel, and I remain so with the second installment in the series. She doesn't pull punches or romanticize Victorian London, and Julia remains a refreshing protagonist: competent, sure of herself, but aware of the privilege her life has offered. I enjoy the voice that Mcdonough writes with and only wish we had 10 more books in this series: right now! I also really enjoy Mdonough's attention to period detail, from fashion, to the smells of London streets, to the atmosphere of a gallery exhibition. It is always a treat to read someone who has clearly done their research.

However, I was frustrated by the fact that this is a "Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery" (as marketed) but Julia is very absent from the action in this novel. This should really be an "Inspector Richard Tennant Mystery." Julia is sidelined for most of the novel, content to inspect for veneral disease and advise on the role of doctors or women (or both) of the time. She's held at such remove, you could nearly have taken her out of the book and replaced her with her grandfather and little would have changed. I sincerely hope this was a choice because her role in the first novel was more action-forward and Mcdonough is a savvy enough writer to know that as a woman of the time, Julia would have been held back after such adventures for now, but will return to full investigative form and presence going forward.

Nevertheless, I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment in the series, so thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This is the second in the series and it is just as good as the first though it could also be read as a stand alone, I really enjoyed how the author brought the historical aspect of this book to life, it was almost as if you could see and smell what was described. 1867 London - Dr Julia Lewis, a doctor who treats patients in a clinic, also performs autopsies when requested by the London Police and examines women who may have a contagious disease (STD's being very common at the time), she had been medically trained in the US then returned to England and was added to the list of doctors when foreign trained doctors were admitted,though the list did not specify that it should only be men. During this time women of a certain wealth would spend their time doing crafty type of things, including painting for those who had the talent. An upcoming show of various paintings has seen a number of paintings by female artists vandalized, Inspector Tennant has also found a woman who had been thrown out of a carriage, deceased, and not long after another was found in similar circumstances. There are a number of different plots that eventually tie together very nicely, there is also a lot of historical fact the author explains at the end. Overall a very good book that I would recommend and I am looking forward to the next. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Kensignton Books for the ARC.

Book 2 in this series kept my attention but was also pretty dark and depressing with the focus on kidnapping women, rape, and prostitution. I love Julia and her confidence in her role as a doctor and what she wants out of life. It felt like she didn’t spend as much time in her clinic and more time on the mystery and looking at art though, almost like a side job. It made me wonder what direction her future will go, whether she will stay focused on her medical career or solving mysteries with Scotland Yard. I hope the Inspector isn’t gone long as I also find his story interesting and want to know what he does on his quest to find justice. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

A Slash of Emerald is a great follow-up to Murder by Lamplight. Reminiscent of Bramwell (PBS, 1995-1998), Dr. Julia Lewis is fighting an uphill battle against misogyny towards women physicians in Victorian London. Inspector Richard Tennent of Scotland Yard recognizes her keen intellect and comes to rely on her observations in this investigation into prostitution and sex trafficking intertwined with prominent artists of the day. While I guessed the killer, red herrings kept me guessing the motive! I hope there will be many more entries in this series to come. I look forward to Julia's continued attempts to smash the hierarchy with Tennant's burgeoning support.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooksfor the opportunity to read an eARC of #ASlashofEmerald.

I really like this series, which includes interesting characters and lots of historical detail. More to come that stays strong!

Having read the first Dr. Julia Lewis novel, Murder by Lamplight, I was excited to have the opportunity to read A Slash of Emerald. It's fascinating to read about the struggles women endured to be accepted in the professions, and disheartening to read about how many women turned to prostitution to survive, as well as the number of young women who were trafficked and later discarded. Kudos to the author...this is one of the more well-written historical mystery series featuring women protagonists. The story moves along quickly, sparing us a lot of extraneous details, there's a budding romance but we aren't inundated by the main character's emotions. Not least, I didn't struggle with a lack of proofreading, as is increasingly common. I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read the eARC, and I look forward to further titles in this series.