Brilliant Victorian murder mystery read.
Not a great lover of this genre but this book really had me hooked and would recommend it .

Serial detective fiction, like any serial, trades on familiarity and continuity. Limelight happily tosses off references to past incidents in the life and career of its protagonist Penny Green, recently fired as a reporter from the Morning Express for being too forthright about a wrongfully convicted murderer - which I assumed was, along with much business with a missing father and exasperated landlady, the stuff of previous books in the series. Well, there are indeed twelve books in the Penny Green Victorian Murder Mystery series, but Limelight turns out to be the first. Interestingly, the world seems so lived in that future books may deal with that past, but I guess it is part of Emily Organ's solid world-building. Miss Green is already a capable journalist and sleuth and does not have to prove herself to the readership, even if she constantly has to for her male contemporaries. There is a forward-thinking Police Inspector who wants to work with her and I daresay may be a slow-burn love interest (very slow burn if this book is any indication), an exasperated editor and a prudish landlady who will be useful supporting characters, but these will probably be clean and accessibly continuity light mysteries.

This opener concerns the murder of a woman who had already been reported dead in a tragic accident five years before, so has a nicely ghoulish "how do you kill someone already dead" aspect to it. The suspect pool stays relatively small, and I had worked out the criminal relatively early on because they were the person who seemed to have the most motive and had been kept out of the narrative for the longest. But the book gains a touch of hefty from its setting, the crime takes place in Highgate Cemetary (a mile from my house), and despite the changes from Victorian London there is still a solid sightseer vibe (from the British Library Reading Room to the Teather Royal Drury Lane). But it all feels very natural, and satisfying, and I would certainly come back for more.

A very interesting historical book which was a great mystery. Kept me interested all the way through. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Victorian mystery. A good story with interesting characters. Easy to follow along. The mystery was well written.

Six hundred people drowned when the SS Princess Alice sank in the Thames and Penny’s friend and actress Lizzie Dixie happened to be one of the victims who drowned on that ship. After several years, a body is found at the cemetery and Scotland Yard has identified the body as none other than Lizzie’s. The same body Penny saw being laid to rest at Kensal Green Cemetery. With the help of nice and kind Inspector James Blakey, Penny sets out to discover who is responsible for Lizzie’s death and why did she fake her drowning those years ago? Penny must put all the clues together and figure it out soon because it looks like the killer is coming for Lizzie’s innocent daughter. Great, fun, amazingly intriguing murder mystery!

STUNNING read. Emotive, wonderfully descriptive. A well thought out plot. What more can I add? More please Emily!

This is a Victorian murder / mystery. Our heroine is fighting her way through the male dominated world of a Fleet Street journalist. Because of her friendship with the victim in this case, she is attempting to help Scotland yard find the killer. Obstacles come from all sides and sorting the lies from the truth is almost impossible.
There are very interesting characters and plenty of suspects to choose from.
The story will keep you interested and I didn't guess who the killer was.
Very interesting.

The story takes place in London , 1883. Penny Green is a Fleet Street reporter. Her Friend, Lissie Dixie, drowned in the Thames River 5 years ago- but has just been discovered shot in the Highgate Cemetery! how is that possible? Scotland Yard comes to Penny asking for her help. She works with Detective James Blakely to investigate the deaths and try to find the truth.

So this sounded right up my alley- historic mystery with a strong female that take place in London.


There is a lot of historical information in the book that I found interesting (always love when I learn something new)! However, I was not drawn into the story. The characters had moments where they were fleshed out, but overall I felt that they were flat. The mystery unfolds in a way that did not engage me- I felt like it was a telling of a story, with no "subtle reveals", which is what draws me into a story.

Many others enjoyed this more than I did- so I encourage you to read their reviews.


Thank you to NetGalley and Storm
Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

Penny Green is a journalist in the late 1800s. She gets tasked with helping a young detective from Scotland yard, James, to help solve a murder. Lizzie Dixie a famous actress, and Penny's friend, is found murdered in a cemetery-only she was thought to have been dead for the last 5 years!

This was an enjoyable read. I think the beginning was a little slow and really focused on Penny's temporary unemployment and resulting lack of money. That could have been much less focused on. The story didn't have too many twists and turns and was a bit predictable but it was still enjoyable. The background mystery if her father having vanished in the Amazon is interesting and I would be curious to see what comes of that.

An interesting plot twist with a woman presumed drown found murdered 5 years later. Very nice to see a title that reflects story : the plot thread of theater productions. I am confused how this 2024 cooyright
Is different from an earlier publication. This version is new paperback, I think. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Limelight for advanced digital copy.

Lizzie Dizzie was famous and died tragically in a huge ship accident in which over 600 souls perished. Her husband showman is continuing with his shows and bringing up Lizzie’s daughter who is in show business herself. When Lizzie’s body is discovered, shot in Highgate cemetery five years later, it is a great mystery all around. Why did she fake her own death, where did she live all these five years, how did she sustain herself and why now - was she a threat to anyone.

Her friend Penny who worked as a journalist and a amateur detective, lost her job due to the unfair influence of the detective in charge of the case is distraught at the death of Lizzie and despite caution by all, is determined to get to the bottom of the story. There are many suspects for this murder including Lizzie’s husband, Lizzie’s producer director who was her lover and father of her daughter and a slightly built young man always appears at crucial moments and is so elusive that he is never caught.

The story is full of historical detail and is also a social commentary of the times. The characters drawn from show business and normal Victorian society add a dimension as well.

Penny Green is a proud and principled newspaper reporter. The setting for this story is Victorian London in the 1880s. The storyline is cleverly devised and delivered at a good pace that kept my attention throughout. The descriptive detail about the bustle of Fleet Street journalism, travel around London in the notorious smogs, the political events that were making the headlines of that time and the growing awareness of women’s rights provide a rich backdrop to this engaging and atmospheric murder mystery.

This is the first in the Penny Green series and I am eager to read more about Penny’s exploits.

*Limelight* by Emily Organ is a historical mystery set in Victorian London. Penny Green, a Fleet Street reporter, learns that Lizzie Dixie—a once-famous actress thought to have drowned years earlier—was shot in Highgate Cemetery. As Penny teams up with a Scotland Yard inspector, she discovers there’s much more at stake than a simple case of mistaken death.

I really liked Penny as a character—ambitious, smart, and undeterred by the barriers faced by women in 1880s London. Her chemistry with Inspector Blakely adds a subtle spark without detracting from the suspense. Organ also did her research on the social movements and historical events of the period. Don't want to give too much away, but I'm looking forward to more adventures in this series!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ms Organ has written a fully immersive, atmospheric piece, set in 1880s London, England. I found myself enjoying the pace and growing relationship between Penny and James, not to mention the multiple red herrings and genuine clues interspersed throughout. By the end of the book I was looking for more, and also wanting more about Penny's father. There's mystery there, too. But will she be part of solving his disappearance from the other side of the world? Something to ponder...

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

This was a good mystery, full of twists and turns, and I am excited to read the full series. It takes place in the Victorian era, and it's interesting to see how they solved crimes without the modern tools & information we have now. The main characters had good chemistry - but not of the romantic type, at least not yet. A nice, satisfying read.

weaving fiction and historical fact. Penny Green, a reporter by trade turns to sleuthing to find the killer of a friend killed just the night before. It came as shock because Penny thought the woman, Lizzie Dixie, an actress had drowned years ago. So two mysteries instead of one.

In a place and time, London, 1883, when women were not reporters or detectives this was an intriguing read. Investigative work is much different from today, the pace is slower and clues were not always clear. An interesting first book in the series that introduce Penny, James and London 1883 to the reader.

In Victorian London, Penny is drawn into a dark investigation when she finds out a former friend who was presumed drowned has actually only recently been murdered.

Review

This book had a fantastic sense of world building, I felt fully immersed in Victorian London. I could clearly picture the characters and locations. The plot reminded me of a good, old-fashioned murder mystery, really pacey, some shocks, and a good twist. I liked Penny. At times, I was willing her to stand up for herself at work, but she was confined within Victorian society. I felt like she had come from a well-off background, but lived as a working class/lower middle-class woman. If you enjoy reading this book, you might like, No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky, as it had a similar vibe.

This is a great series and I have listened to all of it on Audible. This is the first in the series and was the start of the adventures!

Victorian London 1883 and reporter Penny Green, finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. She finds an actress who supposedly had died years ago, in the cemetery. What is happening?

With the aid of Scotland Yard Inspector Blakley, the adventure begins.

Full of history and wonderful characters, you will not be able to put this one day until the end and only want more!

Limelight transports readers to Victorian London in an atmospheric mystery filled with suspense and intrigue. Set in 1883, the novel follows Fleet Street reporter Penny Green as she investigates the shocking murder of actress Lizzie Dixie, who was believed to have drowned years earlier. When Lizzie’s body is discovered in Highgate Cemetery, Penny finds herself drawn into the case by her connection to the victim—and her growing interest in Scotland Yard’s Inspector James Blakely. But as Penny delves deeper, she becomes the target of someone with sinister intentions.

The story moves with well-paced suspense, blending rich historical detail with an absorbing mystery. Penny is a sharp and determined protagonist, and her chemistry with Blakely adds warmth to the darker undertones of the plot. Each revelation builds to a clever and unexpected twist that kept me hooked until the end.

Overall, Limelight is an engaging, twist-filled mystery with a strong heroine and a vivid setting. It’s an excellent read for fans of historical fiction and well-crafted whodunits.

3.5 stars

Set in London in 1883, reporter Penny Green learns her friend Lizzie has been murdered in a cemetery. The trouble is, Lizzie died 5 years previously in a boat accident. Turns out Lizzie faked her own death. Penny teams up with the police to investigate the matter and find out who murdered her friend—and why. Was it her churlish husband? The quiet lover? A politician covering up a scandal?

I thought this was an engaging book. Penny is a likable character and there are a number of other interesting and unique characters in the book. The London time setting is interesting as well. This book was originally published in 2017 and there are a number of novels following it with Penny Green as the main character.

With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC.