Mr Scarletti's Ghost

I enjoyed this book, both the characters and storyline. It’s very well written and easy to follow. I highly recommend!

This delivered everything I wanted from a quiet Victorian mystery, set refreshingly in Brighton rather than London. Mina Scarletti is an excellent character, intelligent, logical and independent despite her scoliosis. It’s always good to see a female MC in these kinds of books whose immediate concern is not how to get married but is actually pleased by her unlikeliness of making a match. I’ll own up to a great deal of affection for books about the Spiritualist movement which I find endlessly fascinating, and this book basically gave me everything I wanted in that regard. Don’t expect twists and turns and games afoot but do expect to be entertained by a singular and unforgettable heroine. Most enjoyable.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Sapere Publishing and Linda Stratmann for the opportunity to read this ARC of Mr Scarletti's Ghost.
If you enjoy reading Victorian mysteries, you will love this novel. Ms Stratmann had me captivated from the start. I thought the story was well thought out held a lot of intrigue.I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

This is an excellent book to read during the vacations. It is like a time travel to 1871. The story is very good and easy to read.

In Victorian era Brighton, the dead are only as far away as the closest medium or psychic. People will pay god money to converse with the dearly departed, which is why Mina Scarletti is skeptical. Her mother has planned a séance with the infamous Miss Eustace, so she can talk to her departed husband. Miss Eustace does have a legion of followers, but she also insists all her meetings take place in the dark, and her address is a secret. Wanting to protect her mother, Mina baits a trap for Miss Eustace, pretending to want to contact her long-lost father, when in actuality, she’s planning on exposing the woman as a fraud. Stratmann bring the Victorian era and it’s fascination with death and the Great Beyond to vivid and colorful life

Wonderful Brighton historical cozy mystery. Truly enjoyed it. Plenty of twists and turns. Looking forward to reading more by this author. I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Interestingly this Victorian mystery is set in Brighton instead of the usual setting of London. The main character Mina Scarlett intelligent and independent despite suffering from Scoliosis the story is well written and easy to follow, would have no trouble recommend this to readers of Victorian mystery lovers

It will be interesting to see how the author will develop the character in future books

Mr Scarletti’s Ghost is the first Mina Scarletti Mystery. Mina is a feisty women sleuth in Victorian Brighton. Living with her mother, after the sudden death of her father, Mina is happy when her mother is finally drawn out of her year long mourning by Mr Bradley who she believes has the power of the churches healing. Born with scoliosis Mina try’s to not let this take over her daily life. Even writing her own horror stories. So she feels well qualified to investigate when her mother and friends are introduced to the world of seances and the medium who can communicate with the dead. Or can she? Her characters are very much of the period and gives you a glimpse into Victorian society life. This is a well written mystery and I would recommend following Mina into her next mystery.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another strong Victorian woman solving mysteries when that wasn’t popular. Although Mina has scoliosis, she doesn’t let that stop her from living life and looking out for her widowed mother. Looking forward to reading the second one in this series.
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Brighton, 1871. One takes the waters, the vapours and, the fashionable society takes to seances with spirit mediums. Is communicating with the departed a fraudulent business or does it have a raison d’être for giving mourners some glimpse of hope? Mina Scarletti, deformed by scoliosis, is a determined young lady trying to prevent her mother being duped by the famous psychic Miss Eustace. Will she and her helpers be able to expose the psychic and save some gullible people from being fleeced by unscrupulous charlatans? A beautifully written mystery with well-defined characters - my favourite was Mina’s flighty brother Richard.

Although this was a little slow moving at times, I found Mina to be a very interesting character and easy to connect with as the story picked up. I'm a fan of books about mediums and enjoyed reading about the different tricks they employed on their audiences.

A good read from an author used to writing about true crime. This gives her stories a "real" feel. Set in Victorian England, the main character, Mina, is unusual for her time. An outgoing, active woman with a physical handicap that should have left her housebound and hiding, she pushed forward to insure her mother and her friends are not being conned by a psychic claiming to put them in touch with their loved ones. Her discoveries are many and varied, keeping the story interesting and fresh. This is the first book in a trilogy setting the reader up for an enjoyable ride with Mina.

Can a mystery have no mystery and still be compelling? Apparently, yes. With no murder or no evidence of theft, Mina Scarletti sets out to reveal the true nature of the spiritualists plaguing her small English seaside town.

I once had a writing teacher tell me, “Only a murder is worthy of a three hundred page mystery.” Well, I wish I could remember which of my professors that was because I would send him this book. The heroine, setting, and writing are compelling enough that even if the spiritualists had proved to be genuine, I would not have left disappointed.

This book is unconventional in nearly every aspect of a cozy mystery, but that is what makes it so endearing. Mina has scoliosis, which is a defining aspect of her character. There is no murder, and no one claims any crime has been committed. The cast of characters is quite diverse for a Victorian mystery. And the writing is hilarious–if you enjoy dry British sarcasm, which I do.

I would highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.