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Lucy Campion Mysteries #4
A Death Along the River Fleet
Lucy Campion, a ladies’ maid turned printer’s apprentice in 17th-century London, is crossing Holborn Bridge over the murky waters of the River Fleet one morning when, out of the mist, she sees a specter moving toward her. Frightened at first, Lucy soon realizes the otherworldly figure is in fact a young woman, clearly distraught and clad only in a blood-spattered white nightdress. Barely able to speak, the woman has no memory of who she is or what’s happened to her. The townspeople believe she’s possessed. But Lucy is concerned for the woman’s well-being and takes her to see a physician. When, shockingly, the woman is identified as the daughter of a nobleman, Lucy is asked to temporarily give up her bookselling duties to discreetly serve as the woman’s companion while she remains under the physician’s care.
As the woman slowly recovers, she begins—with Lucy’s help—to reconstruct the terrible events that led her to Holborn Bridge that morning. But when it becomes clear the woman’s safety might still be at risk, Lucy becomes unwillingly privy to a plot with far-reaching social implications, and she’ll have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect the young woman in her care.
Susanna Calkins has drawn a richly detailed portrait of a time in history and a young woman struggling against the bounds of her society in her next absorbing Lucy Campion mystery.
As the woman slowly recovers, she begins—with Lucy’s help—to reconstruct the terrible events that led her to Holborn Bridge that morning. But when it becomes clear the woman’s safety might still be at risk, Lucy becomes unwillingly privy to a plot with far-reaching social implications, and she’ll have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect the young woman in her care.
Susanna Calkins has drawn a richly detailed portrait of a time in history and a young woman struggling against the bounds of her society in her next absorbing Lucy Campion mystery.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2016
14 people are currently reading
860 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Calkins
22 books345 followersSUSANNA CALKINS, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion series, holds a PhD in history and teaches at the college level. Her historical mysteries have been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark and Agatha awards, among many others, and The Masque of a Murderer received a Macavity. Originally from Philadelphia, Calkins now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 4, 2016
4.5 stars
This was a great historical British mystery, set primarily in London in the 17th century. Incidentally, it is also part of series (I have not read the others) which I will definitely seek out. I had no trouble following the storyline without prior knowledge of the characters, but I assume it would be that much better to those who do follow it.
Our heroine is Lucy Campion and is a former maid and current Printer's Apprentice. She's a strong female lead. While on the job she happens upon a confused & bedraggled woman and promptly takes her to a Doctor for help. The found woman has no memory of who she is or what has befallen her. Through various clues they are able to find tidbits here and there to piece together her identity and past. The story unfolds beautifully and all the while giving us a little personal information about Lucy and her love interests and inner conflicts.
Highly recommended to historical mystery readers!
**Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC**
This was a great historical British mystery, set primarily in London in the 17th century. Incidentally, it is also part of series (I have not read the others) which I will definitely seek out. I had no trouble following the storyline without prior knowledge of the characters, but I assume it would be that much better to those who do follow it.
Our heroine is Lucy Campion and is a former maid and current Printer's Apprentice. She's a strong female lead. While on the job she happens upon a confused & bedraggled woman and promptly takes her to a Doctor for help. The found woman has no memory of who she is or what has befallen her. Through various clues they are able to find tidbits here and there to piece together her identity and past. The story unfolds beautifully and all the while giving us a little personal information about Lucy and her love interests and inner conflicts.
Highly recommended to historical mystery readers!
**Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC**
March 30, 2016
A DEATH ALONG THE RIVER FLEET places Lucy Campion in London around 1667 just after the Great London Fire. Calkins helps readers understand the challenges of people rebuilding their lives. She introduces her protagonist Lucy Campion, a printer’s apprentice who is a strong fearless young woman looking to make her mark in the world. Lucy’s backstory shows readers, Lucy’s inquisitive nature with instincts to solve things she doesn’t understand. Calkins places readers when Lucy finds a young woman wandering along the Holborn Bridge shoeless and wearing a white shift covered in blood. Lucy asks the young woman questions discovering she has no memory. Lucy, knowing the woman needs help escorts her to Dr. Larimer for treatment. The doctor determines the woman has no injuries causing her memory loss. Calkins describes the developing bond between the woman and Lucy, Dr. Larimer asks Lucy to stay and be the woman’s companion.
Calkins' storyline creates support characters, providing backstories and the roles they play when she introduces them to the storyline. The author keeps adding clues for Lucy and her friend, Constable Duncan, in their pursuit of the woman’s identity. Lucy and Constable Duncan decide to take the woman to the area around Holborn Bridge. The woman remembers being attacked close to the bridge and leads Lucy to where she was attacked. They uncover a woman’s dress and a dead body. Each time Lucy and the woman talk the young woman regains some memory.
Calkins increases the storyline’s momentum and intrigue, when new details of the woman’s mysterious past surface, including clues suggesting the woman is a daughter of a nobleman. Lucy uncovers shocking clues bringing to the surface, as to the whereabouts the woman has been for the last ten months. Calkins places her readers are siting Lucy’s shoulder, as the action of the storyline picks up momentum helping Lucy understand what the woman has endured. The author wraps up A DEATH ALONG THE RIVER FLEET providing answers to Lucy’s investigation and unfolding of her unpredictable ending.
Calkins' storyline creates support characters, providing backstories and the roles they play when she introduces them to the storyline. The author keeps adding clues for Lucy and her friend, Constable Duncan, in their pursuit of the woman’s identity. Lucy and Constable Duncan decide to take the woman to the area around Holborn Bridge. The woman remembers being attacked close to the bridge and leads Lucy to where she was attacked. They uncover a woman’s dress and a dead body. Each time Lucy and the woman talk the young woman regains some memory.
Calkins increases the storyline’s momentum and intrigue, when new details of the woman’s mysterious past surface, including clues suggesting the woman is a daughter of a nobleman. Lucy uncovers shocking clues bringing to the surface, as to the whereabouts the woman has been for the last ten months. Calkins places her readers are siting Lucy’s shoulder, as the action of the storyline picks up momentum helping Lucy understand what the woman has endured. The author wraps up A DEATH ALONG THE RIVER FLEET providing answers to Lucy’s investigation and unfolding of her unpredictable ending.
August 27, 2016
In this murder mystery that at times reads like a ghost story and at other times a psychological thriller, Lucy Campion struggles against the realities of life in 1600s London to solve the mystery of an injured woman with amnesia, whom she finds wandering near the ravages of the Great Fire. As in the earlier books, Lucy continues to be a smart, strong heroine who understands the social barriers of the times well enough to find ways of getting around them without landing herself in stocks. She is also a character of great compassion, a trait that won't allow her to walk away from someone who needs her, even when that person doesn't always treat her well. This is a time period not widely written about, which makes it unique, and the attention to historical detail is impressive. I feel I've learned quite a lot about the era through reading this series.
April 29, 2016
Lucy, a printer’s apprentice, is crossing Holborn Bridge one foggy morning when out of the fog there appears a wild woman that looks as if she is a ghost. Lucy is immediately frightened about what she has seen, but after she recovers she realizes that she is an injured and distraught young woman. Lucy takes her to the physician’s house, who immediately takes her in and cares for her. Soon, both Lucy and the physician have questions regarding this unknown woman. The unknown woman has no memory of who she is, where she comes from, and what has happened to her. Lucy is curious, and she embarks on a quest to find out this woman’s identity and her past. As she investigates further into the mystery, the more she realizes that there are dark secrets regarding this woman, and that there are people who are determined that the unknown woman’s identity remains anonymous.
While Lucy has a low social status, she is comfortable in her position as a bookseller. She has a creative imagination and loves to write. She writes stories about the previous mysteries that she has solved. I found Lucy to be a likable character. She is smart and practical. She can also be caring. However, she can also be judgmental and temperamental. She is also quite a bit stubborn and impatient. She is suspicious of other people, and it is hard for her to trust others. She is also a realist, for she knows that her opportunities are limited due to her social status, and tries to plan a future based upon her happiness. I also found her to be very courageous for she is willing to take many risks in order to solve the mystery. Thus, Lucy is a very interesting character, and is a character whom readers will root for.
Overall, this book is about friendship, choices, love, and freedom. While I did find the characters to be interesting, I found this novel to be a bit drawn out. The mystery was pretty predictable, and I wanted there to be more twists and turns to make the case be more mysterious. I also did not like there to be a love triangle in this book. I felt it to be unnecessary. I would have liked the story more had there been no romance involved, for it felt forced. Nevertheless, I did think that this novel was well-written, and it gave me vivid descriptions of 17th century London. I recommend this book to those who would like to read a historical mysteries set after the Great Fire of London and those who enjoy books about amateur sleuths.
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
While Lucy has a low social status, she is comfortable in her position as a bookseller. She has a creative imagination and loves to write. She writes stories about the previous mysteries that she has solved. I found Lucy to be a likable character. She is smart and practical. She can also be caring. However, she can also be judgmental and temperamental. She is also quite a bit stubborn and impatient. She is suspicious of other people, and it is hard for her to trust others. She is also a realist, for she knows that her opportunities are limited due to her social status, and tries to plan a future based upon her happiness. I also found her to be very courageous for she is willing to take many risks in order to solve the mystery. Thus, Lucy is a very interesting character, and is a character whom readers will root for.
Overall, this book is about friendship, choices, love, and freedom. While I did find the characters to be interesting, I found this novel to be a bit drawn out. The mystery was pretty predictable, and I wanted there to be more twists and turns to make the case be more mysterious. I also did not like there to be a love triangle in this book. I felt it to be unnecessary. I would have liked the story more had there been no romance involved, for it felt forced. Nevertheless, I did think that this novel was well-written, and it gave me vivid descriptions of 17th century London. I recommend this book to those who would like to read a historical mysteries set after the Great Fire of London and those who enjoy books about amateur sleuths.
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
April 3, 2022
A Death Along the River Fleet: Susanna Caulkins
😲👌
This book was interesting, so much so I read it in less than a day.
From Amazon: "Lucy Campion, a ladies’ maid turned printer’s apprentice in 17th-century London, is crossing Holborn Bridge over the murky waters of the River Fleet one morning when, out of the mist, she sees a specter moving toward her. Frightened at first, Lucy soon realizes the otherworldly figure is in fact a young woman, clearly distraught and clad only in a blood-spattered white nightdress. Barely able to speak, the woman has no memory of who she is or what’s happened to her. The townspeople believe she’s possessed. But Lucy is concerned for the woman’s well-being and takes her to see a physician. When, shockingly, the woman is identified as the daughter of a nobleman, Lucy is asked to temporarily give up her bookselling duties to discreetly serve as the woman’s companion while she remains under the physician’s care.
As the woman slowly recovers, she begins―with Lucy’s help―to reconstruct the terrible events that led her to Holborn Bridge that morning. But when it becomes clear the woman’s safety might still be at risk, Lucy becomes unwillingly privy to a plot with far-reaching social implications, and she’ll have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect the young woman in her care."
With the exception of Latch, the printer's apprentice (who is an ass and needs to have his ears boxed by Lucy), I liked all of the characters. Octavia was a very interesting character and her illness made her more so.
😲👌
This book was interesting, so much so I read it in less than a day.
From Amazon: "Lucy Campion, a ladies’ maid turned printer’s apprentice in 17th-century London, is crossing Holborn Bridge over the murky waters of the River Fleet one morning when, out of the mist, she sees a specter moving toward her. Frightened at first, Lucy soon realizes the otherworldly figure is in fact a young woman, clearly distraught and clad only in a blood-spattered white nightdress. Barely able to speak, the woman has no memory of who she is or what’s happened to her. The townspeople believe she’s possessed. But Lucy is concerned for the woman’s well-being and takes her to see a physician. When, shockingly, the woman is identified as the daughter of a nobleman, Lucy is asked to temporarily give up her bookselling duties to discreetly serve as the woman’s companion while she remains under the physician’s care.
As the woman slowly recovers, she begins―with Lucy’s help―to reconstruct the terrible events that led her to Holborn Bridge that morning. But when it becomes clear the woman’s safety might still be at risk, Lucy becomes unwillingly privy to a plot with far-reaching social implications, and she’ll have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect the young woman in her care."
With the exception of Latch, the printer's apprentice (who is an ass and needs to have his ears boxed by Lucy), I liked all of the characters. Octavia was a very interesting character and her illness made her more so.
May 7, 2018
This is the last novel at least at this point in the series. I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit… The series I mean… As always I found the contents of each novel in the series interesting. This novel focuses on the treatment of a woman with memory loss and epilepsy. Granted that’s not the central focus of the story but it is a main focus. The plug itself was also very well done. I have to say that I was hoping for a specific romantic outcome but I’m not going to tell you exactly which one it was I was hoping for and which one was the outcome. You’ll have to be to find out. I do like the characters very much and Lucy in particular is a strong and interesting female. I doubt that very many women of that era where that self possessed or were able to achieve the successes that she did it needs novels. But that’s OK because again the author makes it clear that this is not the general case with women of the time period.
October 2, 2020
*Spoilers*
This story was a great addition to the Lucy Campion Series. I still love Lucy and all of the mysteries she manages to fall into. The mystery was well done and I loved how Lucy and Duncan went about solving it. Speaking of Lucy and Duncan I was a bit surprised that Adam took such a backseat in this book. In the last couple of books it has been a bit of a love triangle between Adam, Lucy, and Duncan and one I honestly didn't mind because the author wrote it so well. So it makes me wonder if this is it for Adam which as much as I loved his character and his and Lucy's relationship I also love Lucy and Duncan's just as much so I wouldn't mind if that is the way the author has decided to go with it. Overall an awesome book!
This story was a great addition to the Lucy Campion Series. I still love Lucy and all of the mysteries she manages to fall into. The mystery was well done and I loved how Lucy and Duncan went about solving it. Speaking of Lucy and Duncan I was a bit surprised that Adam took such a backseat in this book. In the last couple of books it has been a bit of a love triangle between Adam, Lucy, and Duncan and one I honestly didn't mind because the author wrote it so well. So it makes me wonder if this is it for Adam which as much as I loved his character and his and Lucy's relationship I also love Lucy and Duncan's just as much so I wouldn't mind if that is the way the author has decided to go with it. Overall an awesome book!
July 6, 2021
Historical mysteries rely on the veracity of time and place for much of their appeal. How much of just-post-fire London is accurately recounted here may be questioned, but since little survived the fire, including records, it can be assumed that many individuals went lost and missing, with accidental or deliberate cause. The key to the narrative rests on an assumption of amnesia along with bad intentions. But bad intentions on whose part? Circumnavigating morasses, rubble, plague, and displaced persons brings Lucy Campion into an uncertain alliance with one of the lost and missing, whose origins are revealed as much by fabric and elocution as the occasional burst of memory.
May 28, 2020
I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways for an honest review.
This historical novel set in the 17th century was a bit dark, but very interesting. When a laidies' maid encounters a strange woman on a bridge, her life turns upside down. The strange woman seems to be unaware of what has happened to her and the story about how and why she ended up on this bridge covered in blood. Lucy's determination to uncover the truth shows how medicine and folklore were intertwined during the 17th century. I would definitely read other books by this author and recommend this one.
This historical novel set in the 17th century was a bit dark, but very interesting. When a laidies' maid encounters a strange woman on a bridge, her life turns upside down. The strange woman seems to be unaware of what has happened to her and the story about how and why she ended up on this bridge covered in blood. Lucy's determination to uncover the truth shows how medicine and folklore were intertwined during the 17th century. I would definitely read other books by this author and recommend this one.
July 3, 2018
I've enjoyed this series set in seventeenth-century London during the time immediately after the Great Fire of 1666. I'm not sure if this fourth book is the last book in the series or not (it was published 4 years ago, so possibly it is) but it did end in a place that left me satisfied with the main character's future and with another interesting mystery, this one dealing with a young woman afflicted with "the falling sickness" (what epilepsy was called at the time) and with Bedlam.
May 21, 2017
A Death Along the River Fleet was a well crafted story that had me guessing what the outcome would be till the very end. As an avid reader of historic mysteries, this is one of the best I have read in a while.
March 27, 2018
Combining all my sweet spots - mystery, historical, female protagonist, and especially now, research - roughly my time in English history, or actually before it, but close enough to be worth it. Even if it wasn't, I'd definitely be reading more of this series.
October 17, 2018
Lucy Campion thinks she is seeing an apparition rising from the rubble of the Great London Fire of 1667. It turns out to be a woman in a nightdress, covered in blood and unsure who she is. Excellent story
October 18, 2017
An interesting historical fiction mystery. I learned about some London historical landmarks.
March 3, 2018
I was not impressed with this book. It dragged on and the plot was not a good one. The only redeeming quality was Lucy making a decision about her love life.
April 15, 2018
Mystery set in 17th century London. Not a page turner.
October 7, 2018
Loved the story line but disappointed in the way this book ended :-(
July 13, 2019
Good series with character development and lots of research of time period.
September 26, 2021
Mayhem and Murder
Lucy Campion and Constable Duncan make a great team of detectives. I enjoy this series and this story was particularly fascinating.
Lucy Campion and Constable Duncan make a great team of detectives. I enjoy this series and this story was particularly fascinating.
October 6, 2021
Woman found not a ghost or possessed has epilepsy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2022
A good mystery and a page turner. A education on turn of the century medicine.
December 26, 2024
Nicely paced, unespected ending.
February 28, 2017
A light and entertaining mystery story, well told. The historical setting and the behavior of the characters from different levels of society according to the customs of the time added to the appeal of the book.
April 20, 2016
Just as I settled in to the well-drawn atmosphere, a bloodied, distraught, and questionable figure stumbles across the scene. This author has such a lovely ease of narration that I did not realize the moment I was swept away into the sights and sounds until my feet were firmly planted on the grimy streets of 17th Century London.
The language is believable for the time and place, and you’ll find clear plot questions, misdirection, gentle layers of atmosphere and historical tone, and intriguing surrounding characters’ storylines. I enjoyed learning about the printing business during that time period, and Ms. Calkins adds information and action to each book so that your knowledge is increased while you are busy listening to Lucy try to sell odd (very odd) titles to the public.
Things are not easy for Lucy, and this brings out her character as we see her struggle, become misdirected, search for answers, interact with other characters, and challenge her views. I love the triangle between Lucy, Adam, and Duncan. I’m not sure yet who I vote for, and I don’t think Lucy knows either.
Not depending merely on narration, Ms. Calkins uses effective methods to bring out character in her story.
Interaction with others: We see how she interacts with not just her boss, but with the other house servants as well.
Handling of obstacles: Things are not easy for Lucy as she struggles to piece together why this strange woman is bloodied and roaming the streets of London. It is in that struggle that we see what Lucy is made of.
Inner dialogue: Lucy’s thoughts as she works through events and reacts to other characters is such fun and gives us a glimpse into what she really wants to say and what she ‘must’ say.
Other characters’ perceptions: Lucy is treated with kindness and respect (mostly) showing us that she is valued, intelligent, and worthy of inclusion in society.
This series is pure delight, an easy read, well written, and you will be totally immersed and absorbed. I highly recommend starting at book one so you can appreciate the journey. Bit by bit, like the block letters Lucy places in the printer’s trays, her story is formed, and her inner spirit takes shape with a sweet strength and gentle heart.
The language is believable for the time and place, and you’ll find clear plot questions, misdirection, gentle layers of atmosphere and historical tone, and intriguing surrounding characters’ storylines. I enjoyed learning about the printing business during that time period, and Ms. Calkins adds information and action to each book so that your knowledge is increased while you are busy listening to Lucy try to sell odd (very odd) titles to the public.
Things are not easy for Lucy, and this brings out her character as we see her struggle, become misdirected, search for answers, interact with other characters, and challenge her views. I love the triangle between Lucy, Adam, and Duncan. I’m not sure yet who I vote for, and I don’t think Lucy knows either.
Not depending merely on narration, Ms. Calkins uses effective methods to bring out character in her story.
Interaction with others: We see how she interacts with not just her boss, but with the other house servants as well.
Handling of obstacles: Things are not easy for Lucy as she struggles to piece together why this strange woman is bloodied and roaming the streets of London. It is in that struggle that we see what Lucy is made of.
Inner dialogue: Lucy’s thoughts as she works through events and reacts to other characters is such fun and gives us a glimpse into what she really wants to say and what she ‘must’ say.
Other characters’ perceptions: Lucy is treated with kindness and respect (mostly) showing us that she is valued, intelligent, and worthy of inclusion in society.
This series is pure delight, an easy read, well written, and you will be totally immersed and absorbed. I highly recommend starting at book one so you can appreciate the journey. Bit by bit, like the block letters Lucy places in the printer’s trays, her story is formed, and her inner spirit takes shape with a sweet strength and gentle heart.
June 6, 2016
Susanna is an author I know from the Chicago mystery writer groups I belonged to before moving back to Boston. I saw her at Malice Domestic and purchased the latest Lucy Campion book. I enjoy these books that show London right around the time of the Great Fire. I hadn’t been to London until a couple of years ago and when I did go, I realized how very 18th century it seemed compared to Paris or Rome. Of course, that’s because of the fire and the rebuilding of the city from late 17th into 18th century. So reading about that time is fun. Lucy starts out as a maid in the first book but the fact that the city is thrown into confusion due to the devastation of the fire provides a reason why she can become an apprentice to a printer. And since printing stories of murders and gruesome events is the stock and trade she gets to pursue mysteries. She’s a writer of stories like her creator. In this book, she finds a woman who is covered with blood and who cannot remember who she is. Solving that mystery leads to some dead bodies and Bedlam, all along giving you a feel for the times. It does strike me that Chicago is like London in that it suffered a big fire and coming back from that was such an interesting time since people who could overcome the tragedy had to be pretty determined. That’s something that reminds me of the post fire times in Chicago that I write about as well. Susanna has found an interesting woman to write about in Lucy, and I’m sure you would enjoy her adventures as I do. Frances McNamara Author of the Emily Cabot Mysteries
April 11, 2016
Minotaur, a publisher I rely on for good historical mysteries, has presented readers with another winner: Susanna Calkins’ A Death Along the River Fleet. Our heroine, Lucy Campion, is in the unusual position of being a female printer’s apprentice in 17th-Century London. Calkins depicts the time period effectively. Although a female printer’s apprentice may appear something of an anomaly, Lucy Campion, as presented, feels genuine. She recognizes her position as unusual and has worked hard to achieve it.
A Death Along the River Fleet opens with Lucy Campion, on her way to the print shop, suddenly confronted by a woman in a blood-stained nightgown. Not surprisingly, Lucy Campion quickly finds herself immersed in this woman’s story. The woman, it turns out, is a daughter of nobility, with no memory of how she came to be wandering the streets of London. Campion hopes to unravel the woman’s story—and as she tries to do this, it becomes clear that the threat the woman faced is still out there.
I find myself hoping that Lucy Campion will continue to experience adventures, and that I’ll be able to rejoin her thanks to the well-researched, engaging prose of Susanna Calkins. This fascinating woman has the depth and complexity to become a very rich figure indeed, one whose presence is every bit as engaging as the mysteries she solves.
A Death Along the River Fleet opens with Lucy Campion, on her way to the print shop, suddenly confronted by a woman in a blood-stained nightgown. Not surprisingly, Lucy Campion quickly finds herself immersed in this woman’s story. The woman, it turns out, is a daughter of nobility, with no memory of how she came to be wandering the streets of London. Campion hopes to unravel the woman’s story—and as she tries to do this, it becomes clear that the threat the woman faced is still out there.
I find myself hoping that Lucy Campion will continue to experience adventures, and that I’ll be able to rejoin her thanks to the well-researched, engaging prose of Susanna Calkins. This fascinating woman has the depth and complexity to become a very rich figure indeed, one whose presence is every bit as engaging as the mysteries she solves.
February 8, 2017
From The Book Junkie Reads . . . A Death Along the River Fleet (Lucy Campion Mysteries, #4) . . .
Historical details, mystery, suspense . . .a page turner.
Cloak & Dagger. This fourth installment in the Lucy Campion Mysteries series has given me an appreciation of the Historical Mystery. I think that this was more due to the fact that the female lead was not what I was expecting.
Lucy and Constable Duncan make a good team with the investigation of this young woman and what had become of her. Calkins makes this journey to the truth on that will be felt with each new discovery. The momentum builds with small clues here and there. Almost like little bread crumbs being left for discovery. As clues to the young woman's past are uncovered there was a premise of intrigue.
I felt at peace by the last line of the last page. Calkins does not leave me with wanting to know how, when, where, why or any other of those questions that can sometime go un-answered. I was able to follow along in Lucy and Constable Duncan's logic, maybe not at the exact time it was happening but that was the intriguing part of it.
I enjoyed this page turner so much I am getting the remainder of the series from the library this weekend and will begin my little on mystery-read-a-thon on Lucy Campion.
**This ARC was provided via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
Historical details, mystery, suspense . . .a page turner.
Cloak & Dagger. This fourth installment in the Lucy Campion Mysteries series has given me an appreciation of the Historical Mystery. I think that this was more due to the fact that the female lead was not what I was expecting.
Lucy and Constable Duncan make a good team with the investigation of this young woman and what had become of her. Calkins makes this journey to the truth on that will be felt with each new discovery. The momentum builds with small clues here and there. Almost like little bread crumbs being left for discovery. As clues to the young woman's past are uncovered there was a premise of intrigue.
I felt at peace by the last line of the last page. Calkins does not leave me with wanting to know how, when, where, why or any other of those questions that can sometime go un-answered. I was able to follow along in Lucy and Constable Duncan's logic, maybe not at the exact time it was happening but that was the intriguing part of it.
I enjoyed this page turner so much I am getting the remainder of the series from the library this weekend and will begin my little on mystery-read-a-thon on Lucy Campion.
**This ARC was provided via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
January 7, 2018
I selected this for the 2017 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "a book you bought on a trip." I picked this one up at a mystery conference I attended the previous year and hadn't had a chance to read it. This was the second book in the series that I've read and certainly won't be my last. The two that I've read so far worked well as stand-alones, but I look forward to reading the earlier offerings in the series to see how it all began and hope that additional books are planned. The books are set after the great fire in London in the 1600s. I've enjoyed the setting, historical elements, and the protagonist, Lucy Campion, who uses the opportunity presented by the fire to redefine her role in society. I like the fact she is not confined to a traditional role and am eager to find out if her next career move is what I think it might be based on the events of this novel.
April 27, 2016
I have become a true fan of Sussana Calkins!
Her books are always packed with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and fully engaged as you turn the pages. Her work is well based in historical facts and she always includes a "historical notes" section at the back- which I always look forward to reading.
Lucy Campion, our protagonist, her suitors, wealthy Adam Hargrave and constable Duncan are all back again in "A Death Along The River Fleet". Lucy stumbles upon a mysterious woman who has no memory of who she is. Her clothes are splattered with blood. Lucy brings the woman to Doctor Larimar for help....and the mystery begins to unfold....
Now, all I have to do is wait for the next book!
Her books are always packed with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and fully engaged as you turn the pages. Her work is well based in historical facts and she always includes a "historical notes" section at the back- which I always look forward to reading.
Lucy Campion, our protagonist, her suitors, wealthy Adam Hargrave and constable Duncan are all back again in "A Death Along The River Fleet". Lucy stumbles upon a mysterious woman who has no memory of who she is. Her clothes are splattered with blood. Lucy brings the woman to Doctor Larimar for help....and the mystery begins to unfold....
Now, all I have to do is wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews