Murder at Old St. Thomas's

The Tommy Jones Mysteries #1

by Lisa M. Lane

In 1862 London, the body of a famous surgeon is found, sitting upright, in an old operating theatre. His dead eyes stare at the table at the center of the room, where patients had screamed and cried as medical students looked on. The bookish Inspector Slaughter must discover the killer with the help of his American sergeant Mark Honeycutt and clues from Nightingale nurses, surgeon's dressers, devious apothecaries, and even stage actors. Victorian Southwark becomes the theatre for revealing secrets of the past in a world where anesthesia is new, working-class audiences enjoy Shakespeare, and women reformers solve society's problems.

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2022

About the author

Lisa M. Lane is a historian and author of Before the Time Machine and three Tommy Jones Victorian Mysteries: Murder at Old St. Thomas's, Murder at an Exhibition, and Murder on the Pneumatic Railway. She writes historical fiction, including traditional mysteries set in Victorian England, as well as non-fiction, with particular interest in the history of technology and the young H. G. Wells.

Reviews

[Kiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this book began evocatively, with glimpses of several main characters and their very different lives, from policemen to medical professionals to theatre actors, with their stories interwoven in the opening chapter. I had no trouble keeping them apart and fresh in my mind, and started to draw the connections between them. This gave me a more in-depth feeling of their roles and their lives in London, and so I related to them strongly. (I much prefer this type of opening of a book to the formulaic dead body revealed so soon. Honestly, readers can wait for it!). The dialogue was realistic, the pacing well-timed, and the two main characters of the police Inspector Slaughter and his side-kick the American DS Honeycutt were so well-drawn, as was the Inspector's wife, Ellie, with her work for women's rights and social reform. I could root for the other characters, the villain was appropriately disagreeable, and the mystery itself was engrossing. I liked how the two policeman related, with the more experienced Inspector Slaughter teaching the brash DS Honeycutt, and the police procedural was authentic to the Victorian age. A very pleasant and intriguing read to transport you back to the Victorian era. Highly recommended.

[South Kensington · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all good murder mysteries, the dead body shows up immediately. If the reader is expecting a cosy and leisurely leadup description, they are given a rude awakening on the very first page.

The aforementioned dead body makes its appearance, sitting ramrod straight in London's St. Thomas Hospital's operating theatre. How it got there, and more importantly WHY it is there drives the plot in this murder set in Victorian London.

The author presents a colorful cast of characters, leaving the reader, guessing right up until the very moment of discovery. I found her main protagonist. Detective Inspector Cuthbert Slaughter a wonderfully complex and fascinating character.

Ms. Lane fills her novel with characters working in various jobs of the medical profession and it is here that her meticulous research really shines. Ms. Lane knows her way around an operating room and her richly descriptive details add to the story.

A cosy book for a rainy night. Tea and scones optional.

[Rute · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved this book as part of the Early Reviewers program from The LibraryThing

This mystery novel, set in London, England, in 1862, was a bit tricky for me. I was not expecting so many characters, and it was a bit hard to get into the story, but as soon as I was involved, it was quite pleasant to read this murder mystery. Everyone had a possible motive, and it was nice that the author kept track of everyone, so it was great to know backstories and where these people came from.

My only complaint about this story was how the actual murder was presented. I was really into the suspense, and out of nowhere there it was, with no suspense at all. After that, nothing else that could happen seemed important enough.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an Early Reviewer and this is my honest review.

I love historical mysteries, they are my favourite genre. This book drew me in and kept me turning pages until the end. Every suspect had a good reason for wanting to kill the horrible victim. I very much enjoyed the characters of Slaughter and Honeycutt, but I especially enjoyed the informative backgrounds on the aspects of the time - such as Women's Rights, the Theatre and Medicine. This was a story that drew me in, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series. Highly recommended for those who like a historical whodunnit with realistic characters portrayed in realistic situations.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. An interesting murder set in an interesting time: London in the 1860s. The unpleasant, sexual predator surgeon lest propped up in the abandoned operating theatre, having been killed with chloroform, is a very ghoulish image. The suspects include historical figures as well as fictional people, and they are distinct characters but they never quite succeed in becoming real. It would be worth reading others in the series (if there is a series) to see how the author I develops further.

[CorrieGM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very good read.
I had won and read one other book of this series, Murder at the Pneumatic Railway. This made me decide to buy more books of this author.
And I was right.
The book is humorous, the characters are understandable. There are a lot of historic factuur in this book. I liked that very much.
Minus point: suddenly the culprit appears, sudderen Slaughter understands what happens.
I did suspect the culprit.

[Joe B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery novel set in London England in 1862 really impressed me. The characters were easy to identify with and there were enough false leads and red herrings to keep me guessing until near the end.

[Jean Hontz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian murder mystery. It was nearly a cozy. Well researched, interesting characters, nicely written, and although not many twists and turns, still a pretty good mystery.