The second Florence Nightingale mystery, set in Victorian London—a perfect read for fans of Charles Todd and Deanna RaybournCholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when a murderer leaves an even bigger pile of bodies.The London summer of 1854 is drawing to a close when a deadly outbreak of cholera grips the city. Florence Nightingale is back on the scene … Nightingale is back on the scene marshaling her nurses to help treat countless suffering patients at Middlesex Hospital as the disease tears through the Soho slums. But beyond the dangers of the disease, something even more evil is seeping through the ailing streets of London.
It begins with an attack on the carriage of Florence’s friend, Elizabeth Herbert, wife to Secretary at War Sidney Herbert. Florence survives, but her coachman does not. Within hours, Sidney’s valet stumbles into the hospital, mutters a few cryptic words about the attack, and promptly dies from cholera. Frantic that an assassin is stalking his wife, Sidney enlists Florence’s help, who accepts but has little to go on save for the valet’s last words and a curious set of dice in his jacket pocket. Soon, the suspects are piling up faster than cholera victims, as there seems to be no end to the number of people who bear a grudge against the Herbert household.
Now, Florence is in a race against time—not only to save the victims of a lethal disease, but to foil a murderer with a disturbingly sinister goal—in A Murderous Malady.
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Christine Trent has a couple of series of historical British mysteries going – one whose main protagonist is Violet Morgan, a wife who takes over her husband’s undertaking business, and this series, of which this novel, A Murderous Malady features a private detective written in the persona of Florence Nightingale, along with several other actual public characters of that time period. All of her mysteries are completely stand-alone, though there are several characters that recur throughout the series. The backgrounds and descriptive passages are completely authentic. I want to read all of these books by Christine Trent.
A Murderous Malady takes place in London in the summer of 1854, in the Soho district, and in Florence’s hospital in Marylebone where she also lives, Our main locations are her hospital, The Establishment for the Temporary Illness of Gentlewomen, but also in the fine home of the Secretary of War Sidney Herbert and his wife Liz, who is Florence’s dear friend. Visiting the Herbert home is the father of Liz, Lieutenant General Charles a’Court, who is a life-long member of Her Majesty’s military, given the colonelcy of the 41st Welsh Regiment of Foot in 1848. Sidney is attempting to sort out the soldier’s needs at the beginning of the war in Crimea. A lot going on, but the tale is easily followed.
Elizabeth and her father are riding to the British Museum to view a new exhibit by way of Soho, a festering slum with a current spreading outbreak of cholera. Their open carriage is attacked by a man on foot, who screams insults at Liz before he is shoved off by the coachman. Almost immediately several shots are fired from the crowded street. Liz is a near miss, the shot cutting a flower from her hat. The coachman, Josh Pagg, is killed. The carriage quickly carries them out of danger thanks to the fast reactions of the family tiger riding on the back of the carriage, Isaac Bent. But no one seems to know who was the actual target of the attack, nor who made the decision to access the British Museum through the dangerous Soho district, nor could they follow the logic of how their route would be known to the assassin. All mysteries placed in the hand of friend Florance and her side-kick and note taker Mary Clarke, the widow of Florance’s tutor in her youth.
Also, as the city is in the grips of a cholera epidemic, Florence is involved in her own hospital’s needs and in upgrading the large Middlesex Hospital nearby to cover the needs of their overflowing patients. Also with the aid of the Reverend Henry Whitehead and Doctor John Snow, a London doctor who treats and both the inhabitants on Soho and the royal family, Florence is busy trying to find work for needy Soho families she encounters during cholera visits, solving the mystery of the attempted murder of her friend Liz, and charting the outbreaks of cholera in an effort to pinpoint the cause of the disease. Flo and Mary become frequent visitors of the Soho Red Lion Inn and Brewery both seeking employment for needy families and resolving the mystery of the fact that neither workers at the brewery nor customers of the bar have been brought down with King Cholera. Florence Nightingale is a very busy woman. But can she do it all?
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Christine Trent and Crooked Lane Books. I have read this book of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work
This book had me captivated from beginning to end. My heart broke for the poor poverty stricken souls living in the slums of London. I also marveled at Florence’s strength and resolve. Her desire to help the hurting at risk to herself and those she loved is inspiring. Even though this is historical fiction, the fact that the author takes great care to stay true to Florence is evident as you read. There is also a nice section in the back of the book where the author gives you some additional historical facts and details about what was really taking place at this time in the life of Florence Nightingale.
https://cozyexperience.com/a-murderous-malady-book-review/
I’ve never read the author’s books before, but once I saw the sleuth in this one is Florence Nightingale, it got my curiosity piqued. So glad I tried it! It’s sort of a combination mystery/historical fiction as there is a lot more than just the mystery she is trying to solve going on. The story takes place around the time of a cholera outbreak and around the same time as a war is brewing, and both have big parts in what is going on around Florence. You get a really good look at not only how people in this period lived, but also other historical happenings around the same time and real historical figures. At the end, the author has a chapter devoted to telling you about each character (turns out most of them were real people in history, not just Florence) and also about the wars and cholera outbreaks going on at the time. The mystery itself didn’t have an obvious culprit until the end of the book, so you’re pulled along with that also through the entire story. All in all, a very enjoyable read, and I’ll be following the author and seeing what else she has to offer.
When Florence’s best friend Liz is attacked in her carriage while traveling through the dilapidated neighborhood of Soho, her coachman is killed. Victorian nurse-turned-sleuth Florence Nightingale is enlisted to find out who was involved and why. Liz’s father, a general in the Afghanistan War, seems to be hiding something, and his callous indifference to the domestics speaks little in his favor. On the other hand, Liz’s husband, the minister of war, is equally dodgy about the incident, leading Florence to wonder if some old connections of his might be the reason for the attack.
While investigating events in Soho, Florence comes face to face with a deadly cholera outbreak and is forced to split her time between hospital reform and murder investigation. Is it the miasmas in the air that spread cholera, or could an original new theory about polluted water be correct? In the end, both cholera and murder combine to create a deadly atmosphere, and Florence must solve the mystery in the nick of time before succumbing herself.
The second book in Trent’s Florence Nightingale series, this story continues the tale of the medical crusader who pioneered nursing as a hygienic and respectable field. The radical difference between Florence’s upper class life and the tenements in Soho is emphasized as well as Florence’s bravery in entering the homes of those many would consider “untouchable.” Some of the extra historical info felt like a bit of a rabbit trail, but I appreciated learning more about the cholera epidemic. The ignorance surrounding the deleterious effects of raw sewage is astounding, given that civilizations as old as the Minoans had sewer systems and 19th century London did not. This was an enjoyable mystery that shines a light on the unhealthier side of Victorian London and the varying ways that the upper class treated their more unfortunate neighbors.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
London, murder, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, disease, historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-research
Sorry to say, but I found this one disappointing. The characters are very well done and interesting, but the plot seems a bit forced and I found that it was work to finish it. Perhaps because I viewed it as detail oriented with the emphasis on less relevant details.
It’s a real shame because I was really looking forward to reading it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.