In Gilded Age New York, heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter investigate crimes that take them from the slums of Five Points in lower Manhattan to the Fifth Avenue mansions of society’s elite. In the late nineteenth century, women are particularly vulnerable . . . LET THE DEAD KEEP THEIR SECRETS Childbirth can be dangerous even for the wealthy. So when opera singer Claire … opera singer Claire Buchanan shows Prudence and Geoffrey a postmortem cabinet photograph of her deceased twin sister and newborn niece, they express sadness but not surprise. The popular black-bordered portraits are the era’s way of coping with the devastating losses that plague every family. What makes this death different is that Claire is convinced Catherine and her child were murdered.
Prudence’s friend is haunted by a sense of her sister’s lingering presence, and by the conviction that her dead twin is demanding justice. Catherine’s widower, Aaron Sorensen, is a cold, controlling man who swiftly remarried. Now his second wife is already pregnant and may be in terrible danger. In order to discover the truth and find evidence of Sorensen’s guilt, Geoffrey will delve deep into his past while Prudence casts herself as his next victim—putting her own life at grave risk . . .
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Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets by Rosemary Simpson is a Historical Mystery to savor. I loved all the historical details of the culture, clothing, technology and surroundings. Close your eyes and you may glimpse the 19th century for a moment. Feel the emotions and know the thoughts of the all the characters. The criminals plot their evil deeds but are they mad or evil or both? How far will the investigators go to solve the murders? Who will find death and who will live? Loved this intricate and fast paced story. I have enjoyed every book by Rosemary Simpson to date and hope to read more soon. My thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for making this book available to me to read and review.
Another outstanding entry in one of my favorite historical mystery series. Brings Gilded Age New York City to life.
Unlikely serial killer.
Always happy to discover an author who’s new to me! I enjoyed this one! Unfortunately I didn’t realize going in that this was the third book in the series (I always hate not starting at the beginning!), but I’m looking forward to going back to read the first two ASAP.
Our sleuths are an orphaned young woman whose father was a judge (she wants to be a lawyer) and an ex-Pinkerton detective from North Carolina now making NY his home. Diabolical villains, a hint of romance and a well-plotted story. Especially the courageously determined Prudence! She’s one of those characters that you feel like you already know and would like to be friends with.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensington for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Let The Dead Keep Their Secret is the third book in the A Gilded Age Mystery series.
This is a wonderful addition to this exciting series set in 1889 New York City. The author does a wonderful job setting the reader in the time period with description a of the homes, the period clothing, and the city of New York.
The story centers around the investigative law office of Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter and their secretary, Josiah Gregory. Claire Buchanan. A cover for the Met Opera company has come to their office to hire to investigate the death of her twin-sister Catherine, she feels that Claire’s husband, Aaron Sorensen. When Claire returns from a tour of Europe, where she was performing in Aida. She relates that Lucinda Pallazzo how Sorensen had vastly restricted her contact with anyone outside of their home during her pregnancy and how Catherine and their baby dies less than a day later. Claire also lets them know that she was going to confront Sorensen, but as she was nearing his home, she notices a lady exiting the house who was addressed as Mrs. Sorensen and who was clearly with child. When a sandbag falls from above the stage, as the cast is about to perform a rehearsal, and kills Lucinda, Claire is sure it was meant for her.
As Prudence and Geoffrey are into the investigation they begin to agree that Sorensen might have been instrumental in the death of his wife and the current wife may also be in danger, too. They soon learn that both wives would inherit a substantial estate and Sorensen seems to always be in need of money to pay mounting gambling debts. At this time, it was popular that people would have photographs taken of their deceased to help in the grieving. Through devious means, Prudence and Josiah are able to get the glass negatives that were taken of Catherine and the baby and with help of a police photographer, Jacob Riis, they are pretty certain that they didn’t die a natural, but still another piece of proof before calling in the police.
This story is well-plotted and an interesting story with an exciting ending. It was definitely a book that I found hard to put down. There is a cast of wonderful and well-developed characters. This series is one of my favorite historical mystery series.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this interesting and exciting series.
Why does it have to have a price I really want to read it can u lend it to me plzzzzz