Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was up until 7am this morning reading this book and its sequel, Murder In a Milltown. Not since Owen Parry's Abel Jones series have I been so excited about a mystery series. Nell Sweeney is a young woman with a dark past struggling to make a new life for herself assisting a physician when she is given the oppurtunity of a lifetime. Out of the blue, she's offered a position as governess to the wealthy Hewitt family's new ward, Grace. She knows that her scandalous past would disqualify her for the position but decideds to hide her past and take the job, hoping that this will bring the safety and security she's always wanted. For a time all goes well, but Nell's carefully maintained new identity as straight-laced governess is put in jeapordy when her mentor and employer, Viola Hewitt, begs her to help save the eldest Hewitt son, Will, from hanging for murder. Unable to disappoint the woman who took such a chance on her, a poor unconnected Irish girl, Nell agrees to ivestigate the case. Suddenly, Nell is plunged back into a world of crime and poverty as she investigates the murder Will has been arrested for. Will, rich boy, martyr and rake, dominates every scene he is in. While his innocence is questionable, his charisma and the tragedy of his story soon have Nell determined to do everything she can to help him. While Will might be a bit of a cliche, the way he wears his frailties on his sleeve making him a worhty counterbalance to Nell's self concious propriety and righteousness. Their scenes together are some of the best in the book. Still Life With Murder is teeming with fascinating characters. Nell's remarkable empathy with each of them, from Detective Cook to the prostitute Pearl to self-destructing Will Hewitt, make her not only a great amateur sleuth but the perfect guide through the posh parlors and rank opium dens of 19th century Boston. An entertaining and satisfying read and a very promising series.