A Murderous Malady A Florence Nightingale Mystery by Christine Trent
Crooked Lane Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 17 May 2019
Description
For fans of Charles Todd and Deanna Raybourn comes Christine Trent’s second Florence Nightingale mystery.
Cholera has broken out in London, but Florence Nightingale has bigger problems when people begin dying of a far more intentional cause—murder.
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 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—inA Murderous Malady.
Advance Praise
Praise for No Cure for the Dead:
“Skillfully blending the stories of actual people with fictional characters, including several from her ‘Lady of Ashes’ series, Trent weaves a serious tale with a sobering tone that will appeal to fans of Nancy Herriman’s British-born nurse.”
―Library Journal
“A natural fit for fans of Ann Perry’s William Monk mysteries.”
―Booklist
“Trent transforms the Lady of the Lamp, Florence Nightingale, into a natural and formidable sleuth. Filled with fascinatinghistorical details, a cast of diverting characters, and a perplexing mystery, No Cure for the Dead is a riveting to start to this new series.”
―Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
"Mystery meets medicine in No Cure for the Dead, Christine Trent’s absorbing tale―a suspense-filled reimagining of the historic Florence Nightingale as a resolute sleuth, determined to keep both murderers and illness at bay. Weaving in authentic period details, Trent offers a fascinating glimpse into the grim world of nineteenth-century nursing, as well as the larger social conflicts of the day. Overall, an intriguing, well-crafted and satisfying read!"
―Susanna Calkins, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion historical mysteries
“The Lady with the Lamp proves herself to be no slouch as a sleuth in this historical mystery featuring nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. The grislier aspects of murder―to say nothing of the only slightly less horrific details of 19th-century medical practice―are leavened with subtle humor, and sharp-eyed readers may spot characters from Ms. Trent’s earlier series featuring Victorian undertaker Violet Morgan.”
―Sheri Cobb South, author of the John Pickett mysteries
“With the formidable Florence Nightingale as sleuth, Christine Trent has crafted a clever mystery rich with details of common medical practices, and which also lets us peek into the upper-class world of mid-19th century London. Great fun.”
―Nancy Herriman, author of the Bess Ellyott mysteries
"An engrossing murder mystery set in a 19th century version of a nursing-home with a cast of characters who might have stepped out of a Dickens novel."
―Rennie Airth, author of River of Darkness
“Clever and complex, with many hanging threads that are ably clipped by Florence during the denouement. Trent is doing double duty here: telling a great story, and educating the reader.”
―Mystery Scene Magazine
Available Editions
EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781683319290
PRICE $40.50 (CAD)
My Review
The second book in the Florence Nightingale Series - “A Murderous Malady” is exactly what I expected. A true well written historical novel that leaves you wanting for more. The characters are well written, authentic and easy to like, how can you not?
Florence Nightingale, a private detective in London during the summer of 1854 is busy with the cholera epidemic hitting the city, but not too busy to try to figure out alongside her note-taker and companion Mary who tried to kill her friend Liz.
On their way to a new exhibit at the British Museum, Josh the coachman announces loudly as the carriage passes through a less desirable section of town “General à Court and Mrs. Herbert coming through!” Her father the “General” had joined the Army back in 1801 and was now advising Liz’s husband Sidney the War Secretary on the conduct of war.
All of a sudden the carriage is attached by what appears may be a madman howling insults at them pointing wildly as his eyes rolled around. As he walks away shots are fired. A bullet barely misses Liz, but Josh the coachman is not so lucky. He is killed and Liz and her husband needs answers. So they enlist the help of Florence to find out what really happened and who could have killed Josh.
Not only is Florence dealing with her friend’s attempted murder, she is also busy working at the nearby hospital and helping find work for needy families.
One of the points of this book I enjoyed was the background history and summary of characters, such as, Captain Sir Alexander Burns and even Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan Norton. That being said I would have liked either this information at the beginning or a notice telling the reader this information is at the end for purposes of reference.
Overall this is a great historical novel that keeps you guessing until the very end and leaves you wanting for more.
I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for anyone who loves a great historical mystery. 📕👍🏼
I GIVE IT A 5 STAR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
