MURDER BY LAMPLIGHT by Patrice McDonough will be released on March 24, 2024 by Kensington.
With her grandfather ill, Dr. Julia Lewis answers the call when a medical examiner is needed at a grisly murder scene of a local clergyman in Victorian-era London. As one of the only female physicians in the city, Julia is used to not being taken seriously—it just smarts a bit more when Detective Inspector Richard Tennant shows his uncertainty in her knowledge and skills. As more bodies turn up in connection to the murdered clergyman, Julia and Richard are drawn closer together as they work together to find the killer. With the killer sending taunting letters to Richard and Julia in his crosshairs, the duo must track down the murderer before one of them becomes the next victim.
While the series of murders and subject matter was interesting—penises are getting chopped off with disturbing frequency—the plot dragged on, the scenes felt disjointed, and it was overwhelmed by multiple info dumps. I love a well-researched novel, but there is such a thing as sharing too much of that research. Overall, MURDER BY LAMPLIGHT was well-written and included some intriguing main characters. It was the dragging plot that left me slogging through the novel. I do see potential in this as a series and Dr. Julia Lewis as a main character.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.