MURDER AT THE ORPHEUS THEATRE (Tate & Bell Mystery #4) by Irina Shapiro will be released on February 25, 2025, by Storm Publishing.
A night at the theater turns into a murder investigation when the actors playing Romeo and Juliet die on stage. Because he was in the audience when the two actors were poisoned, Scotland Yard Inspector Sebastian Bell is assigned to the case. When she’s not busy taking care of her elderly charge, Gemma does what she can to help Sebastian chase down leaves and find evidence against some of their suspects. There was a lot going on behind the scenes at the theater, and there is a long list of suspects who had solid motives to poison both Romeo and Juliet.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first three novels in the Tate & Bell Mystery series, and it was no different for MURDER AT THE ORPHEUS THEATRE. The novels can be dark and gritty, showing the underbelly of London in the mid-1800s. Gemma is a sympathetic yet strong character. She served as one of Florence Nightingale’s nurses during the Crimean War. She’s lived through circumstances that Sebastian cannot even begin to imagine, and, while he is determined to protect her, he knows she can accomplish far more than what society deems appropriate for a young, unmarried woman. The plot is intriguing, and it keeps the reader engaged until the very end. I highly recommend the Tate & Bell Mystery to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.