Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan of the Wigan Borough Police has no time for tales of ghosts and the afterlife, or of the dead contacting the living.
So, when he finds himself investigating the case of a recently widowed young woman, Alice Goodway, who has suddenly developed 'the Gift' of mediumship and has received a threatening letter, he embarks on the inquiry with no small degree of scepticism.
But just as Brennan and his burly colleague, Constable Jaggery, consider how to proceed with the case, something much more sinister takes place... a murder, in Alice's own home.
Who would commit such a crime?
Could it be one of the seven 'visitors' who had been to sittings with Alice and not liked what they had heard?
Or the interfering and sanctimonious Inspector of Nuisances who strongly disapproved of the séances?
There are a lot of old wounds opened and painful memories shared with Brennan and Jaggery as they meticulously gather the information they need to solve the case. The challenge will be narrowing down the suspects, using clues from both the living and the dead...
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[Alice Goodway sat by her dying husband's bedside for three long days and nights, courtesy of Mr Draper, the colliery owner]***
(Endeavour Press, 12 October 2017, copy provided by the publisher and voluntarily read)
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This is my first time reading the author.
I had a great time reading Sitting Murder. This is a fantastic example of the kind of historical fiction I enjoy the most, part mystery and part whodunnit. I liked the red herrings throughout the book that cause little misdirection's.
The characters are well-written, they come across as very realistic and easy to relate to. Despite the subject matter there are no characters who are just nasty, every character is well rounded.
The author does a great job of bringing Victorian London to life. The social intricacies help create a realistic sense of place. I also found this an easy read. By easy I don't mean lazy. It was the kind of book, highly enjoyable that I found effortless to read and the pages flew past.
I would recommend Sitting Murder to anyone and plan to read other books in the series.
