Download PDF A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books
Download PDF A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books
Download As PDF : A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books
Stoke Newington, 1863 Little Margaret Lovejoy is found brutally murdered in the outhouse at her family’s estate. A few days later, a man is cut down in a similar manner on the doorstep of courtesan and professional detective Heloise Chancey’s prestigious address. At the same time, Heloise’s maid, Amah Li Leen, must confront events from her past that appear to have erupted into the present day. Once again Heloise is caught up in a maelstrom of murder and deceit that threatens to reach into the very heart of her existence. In this second installment of the Heloise Chancey Mysteries, M.J Tjia brings us another enthralling historical crime where the twists and turns are as numerous and dark as the London streets which serve as their setting.
Download PDF A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books
"I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, because the heroine is that rare creature in a historical fiction book; a person of colour. Heloise Chancey is a half-Chinese, high-class courtesan in Victorian London, living with her maid/mother Amah Li Leen and occasionally solving crimes. This is the second book in a series about Heloise, and I’m not sure how much backstory we missed in the first, but despite much of the book being told in the first person from Heloise’s point of view, I didn’t feel like I really got to know her at all.
The parts of the book told in third person with Amah as the protagonist were the parts I really enjoyed. Most people don’t think about the fact that Victorian London was a melting pot of different cultures, with sailors coming in daily on ships from all over the world. The dock areas were populated with Chinese, Indian, Malay, Jamaican, Zanzibaran and many more non-European folk, and it’s really a refreshing change to have them not just featured but actually star in a historical novel. Reading about Amah’s life experiences and her current way of life as a Malayan Chinese woman in London was enlightening and intriguing, as were the references to an early Chinese triad gang who came under suspicion for the murders in the book.
This isn’t a read for the faint-hearted; it’s billed as Agatha Christie meets Sherlock Holmes and there’s more than enough blood and gore in it to suit fans of either, including the gruesome murder of a young girl, and an attempted sexual assault which could prove triggering for some. The mystery was intriguing and I really didn’t figure out whodunnit until the reveals.
I did enjoy this, but Heloise was just too enigmatic a character for me to really get to know her, particularly with most of the book told in her first-person PoV. Four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley."
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A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books Reviews :
A Necessary Murder Heloise Chancey Mysteries MJ Tjia 9781787198791 Books Reviews
- I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, because the heroine is that rare creature in a historical fiction book; a person of colour. Heloise Chancey is a half-Chinese, high-class courtesan in Victorian London, living with her maid/mother Amah Li Leen and occasionally solving crimes. This is the second book in a series about Heloise, and I’m not sure how much backstory we missed in the first, but despite much of the book being told in the first person from Heloise’s point of view, I didn’t feel like I really got to know her at all.
The parts of the book told in third person with Amah as the protagonist were the parts I really enjoyed. Most people don’t think about the fact that Victorian London was a melting pot of different cultures, with sailors coming in daily on ships from all over the world. The dock areas were populated with Chinese, Indian, Malay, Jamaican, Zanzibaran and many more non-European folk, and it’s really a refreshing change to have them not just featured but actually star in a historical novel. Reading about Amah’s life experiences and her current way of life as a Malayan Chinese woman in London was enlightening and intriguing, as were the references to an early Chinese triad gang who came under suspicion for the murders in the book.
This isn’t a read for the faint-hearted; it’s billed as Agatha Christie meets Sherlock Holmes and there’s more than enough blood and gore in it to suit fans of either, including the gruesome murder of a young girl, and an attempted sexual assault which could prove triggering for some. The mystery was intriguing and I really didn’t figure out whodunnit until the reveals.
I did enjoy this, but Heloise was just too enigmatic a character for me to really get to know her, particularly with most of the book told in her first-person PoV. Four stars.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley. - This is the first I have read of this author, but is the second in the series, and I found myself at a bit of a loss several times because it. Rather than giving a brief understanding of events from the previous book, when the author makes references to it the reader isn’t given enough information to fill in the gaps properly. The heroine is a kept woman in London who helps with mysteries at the request of a private inquiry agent. She is asked to jump into a case of murder and she does, but at the same time there is a back story involving her mother and cousin and friends that isn’t quite explained. Since she herself thinks about what had come before I felt it should have been explained a bit more. She is evidently meant to be a colorful character and does seem as such but again, something seemed to be missing. It also reminded me of a true crime mystery I had previously read which was incorporated into part of the back story. All said it was still a good story and I will be picking up the first in the series to fill in those pesky gaps.
- This was a second in series featuring a courtesan/former actress who occasionally helps a detective agency solve crimes. I read the first one not long ago and rated it a 3.5/5...between a so-so and a pick. I enjoyed this one more. Good mystery (actually there are TWO) with twists (most of which I saw coming). Heroine is strong, feisty and an interesting character. Be warned however, there are some gruesome spots. Plan to continue with the series.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #PanteraPress for the ARC. - A new favorite series. Beautifully evocative settings; Interesting, complex characters and exciting mystery. The only bad thing about getting to read this book early (thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC ebook in exchange for this review) is that I’ll have even a longer wait for the next one! Terrific book, highly recommended!
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