Murder in a Mill Town

Rating:
Summary: strong amateur sleuth
Review: As a child she lived in the poor house until she met Duncan who took her out of there. Neither Duncan nor Nell Sweeney had enough money to live on his salary so she started picking pockets and became known as Cornelia Catpurse because she was so good at it. After Duncan was found guilty of theft and thrown in jail for thirty years wealthy Bostonian Viola Hewitt hired her to be a governess for her adopted daughter Gracie.

Viola asks Nell to find out where Bridget Fallon and her boyfriend Virgil are and because she loves her benefactor Nell agrees. Viola's son, Will, an opium and morphine addict who makes his living as a gambler helps Nell. When they find Bridget and Virgil, the pair has been dead for a few days, the victim of murder with the evidence pointing to Will's brother Harry. While trying to clear Harry, Will and Nell become captives of the perpetrator.

Nell is one of the strongest, most honorable and dearest heroines to grace the pages of an amateur sleuth novel. She doesn't let anyone stop her from doing what she believes is right even if it means putting herself in danger. She plays many roles and can fit in as the mistress of a mansion or a pick pocket, which makes it easy for all types of people to confide in her. The mystery is well constructed and the revelation of the killer will come as a shock to readers. P.B. Ryan knows how to write a tale that will grip and keep readers interest throughout the novel.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: strong amateur sleuth
Review: As a child she lived in the poor house until she met Duncan who took her out of there. Neither Duncan nor Nell Sweeney had enough money to live on his salary so she started picking pockets and became known as Cornelia Catpurse because she was so good at it. After Duncan was found guilty of theft and thrown in jail for thirty years wealthy Bostonian Viola Hewitt hired her to be a governess for her adopted daughter Gracie.

Viola asks Nell to find out where Bridget Fallon and her boyfriend Virgil are and because she loves her benefactor Nell agrees. Viola's son, Will, an opium and morphine addict who makes his living as a gambler helps Nell. When they find Bridget and Virgil, the pair has been dead for a few days, the victim of murder with the evidence pointing to Will's brother Harry. While trying to clear Harry, Will and Nell become captives of the perpetrator.

Nell is one of the strongest, most honorable and dearest heroines to grace the pages of an amateur sleuth novel. She doesn't let anyone stop her from doing what she believes is right even if it means putting herself in danger. She plays many roles and can fit in as the mistress of a mansion or a pick pocket, which makes it easy for all types of people to confide in her. The mystery is well constructed and the revelation of the killer will come as a shock to readers. P.B. Ryan knows how to write a tale that will grip and keep readers interest throughout the novel.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: a wonderful new series to check out
Review: For the many fans of historical mysteries in Victorian America (esp if you're a huge Victoria Thompson fan), here's another addicting and absorbing series to check out: P. B. Ryan's Gilded Age Mysteries, featuring intrepid governess and sleuth, Nell Sweeney. I haven't read "Still Life Under Murder" yet, but based on my favourable impression of "Murder in a Mill Town," I will definitely be reading that book soon.

When mill worker, Bridget Fallon, fails to return home after a night out with her ex-felon boy friend, her mother is naturally frantic. By now Bridget has been missing for three days, and Mrs. Fallon cannot get anyone to take her fears seriously. Everyone, from the police to Harry Hewitt (the second son of that fabulously rich and upper-class family) who runs the mill, assumes that Bridget has run off with her beau, Virgil Hines. But Mrs. Fallon is sure that her daughter wouldn't do anything like that, and is afraid for Bridget's safety. Undeterred, Mrs. Fallon turns to Mrs. Hewitt (Harry's mother) in order to ask for her help. Being kind hearted and moved by Mrs. Fallon's obvious distress, Mrs. Hewitt in turns asks Nell Sweeney (her granddaughter's governess) to look into the matter. A child of the streets, Nell has raised herself to her current position through sheer hard work and determination. If anyone can help the Fallons, it's Nell. And because Nell has a great affection for her employer, she agrees to do a spot of investigating. Little did Nell expect, however, that this investigation would bring her face to face with a past that she had thought to be long buried -- a past, furthermore that could jeopardize the new life she has carved out for herself...

Swiftly paced and with quite a few cunning plot twists, "Murder in a Mill Town" was an enjoyable read from start to finish. At the heart of the series is the character of Nell Sweeney: an intelligent, intrepid and courageous woman who doesn't hesitate to do the right thing no matter the cost. Nell, is the main reason why this series really works and is so compelling. And by throwing in Nell's complicated and darker past into the mix, "Murder in a Mill Town" became an even more engaging and poignant read. With good historical detail and a cast of well fleshed out characters, "Murder in a Mill Town" makes for great reading.

Rating:
Summary: 'Mill Town' Okay - Not Great
Review: This book is the second in a series by P. B. Ryan, called "A Gilded Age Mystery". The story takes place in 1868 Boston, which makes it immediately interesting. Main character, Nell Sweeney, is a governess to a rich family. When parents of a missing girl come to the mistress of the house for help in finding her, Nell takes on the task. Characters are good and well-rounded. The character of Nell strikes me as a bit far-fetched when she fights off a bad guy. She's supposed to be this gorgeous lady, and how she overpowers him is frankly not believable. The book lacks humor but is otherwise well written. The author refers back to the first book in the series a lot, but I see no advantage in having to read Number One first. Good climax at the end.

Rating:
Summary: Murder in a Mill Town
Review: This is the second book in one of the best Historical Murder Mystery series I've read. If you like Anne Perry (who delves into some pretty nasty Victorian vices) or better yet Dianne Day (the Freemont Jones series) then you should like this series. But buy the first book too - Still Life with Murder, since the main characters unfold across the two books.