A Killer in the Crystal Palace AUDIO/ebook, by Deb Marlowe us the first in the Keir and Levett Mystery series which takes place in Victorian England, in this case at Prince Albert’s exposition at the famed Crystal Palace. Kara Levett is one of the few woman exhibitors and open to the scorn of many. She makes automatons, all sizes, all with clock-like precision. Niall Keir is another exhibitor: he is a blacksmith, but creates things unlike any other blacksmith around. They are exhibiting close to one another so when a body is found; they rush to the spot, pretty much together. Of course, all eyes are on her as she is already much talked about. Niall whisks her away and eventually takes her to see a magistrate, one he trusts, while Scotland Yard hunts for her. It became quite an investigation as first the identity of the murdered man is discovered, and eventually the reasons and the perpetrators.

Kara is unlike any other woman around: she is independent, lives alone (well with servants), runs several manufacturing businesses, and builds automatons. She is cheerful and intelligent, and does not bow to pressure from anyone. Keir has secrets of his own, but is also creative, polite, honest, and a man-about-the-world. They make an interesting team. What one doesn’t think of, the other does. They complement one another well. The mystery was a good one with plenty of red herrings, bound to take them in the wrong direction. It was eventually solved with little damage to Kara’s reputation and only a little damage to her household. It was a good story.

The audiobook reader was Henrietta Meire, who did a wonderful rendition. I was put off by her accent in the beginning, but became comfortable with it quickly. She did a good job differentiating between characters without resorting to peculiar voices. I think she made the book better. I liked the audio far more than the e-book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC by Dragonblade, and audio by Tantor, both through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #Tantor #DebMarlowe #AKillerInTheCrystalPalace

If you like historical mysteries, especially ones set in England, you have to give this new series a try. Set in 1851 at The Great Exhibition it features Miss Kara Levett who creates automatons and clocks. Nr. Niall Kier is there as an artist and blacksmith. Together they make quite a sleuthing team. During the Exhibition and man is murdered and Kara becomes the prime suspect. When the police fail to do their job it falls to Kara and Niall to unmask the killer. Along the way a romance sparks and they find they can depend on each other, something that will be needed when the killer is still unknown.
The mystery is well plotted, the main characters are well developed and the time period of the Victorian Era comes alive. When I finished A Killer in the Crystal Palace I promptly added this series to my must be read list. My wait won't be too long. Death from the Druid's Grove is just around the corner - 26 May, 2023.
My thanks to the publisher Dragonblade Publishing and to Netgalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Period murder mysteries are rapidly becoming one of my favorite genres. Familiar with this author as an historical romance writer, I decided to give this read a try. Am I glad that I did! She had me snared by the time I finished the prologue. What wonderful characters, not just the main ones but also secondary ones. Each had rich personalities, many a bit ahead of their time in their mannerisms and thinking. Of course the best were Miss Kara Levett and Mr Niall Kier. They are both talented artists, selected to be part of the Great Exhibition. Although she is beautiful, Niall appreciates her intelligence as well. Unfortunately, they are soon drawn into a murder that is attempted to be pinned on Kara. As they work together, they come to further appreciate each others talent and idiosyncrasies. There are many period murder mysteries being offered recently, this is definitely one of the better ones. We learned quite a bit about Kara's, but most of Niall's is a mystery. We were given little hints but nothing solid. Hopefully, we will learn more in the next book, which is already preordered. Looking forward to reading it.

A Killer in the Crystal Palace is the first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Kara Levett and Niall Kier.
This book is set in London in 1851, and the two of them are displaying their art and inventions at the Great Exhibition. Unfortunately, a man who has been spending too much admiring Kara's work has been murdered. The two of them team up to clear her name and unravel this deadly conspiracy.
This was a very well-done mystery that kept my interest all the way through. I loved the chemistry between Kara and Niall and can't wait to read future books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

"A Killer in the Crystal Palace" is a mystery set in 1851 in England. I loved the writing in this novel. Kara and Niall felt like products of their time (rather than modern attitudes transported back), but they're also oddities. And they know they stand out as it causes them problems. Both are very skilled and creative. Kara inherited a business from her father (which she runs through a man) and is rich, but she still wanted to use her creative skills despite men feeling threatened by her. She's survived several kidnapping attempts and so has learned some unique survival skills that came in handy.

Niall was impressed by and respected her intelligence and skill. They worked well together, using logic and their unique skills and resources to find clues and solve whodunit. It was a puzzle mystery, and whodunit was guessable (but not obvious) before the big reveal. Historical details about the time, especially the Great Exhibition, were woven into the story and brought the time and place alive in my imagination. There was no sex. There was occasional bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this story to fans of historical mysteries.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy historical mystery: the characters, the storyline and the historical context. It's a little unusual in that Kara is an engineer, designing unique automated items and that appealed.

Pairing up with Niall (a fellow exhibitor), Kara investigates a murder while being a suspect herself. The repartee and rapport were most enjoyable. A great start. I look forward to the next one in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

The cover design caught my eye, and I hoped this would be the kind of book that I'd enjoy.

It was a nicely written historical mystery, and a very light, entertaining read. The characters were fun and likeable, it was light enough to read in one sitting, and just the type of thing to suit my reading mood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

I really liked this book. Set against the backdrop of the Great Exhibition in Victorian England at the height of the Industrial Revolution, comes a murder mystery with a dash of romance. The characters are well formed, the writing is fluent and reads at a good pace, and the plot concept is brilliant. I love that the FMC is working in a male dominated field and has a love for science and invention, and the MMC is totally here for it! Plus, who doesn’t love automatons?

A Killer in THE Crystal Palace by Deb Marlowe

This is my first book by Deb Marlowe London 1851 and the Great Exhibition, a murder mystery, and what a great read it is. The authorities want an easy arrest, and there she is, but did she do it!? Kara Levett and Niall Kier, a Scottsman, fascinating characters, and the story has both an intricate and intriguing plot, twist and turns. Pulls you in from the beginning. It says book one, can't wait for the next one in the meantime I will check out her other reads.

Historical Mystery

Someone is dead, and a part of her automaton is to blame. Is she the killer? The police are looking for her to make an easy arrest, but she found an ally in Niall. As the two go on a quest to find the killer, they are in for a deadly surprise. The killer might not be done with murder and mayhem. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like historical mysteries with twists and turns.

I have become addicted to historical mysteries and was so excited to see this by one of my favorite authors!!

London 1851 and the Great Exhibition- it does not get much better and the author grabs you from the first sentence! She is the creator of fabulous automatons, which are fascinating, and has her own exhibit. When a man is found dead with part of one of her creations near, she is accused of murder. Of course the police do not want to look any further.

He is a Scotsman, blacksmith, artist and fellow exhibitor that tries to help her. Therein lies the premise of this exciting story!!

All I can say, is please put on audible and I cannot wait for more!!

A suspenseful murder mystery, in which Miss Kara Levett is the most convenient person to pin the blame on for the murder of a young man. Niall Kier reluctantly gets involved when he realizes that Kara is not going to sit back and allow the detectives on the case to make her the scapegoat in the affair. The plot takes one across London in the early Victorian era, at a time when police work still had not advanced to where it would later be, and being a woman is a distinct disadvantage. Niall has secrets, which are not revealed in this novel, but he is a highly intelligent man, as well as an artist in his right, and spending time with Kara makes him appreciate the woman of intelligence that she is. She has skills that he does not expect to see in a woman and he finds that she is completely able to defend herself. As the couple put their heads together, they reach a conclusion that astounds the police. The novel is a standalone and comes to a successful ending, but unfortunately, not everyone wins. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for this ARC. What a brilliant first book to a new series! Absolutely loved it! Loved the characters and their secrets. The villain was a little predictable but that didn't matter as this was a proper page turner and i could not put it down. Hopefully not to long to wait for the next installment.

A mystery to solve at the Crystal Palace.

This is a fast paced, Victorian mystery. Set at the Crystal Palace during the Great Exhibition during Victoria and Albert's height of achievment. Miss Kara Levett is a brilliant crafter of automatons. She is paired with Niall Keir, a blacksmith. They have chemistry, intelligence and a mystery to solve and Kara's good name to be cleared.
Recommend.

Niall Kier and Kara Levett first meet when they are both submitting their work for a spot in the Crystal Palace Exhibition. They have exceptional offerings, Niall is a smith with an artistic bent and Kara is the creator of astounding automatons, needless to say, they are both accepted and are delighted when they meet again at the Exhibition. But their mutual delight is cut short when a body is found, and the man appears to have been killed by a piece from one of Kara’s automatons. This notion is amplified by other vendors, who are jealous of Kara’s talent and are all too eager to fling accusations of murder. Niall senses the shift in the crowd and rescues her – much to her dismay. But then gives him the slip, and sets out to discover the name of the murdered man. She returns home and is confronted by Niall, much to her surprise. After speaking to him, she realizes that going with him and meeting with his magistrate friend is better for her than waiting on Scotland Yard to come and arrest her for murder. And so begins their investigation to find a killer and clear Kara’s name, but soon it becomes clear that Kara is in danger and hopefully, they can solve this murder before the killer finds Kara!

This was such an intriguing and riveting read and while the genre is a bit of a deviation from my favored historical romance genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am already anticipating the next book! Kara and Niall are both extremely talented and brilliant people, who share an obvious attraction, but that attraction takes a backseat to the murder mystery. Kara is fascinating, she has no family except for her cousin (who inherited her father’s title, but not his wealth or business) and her butler/assistant/best friend Turner – her upbringing was unusual and she doesn’t trust easily, but she finds herself drawn to Niall, who clearly has secrets, but seems sincere in his desire to help clear her name. The story takes off running and never stops until they find the murderer, all while introducing the reader to new and interesting secondary characters who add some to the story and round out this thrilling book. I am happy to recommend this novel and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

This is first in a new historical mystery series.

The story centers around the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London where a murder is committed, and heiress/artist/inventor/exhibitor Kara Levett is accused of the crime. Niall Kier, a fellow artist/inventor/exhibitor offers to help her clear her name. As Kara’s life is threatened, they realize there are actually two mysteries to solve…which one resulted in murder?

While the mysteries were fairly easy/routine to unravel, it was the characters and the interesting locale/history that saved the day. Kara was an exceptionally intelligent and resourceful woman…strong and independent. Niall was a bit less fleshed-out, but the reader will no doubt discover more about his murky and intriguing “past” in future books.

While I wasn’t really bowled over, it was entertaining enough to give the next one a try.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing the free early arc of A Killer in the Crystal Palace for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

London, 1851, and the Great Exhibition is on. A soaring success despite months of dour predictions, it is the event of the year, on front pages and wagging tongues the world over and Miss Kara Levett is thrilled to be in the middle of it. The daughter of a baron and an exhibitor herself, she happily demonstrates her elaborate automatons and case clocks to the crowds. Her situation grows perilous when a man is murdered in the Crystal Palace with a part of one of her automatons and she becomes the prime suspect. With the unexpected aid of Mr Niall Kier, a reserved Scottish blacksmith, artist and fellow exhibitioner with secrets of his own, Kara begins the work the Metropolitan Police show no inclination for finding the true killer.
The first in a new series & what a starter! It is definitely a murder mystery with a hint that romance could develop between Niall & Kara. I was drawn in from the very first sentence " His nerves were a tangled wreck, twisted with fury and twinges of panic”. The characters are extremely well portrayed & I felt I really got to know Kara & Niall, although he has secrets, which weren’t revealed. The pace is very good & never lags in fact I was loathe to put it down until finished. A very well researched book, which was a lovely mix of fact & fiction. I didn’t work out who the villain was, there were twists & turns most were a surprise. An engrossing, captivating read which I loved & I hope this is the start of a very long series.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the first book in the Levett and Kier mystery series. The main characters in this series are Kara Levett and Niall Keir. The story takes place where Kara and Nile first meet at the Crystal Palace, the home of the Great Expedition.
When a murder is committed, and Kara is accused of it, Niall comes to her rescue. The storyline of the book is to clear Kara's name improve that she did not commit the murder. As they work together, they get to know each other and become very close.
Both Kara and Niall are independent people who have followed the heart's desire despite what society believes they should be doing. They both have their secrets. Some of carers are revealed in the book but the book ends with not knowing Nialls story.. I assume that will be book two..
This is definitely a mystery book with a hint of romance, but it is not a romance story. There is no happily ever after, it remains to be seen what happens with their relationship.
The book was action packed, fast-paced, and kept your attention. I did figure out who the culprit was about halfway through.
All in all I thought the story was good, I just wish there was just a little bit more romance.
I give it 4⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

(This review may contain spoilers)
I read this book because I always enjoyed the stories by this author. It was a fast paced, entertaining story, but with an incomplete end.
The heroine in this story is an older lady (mid 20's) who has ties to a noble family, but no title. She has been the victim of an abduction when she was 11 years old and after that, her father taught her defensive measures and she saved herself from 3 additional unsuccessful abductions. Her father's wealth was seperate from the title, and had been that way since the creation of the title. The heroine's cousin had all the estates and titles and responsibilities to run the estates profitably. But he had no head for the business end. The heroine had an exhibit at the Great Exposition in the Ctystal Palace. The heroine built automated items, from conception to actual fabrication. The automaton she is exhibiting is called 'the Gambler'. She misses the date of registering for the Exposition, but when she appeared with her items, there was a gentleman already trying to get in because he also missed the registration period. The chairman was amazed by their items, but the gentleman, our hero, is able to negotiate both of them getting into the exposition, by offering one of his items as a bribe. But both are able to have an exhibit. One morning the hero arrives at the exposition and sees gears and metal.parts laying under some tables. And the same time, the heroine noticed her 'Gambler' is missing. She goes to investigate and locates him under the table, with his arm missing. A group of urchins catches the hero's attention and they lead him to a corpse holding on to the missing arm of the automaton. One of the exhibitors immediately accuses the heroine of murdering the man, and both hero and heroine are embroiled in a murder mystery with the heroine hiding for her life.
This book,for the most part, was a well paced and thorough story. It was very interesting in describing the exposition, and life at that time. The hero and heroine are both creative and engineering geniuses. The part that left me down was the ending. There is no confession of love, just that the other person touches them in a place they never thought would be touched. The heroine offers the hero a garage to use as his forge so he can live with her instead of going back to Scotland. He agrees to use the forge and that is how it ends. It ends that they just reconciled. The reader doesnt knowing they actually say they love each other, or get married or even move their relationship to the next level. We have to imagine it. Well, I want to be told that they got married or had children or even just decided to live together. I do not want to assume anything. I am giving this 3 stars because I like a definitive ending. I like to know that love overcame their reserve and their secrets. I do not recommend reading because of the lack of ending

The Crystal Palace was the site of The Great Exhibition of 1851, where innovative industrial products from all over the world were displayed. The heroine, Kara Levett, and hero, Niall Kier, meet for the first time in the office of an Exhibition panellist, who has the power to approve their selection as exhibitors. Kara makes automatons and Niall forges things from iron. When a man is murdered with the arm from one of Kara's automatons and she is accused of the murder, she and Niall team up to find the real culprit. The plot involves a one-armed man, a maker of artificial limbs, industrial espionage, treacherous foreigners, a hideous birthmark, secret passages, and more. There are many characters and places that have nothing to do with the plot but slow the pace and add to the confusion. The characters speak contemporary American English.

The setting and the historical background were interesting, but otherwise I found the book dull. It is the first in a planned series, and the author has tried to introduce too many characters and insert too many incidents that are meant to describe Kara's background and character but would be better left to another book or removed altogether.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for this ARC.