I’ve read and liked Rowland’s historical mysteries set in Japan, but I skipped the first in this series set in Victorian England. (It was about Jack the Ripper, and serial killers are not my thing.) The plot in this one sounded more interesting to me, so I decided to give it a try.

Sarah Bain is a partner in a fledging detective agency in London. When she and her partner and friend, Hugh, happen on evidence related to a high-profile kidnapping case during another investigation, they are hired by wealthy Sir Gerald Mariner to figure out whether a member of his family is behind the disappearance of his infant son. He invites them to stay at his estate, where Sarah and Hugh learn more and more about his very unhappy family. As their investigation develops, the detectives find themselves in danger of losing their livelihoods and maybe even their lives if they don’t figure out the solution to the crime.

This novel has several strong points. Almost every member of Sir Gerald’s family has a motive for committing the kidnapping, as well as something to be guilty about, and I was kept guessing until the very end. There’s a second mystery at play in the story—the disappearance of Sarah’s father when she was a child—and I’m really curious to see how that plotline will play out in future books, as Sarah tries to figure out what happened to him. Finally, while Victorian England isn’t depicted in as much loving detail as Japan is in her other series, the book does explore some of the social issues of the day in a way that I found interesting, particularly Hugh’s experiences as a gay man in a period when homosexuality was a criminal offense.

The weakest aspect of the novel was that Sarah and Hugh are really kind of awful at the whole detective thing. They bumble along, suspecting (sometimes even accusing) one person and then another, and they don’t really discover who committed the crime so much as create the right set of circumstances for the perpetrator to be revealed in a very dramatic fashion. Readers who are fans of books where the detectives assemble clues in an effort to actually deduce the solution to the mystery might find themselves a little impatient with the plot.

All in all, though, I liked the book well enough that I’ll be picking up the next in the series. Fans of historical mysteries set in the Victorian period should give it a try.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks Crooked Lane Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Continues from the previous mystery but could be a stand alone novel. A lot of questions are answered, new dangers confronted, surpasses the Ripper theme

Gripping!

Unlikely compatriots and fellow private detectives Sarah Bain and Lord Hugh Staunton, are thrown into, well are lured into really, the case of a kidnapped young child, Robin Mariner. The beloved son of wealthy banker and hard nosed businessman Sir Gerald Mariner, a friend to those in high places, has gone missing. Sir Gerald hires them with a retainer they cannot resist. He insists on a confidentiality clause which puts Sarah immediately at odds with her beau, Police Constable Thomas Barrett and Inspector Reid. After the Ripper debacle, Reid is harbouring a deep grudge against both Sarah and Hugh. He figuratively froths at the mouth whenever he lays eyes on them. And that's a lot of frothing with this latest case!
The thing is Sarah and Hugh are also seen in an area where they should not have been, so suspicion for a double murder falls on them.
Tied up in all this is Sarah's painstaking search for the father she'd grown up believing was dead. As she slowly inches forward with that so personal and painful endeavour, more information comes to light that strikes a blow to her heart and her faith in the type of man she believed her father to be.
There's coil within coil that unwinds like a striking snake. In the case of the missing Robin. Who is to be believed, who is to be trusted? What of the family members and associates, the servants and trusted companions? How many cards are in the deck and where do Sir Gerald's loyalties lie?
In turns, the story is both complex and harrowing as the search for Robin continues and close friendships are stretched to breaking point.
The underlining perceptions of Victorian England, attitudes and fears are highlighted through the main characters who just don't fit in--Sarah, Hugh and Mick, and through the machinations of Sir Gerald, the government and their representatives.
Rowland's portrayals of the places and people of these times are magnificent.

A NetGalley ARC

The second book in the Victorian Mystery series featuring photographer Sarah Bain and her titled friend, Lord Hugh Staunton. The two have formed a detective agency after their success in The Shadow of the Ripper. Sarah was evicted from the premises of her studio as a direct result of that first case; Hugh was disowned by his family after they discovered his homosexuality. Sarah and Hugh not only work but also live together, along with Hugh's manservant and a street urchin, Mick, who assisted them on the Ripper case. Business is slow, and their resources are low when they are hired to investigate the kidnapping of Robin Mariner, the young son of Sir Gerald Mariner. Sir Gerald is an immensely wealthy and powerful London banker. He suspects a family member and insists that Hugh and Sarah move into his home to investigate. He also requires them to sign a non-disclosure agreement, causing problems with Sarah's lover, Constable Barrett. The Mariner family is a motley crew, all of whom may have reason to be jealous of Robin. There is also a secondary mystery, that of Sarah's father who disappeared years ago.


A Mortal Likeness has all the elements of historical mysteries that I look for and usually like. It has a female amateur sleuth, excellent historical detail, a well-plotted story, and lots of action. However, I found that I could not connect with either Sarah or Hugh. Both are driven by their emotions and those same emotions do little but hamper the investigation. It becomes a sort of "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" exercise. Plus, both Hugh and Sarah indulge in dangerous and ill-considered behavior throughout the book. I waffled about what rating to give A Mortal Likeness and settled on 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I am interested enough in the secondary mystery to read the next book to find out what happened to Sarah's father, and what an ongoing relationship with Sir Gerald might bring.

Thanks to Crooked Lane and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 3 Stars

Thanks Crooked Lane Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Brings together all the characters from the first book plus weaves new ones into this one. This is a fast paced mystery that you'll want to finish in one night.

Sarah Bain and Lord Hugh Staunton are unlikely sleuths. After surviving a violent confrontation with Jack the Ripper in the first book of this series, the two are hired by Sir Gerald Mariner, an imperious, wealthy, and well-connected man whose young son, Robin, has been kidnapped. In 1889, Sarah and Hugh move into Mariner's mansion at Sir Gerald's request in order to spy on his relatives, acquaintances, and servants. The abduction, Mariner believes, was an inside job. Adding to Sarah's anxiety is the possibility that her father, Benjamin, whom she has not seen for twenty-four years, may still be alive. She never understood why he abruptly abandoned his wife and ten-year-old daughter.

Laura Joh Rowland's "A Mortal Likeness" has some of the same strengths and weaknesses of its predecessor. The author colorfully depicts Victorian London's scenic beauty and depressing squalor. In addition, she emphasizes, as so many have done before, the enormous chasm between the affluent upper classes and those who can barely put food on the table. Sarah is an appealing heroine--sassy, courageous, curious, and passionately devoted to righting wrongs. Unfortunately, she, Hugh, and Mick O'Reilly, a thirteen-year-old former street urchin, conduct their chaotic inquiries with the finesse of bulls in a china shop. The police are equally inept in their efforts to solve the mystery of Robin's disappearance.

Rowland's thinly drawn secondary characters and a muddled mystery are the book's chief flaws. Although Sarah is a photographer who has an eye for detail and is more observant than most, her professional talents are underused. She spends much of her time eavesdropping, pumping witnesses for information, and trying to avoid Inspector Reid, who is eager to lock her up for interfering in police business. The most satisfying aspect of "A Mortal Likeness" is Sarah's fighting spirit. Although she is poor, plain, and single, thirty-three year Sarah refuses to be cowed by her detractors and is fiercely determined to make her mark in a man's world.

This is the second in this Victorian series and I hope there will be more entries. Sarah Bain used to be a photographer but now that has been overshadowed by her investigating endevours along with her partner, Lord Hugh Staunton. In the course of one investigation they stumble across a multiple death connected to the kidnapping of a baby. As they have photographic evidence that may be of help to the baby's family, they present themselves as investigators. Money is tight and this case will give them a big boost. They are invited into the house so they can investigate the household staff if, indeed, this was an inside job. While Sarah is following this case, the situation with her father enters the picture, giving her another mystery to unravel.
The mystery is satisfying, the characters are well developed and the Victorian setting rings true.

I love a good historical mystery and this was a very good one. The setting is Victorian London and the story revolves around the disappearance of the baby of a wealthy, but dysfunctional family. I liked the characters very much and fell into the story almost immediately. Hugh, Sarah and Mick prove in the end that they are a family, albeit an odd one, that works together and takes care of each other. I loved the ending too and hope we will see more about Sarah's other family in future books.

Sara Bain and her friend, Lord Hugh Staunton, are trailing a potential unfaithful husband in the Crystal Palace in London trying to catch him in the act. The husband meets up with a woman and they capture a couple of pictures of him in the garden’s in “indelicate” positions. When Sara develops the pictures, she finds one with a man in the background that resembles her father who disappeared when she was just a young girl.
When Sara returns to the Crystal Palace the next day to try and trace the mystery man’s movements, she finds that the couple she and Hugh were trailing were killed shortly after being photographed by them. Come to find out that the couple was found near a ransom drop off point for the very wealthy, very influential Sir Gerald Mariner whose baby went missing over a week prior. Thinking they might be able to provide assistance, Hugh enlists his father to get them an appointment with Sir Mariner. Sir Mariner listens to them about what they saw at the Crystal Palace and decides he can use them to investigate the members of his household who he ultimately suspects were involved with the kidnapping and not an external party as described in the newspapers.
Sara and Hugh get installed in Sir Mariners house and find complex family dynamic. Between the daughter who lost daddy’s attention, the son who has decided to go into the priesthood and the wife who left the theater but still surrounds herself with an entourage.
The kidnapping is just one mystery that Hugh and Sara must solve. There is also something suspect about the son was kept hidden away from anyone to see.
Lots of mystery and twists make for an exciting story. Laura Joh Rowland does a great job at keeping the pace quick and in wrapping up the various sub plots. Really enjoyed the book and I will have to go back and read the first in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Sarah Bain is a Detective in Victorian London. Once a professional photographer, she lost her studio and now struggles to make a living with her partner, Lord Hugh Staunton. Their income is supplemented by a small allowance that Hugh receives from his family, but that will soon be discontinued. A possible break comes when Hugh uses family connections to meet Sir Gerald Mariner, a banker whose infant son was kidnapped from his home.

Sir Gerald believes that someone in his family is responsible. Sarah and Hugh are moved into Sir Gerald’s home where his family is told that they will be investigating the disappearance. They are not told that they are the ones who are being investigated. Once they have settled in, Sarah finds a picture of the child posed with his mother. As a photographer Sarah had taken a number of post-mortem pictures and the child’s position and expression in the photo raise doubts. Was there an actual kidnapping or is the disappearance to cover up something more sinister?

As the investigation continues, Sarah also continues her search for her father, who went missing after being suspected of murder. Reviewing the case file leads her to a second family that he has also deserted. While she has always believed in his innocence, her discoveries lead her to question her judgment and puts stress on her friendship with Hugh.

Laura Joh Rowland is the author of the Sano Ichiro series, taking place in feudal Japan. Her descriptions and characters paint a vivid picture of the past. She has now transported her readers to an equally fascinating Victorian England with a mystery and characters that will have them looking forward to future tales.

The young son of Sir Gerald Mariner has been kidnapped and with weeks having past with no child found by the police he hires Sarah Bain and Hugh Staunton, private investigators.
The book is written in the present tense, and I didn't really take to the style of writing or to the two main characters, so I doubt I will seek out the first in the series. Their method seems to be to accuse everyone until someone confesses.
It is probably more a 2.5 star rating

This historical mystery is exactly what I like; set in Victorian London with a strong female lead and supporting characters I would love to have as friends.

Sarah Bain and her friend Lord Hugh Staunton have opened their own detective agency. The difficulty is that they're running out of money and need some wealthy clients to pay the rent. So far it's been lost items and cheating spouses, none of it very lucrative. Things change when they become mixed up in the kidnapping of Robin Mariner, the infant son of Sir Gerald Mariner, a wealthy banker who is offering a 5000 pound reward for information that leads to his son's return. There's plenty of action here; people drop dead throughout and a side mystery, involving Sarah's father, as well as a bit of romance means there's never a dull moment.

This the second book in the series, and although I haven't read the first book I had no problem jumping right in and making sense of the various relationships. The mystery is a good, but it's the characterizations that set this one apart. They run the gamut from the good to the psychopathic and it isn't always possible to tell which is which.

Entertaining and well worth a read. Now I must go back and read the first book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Photographer Sarah Bain and disgraced Lord Hugh Staunton have formed an investigations agency. They have experience because they solved the Jack the Ripper case in THE RIPPER'S SHADOW. Unfortunately their methods require them to keep their success a secret. They are struggling to find clients and build their reputation because Hugh's family has only given him a year's worth of allowance and then they are on their own. While they are trying to get evidence on an adulterer, the big case in town is the kidnapping of baby Robin Mariner, the son of the very wealthy and influential Sir Gerald Mariner.

An introduction from Hugh's father leads to Sir Gerald hiring them to investigate the kidnapping. Sir Gerald makes them sign a non-disclosure agreement and then brings them to his home to investigate the residents. Sir Gerald believes the kidnapping was an inside job. They find a wide variety of suspects when they arrive. Evidence in the last photo of the mother and child lead Sarah to believe that there was something wrong with Robin. She even suspects that the photo might show an already dead child since taking that sort of photo was a thing in Victorian times. They wonder if Sir Gerald's wife Lady Alexandra might have done away with the defective infant. Or perhaps Sir Gerald's older son Tristan did away with him since his father had made Robin his heir rather than himself. Then there is Sir Gerald's teenage daughter Olivia who seems to have been jealous of the baby who she feels stole her father's affections.

Thrown into the mix of suspects is Lady Alexandra's sister and the psychic she would like to run away with. Then there is John Pierce who is Sir Gerald's chief aide but who resents him for stealing Lady Alexandra from him. Or maybe Sir Gerald himself had something to do with his child's kidnapping.

All the tangled relationships Sarah, Hugh and their young assistant Mick discover bring up issues for each of the detectives. Sarah has a mystery in her own past having to do with her father who disappeared when she was nine. Police reports she was recently given by her new love interest Barrett seem to lead to the fact that he was a rapist and murderer and fled to avoid the law. One of the photos she took while trailing the suspected adulterer may be a photo of her father. She has very mixed feeling about looking for the father she still loves. Meanwhile Hugh has been disowned, disgraced, and lost his position in society since he has been outed as a homosexual but he is attracted to Sir Gerald's son Tristan who may or may not return his affection.

This was a nicely twisty mystery will all sorts of secrets revealed. It had a nicely developed historical setting. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this new adventure for Sarah and Sir Hugh.

Interesting characters and setting with a great resolution to the main mystery. I plan on going back and reading the first in the series and hope for many others.

I received am ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

Transported back in time to the latter part of the nineteenth century, I find myself standing on a cobblestone street somewhere in the heart of London. The startling clitter clatter of a horse and buggy pass before me. Kerosene lanterns light up the darkened street. Dampness and an overriding smell of horse manure overwhelm my acute senses. Jack the Ripper's reign of terror had just come to a crashing end. Different time, different world.

This exquisitely, well-written narrative effortlessly, swept me along for the ride of my life. The characters were superbly, well-drawn. Cradled in rapture with their keen personalities, my Kindle warmed to the touch. A willing prisoner of print, relentless swiping ensued. Good fortune had been bestowed upon me for this most enjoyable read, complements of author Laura Joh Rowland. Luck of the draw.

Sarah Bain and Hugh Stanton are partners of a struggling private detective agency (PI). It's springtime, 1889. Business had been unusually slow. They'd been hired by the wife of a man who'd been suspected of secretly cavorting with a mistress. The usual PI work the world over. They furtively followed him which eventually led down the path to the embrace of his secret lover. Whereupon, they strolled arm-in-arm into a park and made themselves scarce by slipping into a dark enclosure. Moments later, hushed moans and groans escaped their place of hiding. Cheaper than a hotel room. Gotcha. Noisily in haste, Hugh had taken a picture of them with a boxy camera. State-of-the-art at the time. Not easily concealed. What he would have given for a smartphone. The lovers had discovered that they were being spied upon. Outraged, obscenities filled the air. The private investigators fled. The Kindle was smokin'.

The following day, quite by accident, passing the same park, Sarah and other bystanders were drawn to a police barricade. She learned the couple that they'd followed last night had been murdered. Right where she'd last seen them. Their sins of adultery could not have warranted such a brutal punishment. Or could it? This savage act of violence catapulted the two detectives into a case that would endure endless twists and turns. The murders in the park were merely the tip of the iceberg. In their pursuit for the truth, they dangered falling victim themselves. In for a dime, in for a dollar. Riddled with anticipation, an unpredictable outcome sat completely hidden in plain sight until the very last moment. Finally, the moment of truth crashed forward with an ending that left me breathless. A grand finale.

This ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. My gratitude sent to Crooked Lane books for allowing this pre-release edition made available.

I would recommend this book with open arms! I liked it so much that I read the other book in this series! It is a very engaging mystery with several twists and turns. I hope Laura Joh Rowland continues to write more books involving Sarah and Hugh. They are very engaging characters, who hook the reader right from the beginning of the story!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. A Mortal Likeness is the second title in the series following The Ripper's Shadow. Events from the Ripper's Shadow are referenced throughout the book so before reading this one, do yourself a favor go read the Ripper's Shadow which is fantastic in it's own right :) A Mortal Likeness finds Sarah and Hugh trying to make it as private detectives before Hugh's family cuts him off completely. Struggling to make ends meet, the two have resorted to taking cheating spouse cases. It is one of these cases that the two are working when they trail their subject to the Crystal Palace to obtain proof via photograph. After failing to obtain their evidence and almost getting caught, they had back home. They are shocked to discover the next day that the couple they were following were killed; Sarah is even more surprised when she discovers the photos she took that day to recognize a figure in the background of one of her photos. Mick, an orphan who helped with a previous case runs away from the orphanage he had been living in and Hugh allows him to join the household straining their already tight resources. Hugh is convinced that if the can locate the kidnapped son of Sir Gerald and get the $5,000 reward for locating Robin, their problems will be solved. He leans on his father to use his connections to get them an introduction to Sir Gerald and soon find themselves deeply involved in the case. Sir Gerald's family offers no shortage of suspects and secrets that kept me guessing right up until the last minute on who the kidnapper was and if Robin would be found safely. In addition to the mystery of what happened to Robin, Sarah discovers that events of her childhood were kept from her and the new knowledge completely changes her view of herself and her history. Mick and Hugh are such great secondary characters; I can't wait to see what the next case brings for the threesome.

This is the second book in the series featuring London photographer Sarah Bain and her partner in detection, Lord Hugh Staunton. Having tackled the Ripper killings in the first book, it's now 1889 and they are employed by Sir Gerald Mariner to solve the kidnapping of his son, Robin Mariner. However, nothing is as it seems and Sarah and Hugh find themselves walking into danger when they move into the Mariner's stately home in Hampstead to investigate the family.

As with the previous book, the characters are well drawn and it's an engaging read. There is a sense of Victorian London, although the majority of the action takes place in Hampstead, outside the East End realm of the first novel that drew me to the books. I found a few of the expressions a little odd for the period and the plot a little convoluted in places, but still really enjoyed this.

Overall, a strong sequel with an appealing heroine and an engaging historical setting. I look forward to the next in the series.

A nice second installment in this series. Interesting conflicted characters with a nice tease at the end that advances Sarah Bain's story and makes one look forward to the next book.