Cover Image: Murder, She Uncovered

Murder, She Uncovered

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Loved this book! The heroine is fiesty and independent, which I love. Determined to break free from her wealthy family, Elizabeth Adams is determined to continue working as a newspaper photographer. Teamed up with grizzled newspaper man, Ralph Kominsky, she is trying to make her way in the world, and to keep her new love with a cop a secret. After a massive hurricane, they are called to report on the murder of a young housemaid to a rich family. Elizabeth takes it upon herself to get the story and hopefully save her mentor's job in the process.

Was this review helpful?

Elizabeth Adams is back as Biz, the intrepid crime photographer for the Daily Trumpet. And once again she is trying to navigate two very different worlds. The one in which she grew up in, of privilege and social responsibilities, and the one of her heart, where she can shine on her own.

I really enjoyed this book, as well as the first one. Elizabeth has many sides to her and she is an interesting character to get to know. Kaminsky is probably my favourite. He comes across as old-fashioned, but he gives Elizabeth a fair chance in a world ruled by men. And the relationship between Elizabeth and Detective Marino also develops quite nicely.

There is plenty of intrigue and mystery, and I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. I also like the setting of the story. I will definitely continue reading more from this series.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book in this series that I read and both of them were top notch. The book is very evocative of the era in which it is set and one feels transported to the New York of the thirties. The protagonist is a woman from the upper classes who decides to get a job in a newspaper and becomes a photographer. She discovers what "real" life is like in the city. She is paired with an old warhorse veteran reporter and together they navigate their way to solving the mystery.
As always Ms. Cochran's characters are wonderfully done, they are well described and come to life on the pages of the book.
And one is always hard pressed to find out who the murderer is.
An excellent book in an excellent series.

Was this review helpful?

This is the second in the "Murder She" series about a young former debutante/socialite in 1930's New York. I read the first and there were some character quirks I found really annoying and distracting and some big plot holes but felt there was some potential and I am really glad I did. This second book is far more polished and sharp. The character is more fully developed and the story is a really entertaining historic mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Now I am hoping there is a third and that this series continues. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Was this review helpful?

Murder, She Uncovered is a great historical cozy mystery that is well written and has great characters. Peg Cochran is a great author who never disappoints on her mystery books.

Was this review helpful?

Murder, She Uncovered is the second book in the Murder, She Reported Series. It is a fine piece of historical fiction set in Manhattan in the 1930's where it was frowned on woman working in what was considered a man's world. Also if you were of a certain social class as a woman, you were not expected to work. Elizabeth "Biz" Adams, from a upper class family, has worked to establish herself as a photographer of the Daily Trumpet working with fellow reporter, Ralph Kaminsky. They are given information about the death of a maid at one of the upper crust summer houses. At first it was assumed it was due to the terrible storm that went through that area but when a severe injury to the back of the head is reported it is considered murder. Ralph and Biz start investigating the background, why she was still at the summer home, and who may have wanted her dead. In this book we find a great representation of social class discrimination as well as sexual discrimination. Peg Cochran has supplied a lot of twists and turns to her book to keep the reader interested and used wonderfully described settings.

Was this review helpful?

1938 and a hurricane has hit Long Island, in the aftermath a body of a maid, killed, is discovered. Ralph Kaminsky, reporter, and Elizabeth Adams, photographer, are sent to cover the story. Both follow the story and investigate to find the guilty party.
An enjoyable cozy mystery though I did find the character of Kaminsky much more interesting then that Elizabeth, maybe she might improve once she removes herself from his family.

Was this review helpful?

Main character, Elizabeth, comes from a well to do family but yearns to do more with her life in 1930's New York. Through happenstance she becomes a crime photographer. Together with reporter Kaminsky, they must discover who murdered a maid and get the scoop before any other newspapers. Elizabeth is also tasked with determining which life she truly wants; a socialite or an everyday working girl. The relationship between Kaminsky and Elizabeth is similar to a father/ daughter relationship. I truly enjoyed watching this relationship develop and learning more about Kaminsky's past.

This series by Peg Cochran is fresh and exciting. We've all read the socialite becomes a sleuth novels, but this puts a fresh spin on an over-saturated theme. It's interesting to watch Elizabeth navigate being a working girl and the demands of both lives.

Was this review helpful?

I quite this second in a series about Elizabeth Adams, a woman raised in the lap of luxury who decides to work as a newspaper photographer. Set in the late 1930s, the book references the events leading to WWII as well as the art and fashion of the period. Elizabeth herself straddles the line between the life she’s grown up with and the new life she’s forging for herself. The writing is crisp and the mystery is solid.

Was this review helpful?

What a fantastic book by Peg Cochran! I was intrigued from page 1 to the end. Murder, she Uncovered is the first title I have read by Ms. Cochran but it won't be the last. Each time I thought I knew whodunnit, a new detail was revealed, The story left me guessing until the very end.
Each of the characters (major and minor) have an interesting story and a meaningful part of the storyline.
Well done, Ms. Cochran, well done.

Was this review helpful?

Murder, She Uncovered is the second outing for Elizabeth "Biz" Adams and was just as fun as the first while also letting us get to know her better. I really enjoyed seeing what a spunky, determined heroine she is by following her own path life rather then the one her family prefers. Working for the Daily Trumpet newspaper as a photographer and partnering with Ralph Kiminsky on stories have changed Biz's daily life. It has also brought an independence and experience her family doesn't necessarily appreciate.

Biz and Kaminsky's burgeoning work relationship added an unexpected element that I really liked and can't wait to see more of in future books. As well as Biz and Sal - curious to see how and where that relationship is going!

The mystery was engaging and while The Who done it wasn't shocking it was entertaining figuring it out. I appreciate a cozy mystery series that feature strong lead characters and this series definitely has that!

Thank you Netgalley and Alibi for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

In the aftermath of the Great New England Hurricane (1938) many bodies are uncovered but one was not killed by the storm but human hands. “Biz”, an upper-class girl working as a photographer at the Daily Trumpet travels to Westhampton with crime reporter Ralph Kaminsky to cover the story. They soon realize that while the maid was murdered in Westhampton the motive behind the crime is in New York City.
This book is the second in the series, I have not read the first, but I will be. Peg Cochran creates engaging characters and a wonderful sense of time and place. The mystery is well plotted and full of twists. There’s a little bit of humor, a splash of romance, and great historical details.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for allowing me to review this book because I really liked the first in the series and was happy to have the chance to read the sequel early. The mystery is really good and I enjoyed getting to the finale very much. I was not familiar with this author until I read the first of this series but I do like her writing. The characters are wonderful especially 'Biz' who is a kind, honest and loving woman who steps out of her comfort zones of wealth and stature to try and live the life she hopes for all people especially women in the 1930's when she's expected to marry a wealthy man and become a socialite but it's not in her heart. I can't wait to see what happens next with 'Biz', Kamisky, Marino, and Irene.

Was this review helpful?

I love pretty much every Peg Cochran book I've read and this is no exception. The time period and atmosphere is well written and really gives the impression that you can "see" 1938 Manhatten. Great characters and good mystery. Definitely a must read series!

Was this review helpful?

This is a charming and pleasantly readable murder mystery set in 1938. Elizabeth Adams is a wealthy socialite who chooses to pursue a newspaper career in an age when most women didn't work.. She excels as both newspaper photographer and amateur sleuth. The characters in this book are highly likable and the plot engaging. I recommend it to all mystery lovers. Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Written in a black-and-white feel, you walk through this book along with Biz and Kaminsky, peering into dark alleyways as you search for the killers! Are the murders connected, or are they random coincidences?

I love the tone of these novels and appreciate not being able to figure out the mystery until almost the end, rather than having it be transparent. The author has taken great pains to include all of the tiny details that make it feel like you're actually in the '30s, which makes these an immersive and fun read!

Was this review helpful?

The scene is the 1938 New York City. The war is underway in Europe and prohibition is over. The mood is a mixture of anxious and buoyant. A young Upper East side woman who wants to be more than a socialite wife has decided to pursue a career at The Daily Trumpet newspaper as a crime scene photographer. Elizabeth “Biz” Adams finds herself accompanying crime reporter Kaminsky as he searches for leads on the case of an Irish servant who was murdered during a tumultuous storm that rocked Long Island. The circumstances surrounding the young immigrant’s death and the description of her by those that knew her well don’t match up. Biz soon finds that no-one is really who they seem to be on the surface. This book is heavy on the dialogue, but it works. The pages flow and the plot moves along flawlessly. This was my first historical cozy, but it won’t be my last.

Was this review helpful?

Adios, epic fantasy, and hello, cozy mysteries. This book might have jump started my next genre phase. So...the things to be aware of when reading this book. One, it is the second book in the series. The first one is Murder, She Reported. However, I didn't know that when I read it and I didn't really have any problems following the story. Unlike your typical hardcore mystery, cozy mysteries are a bit more...chick lit.

Ergo, if that's not your thing...move along, sir (or madam).

"Murder, She Uncovered" hit all the genre expectations: amateur female sleuth, fast paced, all the plot twists, etc. It's definitely brains over brawn. Lovably so.

Anyway...it's been more than three years since I had last read a cozy mystery and this book gave me all kinds of nostalgia...plus a new author to add to my list of keepers.

The only downside was that the story was more dialogue than not. I would have liked a bit more details and development but, that being said, the characters were engaging and the dialogue was well enough to carry me through to the end.

Would I recommend? Absolutely.

Was this review helpful?