I was expecting to love ‘Murder at the British Museum’ but I just liked it. I love murder mysteries and whilst the last quarter of the book had me so hooked, the first part was just very slow. (I'm glad I pushed through as the end of the book definitely saved the beginning). The style was really simplistic and didn't flow at all which was a shame because it made the characters feel a bit superficial. I didn't realise that it was the second in a series and you don't need to have read the previous book to enjoy this one. Overall, I was hoping for more from this book.

Former Scotland Yard Inspector Daniel Wilson now works as a ‘private enquiry agent’ – private investigator to the rest of us. Along with new partner (which would be a spoiler for book 1, it turns out), historian Abigail Fenton, he’s called in to investigate a murder in – as the title suggests! – the British Museum. Who would have wanted to viciously stab the author of a book about King Arthur?

Set in London not long after the Jack the Ripper investigation, one of the appeals of this book was the period setting. I don’t think it worked quite as well for me as I’d hoped, nor the handling of the female lead. She’s quite kick-ass, and modern, and then does some daft girlie things that had me rolling my eyes a little.

I could imagine the author identifying quite strongly with his lead character, but the rest of the cast can be a little flat. In particular, the Scotland Yard Chief Inspector feels like quite a stereotype. I also found the author’s expansive historical knowledge a little too spelled out at times, with mini-info dumps at regular intervals. Likewise the geography of London is a little too in-depth at times.

And yet, despite these perceived flaws, I still fairly enjoyed the read. The chapters are short and the pace brisk, and the tone is relatively light but not remotely fluffy. I was in the mood for an easy read, and this fit the bill well – so much, that I’ve requested the first installment from the library.

Jim Eldridge has put together a interesting whodunnit in “Murder at the British Museum.”  Our main characters are Daniel Wilson, ex-Scotland Yard police inspector, and his beloved, Abigail Fenton, archeologist, who won’t marry him but will live with him.  That’s a recurring theme through the book, as you can imagine.  And must be kept secret, as you can also imagine.  It’s 1894, after all. 

Daniel’s a private enquiry agent and Abigail assists with the investigations.  And this is a big one.  A leading Arthurian scholar has been found dead in the “Gentlemen’s” at the Museum, and it’s not an accident.  Daniel’s called in by the head of the museum to investigate.  It’s soon determined that Professor Pickering was not a popular man, and so the quest begins to find out which one of a long list of possible suspects did the deed.
Jim Eldridge employs quite the list himself of mystery tropes – the helpful policeman, the unhappy wife, the possible lover, the nosy newspaper reporter.  Then there’s the cliched buffoon of a superintendent. Could do without that from the get-go.  We’ve seen quite enough of those characters in books lately, haven’t we?  

However, the twistings of plot helps to overcome my quibbles about character letdowns.  There’s possible blackmail, possible political ties, worries about exhibits in the museum, Pickering’s personal life and eventually his dubious scholarship, and plenty more to keep you busy deciding why, how, and eventually, who, of course.  

There’s even another death.  It’s suspicious, if you’ve been reading closely.  Have you?

Of course, the cliched superintendent jumps to the wrong conclusion – don’t they always? And Abigail gets to spend several paragraphs explaining Sigmund Freud to Daniel and the search for the real killer goes on.
Well, we come to the end, and things get interesting.  Abigail gets super-involved.  Really, involved, shall we say, in a heart in your throat way.  But I felt that there’s a missing scene here, in a kind of “you went to the kitchen and missed it” way.  I can’t say more without spoiling a really important part of the plot, but It’s almost as if the author couldn’t think of a reason for the killer NOT doing something.  Of course, for fans of our dynamic duo, that’s a very good thing, but the ending fell flat for me in this particular regard.  Wish I could tell you why, but I can’t.  So, had to take down a star for that.

All’s well that ends well, at least for those we’ve come to know.  And that’s a very good thing.  We’ll see how that goes, too.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

Love me a good mystery!! This book is amazing!! Definitely need to give it a chance. It’s such a well written story that you don’t want to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this mystery, and I will absolutely be following Eldridge for the next book in the series. This is a well-crafted mystery with interesting and relatable characters, which is becoming a rarity in mysteries these days. Both characters have their quirks, but you can understand their actions- Abigail's mention of when she was on a dig in Egypt and had to physically protect herself felt wonderfully modern (but still accurate). 

I also loved the subject matter of the exhibition itself- the Arthurian legends are in my academic wheelhouse, and it was dealt with quite smartly. It didn't take away from the murder of the professor at all, and made it much more enjoyable than most mysteries. Quite a gem of a book!

In 1894, there is a Murder in the British Museum. Private Inquiry Agent Daniel Wilson and his live-in lover Abigail Fenton, a famous archaeologist, investigate at the request of the museum director.

Esteemed Professor Lance Pickering is most famous for his work on the new King Arthur exhibit and for his new book about Arthur’s uncle, Ambrosius. That is until he is stabbed in the museum’s restroom behind a locked cubicle door.

Daniel quickly guesses how the murder was done. Unfortunately, he must work even faster to discover the who before his nemesis, Superintendent Armstrong of Scotland Yard, beats him to it.

If you enjoy learning some Arthurian and 19th century London history while reading an engaging mystery, you will enjoy Murder at the British Museum. There is also a strong feminist as the detective’s side kick plus the almost obligatory bumbling Scotland Yard employee complicating the case. I liked the no-nonsense romance between Daniel and Abigail. The mystery was good too. Overall, I rate it at 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great story which keeps you interested throughout.  It is basically a murder mystery and a love story rolled into one with a historical context.  Lead characters are ahead of their time by "living in sin" and sharing the domestics, as well as challenging the old gender perceptions of the time. 

The plot is good and rolls along at a good pace. Definitely a light, entertaining read which I would thoroughly recommend. 

The fact that it is part of a series of stories means I will now happily read the other books too!

An excellent historical mystery, well written, engrossing and entertaining.
It's a page turner I read it as fast as I could.
I appreciated the cast of characters, well written and fleshed out, and the detailed and well researched historical background.
I especially loved Abigail, a strong and unconventional woman.
The mystery was very good, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing till the end.
Even if this is the second installment in a series I had no issue in understanding the plot or the characters.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My thanks to Allison & Busby of Jim Eldridge’s ‘Murder at the British Museum’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in his Museum Murders series set in 1890s England featuring former Detective Inspector Daniel Wilson, who had been involved in the Jack the Ripper case. After leaving Scotland Yard he has set up as a private enquiry agent. He is assisted by Miss Abigail Fenton, an archaeologist.

When Professor Lance Pickering was found stabbed at the British Museum where he was due to give a talk for the new exhibition, The Age of King Arthur, the Museum directors ask Wilson and Fenton to investigate on their behalf.

The police are naturally also investigating and while some welcome Wilson’s involvement, others are not too pleased. Then there is another stabbing.

This was an interesting historical mystery with two likeable leads in Daniel and Abigail. I especially enjoyed the Arthurian aspect of the mystery. I did spot whodunnit early on and was quite pleased to have been right.

I plan on reading the other books in this series as I enjoy these kind of mysteries and also love museums. The first book was set at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the third at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Murder at the British Museum by Jim Eldridge is a very enjoyable and engaging historical crime novel that is easy to read and got me hooked from the beginning.

Despite not having read any of the previous books in the series I had no issues with following the main story and with understanding the back stories of the well fleshed out main characters. 

I will be picking up the other books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Jim Eldridge for aneARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the late 19th Century Murder at the British Museum  is an interesting, easy read. It follows ex police officer Daniel Wilson and his partner Abigail Fenton as they investigate the murder of a well-respected academic who was found dead in a gentlemen’s convenience cubicle at the British Museum, Forced to work alongside a police chief who bears a long standing grudge and fanatical group of King Arthur fans, Wilson and Fenton face a race against time to salvage the reputation of the museum and catch a murderer desperate for revenge.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it mixes fiction with snippets of historical fact which leaves you wanting to explore a little bit deeper.
The plot was clever and constantly lead you in different directions and seemed surprisingly relevant today.

A great murder mystery and thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellent British crime mystery taking place in the British Museum in 1894.  Ex-Scotland Yard detective, now a 'private inquiry agent', Daniel Wilson and archeologist Abigail Fenton are romantically involved and work together on crimes that come Daniel's way with a historical bent - when she is not abroad on a dig.  This is an excellent mystery - and I loved both the action and the tip of the hat to those women fighting quietly against the social mores hemming in females in turn-of-the-20th-century British culture.  Abigail Fenton is a brave soul, and Daniel as well, and the perpetrator of our mystery didn't have a chance of escaping their combined talents.  Jim Eldridge has a fine writing style, placing you mentally in the time and place he chooses to take you.  This is a series I must follow.  London has been long on my bucket list, but Eldredge moved it up a few notches.  

I received a free electronic copy of this British murder mystery on May 3, 2019, from Netgalley, Jim Eldridge, and Allison & Busby publishers.  Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.  I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

Within the first few pages I was intrigued. A murder at the British Museum and an adventure over an area of London that I know very well. Now, depending on the quality of the work, this could have gone two ways - fantastically or dire. I'm happy to see it walked a fine line and for 95% of the tale, it was accurate.
.
A couple of things that the historically accurate pedant in me needs to highlight are two points that probably could have been caught and fixed. 1; UCL was not UCL in 1894. It was "University College, London" not "University College London". Yes, the difference is a single comma but until 1977 (and one other version of the name), the point stands. 2; Eldridge has his characters go to Birmingham via Watford. While this is correct, it should be noted that even in 1894, the Junction was known as Watford Junction and had been since 1858.
.
At times I also felt I was being bludgeoned by historical information. Some of the repetition was also wearing. Eldridge does go overboard with informative tidbits. I will acknowledge, however, there will be readers for whom London's history isn't a primary concern.
.
What can be said is the greatest element of this book is Eldridge's ability to control and tell a story. Again, within the first few pages, the reader can be reassured they're in safe hands, even if the story delivers them to rookeries and rat infested tunnels.

Murder at the British Museum by Jim Eldridge is a very enjoyable and engaging historical crime novel that is easy to read and got me hooked from the beginning.

Despite not having read any of the previous books in the series I had no issues with following the main story and with understanding the back stories of the well fleshed out main characters. 

The book moves along at a decent pace with a number of red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing until near the end.

Overall a book that I would thoroughly recommend

A murder in the British Museum!?  Duh, of course since that's the title of this intriguing mystery featuring former Scotland Yard officer and now private detective Daniel Wilson and his partner (in all things) Abigail Fenton, an archeologist.  That the head of the museum called in Wilson to solve the murder of Professor Pickering has really irritated Scotland Yard, especially Superintendent Armstrong who THINKS he's in charge.  That won't stop Wilson, however, from untangling things with Abigail (and with little secret assistance from Inspector Feather).  You'll learn a little bit about the museum, get a good sense of 1894 London, and generally have a good time.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I read this as a standalone (there's only one earlier one) and greatly enjoyed it.  Now I'm looking forward to the next one.

Murder at the British Museum is an entertaining who-done-it that puts its detectives on the trail of a clever murderer who seemingly can penetrate the British Museum at will.  Full of twists and turns, it should be enjoyed by mystery buffs who read Charles Finch.

1894. A well-respected academic is found dead in a gentlemen's convenience cubicle at the British Museum, the stall locked from the inside. Professor Lance Pickering had been due to give a talk promoting the museum's new 'Age of King Arthur' exhibition when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest. Having forged a strong reputation working alongside the inimitable Inspector Abberline on the Jack the Ripper case, Daniel Wilson is called in to solve the mystery of the locked cubicle murder, and he brings his expertise and archaeologist Abigail Fenton with him. But it isn't long before the museum becomes the site of another fatality and the pair face mounting pressure to deliver results. With enquiries compounded by persistent journalists, local vandals and a fanatical society, Wilson and Fenton face a race against time to salvage the reputation of the museum and catch a murderer desperate for revenge.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I think it works well as a stand alone. I was entertained all the way through and could really feel the strong connection between Daniel and Abigail. The setting and plot were well-researched and laid out.

This is the third (or maybe second) book in a series about former police officer Daniel Wilson (he worked on the Jack the Ripper case and is now a private investigator) and Abigail Fenton (archaeologist and explorer, and now investigator). Everyone else whose reviews I've read seems to have enjoyed this book, but I'm afraid I'm going to be the dissenting vote here. I found it terribly difficult to get into and to finish reading, the characters one-dimensional, the romance tepid, even the feud between the male protagonist and one of the police officers was dull. Even worse, the moment one particular character was introduced, I guessed immediately this was the murderer of Professor Pickering, and I usually don't pick up on these things.

Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton have to be two of the dullest Victorian lovers ever. Every time they're at home and she's cooking for him I wanted to fall asleep. I don't get any sense of them as living, breathing human beings. Plus Abigail, already unconventional for being an archaeologist, is really bucking convention by living with a man out of wedlock. While they don't go around broadcasting this fact, a lot of people either seem to know or have guessed, so I would expect a lot more negative acceptance of Abigail because they believed or suspected she was "living in sin." Even worse, Americanisms and modern sayings—at one point Abigail talks about someone "hanging around" someone else (while "hang out" goes back to the 19th century, I believe "hanging around" is a 20th century term)—infiltrate every chapter. I'd no sooner gotten into what sounded like authentic British Victorian dialog when up would come one of those anachronisms to toss me out of the story.

There are so many better male/female Victorian crimefighting teams: the Pitts, the Monks, and especially Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson. I eat up their adventures; this was just tedious.

An enjoyable murder mystery set at the British Museum. I think the concept of mysteries at museums is a great one and I particularly liked the strong female lead especially as she is an archaeologist, like myself. I hadn’t realised that this was the second in the series but this book can stand alone. I’m sure if I had read the first then I’d have appreciated the relationship between the main characters more but felt their strong connection particularly at the end. I was most intrigued by Daniel’s work on the Ripper case.

Very well written and interesting book. It really grabs your attention from the first page, which is something that is incredibly difficult to achieve. I highly recommend this!