This book is about Jack the Ripper and so not a book I would normally read. (The description I got was actually about book #1 in the series).
However, although it was darker and more bloody a book than I normally read, it was interesting enough that I didnt really notice the gore. The mystery kept me guessing and I found the history lesson entertaining.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

serial-killer, suspense, women-sleuths, law-enforcement, England, Montana, murder-investigation

What an intriguing twist on the old cold case!
Scientifically inclined and having a medical degree, heiress Felicity Carrol had been assisting Scotland Yard Inspector Jackson Davies with the dead end case of the WhiteChapel murders. He became so obsessed with finding the killer that his health gave out just when he acquired an interesting newspaper article from America indicating a murder in Montana with a nearly identical MO.
A tad obsessed herself, Felicity sees to it that her friend has the best medical care, packs what's needed, takes her friend and companion with her and heads off to Montana. There she meets with the sheriff and seems to be just in time for the next murder! She drives him nuts on several levels with her scientific equipment and ideas but less regard for legality of proof. Then there are more murders and public fear. Great characters and world building, descriptions are a mite graphic in some instances, and a few of the experiments are quite fictional, but so is the novel. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Set in London during 1800’s when arsenic was the poison of choice for murder.

‘The Deadly Widow’ has now three suspected victims. Felicity Margaret Carrol, a wealthy heiress, is intent on pursuing justice and solving these unsolvable crimes. Rich, lonely older men of good character were being wooed by a mystery woman and ending up dead.

An exhilarating and emotionally-charged thriller that will please fans of Patricia Marcantonio.

I loved this! Once again I read book 2 instead of book one (because it was given to me to review) and I desperately need to get book one. Felicity is a joy, a lovely female detective who understands her work, and is maybe starting to understand her own limitations and which she can break and what she still needs to work on

This was my first introduction to Felicity Carrol and it was indeed a romp! Felicity joins the club of sassy, independent and totally unrealistic Victorian era females who investigate crime while thumbing their noses at social conventions.

Here, Felicity travels from London to the American West, trailing the infamous Whitechapel killer, Jack the Ripper as he slashes his way into America. The author does a nice transition from Victorian London to the Wild West, providing Felicity with a handsome lawman and a tricky killer who is not at all what everyone expects. This is entertaining reading at its best. Recommended for Victorian mystery fans.

I had so much fun reading this book. I recommend it without reservations to everyone who enjoys a good mystery, unexpected romance, historical fiction or who simply appreciates a great story. I read Patricia Marcantonio's novel courtesy of NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, and I am glad I did. It is terrific and wildly entertaining.

Felicity Carrol is interested in everything—except being a proper young matron of Victorian society. Brilliant and resourceful, Felicity took refuge in science and education after her mother died and her father abandoned her to be raised by servants. Now that her father has passed away, not only is she wealthy, she is free to use the family fortune to do good. This is the second book in the series and, sadly, I have not read the first; a situation I plan to quickly rectify.

Someone is viciously murdering and dismembering prostitutes in London and Felicity's dear friend - a Scotland Yard detective, is committed to bringing the notorious murderer to justice. Before he can, however, he collapses in mental, emotional and physical exhaustion, leaving but one clue – the name of a small mining town in Montana. Felicity, hoping to help her gentleman friend recover, jumps into the fray and, with her long time servant by her side, follows the killer to America and the wild, wild west and discovers the murders are continuing there with a vengence.

What awaits the reader is a faced-paced, engrossing and altogether harrowing adventure to find the killer and bring him/her to justice. Felicity is a kick-in-the-pants heroine – feisty, smart, outspoken and fearless who befriends prostitutes, madams, cowboys, miners, a rugged, charismatic sheriff and assorted other characters in search of gold. Not to be outdone, her long time companion falls head-over-heels in love.

Marcantonio’s clever twist on the Jack the Ripper case is a delight to read.

I was provided with an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it was a quick read that kept me entertained. I enjoyed the sass that is Felicity Carrol who is a lover of knowledge and tries very hard to not be defined by the social pressures of Victorian England. The story is the authors take on Jack the Ripper and at points is pretty graphic in the telling of the murders.

This was a fast, entertaining read, as long as you just go along for the ride and don't think too much.

The characters were stereotypical to me, with the main character being the proper English lady who disdains society's propriety and strives to be independent. She is a perfect human being with absolutely no flaws; beautiful but modest, intelligent, wealthy, accepting of others and self-sacrificing to a fault. She has a maid/mother figure who dotes on her and cares for her, etc.

The lawman is a typical romanticized wild west Sheriff as well. Handsome, tough and chivalrous with a soft heart of gold. The minor characters were also ones you'd normally think would inhabit a gold-rush western town.

I found it somewhat hard to believe that Felicity adapted so quickly and so well to life in the wild west of Montana, and that she was allowed access to so much information about the crimes that transpire there.

But all that aside, it was an easy read and the story (a different take on Jack the Ripper) moved right along. Because I didn't feel it was very intense or gripping, I would liken this more to a cozy mystery than a thriller. ⭐⭐⭐💫

I recieved a free ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

This was a new to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so that I went and purchased the first in the series. The main character is a independent woman who is strong and smart and does not care for the conventions of her time. Looking forward to many more in this series!

Felicity Carrol is a brilliant “amateur “ detective. She is fearless and forward thinking, many years ahead of the police using her forensic skills to solve. Crimes. She is the woman we all want to be. This book is set in England shortly after the reign of terror by Jack the Ripper. Felicity travels to Montana on the request of her Scotland Yard friend and sets about trying to solve this crime. This book is full of delightful twists that keep you guessing and spur you to continue to read. I read this book in one day as I needed to know who the guilty party was. If you love Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot than you will love Felicity Carrol.

Entertaining, but with a disconnect between novel elements.

First, the blurb I read appears to be for the first book in the series not this one which deals with Jack the Ripper in the American West.. It’s 1889: protagonist Felicity Carrol is in the middle of a case - sort of like the beginning of a James Bond flick. The case is quickly resolved, and she’s just as quickly drawn into another one by good friend Inspector Davies. Davies had been involved in the case involving Jack the Ripper; their prime suspect is dead by suicide, but then a colleague has sent Davies a clipping of another murder in Jack’s trademark style only in Placer, Montana. As Davies is too ill to make the trip and investigate, Felicity sets off.

The book was entertaining, although elements of it seemed at odds with each other. The plot seemed to be pulling towards gritty realism, while the characters seemed to be almost perfect with modern sensibilities. Meanwhile, the setting is torn between the two, ending up feeling like a modern book set in the old west. For example, the plot deals with Jack the Ripper and the brutal murders of women, referring how women lacking male support fall into first prostitution then drugs and alcohol to escape. The characters, on the other hand, feel like they are from a fluffy cozy being nearly perfect with modern sensibilities; Felicity is wealthy, attractive, and smart, but has modern ideas like taking care of her works by providing schooling, etc. Her big weakness (mild spoiler - concerning her father) would have been common in the Victorian age and only an issue for the modern age. The setting is in between the two - references to buggy and stage coaches, but there’s electric lighting, etc. The money references don’t help; Felicity is frequent giving people $20 gold pieces as bribes, the rough equivalent of $500. There’s no references to how prostitutes would have dressed or how they would have been treated, for example, which would have added to the sense of setting (as an aside, I remember reading an Amelia Peabody book where Amelia was concerned that a bar maid wasn’t properly covered; simple, but effective at establishing a feel for the time).

Overall, an entertaining book, although I found it annoying with the inconsistencies.

I received a free reader's copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

Felicity Carrol is a modern woman living in the Victorian era. With endless curiosity and a quick mind, she has turned her attention to topics not typically female for that time period and has educated herself in a variety of topics including medical (she has the education of a doctor, if not the title), language (she can speak/understand at least four languages) and technology (chemistry/photography/handwriting analysis/fingerprinting). A true bluestocking of the era, she has found herself assisting a Bow Street runner solving some mysteries, including the murders done by Jack the Ripper.

I find Felicity to be a refreshing character for the Victorian time period in that she is not afraid to pursue her interests in the face of a society that severely disapproves of this conduct. She is well-rounded enough in that she does not completely forego polite society, or her emotional needs. In fact, this story is kicked off by her need to support her “friend” (really he’s a love interest even if she doesn’t quite accept that…) and ends up in Montana, USA to pursue Jack the Ripper. There, Felicity finds another potential love interest in the local Sheriff and uses her natural charm and endless capabilities to help solve the set of murders mirroring the original Ripper murders in the East End of London.

If you’ve ever watched the “Murdoch Mysteries”, you’ll really enjoy Felicity Carroll. It’s a bit of tongue in cheek to have a character so amazingly capable, beautiful, wealthy, intelligent, fearless…the list goes on. But, it all works. You’ll find yourself cheering for Felicity, laughing with her and frightened for her as she gets caught in various scrapes. What you won’t want to do is stop reading the story.

Though this was a unique take on the Jack the Ripper mystery, it may not appeal to readers of cozy mysteries. The descriptions of the crimes veer into graphic territory. Also, the detective, Miss Felicity Carrol, has all the attributes of a superwoman and is difficult to relate to.

What a delightful book. Thank you NetGalley for introducing me to such a wonderful writer. I loved the twist to the Jack the Ripper tale. Felicity is such a wonderful character. Now I need to find the first book to read. I’m looking forward to it.

I enjoy a good mystery and I am fascinated by the Victorian era so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this early release copy provided by NetGalley.

Pro's
Good glimpse of life in Gold Rush Era America
Good character development
Interesting concept for the storyline - Jack the Ripper in Wild West Montana

Con's
Couldn't connect with the characters, especially the lead Felicity
Several historical and scientific inaccuracies
Writing felt stilted in places and I often felt the author was trying to instill 21st century values on a 19th century character
Opening was rushed

The book wasn't horrible, and I will probably go back and read the first book but this would not be on my most read list.

This book turned into a very captivating read. I thought the characters were interesting and the side characters in particular were very well rounded and felt like real people, even if they only appeared for a short time. I found myself drawn into the story the further I went and felt the same determination to find the killer that Felicity felt. While I did guess the killer a little before the end, I was not sure until it was actually revealed and the twist of who they were still got me. I thought the pacing worked very well. It was enough introduction to make me feel like I was there without being boring and moved quick enough to keep my interest at the end. I could put the book down about 3/4 of the way through.

The only issue I had was at the beginning of the book. I found Felicity to be extremely unrealistic at first. I felt that she was too accomplished. Someone who could be a doctor, speaks so many languages, is a chemist, a photographer, an heiress with no one to hold her back, wealthy, philanthropic, and beautiful, with a photographic memory is a little much. I don’t argue her being intelligent. I am thrilled to have a strong and accomplished female character. However it is hard to believe she is young and has done so much during this time period. That said, I did forget a lot of this as I read - she was just charming - and it didn’t bother me as much as I got more into the story.

This was my first time to read a Felicity Carrol book. It was easy to jump into the story and I don't feel it was necessary to read the first book before reading this one. I love this time period and I love this genre. Unfortunately I just could not love this book. Felicity was just too perfect in every way. And perhaps I just wasn't in the correct mood for this book, but I could not get involved in the story. I found the writing stilted and I never connected with the characters. Perhaps at another time I'll try the first book in the series.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Even though I had not read the first in this series, it was not hard to jump right in. A witty and interesting main character makes this a quick read!

Great read for anyone adults or teens alike. Great twist on a Jack the Ripper tale. Strong female sleuth.

An enjoyable mystery! Some historical things don’t line up. Also, our main character was quite perfect. Smart, beautiful, kind, wealthy. I sort of wondered if she had faults at all. But she eventually grew on me. She did jump to conclusions about a suspect for a very personal reason, and I felt a little better. There were spelling and other small errors.

I do wonder where she will take the series in the future! Three stars! I think I would read another by her again. I received this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.