3.5⭐️

I found this story a bit slow to get into. It didn’t grip me from the start. The further it went along the more invested I found myself, but it definitely misses the mark at the start. I enjoyed getting back to the lives of the characters and had fun watching the shenanigans they got up to.

It’s interesting how reading a story set in a distant time in the past makes you realize how lucky we are to have modern conveniences. There were many time so thought “if only they had a cell phone and the ability to call or text...”

I didn’t live this one as much as book three, but will read the next one if the author writes more! As always, read it and form your own opinion!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and Heather Redmond for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Charles has gotten himself in a little too deep in this latest adventure. Charles believes he is being invited to join a prestigious club. While going through his initiation, he stumbles upon a dead man. Charles is arrested and thrown in jail. He has to rely on friends and family to outwit a clever orchestrater. I have read all the books in this series so far and have enjoyed them.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy Dicken's and that historical time frame so I had a feeling I would really enjoy this book too. I was not disappointed. Mysterious clues, red herrings, and the support of family and friends make this a delightful mystery to read with a few surprises along the way. I'm excited to read the other books in this series as well.

My thanks to Heather Redmond, Kensington Books, and Net Galley for the ARC of THE PICKWICK MURDERS.
I have not read any of the other books in this series and I wanted to love this one. Unfortunately, I think it needs to be revised. The premise is a good one, but the story-telling lets it down somewhat. I am not a grammar or typo fiend, it can happen to anyone, but there were a few glaring ones that I felt should have been picked up. Also, if Kate is going to be a detective or detectorist I really think she needs to up her game. She is too lily-livered for my liking and needs to get some teeth to make this an exciting read.

The Pickwick Murders by Heather Redmond is a mystery, well, several, really, in which Charles Dickens is accused of murder and sent to Newgate to await his trial. Meanwhile, his friends on the outside, including William and Julie Aga, his brother, Fred, and his intended, Kate Hogarth, struggle against time to free him. There are several people involved here, making it more complicated to assign the crime. Kate is on a hunt, directed by letters, which she is sent each day, that appear to be linked to the crime. Charles is definitely seeing the more raw side of Newgate as he is beaten, starved, and soaked in someone else's blood. There is no guarantee he will get out alive, his death either by murder or hanging. William is using his skills as a crime reporter to follow solid leads and obtain information. The others are chasing these letters.

This is a clever premise for a cozy mystery. Kate is intelligent, well-read, clever, and determined to marry Charles Dickens. Charles is all those things but has less leeway in his current situation. Newspaper reporters make enemies, if they are good at their jobs, and it appears Charles has several. Although this is totally fiction, many of the characters really existed. Was Charles ever arrested for murder? No, but he did write stories about Newgate prison and how horrible life was there. Then, as now, there were those inmates who had a better life, inside than they did outside the prison walls. That is a sad fact. It was an interesting mystery, if a little far-fetched. It was an interesting read that put the reader's brain cells to work to assist in solving the dilemmas. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Pickwick Murders by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #heatherredmond #thepickwickmurders

London, January 1836: Just weeks before the release of his first book, Charles Dickens is intrigued by an invitation to join the exclusive and prestigious Lightning Club, whereby members are scientists, poets, or prominent sportsmen. On the night he goes for initiation to the club, he thinks that all the members will be waiting for him after he proves his superior wit in going through and finding his way successfully through a maze. However, the complicated basement maze takes a deadly turn when he discovers the corpse of Samuel Pickwick, the club’s very president. With the victim’s blood literally on his hands, he is wrongfully accused of the man’s murder and is hauled off, locked away in notorious Newgate Prison until he can appear before the magistrates.

Meanwhile, Kate, his fiancée, is tasked with trying to save his life, getting him out of prison, and clearing his name. As a evil unknown enemy is toying with Dicken’s life, soon, Kate’s life is also being toyed with as she receives several sealed letters on different occasions that contain poetic riddles that she must solve in 24 hrs to save her beloved fiancée, if she wants to receive the next letter with another clue.

Things get more complicated as another dead body shows in Dickens prison cell, and Kate and some family intend to go back to the original maze where this all started to see if anything has been left behind. Time is desperately running out for all of them!

Plenty of mystery and secondary mystery, Some red herrings, and a surprised ending I didn’t see coming, A bit of a slow story pace at times, but overall an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending, 3.5 Stars rounded up.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
I have read the other books in this series, and I did not feel like this book was as good as the others. Charles Dickens is arrested for a crime he did not commit and thrown into Newgate Prison. Through a series of clues, his fiiance , Kate Hogarth tries to find the real murderer and save his life. This book has so many characters, and the plot was a little slow (although it picked up a little towards the end). It was a good mystery, but not the best in this series.

Where are my
Charles Dickens fans?
Murder Mystery fans?
19th Century fans?
Any of all of the above?

This book is for you!

I loved all the Victorian Era references throughout. Kate, Charles Dickens fiancé, was a woman on a mission trying to piece together clues determined to get her fiancé out of prison for a murder he did not commit! This was book 4 of the series, but it read as a stand-alone.

The Pickwick Murders is the fourth in the Dickens of a Crime book series that follow young journalist Charles Dickens before he became the famous and prolific author he is known for today. The story is set in London and takes place at the start of the year 1836, just weeks before the release of his first novel.. Charles is excited to receive an intriguing invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. The organization is comprised of scientists, poets, and prominent sportsmen, none of which characterize Charles' current status. The initiation involves navigating a complex maze that will use all of Dickens' cunning knowledge and skill to successfully master. Things take a deadly turn however when he stumbles upon the body of the club's president Samuel Pickwick. With blood on his hands, its not long before suspicion falls on Charles himself, landing him a stay at the infamous Newgate prison. Tasked with the unenviable task of proving her fiancé's innocence, Kate sets out to solve the murder and secure Charles' release. However a series a threatening letters containing cryptic riddles that must be solved in 24 hours to receive the next clue, sends Kate scurrying down a rabbit hole in search of answers fast. Can Kate, with the help of her friends and family successfully solve the case before the clues, and time, runs out?

Readers of the series will enjoy getting to see a whole new side of Kate as she is thrust out of her comfort zone and forced to take on the role of detective. While the setup was a bit convoluted, creating some initial difficulty in becoming engaged in the story, the plot was intriguing and complex, containing a mystery within a mystery, with plenty of false starts and stops. London comes to life as the story unfolds with plenty of exciting depictions of the city and life during the mid 1830's at the start of Dickens rise of notoriety. The story, much like the others in the series, had the feel of a Dicken's novel, with a very bleak but honesty look at the glaring disparity between the classes as well as some observations pertaining to politics as well. Overall I enjoyed this romp through historic London and I encourage those looking for an entertaining historical mystery to check out the Dickens of a Crime series as they won't be disappointed.

The Pickwick Murders is 4th in the Charles Dicken mystery series by Heather Redmond. The book was ok, but the story felt forced. Rather than a natural progression, the book seems 'formula', rahter than written from motivation for the characters. Dickens is charged with murder and his fiance, Kate, works to prove his innocence. I like Redmond but don't think this is her best work and recommend a breather from this series.

I love cozy mysteries and Heather Redmond's Dickens of a Crime are some of my favorites. Great character development that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.

Please see the synopsis, I don't repeat it or give spoilers.

Being my first (and voluntarily last) reimagining book, I was disappointed. Early on rather than reading the story I was trying to fill out a pop quiz in my head. Would Dickens do this? What was the time period of Downton Abbey? Would it be appropriate for Kate to be so active? I just couldn't connect.

While 2.5 stars for me, I'm going to round up. Should this book be picked up without any preconceived ideas, the writing may stand on its own; too late for me.

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review The Pickwick Murders.

#NetGalley
#HeatherRedmond
#Reimagining
#KensingtonBooks

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This one is not for me as I prefer a faster-paced plot. Other than that this is a pretty good read. I thought the plot was well thought out it just moved to slow to keep my attention. The characters are interesting with witty banter. I really wanted to like this book, but I could not stay engaged with the story.

This is the 4th in the series but it can be read as a standalone. There were a couple moments where the past was mentioned but it gave enough information where you weren’t confused about what they were talking about if you haven’t read the previous books (which I have only read 1 and 4).

I liked that we got to follow both Kate and Charles and the flip between the two was done well and not confusing. We got Charles POV while in the prison but then also followed his friends and family as they tried to prove his innocence. While I don’t think I would have ever been able to solve the riddles the group did, they were fun to follow, and Redmond did a great job making it historically accurate. The plot was slower moving at the beginning, but it picked up. The writing and dialog flowed nicely making it easy read and there was a twist I didn’t see coming. I will be going back and reading the books in the series that I have not gotten to yet.

Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours @hiestandheather and @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for the gifted copy.

From the desk of Gwendalyn Anderson

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Set in 1836 in London The Pickwick Murders is the fourth Charles Dickens Mystery Series. This time it’s up to Miss Kate Hogarth, to unravel the pieces to an intriguing puzzle to save her Fiancé.
Charles Dickens, an up coming journalist for the Morning Chronicle. He seems to be making strides in his life. Just weeks before his book is to be release and his impending to marriage to his fiancée Miss Kate Hogarth. Things take a tragic turn for the worst. Feeling elated from receiving an invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club Charles arrives at the place and time that invite states. Only his initiation is not what he had hoped it would be. Charles finds himself in the dreadful Newgate Prison, framed. Patiently waiting for his fiancé and family to do what they can to prove his innocence, Charles endures the horrific day to day life along with those others imprisoned in Newgate.
The author has once again written a captivating cozy historical mystery. I had no trouble reading this book from start to finish without stopping.

I enjoyed the author rich historical imagery and the writing was solid. The light mystery was perfectly executed. The author did a wonderful job creating engaging characters that were entertaining to read about.

This is the fourth whirlwind adventure in the ‘A Dickens of a Crime’ series. Charles Dickens goes to report on the election where he hears of a girl being kidnapped by one of the candidates. Upon his return home he finds an invitation to the prestigious Lightning Club and heads to his initiation ceremony. Things take a turn when he discovers the body of scientist Samuel Pickwick and Dickens finds himself jailed. It is up to Charles’ fiancée Kate to solve the case before he comes to harm.
This was a very readable story but I felt disconnected from it. The pacing missed the mark for me, Kate is on a rambling wild goose chase for much of the story looking at one possible angle and then we get a couple of pages resolution at the end. The disappearance of Amy Poor is neglected for much of the book only to quickly be picked back up near the end.
In parts, I really enjoyed Kate as a character and in others I found her irritating. I was longing for her to be a strong heroine but she just seemed to play along with the expectations of society at that time which isn’t very empowering to read.
Overall, this was a decent historical adventure and if I was back in high school I probably would have been more forgiving of its flaws.

This is the 4th book in the Dickens of a Crime series. Each book takes a slice of Dickens literature and casts it into a mystery. An original twist on an author whose works are continuously being retold in one manner or another. Heather Redmond is an American author but she has done an excellent job of portraying Dickens era London and pulling this reader into the story. This book is NOT written in Dickens' style, it IS set during Dickens' lifetime and the characters are all centered around Dickens. Now that we've got that straight......
Charles Dickens is invited to join a very exclusive club. He must navigate a maze to escape the basement and join the other members of the club. Instead, young Mr Dickens discovers a body, a very VIP body and quickly leaves the basement and taken to Newgate Prison.....not exactly how you'd plan your evening to end. From this point on, Charles' fiancee Kate Hogarth must investigate and save him.
This was a good mystery. Some of the clues were pretty obvious, but I still had to keep my nose to the story to keep from being completely surprised at the ending. I have read the first 3 books and enjoyed them or I would not have chosen this one. I will be watching for book #5 to see what Mr Dickens gets into next.

Well-written with fairly interesting characters and time period, sadly though, it failed to hold my attention and I found myself skimming pages. Others may enjoy it more than I did.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this opportunity to review “The Pickwick Murders.” All opinions are my own.

Charles Dickens is in big trouble in “The Pickwick Murders,” the fourth in the “Dickens of a Crime” series by Heather Redmond. To help out with our reading, the author has provided a “who’s who” at the beginning of the book so that the players can be identified, noting the ones which were real historical figures. Handy, that.

At our beginning, journalist Dickens is in a small village to report on the results of a Parliamentary vote, which the Tory candidate wins handily. But there is a confrontation in the square – an anguished father with a sordid accusation of a missing daughter. Nothing for Charles to be concerned about, surely. But later, he’s warned off about the man he has written about in the article. And, receiving an invitation to join a prestigious club, upon arrival at the initiation site he stumbles across a dead body, is accused of the murder and is thrown into prison. He has acquired a powerful enemy.

How is he going to get free? Only with the help of his fiancé, his brother and a plethora of friends.

The conditions in Newgate Prison are described, appalling as they are. The author has done her research.

There are puzzle letters to be got through (by Kate, the fiancé), and threats to her family. Everyone is in danger. A surprise enemy becomes evident. However, we know that Mr. Dickens is not going to the gallows. Kate and her associates do solve the case by dogged sleuthing, and get Charles released. Persistence being the key of course, to the point of the book meandering a lot, at least in my view. But I will be glad to see Mr. Dickens returned to the forefront of solving mysterious goings-on, in the next book.

I enjoyed the other novels in this series but this one wasn't for me.
I had high expectations as the Pickwick Papers are my favorite Dickens novel, a perfect mix of humour and social remarks.
There's not a lot in this novel that made me think about the Pickwick Papers and there's not a lot of humour.
Even if I liked Kate I felt that characters are a bit underdeveloped and the plot is confusing and drags a bit.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine