Doesn’t quite live up to its premise…

I hadn’t read any of the previous books in this series, but I usually really like books featuring famous individuals (Queen Elizabeth I, Josephine Tey, Giordano Bruno, Jane Austen, even Agatha Christie herself) as fictional detectives. So I was excited to try out Heather Redmond’s series featuring a very young Charles Dickens as the protagonist. Sadly, The Pickwick Murders, the fourth book in the series, didn’t really live up to its premise.

The story itself isn’t too bad. Dickens is reporting on a provincial election, during which the Tory candidate, Sir Augustus Smirke, is accused of kidnapping (or worse) one of his housemaids. Unfortunately, the Tory wins, but Dickens includes the incident as part of his article for the liberal Morning Chronicle, and thereby makes an enemy of Smirke, now a powerful Member of Parliament. So when, shortly thereafter, Dickens is framed for the murder of the President of the Lightning Club, Samuel Pickwick, it seems as if Smirke and/or his minions must have been behind it. Dickens is thrown into Newgate Prison, and it falls to Dickens’ brother, Frederick; his real-life fiancée, Kate Hogarth; her family; and a few other fictional characters to figure out what really happened and clear his name.

Sadly, the execution is lacking. The writing feels flat, and could have used a good edit for pace. In addition, I just couldn’t bring myself to care much about Kate, who is really the lead in this fourth book, but spends a lot of time solving a series of riddles – a plot maneuver that just exceeded my ability to suspend my disbelief. Finally, Dickens himself comes across as arrogant, which he may have been, and might even have deserved to be, but that didn’t really make me want to read more about him either. All-in-all, The Pickwick Murders dragged, and I had trouble finishing it, which is quite rare for me.

I did like the background a lot. The descriptions of the provincial election process, the British criminal justice system, Newgate prison itself, even the odd-ball private clubs of the time – all seem well researched and consistent with what I already know about the period. The author also provides a useful cast of characters at the beginning, identifying which were real and which were not. That helped too, especially since I was jumping into the series on the fourth book. I would still recommend this book for people who are huge Dickens fans (I’m at best a middling fan), or have read and liked the earlier books, or who are especially interested in this time period and its social movements. Without the historical strength, I probably would have given The Pickwick Murders two stars, but am giving it three because I liked the background so much. And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Kensington Books, and to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

A very engaging plot, with a plethora of characters . A great read that will hold your attention to the final page.
4 Stars
I received this ARC through Netgalley for a honest review.

After the disaster that was the previous book [for me], I had high hopes for this one [and it was fitting as I read "The Pickwick Papers" this year as well]. Unfortunately, for me, this just didn't deliver and I will be done with the series now.

My issue was length [this was about 50-70 pages too long, but even with the current length, it still took me NINE DAYS to read it because I was so bored with it and dreaded having to pick it up and read it], Kate [and her incessant hand-wringing, all while trying to emulate Julie, all while dreaming of her wedding, all while TRYING TO SOLVE THE MURDER, all while fighting off...whom exactly?] was still problematic in this book - she has forgiven him for the secrets he kept in the previous book [though it would seem her family has not totally and their continued mistrust of someone they have known for so long continues to rankle me], but she does bring it up from time to time. She should be a great character in this [as she leads the story], but I found her at times to be whiny and tedious.
Also, along with it being too long, there is the basic story itself. It seems HIGHLY unlikely that any of this would happen, just because Charles happens to write an article about a man who is not really a nice person, the plot itself becomes extremely confusing [WHERE are we in the story? Is this a flashback? Is this happening in real time? WHAT. IS. GOING. ON?] - so much so that I found myself needing to reread sections to try and figure out just what the deal was, and don't even get me started on the whole prison [Newgate] stay. Overall, this was a long, drawn-out, ultimately boring read that I really could not wait to be done with [the reveal and end was just so...bland? After all that running around and subterfuge, that is the ending we get? What the heck? Meh]. I had such high hopes for this series as I love Charles Dickens and for this book in general [again after being so disappointed over the last one], but I am once again disappointed and again, this will be my last book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Heather Redmond, and Kensington Books for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
London, January 1836: Just weeks before the release of his first book, Charles is intrigued by an invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. But his initiation in a basement maze takes a wicked turn when he stumbles upon the corpse of Samuel Pickwick, the club’s president. With the victim’s blood literally on his hands, Charles is locked away in notorious Newgate Prison. Now it’s up to Kate Hogarth to keep her framed fiancé from the hangman’s noose. To solve the mystery, she is forced to puzzle her way through a fiendish series of baffling riddles sent to her in anonymous poison pen letters. With the help of family and friends, she must keep her wits about her to corner the real killer—before time runs out and Charles Dickens meets a dead end
This is the fourth book in the series & is easily read on its own. A very well researched book & I liked how the author mostly kept to the early life of Charles Dickens. I had mixed feelings about the book & it was one I picked up read a few pages & put it down again so it took me several days to finish it. The characters were well portrayed but the storyline didn’t grab me & I was left feeling frustrated as the villains didn’t get their just desserts. An interesting read but not my favourite of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I've read all the other books and was looking forward to this one as I like how Kate is portrayed unlike other books based on Dickens where she is hardly involved. While she does step forward quite a bit in this book it just seemed to circle around and drag without getting anywhere,. My least favourite of all four books.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which is given above

It still being October, and the third book in the series being A Christmas Carol Murder, I opted to skip ahead to the eARC sitting on my NetGalley shelf and read the fourth book out of order.

I'm not sure I'll bother to backtrack. Or continue.

If you read my Double-Feature Friday post about the first two books then you already know that I've had issues with the pacing and overabundance of unnecessary information. Word drivel. I was hopeful that by the fourth book the editing would be a bit tighter and the pacing a bit faster. I wasn't expecting something as gripping and un-put-downable as, say, Robert Bryndza ... but I still held out hope.

The description indicated a heavier focus on Kate and I've grown quite fond of Kate and several of the other characters. I complained that the first book had too much information and dragged. The second one's pacing was slightly better but the story itself? I skipped full paragraphs (and pages) and didn't feel like I missed out on anything.

This time? If anything it was even more scattered and sluggish.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (aka The Pickwick Papers) was originally published and read as nineteen separate installments over a matter of twenty months. All together it is a huge marvelous piece of work and, next to A Christmas Carol, it is my favorite Dickens. I can't ever read it all at once, though. I don't think I can read Redmond all at once, either. Maybe that was the intention.

For me, it didn't work, even with the extra Kate. Maybe you'll love it.

These are just my ramblings, after all.

I have enjoyed the previous three books in this historical series and, while I did like this one for the most part, I don't think it was the right book for me given my mood. It was slow to start, a bit confusing and I found it dragging in spots. I even set it aside several times because I lost focus.
It's set in 1836 and Charles Dickens is just 23 years old and his first novel will soon be published. He is engaged to 20 year old Kate Hogarth. When Charles finds himself arrested for murder and tossed into Newgate prison it's up to Kate to clear his name. All she has to work with are riddles she must solve in order to follow a trail of information leading to his freedom. Kate is a great character and she was probably the reason I finished the book.
As the reader I take full responsibility for not getting the most out of this mystery. I won't hesitate to pick up the next book in the series because I did enjoy the first three in the series.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Can they overcome this deadly trap …

Being French Dickens was not part of my upbringing reads, school fed me with Hugo, Balzac, Zola… mostly saddening tales with a dash of romanticism in, but the romantic view of love in French point of view seems to be such a tragic tale.
I discovered Dickens with a tv show retelling his Christmas Carols novel, I have read it since but my knowledge of his work stops there.
When I read the previous book, I googled a bit to learn more about Dickens himself, what a life he had, and as the story focus of his relationship with his bride-to-be, knowing how they ended,
I decided to view them as representative of their namesake from a parallel reality with a much happier ending.

This book offers this time two points of view, Charles and for the first time, Kate’s, and I much loved it, as she is this time as much a leading character in this tale as Charles.
Kate is the main character in this tale and by putting her into the limelight, it enhances her wit and cleverness but also the shackles her condition as a woman of good birth wears.
And while the inquest is an exhausting wild chase for Kate and a close to death sentence for Charles, it progresses slowly, as she restrained by the status of her sex and the limitations of move during this era. And as the case thickens, the clues do not pile up but Kate is running ragged while Charles’ safety is threatened more and more all the while they seem to walk backward at time instead of progressing.

I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one with Kate being entirely part of the investigation, reading her thoughts, having to deal with her fears, the impediments of her being a woman and the challenges she has to face to undo the layered trap set for Charles.
She of course does not work alone, and with William, Julie and Fred, they all band together to rescue Charles.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Kensington Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is a nice story, I’ve read other ones, but this and this wasn’t my favourite to be honest.

I did struggle a lot to keep my attention on it, and it did feel rather sexist and annoying by the end, the ladies just running around getting nowhere (I know that was the time, but I’ve seen plenty of strong female characters in this era).

It was ok…

As ever, my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I thought this book was interesting from the description, but unfortunately it did not hold my interest.

I've been a fan of this series so far but this one was a tough go. Charles Dickens is in prison, accused of murdering Samuel Pickwick, and his fiance Kate Hogarth is racing around trying to solve riddles that will get him freed. Nice idea (know that this didn't happen) but the execution felt off this time, I'm not sure why because all the elements are here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I know I'm going to read the next one but would recommend those who haven't been following along to go back and start with the first.

The Pickwick Murders is the 4th Book in the Dickens of a Crime Series by Heather Redmond.
I LOVE historical mysteries and I have read the first three books in this series, though that is not remotely necessary to understand the story or characters in this wonderful story.

The Pickwick Murders is a retelling/reimagining of Charles Dickens tale "The Pickwick Papers".
This mystery is set in the Victorian time period.

I absolutely love the characters in this story. Ahhh poor Charles is imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit and his love struck fiancé Kate is working hard to clear his name before he is hung, literally.

The setting is London during the year 1836. I loved how well the time period and setting was described. The writer does such a fantastic job with this.

The characters are well written and consistent with the time period.

A fantastic mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

I highly recommend this book and the first 3 books in the series as well.

I received a free review copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for my honest, unedited feedback.
Charles Dickens is an up and coming journalist and writer in 1836 when he receives an intriguing invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. But his initiation takes a sinister turn when he stumbles across a dead body and is accused of murder. Dickens finds himself in Newgate prison fighting for survival and dependent on his friends and loved ones to prove his innocence. Kate Hogarth, his fiancé, finds herself targeted by a mysterious letter writer who demands she solves increasingly twisted puzzles to keep Charles safe but she soon realised the cost of failure isn’t just Charles’s safety but also her family’s.

I watched a documentary on the amazing Catherine Dickens born Hogarth who was incredibly talented herself as a writer, wife and mother but found herself subject to a painful divorce when Dicken’s found someone else. So, I was interested to read this book which features a young Kate deeply in love trying to solve a murder.
I haven’t read the previous books in the series but it was easy to jump into the story without having read the older books in the series.
I found Kate a refreshing heroine and her descriptions of her taking on the role of the main investigator with hesitance rang true. She is unable to investigate freely given the restrictions on women in the 19th Century for example not being able to follow a lead as her Father forbids her to do so as it could be too dangerous in the fog. I felt sorry for Dickens as he found himself trapped In Newgate prison, a place he had written about because of its appalling environment.
The mystery around the murder and the Lightening society was satisfyingly interesting and I could not guess who the eventual murderer was at the final reveal. The puzzles that poor Kate had to solve were appropriately literary and led to women writers from that time that I am ashamed to say I hadn't heard of.
The atmosphere is well described and the descriptions of the grubbiness of Newgate and the smells and sounds of the streets really brings 19th Century London to life especially when the author describes the food Kate frequently buys from the street vendors.

There are a number of secondary characters both real and fictional but I loved reading about Julie Aga, the actress who won't let pregnancy and society help her friends and the gruff Mr Hogarth.
Content warning
Possible sexual assault ( off-page)
Perfect for Fans
Historical crime featuring real-life people
Summary
I will definitely be adding the backlist of the Dicken of a Crime series to my reading list

Enjoyable story of Charles Dickens getting set up for a murder and it's up to his fiancé to help get him out of trouble.

I have mixed opinions about Heather Redmond's The Pickwick Murders. I really liked the concept of Charles Dickens as an amateur sleuth. We also have his fiancé Kate accompanying him on his sleuthing adventures. Since Charles spends most of his time behind bars in this book, we have only Kate doing her best to save her fiancé from being wrongfully accused and hanged to death. But yes, there are mentions of their previous adventures - and we also have a spot of 'blast from the past' in the second half of the story.

What didn't work for me is the mystery - it failed to keep me hooked on to the story till the end. We have Kate sent on a wild goose chase while the actual case (the missing girl and her link to Charles' wrongful accusation) takes a backseat.

Overall, this was an okay read.

Everything I felt was lacking in the previous book was lacking even more this time around. It felt drawn out, had too much back-and-forth and too little action. The mystery was not captivating.

1836 Charles Dickens is in Newgate prison accused of the murder of Samuel Pickwick, president of The Lightning Club. His fiancee Kate Hogarth is sent riddles which must solve quickly or Dickens will die.
Can she solve them and discover who is the guilty party, while Dickens attempts to stay alive.
Unfortunately although well-written I did not find this story as engaging as the previous books in the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is the first book by this author that I have read and as much as I enjoyed the beginning I found it was taking too long to get anywhere. There was just too much mystery that I couldn’t use to work out who had done it. Sadly I didn’t get it finished but I am sure there will be others who will love the drawn-out storyline. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and freely give my review.

This had so much promise but unfortunately it did not deliver. I struggled immediately with the way the Charles Dickens character was portrayed, although his fiancee, Kate Hogarth, had great promise. But then the story became too unrealistic for me and it was an effort to read though to the end.

I suppose representing a well known person in a fiction book is always going to be a risk. Readers will all have their own views on how they should act and sound and what kind of lives they really led. My mental version of Mr. Dickens was totally different to that of this author so this book was never going to work for me.

There is still a good story in there though and I am sure many people will enjoy it very much.

If at first I was a bit put off by the style that I initially found slightly overwritten, it then became less overbearing. But I still could not get into the story. I think I might have had a better appreciation if I had read the Dickens book it was inspired from.