It was clear upon finishing The Conductors earlier this year that there would be further installments. I was expecting a longer wait for the sequel to be released but I’m not about to complain that it took less than a year. Though it wasn’t an expansion of Glover’s world in the direction I’d been longing for, I also knew that was a long shot. Picking up just a few months after The Conductors left off, The Undertakers continues to build on the found family relationships of the first novel and explores some unexpected elements from the Vigilance Society’s showing that even those with the best of intentions might be driven to devious manipulation in pursuit of the greater good.

Hetty and Benjy Rhodes have finished setting up their new house and establishing it as a funeral home but they’re having some trouble getting the business off the ground. Their investigation business is still going strong however as investigating a series of fires through the city brings threads of other cases across their path – a friend wants them to rethink their conclusions about someone’s death while stolen magical items are making their way onto the streets with a range of consequences. When Hetty runs across an old adversary with a vendetta against her, the threads become tangled in an intricate web that threatens more than just the lives of Hetty and Benjy. But Hetty’s learning to stop shutting people out. Having let Benjy in more than she has before, she might finally be ready to fully open herself to her friends – even if it means asking them for help when it might put them in danger too.

While I wasn’t too attached to the characters by the end of The Conductors (not Hetty and Benjy so much as their circle of friends), seeing them again in The Undertakers they’ve grown on me and I enjoyed their roles more this time around. I think some of that is actually in Glover’s deft writing of Hetty’s character who, once again, is the main lens the reader sees everyone (and everything) through. Having learned of and accepted her sister’s death at the end of the first book, Hetty is working to let go of so much of her past in order to help her embrace the present and her future. It’s a subtle bit of character work that Glover pulls off beautifully. Hetty’s circle of friends aren’t actually all that different from how they were in the first novel but Hetty’s relationship(s) with them have slightly shifted – she no longer has one foot out the door in those friendships, ready to drop them to chase after a new lead in her search for her sister.

Having Hetty (and everyone really) looking to the future is what makes Glover’s decision to bring up so much of the past (not just Hetty’s and Benjy’s this time but that of their friends and associates from the Vigilance Society) so effective. The scope of the Civil War’s aftermath widens a bit more as Glover also expands on this magical alternate universe she’s created – a universe that I still find most fascinating when she’s exploring the history and power dynamics. While I found touches like baseball played on broomsticks to be underwhelming, elements like a seemingly throwaway mention of a (presumably fictional) double agent of the Revolutionary War using magic in their work make me want to read a history text from this alternate world. Glimpses of a local secondary school and a library system tease the larger world of the series in ways that promise so much more to come. And of course, the novel ends with an even more overt setup for the third book in what looks to be an open-ended series.

The Undertakers will be available on November 9, 2021.

trigger warning
<spoiler> slavery, mention of kidnapping, mention of torture, racism, grief, mention of death by fire</spoiler>

When one person dies under mysterious circumstances, that's already suspicious, but if another person from the same household follows only shortly later, that's a case for Hetty and Benjy.

This is the second installment in the Murder & Magic series, but I don't think you'd have to read the first one to get the second. Hetty and Benjy were conductors on the Underground Railroad, which is when they made a lot of enemies while helping people in need. Now, after the Civil War, officially, they run a funeral parlour, but folks in their area really know that they can come to them with their problems. Especially if white folk will ignore them.

There is a series of fires the husband-wife team investigates, and of course, problems are never simple but develope into a huge mess before being solved. This mess is what this book is about.

It's fast paced since things keep happening, and when you're not captivated by the characters, it's the vivid world that keeps doing unexpected things. Baseball with <i>broomsticks</i>? I'd watch that.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one, but it was a very busy time for me and I had to snatch pages here and there which is never great, so it could've been me.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

This is book two where we revisit the characters from the first book, namely Hetty and Benji. I actually enjoyed this a bit more than the first book. I think I was more familiar with the magic systems. This book is another murder mystery that Hetty has to solve. With mysterious fires and tunnels, what challenges will ensue? While I do love a good fantasy, I'm not sure I love a historic fantasy. Or is this book lacking an element that I cannot identify? If you like mystery/fantasy/history mixed together, you may enjoy this book. Since I don't have half stars, I'm going to give this book 3.5 stars.

It felt great to get back to the world of Hetty and Benjy Rhodes! One of the things that Nicole Glover does amazingly well is creating and developing characters that are easy to fall in love with and relate to. As this book developed I appreciated learning more about Hetty and Benjy and seeing their relationship continue to bloom. Another angle I appreciated from Nicole Glover is the attention to detail historically and in the crafting of the mystery. Kudos to her for all of her research and not weighing this next chapter down with too many details.

I fully recommend this book and cannot wait to see where this and Nicole Glover goes in her weiting.

I didn't read the first book in this series (The Conductors), but you don't really need to as it can stand alone. This book is all about magic and murder during post-Civil War Philadelphia, and the main characters are husband and wife sleuth detectives Hettie and Benji Rhodes-former underground railroad conductors.

Besides being struggling funeral business, they are more adept at solving mysterious deaths using compelling magic based on the constellation and astrological signs. In this alternative world post-slavery, Black people have various magical powers used for protection and harm and the spells are enchanting!

I love how the author, Nicole Glover mixes mystery and magic and places the story in Reconstruction era, which is a fascinating period itself.

My only drawback is that there are so many cases to solve and sometimes the story feels like it's jumping from one issue to the next. But, I love how Hettie is so headstrong and has no fear-she will rush after the bad guy no matter the situation. Her husband, Benji is always the voice of reason.

After reading this advance copy, I am definitely going to read The Conductors. I recommend you do as well so you can read this new release!
Pub Date: November 9, 2021.

Get your copy!

Thanks Netgalley for the e-arc.

After The Conductors I unfortunately found The Undertakers a big disappointment. I wish I could say I loved it but I did not. I found it very unfocused. The narrative was all over the place. There were too many indistinct characters. There were too many plot threads.

I don’t have The Conductors in front of me, but it seemed like Hetty got better looking and much nicer. I also never felt that any of the main characters were actually in the least danger. The amount of magical action felt like a video game. The genuine feeling between Hetty and Benjy was lacking.

The magic got vague and kitchen-sinky. I like the star sign spells, but I don’t remember broomsticks and wands from The Conductors, and they really didn’t work for me within the magic system. The broomsticks in particular were ludicrous. (Baseball on broomsticks? Really?)

I did not care about the overly complicated plot or the characters by the end. Sad to say, for me The Undertakers was a chore to finish. ☹ I'm not sure if I will read book 3.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

I am in envy of the dynamic relationship between Hetty and Benjy.. To have a book based around a loving African American couple that work together amazingly, was a treat. Hiding as undertakers but secretly searching with magic. You can't snooze on this book as every paragraph was constant motion. I have to go back and find the first of the series to read. And I can't wait for the next of the series.

A man is killed in a fire. Hetty and Benjy see nothing out of the ordinary with the fire until the man's son dies soon after in another fire. When Hetty and Benjy discover a tunnel in the man's house that the underground railroad used, they start investigating and find an old enemy has returned.

This book does have some problems but not major ones. In the end, I like this series. It just needs some work. Like, Hetty and Benjy have a large friend group. This group shows up together all the time. Scenes are filled with them. It's as if the author is afraid that I'll forget this group if I don't get constant updates on where they are. It doesn't help that one of the best parts of this series, Hetty and Benjy's relationship, doesn't get as much time because they're never alone.

Hetty and Benjy are the cutest, badass couple. They have such great respect for each other and constantly have each other's back. It's nice that Hetty can finally admit that being around Benjy makes her happy. Every character, even the ones I thought I saw too much of, is each distinct person doing what they can to be happy. Nicole Glover must have done some intensive research because 1871 Philadelphia is fully alive.

Regardless of my criticism, I'm looking forward to more in this series.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Once again, Nicole Glover has set a high bar for the genre.

I cannot stress how wonderful the relationship is between Hetty and Benjy – and the growing cast of friends and loved ones in their lives. Seeing them all come together, either to help surprise Benjy or to assist Hetty with doing a dramatic reveal on who the real murderer was, shows a vibrant talent in Glover's writing abilities.

I mean, come on, to go from "surprise" to faking a haunting. That's a real ride-or-die friendship!

The mystery is intricate, drawing on Hetty's past with her sister and the adventures she had with Benjy. The suspense kept you hooked until the very end because you had to know how they were all going to come out of it mostly unscathed. Between mysterious house fires, moaning ghosts, and the ever-present magic, there is something for every type of reader to enjoy when they pick up The Undertakers.

A copy has been provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

"Nicole Glover delivers the second book in her exciting Murder and Magic series of historical fantasy novels featuring Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, magic practitioners and detectives living in post - Civil War Philadelphia.

Nothing bothers Hetty and Benjy Rhodes more than a case where the answers, motives, and the murder itself feel a bit too neat. Raimond Duval, a victim of one of the many fires that have erupted recently in Philadelphia, is officially declared dead after the accident, but Hetty and Benjy’s investigation points to a powerful Fire Company known to let homes in the Black community burn to the ground. Before long, another death breathes new life into the Duval investigation: Raimond’s son, Valentine, is also found dead.

Finding themselves with the dubious honor of taking on Valentine Duval as their first major funeral, it becomes clear that his passing was intentional. Valentine and his father’s deaths are connected, and the recent fires plaguing the city might be more linked to recent community events than Hetty and Benji originally thought.

The Undertakers continues the adventures of murder and magic, where even the most powerful enchantments can’t always protect you from the ghosts of the past..."

I love history reinterpreted with magic!

A fantasy masterpiece. It was a breath of fresh air and I loved how the author dealt with certain topics.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A murder mystery series in post-Civil War America but with magic added! Love it! I was so intrigued by this premise that I immediately read the first novel in the series, The Conductors.   We follow Hatty and Benjy Rhodes as they investigate mysteries in 1870's Philadelphia.  Both were escaped slaves who worked as conductors for the Undergrounds Railroad shepherding other slaves to freedom. What makes Hatty and Benjy so  successful is the Celestial magic that they use.  Called "primitive magic" by whites, Celestial magic is a system based on astrological; signs that slaves have been able to teach themselves.

In their sophomore outing Hatty and Benjy look into the murder of Raymond Duvall, believed to caused by a fire.  After Raymond's son, Valentine, is also killed, Hatty and Benjy know that there is more to this mystery than a couple of accidental fire deaths.  Add to this, they have been tasked with helping on a treasure hunt all the while trying to escape an old enemy that is targeting them and their friends.  Hatty and Benjy now have to determine who is friend and who is foe while keeping their friends safe, finding the treasure and catching a cold blooded murderer.

This is another successful outing from Glover.  Much like the first book, the heart and soul of the series is the relationship between Hatty and Benjy. Partners during the war, they are now a married couple that have opened their own funeral parlor.  Their relationship continues to grow and deepen during this novel giving them more a real married couple feel. The flashbacks to their adventures for the Underground Railroad are one of the best things about these books.  I love these sections, the Interludes, because they flesh out the characters of Hatty and Benjy so much. The mystery itself is good, if a tiny bit convoluted.  All of the strands do join together in the end so that there is a coherent feeling to the mystery's solution.  My only real critique is that I would like a more in-depth explanation of the magic system: where did it come from, how did it start, what is the real difference between Celestial magic and wand magic? Knowing the answers to those questions would make the novels much richer in complexity.  Overall, I loved it and look forward to volume three of this series.

This felt like more of the same - more of the good and more of the “huh?” My biggest issues with the first book were a lack of understanding how magic works in this world and the juggling of too many characters and plot points. It’s the same with this one - there are times it feels like this character driven narrative needs more plot driven narrative. There are so many names to track. And same goes for plot points and character motivations - too many to easily remember. I still love the relationship of Hetty and Benjy. I just wish we had more scenes like the first book - where they are admitting to each other how they feel and what they’re going to do about it. Ultimately, Glover is going to be a great writer; I want to read more of her future works.

When I read The Conductors earlier this year, I loved it. So, I was incredibly excited to find out that there would be a sequel. The Undertakers was one of my most anticipated books for the latter half of 2021 but, although I did enjoy it, I found it harder to get through than The Conductors, with a less tightly plotted mystery.

As with the first book, what I most loved about the story was the characters. It’s the cast of characters that carries it for me. Throughout the book, and more specifically via flashbacks, you get to learn more about everyone’s backgrounds. As such, the characters besides Hetty and Benjy become more fully fleshed-out. I’m particularly interested in seeing where Penelope’s storyline goes, especially with the introduction of a new character and some… hints, perhaps?

The writing as well was a strong point in this book. It was the kind of writing that you could just tell how much research had gone into it all, but at the same time, wasn’t bogged down by the fact. It was readable and a lot of fun overall. The writing definitely helped also when I felt that the mystery was lacking.

This seems like a good time to mention that properly. I said at the start I found the book harder to get through, and less tightly plotted. I think maybe some of that might be attributable to a few things: me not paying attention (although I didn’t think I’d tuned out that much), the fact it’s an ARC. But then, at times, I did think things fell together too coincidentally. Other times, there was information that hadn’t been even hinted at, chucked in right at the time it was needed (some of this was about characters’ pasts, and I’ll accept it could be me forgetting things from The Conductors as well). It wasn’t really anything I could put my finger on, just a vague sense of it.

But despite that, this is still a book and series that I’d highly recommend. And I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this book. I enjoy this series and appreciate the time period and that the book is told from an African American perspective and main character. I wish the books spoke to more of the Underground Railroad aspect and told more about that experience for the characters, however the setting is post-freedom so it makes sense that’s not the focus. The story was slow moving at times for me and I wish the mystery aspect was slightly more suspenseful but overall a good story and book with unique characters.

This one is a well put together story that adds on perfectly to the first book in the series. I felt invested in the characters, and will definitely be reading any other books by this author.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I don't give 5 stars to this book because the first book I found more interesting as were getting to know the world and the characters, so because it's all-new, I think I fell more in love with it, but I loved this book too.
My love for the characters didn't diminish a bit and I loved accompanying Hetty and Benjy on another adventure, for me, the author can write several of their books solving mysteries that I'll read all of them, but I wish that if there were more books in this series that the author focus a little more on the personal lives of the characters I think this would not only make the story more interesting but also give the characters more depth.
The mystery of this book was very well done, the author managed to connect everything that happens in this story masterfully.
No loose ends are left, everything fits very well. This is not one of the fastest books to read but if you like mysteries like me, when you started reading this book you will read it in one sitting because the story wraps in a way, you can't let go of the book until you finished and discovered everything!

The Undertakers is a story unlike traditional stories of the post-abolition America. The elements of racism and segregation take on a whole new life as readers discover that class is divided not just by color, but by the ability to practice magic and the types of magic used. Hattie and her husband Benji's story is part mystery, part fantasy, and a pleasure for anyone who's looking for a historical fiction title with a twist.

I absolutely loved the previous book in the series, the Murder & Magic series. This narrative, which places Hetty Rhodes and her husband Benjy, magic practitioners and detectives in mid-19th century Philadelphia, is fascinating and very well-written. Where in the first book readers got a sense for the magic system and the rules of the universe that the author, Nicole Glover, has so wonderfully constructed, in this sequel, readers are treated to more of the continuing adventures of this dynamic duo. Featuring important historical aspects of the era, the novel makes the reader feel the importance of these issues without burying them in infodumps and while making keeping the reader turning the pages. With strong mystery elements in a unique setting, this #ownvoices novel is a fantastic continuation to what is one of the best fantasy series out there right now. I hope that there is a film or television adaptation to come in the future.

I finished this through all and all, but I feel like I will need to re-read it once I have read the first volume of this series. Too many times while reading, I felt confused by the vocabulary and the expression used. Maybe it is just me. It might be just me, but I did feel like something was missing from me while reading it. IT sounds obvious. But that aside. I loved it. I loved the world building. As someone who grew up to dream to once be the hero of my own magic based urban fantasy, this book actually made it for me. It did.

Hetty and Benjy are an amazing couple. Their relationship got me jealous and smiling non stop. They are unperfect and have their flaws. They are human and I liked it. Hetty especially you can feel that she is packed with a very strong past and the flashbacks throughout the book give us glimpses into her past. She is wonderful.

Between fires getting started in the city near them and someone going after their business Hetty and Benjy are thrown into a story full of actions and packed with adrenaline. Dang, I can"t wait to start the first, so I can continue this series in a good order and fully enjoy it !!

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