The Dead Cry Justice
by Rosemary Simpson
Pub Date 30 Nov 2021
Kensington Books, Kensington
Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of The Dead Cry Justice through Kensington Books and Netgalley:


In May 1890 NYU Law School finally agrees to admit female law students, Judge MacKenzie’s daughter Prudence weighs her choices carefully. As Prudence ways her concerns among the top is how her decision would affect the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law agency and her professional and personal relationship with the partner who is currently recuperating from a near fatal shooting.


Even more pressing issues come up as a street Urchin, whose act of petty theft inadvertently leads Prudence to a badly beaten girl he is protecting. Fearing for the girl’s life, Prudence rushes her to the Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, run by the compassionate Charity Sloan. When the boy and girl slip out of their care and run away, Prudence suspects they are fleeing a dangerous predator and is desperate to find them.


Aided by the photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis and the famous journalist Nellie Bly, Prudence and Geoffrey scour the tenements and brothels of Five Points. Their only clue is a mysterious doll with an odd resemblance to the missing girl. But as the destitute orphans they encounter whisper the nickname of the killer who stalks them—Il diavolo, Prudence and Geoffrey must race against time to find the missing children before their merciless enemies do.


I give The Dead Cry Justice five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This is one of my favorite historical mystery series! This one was a bit gruesome with the doll club and how sick those men where and what they did to women. I love Prudence and Geoffery they make a great team! Can't wait to read the next one!

I had mixed feelings about this 6th book in the Gilded Age Mystery series which was set in 1890 New York City. This was the first book I've read in the series and I liked the recurring characters. However, the subject matter, the horrific crimes against the women in this book, were almost too painful to read.

The book was well done but I'm not sure this is a series I want to continue with.

heard? The Dead Cry Justice
by Rosemary Simpson
#TheDeadCryJustice #NetGalley

The Dead Cry Justice is the sixth entry in Ms. Simpson’s historical mystery series, following on Death, Diamonds and Deception. A new book, the seventh, will be published in November 22.

This story takes place late in the 19th century when women are (finally) able to go to law school. Protagonist and heiress, Prudence, is the daughter of a judge. She is trying to decide if she wants to become a lawyer and what it will mean to her detective practice and relationships if she does.

In the meantime, life takes over. Two children are missing. Watch as fictional and real life characters including Jacob Riis and Nellie Bly try to get to the bottom of things.

This title has chosen a good time period, an interesting place (New York City) and characters who interrelate. Fans of the series will welcome this title. New readers can start here but they may then want to go back to be introduced to Prudence and Co. from their fictional beginnings.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.

Prudence MacKenzie has been asked to join the first class of women admitted to the Law School of New York University. She knows she could pass the bar without going through the program, but cannot decide if she wants to leave her business with ex-Pinkerton detective Geoffrey Hunter. When she stumbles onto to street urchins - one a boy very hungry and the other a girl very ill, she decides to change course and discover who is taking advantage of these young girls. Her path leads her to a terrifying group of depraved men who think nothing of degrading and using women. A frightening story that could still be true today.

While this is the sixth book in the Gilded Age mystery series, this is the first one I've read. While it was definitely readable as a stand-alone, I think I would have had a better understanding of the minor characters and of the history of how Prudence ended up becoming a sleuth. I was a little confused at her relationships with some of the minor characters, but I'm sure those details would be filled in if I was caught up on the series.

I really liked the way the author painted a vivid picture of life in the Gilded Age, and not a whitewashed version of it. She showed the gritty realities of living in an age of such widespread abject poverty and its affects, combined with such strict social mores, on children.

I read a lot of historical mystery series, and they're usually not quite as dark as this one was. I didn't mind that, I just was a little surprised.

I hope the next book has the female doctor play a more central role to the story. I found her to be the most fascinating of all the characters.

This is definitely a series I will read more of, and it's always nice to find another historical mystery series. I would recommend this series to fans of Charles Todd, Anna Lee Huber, and Charles Finch.

If she so chose, heiress Prudence MacKenzie could have been a star in New York City’s high society. It’s certainly what her British aunt Gillian, the Dowager Viscountess Lady Rotherton, would have preferred, but Prudence isn’t interested in making a brilliant marriage. She is an active partner in the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law Agency. She also has a complicated personal relationship with ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter, who was gravely injured a few months earlier and has not fully recovered.

As the daughter of the late and greatly esteemed Judge MacKenzie, Prudence has always been mentioned as a likely candidate for law school. Up until now, Prudence hasn’t had to consider whether she would attend law school if an invitation was extended. That changes in May 1890 when New York University Law School finally opens its door to female students. A member of the university’s governing council visits Prudence’s Fifth Avenue mansion to personally invite her to join the inaugural class of women.

Prudence has a lot to think about. What would happen to her investigative agency if she went to law school? She sits in Washington Square Park, pondering her options over sandwiches “wrapped in butcher paper and brown twine,” when a young urchin nabs the food right out of her hand. Prudence isn’t one to slough this off—she and her dog, Blossom, track the lad into the entrails of the nearby University Building’s basement. Prudence and Blossom come upon two emaciated young persons at the end of their rope, the girl beaten within an inch of her life.

The girl’s skin was hot to the touch in places, cold and clammy in others, as though her body fought its way alternately through freezing chills and burning fever.



Prudence shrugged off the light spring shawl she was wearing, covering the inadequately clothed girl who was stubbornly holding on to life despite what must have been a terrible beating. Looking up, she saw the boy’s wide-eyed stare flit from her to Blossom, then back again. Frightened yet defiant.

Prudence persuades the pair to come with her to the safest place she knows, a Quaker-run charitable hospital. As Doctor Charity Sloan gently cleans the young girl’s body, she tells Prudence the girl has “been viciously violated.” Prudence takes the boy back with her, letting him sleep beside Blossom, but early in the morning, cabby Danny Dennis tells her the boy has run off. Prudence rushes back to the hospital to find the girl’s bed empty. What frightened the pair so much that they would take off in the middle of the night?

Dr. Sloan tells Prudence that their unusual appearance—very pale skin, large brown eyes, and blond hair—indicates they might be brother and sister. Later, one of Prudence’s associates brings her a newspaper article.

He pointed to an article whose headline screamed DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS BOY? And in slightly smaller print below, The City Asylum for Orphan Boys and Foundlings wants to know.



“What is it, Josiah?” Prudence asked.



“I heard one of the newsboys calling it out,” Josiah explained. “So I scanned the article on my way here. The Asylum staff found a dead body on their stoop early this morning when someone opened the front door to bring in the milk bottles. A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old. Described as a street urchin. Blond hair, dark brown eyes. Nothing on him to suggest a name or nationality. That sounds a bit like the boy you were talking about, Mr. Hunter. At least the blond hair and brown eyes are a match.”

Seems as if someone is trying to permanently silence the abused girl’s young protector. Rosemary Simpson weaves two historical figures into the story: photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis and the famous journalist Nellie Bly. Prudence combs through hundreds of Riis’s black-and-white photographs until she spots one of the girl that Riis took in the Five Points neighborhood. Five Points was the flip side of the gilded splendor of Fifth Avenue; populated by brothels and tenements, it was “once the most notorious slum in the United States.”

A break in the case comes when Prudence is sent an exquisite doll.

The doll stared up at them out of deep green glass eyes fringed with long, stylized lashes. Feathery painted eyebrows arched in perfectly symmetrical semicircles across a wide forehead. Pursed lips painted a delicate coral emphasized a tiny mouth beneath circles of matching cheek color. Thick blond hair fell in soft curls halfway down the doll’s back.

Is there a connection between “a pair of missing abused children and a bogus fashion doll?” When they track down the doll’s origins, Prudence and Geoffrey unravel a sordid criminal enterprise. They are warned repeatedly that they are courting danger by pursuing the case—even the knowledgeable proprietress of a high-class brothel tells them so.

That indignities are inflicted on young girls is not a problem confined to the Gilded Age of New York—sadly there are modern examples of abhorrent practices. The Dead Cry Justice is particularly vivid in its portrayal of the cruelty powerful men exerted on children incapable of fighting back. The story will linger with readers long after they’ve finished the book. It’s an excellent addition to the Gilded Age Mystery series.

This was the first book that I have ever read of Rosemary Simpson’s, and I was so enamored by the immensely likable characters and the richly authentic setting, that I couldn’t begin to write this review until I had read all of the books in the series. Now I am sad to leave the incredible world she created. I cannot wait until the next book is published.

Even though I had started the series with this, Book 6, it didn’t take away from my understanding and enjoyment of the book. There are enough clues throughout that one quickly understands the background of the various characters.

Prudence is a fascinating and admirable young woman who has faced the loss of loved ones, but with the caring and support of her investigative partner, Geoffrey, has become a stronger and independent person. In spite of her keen intelligence, she is able to fit into the Gilded Age society to which she was born.

Geoffrey is a highly attractive leading man, not just due to his physical attributes, but to his sense of honor, integrity, and innate sense of justice. He was also born into the wealthy class, but his respect for people who who are poor and looked down upon by his peers makes him a truly likable character.

The mystery is unique. Young girls are disappearing, but not the typical victims (prostitutes, servants, etc.). These are girls from highly respectable families. Prudence and Geoffrey, together with the most interesting set of fellow helpers I have ever encountered, work to find the cause of these abductions.

RS describes the place and time with such ethos that I felt like was a part of that world. Her descriptions are evocative of opulence, but a sense of evil lies underneath. She has a keen insight into human nature that shows her wisdom as well as her intelligence.

I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. She has an abundance of characters and changes of settings to enrich the story. She provides enough background to make everything understandable, without patronizing the reader’s ability to comprehend.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but I bought all the previous books in the series. That’s how much I liked this book!

Just seeing the words 'Gilded Age Mystery" is enough to make me pick up a book and this one should have been exactly my cup of tea. As it turned out it was okay but not one of my favourite reads. Maybe it would have been better if I had read the previous books instead of coming in at book 6.

Daughter of Judge, Prudence Mackenzie, and former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey Hunter, work together to solve crimes and this one drops into their laps when a child snatches a packet of sandwiches from Prudence in the park. Events that follow lead to the investigation of some very seedy crimes indeed, and involvement with some very rich and very dangerous men.

New York in 1890 was well described. Conditions for the poor were dreadful and crime was rife. However I felt the author tried a bit too hard to paint her black picture of the evils of rich men who could buy anything or anyone and escape scot free. I was overwhelmed by the misery and started to skim. That's never a good sign!

For me therefore, an okay book but not enough to make me go looking for the earlier ones.

Rosemary Simpson in the Dead Cry Justice plumbs the depths of Gilded Age New York depravity in this excellent historical mystery. Prudence Mackenzie and her helpers are drawn into a world of kidnapping girls to fit the tastes of New York rich and debauched men. Read to see how the other half lives when they indulge every depraved taste.

I had not read the previous books in this series that established the relationships among the characters, but it was not necessary to understand the story and interactions among them in this book. It is very well written, well plotted, and well delivered as the mysteries unfold and the characters work toward resolution. The amount of research done on this period is mind-boggling to me, as it is revealed in this book. I was hoping for a little more development of the romance, but that may come in future books. Nevertheless, it was a very good mystery, and I recommend it to those who love a good historical mystery with lots of details. #NetGalley #TheDeadCryJustice

The Gilded Age of New York 1890 and my first venture in to this wonderfully written and researched series.

The book starts with our heroin Prudence MacKenzie (and her dog B;lossom) chasing a young urchin in to one of many disused buildings. This leads to some dodgy characters peddling child prostitution and sex trafficking.

At the same time Prudence been invited to be one of the first women to be welcomed into New York University's Law School.

There is also her involvement in the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law firm with a slow burning romantic involvement with an ex Pinkerton agent. Geoffrey Hunter.

I really enjoyed the start, the end and the author's notes but 'lost' the book in the middle and would have liked more character background.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the chance to read and review.

It's May 1890, New York in the Gilded Age and Prudence MacKenzie, daughter of a prominent judge, has been invited to join the first law school class that will allow women. It puts her at a turning point in her life. The time is right as her partner in the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law Agency has no new clients and Hunter (ex-Pinkerton agent and a lawyer) is still mending after nearly being shot to death. As she contemplates her future it takes a turn into a case that is very dark, ugly and disturbing. A street child steals her sandwich and her chase leads her to a badly beaten young girl. She manages to take the girl, and the boy she was chasing, to the Quaker hospital for treatment. Next thing she knows both children are again on the run and Prudence sets out to uncover a child trafficking group with connections to both the highest of New York's society to the very dregs of society.
I like this series because it's historically accurate and pulls no punches. Prudence has a mind of her own at a time when women are really shaking things up. One of the historical women making an appearance in this mystery is Nellie Bly. While the subject matter is disturbing it is a glimpse into our history. The mystery is complex and full of twists, turns and red herrings with a great cast of characters both good and evil. My one very mild complaint? I want the relationship between Prudence and Geoffrey to move faster. It didn't bother me enough to take away a star.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 STARS

This series has such potential, but I always find certain aspects lacking while others are stronger; they are seldom in agreeance. The mystery and historical facts were intriguing, but the character growth was minimal at best. I appreciated Prudence's attempts at independence, but several of her actions were downright dangerous and thoughtless. I am a fan of slow burn romance, but six books in, I expected much more in terms of the personal relationship between Prudence and Geoffrey. I will likely continue with the series for at least one more book.

A Gilded Age Mystery. The glitter of that age draws many to read about it but as the word is defined there is a baser material beneath and that is what this mystery deals with: the sexual exploitation of women (which happens in all times). Prudence MacKenzie and her partner Geoffrey Hunter try to help two street urchins, one has been badly beaten and sexually used. When the two disappear Prudence and Geoffrey must hunt the dangerous Five Points of New York to try to find them before the vicious predator they are running from finds them.

It is not my favorite subject to read about which lessened my enjoyment of the mystery. However, it is well written and researched. The characters are engaging. While it is the first book of this series that I have read it was easy to follow.

I would like to read the earlier books in the series to see how a rich heiress ends up being a partner with an ex-Pinkerton agent solving mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

The Dead Cry Justice is the sixth book in the A Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson.

The University of the City of New York’s Law School will admit women for the first time and has invited Prudence MacKenzie to join that first class. With her partner in Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law, Geoffrey Hunter, still recovering from a near-fatal gunshot and not taking any new cases, she would certainly have time to study for a law degree.

While sitting on a bench near the university, Prudence is completing whether she should enroll in law school when a young street urchin steals the sandwiches she has next to her. As he runs off, Blossom, Prudence’s dog, and Prudence take off in pursuit. When Prudence sees him enter through a school building doo,r she enters and soon finds the young boy standing near a young girl who is in desperate need of medical attention. Prudencecano convinces the young boy to let her take them to a Quakers-run hospital. It is thought that children are between 12-15. Upon examination,n it is learned that the girl has been sexually abused at some time. Everyone was shocked that the girl had the appearance of a porcelain doll. The following day when a nurse goes to check on the patient, the girl is gone. It is thought that her brother had returned during the night and had taken the girl.

Prudence, Geoffrey, Ned set out to find the two children. They will be helped by Poice Detective Lowrwhosewho sister had been kidnapped without a trace. Their investigation will take them to the seedier parts of New York City and various elite private men’s clubs and brothels in the hope that someone can provide information as to who or where this illicit child sex-trafficking activity is taking place.

The book is well-researched, leading to a well-written and plotted book. The characters are well-developed and believable. The book moves at a good pace and is hard to put down. Child trafficking is despicable, but the author handles it in a compassionate and caring way.

The Author’s Note’s are well worth reading also.

I love this series and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This latest installment in Rosemary Simpson’s Gilded Age series explores the darkest corners of life in turn-of-the-century New York, including poverty, sex trafficking and prostitution. The mystery that Prudence and Geoffrey investigate starts when a young boy steals Prudence’s lunch when she is sitting on a park bench. She eventually locates the boy's hiding place and this leads her into a world of which she was totally unaware. One of the best parts of this series is the growing relationship between Prudence and Geoffrey; unfortunately there was not much development seen in this book. Despite the fact that each of them privately admits to themselves the strong feelings they have for each other, neither of them is honest enough to express their feelings aloud—even after both have come close to losing their lives. As a reader, it is disappointing to once again see these two lack the courage to share their feelings with each other. In addition, Prudence seemed more foolhardy in her pursuit of the truth than in the past. She takes risks several times that seem out of character for a woman with her intelligence.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensington for the advance copy.

Set in 1890 New York during bustling industrialization, this story is full of heart tugging anguish, sadness, heartbreak, injustice and hope. Daughter of a judge, privileged but extremely compassionate Prudence MacKenzie longs to become a lawyer which is nearly impossible in this era. Females are just being allowed to study at university but male students play cruel pranks on them, illustrating that women are not welcome in a man's world.

One day, while lunching outside, a street urchin steals Prudence's sandwiches. Who would have thought that act would uncover an evil child sex trafficking enterprise? Her friend and partner, Geoffrey Hunter, ex-Pinkerton, aids her in her quest for the truth in children's abuse and disappearances and the sick individuals who make it happen. Josh, Danny and Ned have roles to play as well. So does Dr. Charity Sloane. I just love her!

The subject is a sobering but important one, very eye opening. Though disturbing, the doll link is fascinating. The multisensory historical details are described vividly and not glossed over. Extreme poverty and degradation abound and my heart broke for the children. Unfathomable despair.

If you like social justice and reform in your Historical Fiction, do read this book, the sixth in the series. Do know that you reading the previous books is not necessary to follow but you ought to as they are good! Each of the books is easy to get lost in.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this thought-provoking and emotive book.

This is the 6th book in Simpson’s Gilded Age series and they just keep getting better and better.

Prudence MacKenzie is sitting on a park bench contemplating joining the first class of women allowed to study law at New York University when a young boy steals her sandwich. When she follows the child, she is quickly thrust into a mystery that involves the depraved underbelly of gilded age New York.

Simpson has done such a great job of creating a cast of reoccurring characters that are all so well developed that a big reason to read this series is to get to spend time with these characters again. However, her ability to craft a intricate historical mystery is really the main draw.

You can tell that there was a lot of research done for each of these books, and this book was no exception. I personally enjoy how each of the books relies heavily on the social discourse of the time such as the recently ended Civil War, immigration, and class disparity. Prudence, a relatively sheltered but highly intelligent young woman is our ‘in’ into the discourse as she is frequently exposed to the darker sides of her city for the first time while investigating each mystery.

This novel focuses a lot on child poverty and the mistreatment of young girls and women. This mystery is on the darker side and not a read for everyone, so be sure to check trigger warnings.

Read if your looking for, a dark mystery, gilded age setting, or a plot driven novel with well developed characters.

It wasn't the Gilded Age for everyone in 1890 New York, as Prudence discovers after a chance encounter with a hungry child. She rescues Bella and Zander only to find that there's a network of nefarious people exploiting children, especially young girls. Along with her colleague Geoffrey, she plunges into the underworld to get to the truth and find a killer. There are cameos from a number of real people (I found myself doing a little extra research on a few of them) but Simpson's characters shine through. Prudence has some decisions to make in this installment, notably whether to apply to law school but no spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is well done historical mystery that will be fine as a standalone but appreciated even more by fans of the series.