Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
This is the 2nd book in the series starring Indian detective Jim Agnihotri and his new wife Diana. After their marriage the couple moved to the US, settled in Boston and Americanized their last name. Soon thereafter Jim is hired by a Boston detective agency and his work takes him to the Worlds Fair in Chicago. He is only supposed to be gone for 2 weeks but after 5 weeks Diana gets a letter delivered to her and she starts to go crazy with fear and apprehension over Jim's fate. She manages to make her way to Chicago, gets of host of people to assist her and eventually she is instrumental is solving the case. Is a good book, however I wish the setting would have remained in India. Diana is also the focus of the book as it is her brains and Jim's brawn that finally crack the case. See my full review at www.viewsonbooks.com

historical-setting, historical-research, historical-places-events, historical-novel, historical-figures, private-investigators, family, family-dynamics, friendship, action-adventure, architecture, anarchists, murder, murder-investigation, thugs, 1893 World's Fair Chicago*****

Incredible writing that drew me in and put me right there in The White City. With the union shills in Chicago. Even on that immense Ferris Wheel. Feeling mystified by the strange attitudes and speech of these Americans not from Boston, Bombay, or London. The plot is finely crafted and the characters engaging and lively. Armed with her derringer and a deadly parasol Diana bullied and threatened her way to Chicago to find and aid her missing investigator husband. Her faithful man from India accompanies her despite how he is perceived by others, and along the way she accumulates a "lady's maid" and a young orphan boy. Lots of action and danger even when she connects with her Captain Jim. Riveting!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

In this follow-up to Nev March's spectacular, "Murder in Old Bombay", we are again drawn into a delightful tale. Yet this time, our protagonists, Captain James Agnihotri and his elegant bride, Diana Framji, have set their course on the new world - away from the societal constrictures of old India. Our newlywed pair settled into Boston life where Jim has joined a modest detective agency. It is 1893 and Jim has been sent off to Chicago to aid his colleague in the investigation of the death of a Pinkerton security guard. After Jim's six week absence and no word having been sent home to his dear Diana (nor to his boss), Diana takes the bull by the horns and heads off to Chicago with her devoted and capable servant, Tobias. Praying for the best and fearing the worst, they head off in search of Diana's husband. Upon arrival, they are surrounded by preparations for the Chicago World's Fair. There's lots of work to be done and certainly work to be had. Yet, the anarchists are active and rallying against the deep pocketed men of wealth and leaders of industry. There are whispers of unrest and possible upheaval. Is this what Jim was sent to uncover? Dire has dire information she must share with Jim. How will she ever find him in this large Midwest city and will she find him in time?

Author Nev March spins a wonderful tale, filled with adventure, mystery, and a touch of romance. The writing is excellent and highly descriptive. One is swept away to the Golden Age of Chicago through the marvelous scene settings, descriptions of attire, food and manners of the rich and mighty as well as through those of the poor and lowly. Her understanding of history and the tenuous relationship between industrialist and labor is deftly rendered. The way in which she writes dialogue among people of differing cultures and classes is insightful. The story was thoroughly captivating and I eagerly await future books by this wonderful spinner of tales.

I am grateful to publisher Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Peril at the Exposition is the second book in this series. I read the first one which I believe helped my enjoyment of this one but could be read as a standalone.
Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are living in Boston now after taking the ship from India. Jim is a detective now and is sent to Chicago to help with a murder at the World’s Fair. When he disappears, Diana goes to Chicago to look for him

I liked this book because it featured Diana and we heard her point of view. We learned how she grew and became more than just a woman from India.
The writing was good – it did drag a little in the middle but it worth reading. Thank you, Net Galley, for an advance copy for an honest review.

The 1893 Chicago World's Fair (a.k.a. the Columbian Exposition) is the setting for this twisty suspenseful thriller.  A husband-and-wife team of detectives must thwart an anarchists' plot to plant explosives on the fair site and potentially kill many innocent people.   The pair, Captain Jim Agnihotri and his wife Diana, are characters first introduced in the author's debut novel, "Murder in Old Bombay".  They have since emigrated to the United States from India, and Jim has joined a Boston detective agency.  He is assigned to investigate some wrongdoing in Chicago.Chicago at the time of its world's fair is a big part of the story.   It's dominant in the background, providing a strong sense of place to the story.The story's emphasis is on the puzzle of sorting out who is behind the anarchists' plot,  not on the characters or their development.  It's a  cat-and-mouse caper, with plenty of suspense and some harrowing escapes from danger. The twisty plot requires a close read in order to keep on top of all the characters and their relationships.  While some may find it a baffling read at times, things come to a satisfying resolution.  It can easily be read as a standalone.The book would benefit from having a map of the fair's site to allow readers to follow the action.
I received a complementary advance reading copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley for my unsolicited review.

I really liked Nev March’s first book, Murder in Old Bombay, so I was looking forward to be able to read this book, and it definitely did not disappoint!

We meet Diana and Jim again, after they’ve left India. Jim is now a detective in Boston but gets sent to Chicago for the Worlds Fair because of rumors of a threat. When there’s an unexpected development, Diana follows him to Chicago to put her sleuthing skills to work.
There are lots of twists and turns!
I really enjoyed this second book!!

"Peril at the Exposition" is a historical novel set in the Spring of 1893 and set mostly in Chicago. It's not actually about the World's Fair as hardly any action occurred there. They discussed its layout as it's a probable target. Diana visited once as a tourist, which was described with a long list of the exhibits and a scene set in the Ferris Wheel. But you don't get a sense of what the fair was like. The author used few sensory details (smells, sounds, etc.) that immerse a reader in the setting, making the story feel very flat to me.

We mainly got Diana's point of view. She used very little logic and thought she was smarter than she really was. She needlessly put herself and others in danger. She wasn't in touch with reality. For example, she was sure that if a deed was real then the mine must be full of valuable ore and that simply possessing a deed (stolen or bought) made the mine legally yours. She was so sure she knew what was going on and yet she repeatedly trusted the wrong people and came to the wrong conclusions. Most of her suspects wouldn't actually gain from blowing things up (as Jim eventually pointed out). I didn't like Diana. She felt justified in accusing people of crimes before proving such was actually true. She came to snap judgements of people and their motives that showed more about her prejudices than other's.

Jim mostly searched for any physical evidence of who killed his coworker and for the crates of explosives. Diana mostly went around causing sandal along with a male cross-dresser maid. I found it confusing that Jim and Diana kept contradicting themselves. For example, Jim sent a letter to be translated and needed the translation mailed back urgently. Diana waited with the translation at the post office. Jim visited the post office specifically to get the letter. But he refused to even read the letter when Diana tried to give it to him because it would be dangerous for him to have the letter. Even though he went there to get it. Then, later, suddenly it's fine for him to read it even though nothing really changed. The continual switches between "it's too dangerous" and then they act like it's not or "this is true!" only we find out it's not just made this a confusing mess. There was no chance to reason through what was going on when the main characters weren't reliable and no one was what they seemed. It's more like the author was trying to trick the reader than write a mystery.

This is the second book in a series. It's hard to understand the references to family and events from the previous story if you haven't read it as the author provided little of the background. There was no sex. There was some bad language. While I read an Advanced Reader Copy and hopefully some of the confusion will be fixed by the final copy, I just can't recommend it as a historical or a mystery.

An excellent continuation of the Captain Jim and Diana historical mystery series started in Murder in Old Bombay. This time the action is set no in India but in late 19th century Chicago. The couple have moved to America where Jim works for a Boston detective agency. He is sent to Chicago to investigate goings-on at the Chicago World Fair. When he disappears Diana follows on his trail. The mystery is well-paced and well-done with attention to period detail. I love the character of Diana, she is strong and smart.

An enjoyable and wonderfully crafted mystery set in Chicago during the World's Fair, Nev March gracefully layers immigration, anarchists, gender identity, private detectives, societal norms and some lovely depictions of architechture, fashion and food into the mix.

The second in a series, this is sure to be a big hit with those craving historical mystery, as well as those with a taste for well crafted literature. I suspect "Peril at the Exposition" will be a great book club book, as well.

I fell in love with the characters and the setting in Murder at Old Bombay and was not disappointed in the second installment of this series. Rather than taking place in India, the characters have come to the United States and you'll see your own country in a way different light and time.

Nev March is a talented writer and I would gladly ready anything that is published by Nev...you should too. You won't be disappointed and will soon be hooked on the series too!

This book is a sequel to Murder in Old Bombay, which followed the adventures of Captain Jim Agnihotri, a soldier-turned-detective, and Diana Framji, an educated and determined young woman whose sister and sister-in-law were murdered. That story was told fromJim's perspective, as he figured out how to investigate a case and tried, less successfully, to keep Diana at a distance, both from the sleuthing and from his heart. You do not have to have read the first book to appreciate this new one (I can attest to this confidently because I read them out of order). This new book takes place with the new couple in the New World, where they separately struggle to puzzle out a fiendish plot that appears linked to the Chicago World's Fair. The story is narratated primarily from Diana's point of view. As in the first novel, Jim attempts to keep Diana away from his case and she succeeds in immersing herself in it. I loved watching her figure out how to go about not only how to find Jim but also how to help him solve the case.
My favorite things:
- this own-voices story gives us the perspective of two immigrants to the US as they figure out how to navigate life in a new land. The perspective decenters European/Anglo-American cultures and characters of European descent, Their language and past experiences shape their outsiders' view, sometimes to comical effect
- these are ethical, caring protagonists. Diana emerges as particularly likeable..
- the period details are brilliantly evoked, from grand hotels to grimy docks
- Diana is extremely competent but in a plausible way; she succeeds thanks to logical thinking and determination. She does not easily accomplish what she wants to or even always recognize what her next steps should be, making her feel very real
- the plot is complex and unfolds slowly
- the ending wraps up almost all the threads introduced in the book
- the language is period-appropriate, for which my ears were very grateful.
Other considerations:
- the blurbs for both these books evoke Sherlock Holmes, which I'm sure helps with the marketing but which absolutely, positively will be a letdown for any Holmes fans who expected something similar. Not similar in any way at all: not the style, not the plot, not the characters, not the technique. The only thing they have in common is that they are set in the same time period and feature mysteries. Also, there is an occasional reference to Jim liking the Holmes stories. It's worth powering through the initial disappointment at the lack of Holmes-ness to appreciate the crafted beauty this novel offers.
- the plot takes its time. While quite a bit actually happens, expect something more like the pacing of a 19c novel, where even a race against time will be narrated with no sense of haste (even if the characters themselves are sprinting), making the pacing seem much slower than we'd expect nowadays..
- the book is a mystery, not a romance. While Diana and Jim are both enticing characters, there isn't much clear chemistry between the couple.
- one minor character, a Black man who works for the same detective agency that Jim does, feels the full brunt of racism more than once in the book. He even gets beaten up trying to carry out Diana's wishes, . While Diana feels horrified by this and shows some concern for him throughout, she is fairly comfortable with/resigned to his second-class status. That may be realistic for an affluent young woman in that time period, but it felt really uncomfortable as well as implausible, given that she would surely have felt the brunt of racism herself, despite her wealth, once she landed in the US.

Nev March has done it again! I fell in love with Captain Jim in Ms. March’s stunning debut, Murder in Old Bombay, so I was eager to read the second book in the series, Peril at the Exposition. In an unexpected twist, the book was written primarily from the perspective of Jim’s wife, Diana. I liked the character in the first book, but I really found myself admiring her spunk, sass and sympathetic attitude in Peril at the Exposition. When Jim goes missing during an assignment, Diana doesn’t sit at home, wringing her hands. She goes after him, and in the process is caught up in a web of deceit and danger at the Chicago World Fair. Peril at the Exposition in a tightly woven page-turner, sprinkled with historical figures and a wonderful peek into that specific time. Ms. March not only has a gift for writing mysteries, but for writing mysteries with heart.

I really liked Nev March’s first book, Murder in Old Bombay, so I was looking forward to be able to read this book, and it definitely did not disappoint!

We meet Diana and Jim again, after they’ve left India. Jim is now a detective in Boston but gets sent to Chicago for the Worlds Fair because of rumors of a threat. When there’s an unexpected development, Diana follows him to Chicago to put her sleuthing skills to work.

I loved this one even more than the first, but I think that’s because we’ve already met these characters and this is a continuation of their stories. We get some wonderful historical details that completely immerse you in that era. There’s lots of twists in the mystery and while some things fall into place a little too nicely, I don’t mind hand waving those away because this is fiction after all. I hope we get more books with these characters in the future!

I was really excited to read this book based on reviews of the prior entry in the series, as well as the references to Sherlock Holmes. It did not meet expectations, however, and in the end I did not finish. I found the primary narrator's voice (Diana) stilted and off-putting, and the plot seemed to be trying to be all things (murder! intrigue! espionage!) in one narrative. A disappointment.

A great follow up to Nev Marchs first book in this same world. Set in 1800's Chicago during the Wolds Fair our main characters have to infiltrate the dark underbelly of this famous event to solve a mystery and save lives. The author made some clever choices here to build on the first book in this series, I liked that the primary character was Lady Dianna, her hunt to find her detective husband made the story more compelling. The story itself is good and much tighter than the first book, an improvement I would say.

After totally enjoying Nev March's first book, Murder in Old Bombay, I was excited to receive an Advance Reader's Edition of Peril at the Exposition. I am happy to say it did not disappoint.

Diana Framji and her husband, Jim Agnihotri, have left India for the United States. Jim works as a detective in Boston. It's 1893 and the Chicago World's Fair is starting. Jim's agency sends him there to investigate some disturbing rumors involving danger to those who would attend the fair.

And then Jim disappears. Diana decides to follow him to Chicago. Not only does she attempt to find Jim, she also tries to solve the case-- putting herself in harm's way.

Almost everyone is a suspect at one time or another. Real-life historical figures pop up at appropriate times and add additional interest.

This is an exciting story with many twists and I had trouble putting the book down. I can hardly wait for book #3!

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review… the characters are likable…a mixture of good and some not so good…the story takes place in Boston and Chicago… family and friends…crimes abound…love and marriage…secrets…the story is innovative but moves slowly…the author is talented and ingenious at weaving this tale that reads like true crime at times…enjoyed this…

A strong book following on the heels of the excellent Murder in Old Bombay. The Exposition referred to in the title is the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair and I found the historical information of the fair to be the strongest part of the novel. Captain Jim and his India born Parsee wife have left India for a new life in Boston where Jim will work for a PI firm. He is sent to Chicago to investigate a murder, his wife Diana follows and they are soon both caught up in the history of the times. Labor unrest, terrible conditions for workers, graft and corruption. I feel the time in Chicago dragged a bit but as much as I liked learning about Bombay in the previous novel I enjoyed learning about turn of the century Chicago in this book. I hope there will be another book starring these protagonists.

Teeing off the review of the her previous novel -- Excellent,, too. I expect that this will generate lots of high ratings. This one is also well crafted, with a great setting, interesting characters, and an engaging plot. A fun mystery. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

PERIL AT THE EXPOSITION gives the reader a lively political and social history of Chicago at the close of the 19th Century. Presented as an historical mystery, the novel is at its best illustrating the class struggles of the era, the lingering racial problems following the Civil War, and the position of women in society.

Our protagonists were intrepid beyond belief, but their idealism was so admirable that it carried me through their somewhat tedious investigation.

I loved the period detail, and found aspects of the story compelling, but the author’s style prevented me from being totally engaged in this reading experience. netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.