I absolutely love these series - Victorian Mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland.
Unfortunately, I've started from book two in the series (meaning to read the first one). But... I immensely enjoyed what I've read so far.
You get Victorian London, dirty underbelly, determined policeman and talented detectives with a secret. You get characters with the past and backbone. And story to get you reading till the last page.
Enjoy

DNF I tried several time to read this one!! Could make it past the first chapter or two. I guess if I'd read the others in the series, I may have been able to finish this one. But to be honest, I don't think that would have made a difference.

The main story is engaging and moves forward smoothly. Previously, Sarah's voice felt strong and aligned with her true self, but currently, it lacks the same level of power. I also find it quite enjoyable to see a gay man who chooses to keep his sexuality private yet doesn't feel ashamed of it. And, I also enjoy when characters in a story come from different social backgrounds and have specialized skills. I really like the way the atmosphere is described and the interesting historical parts. This book is really good. It's got a lot of action and suspense that'll keep you hooked.

River of Fallen Angels is the seventh installment of the Victorian mysteries. This was a solid entry into a strong series. The characters are well-established.Sarah Barrett is a clever and competent female detective. The mystery is very clever and is filled with twists and turns. I did not know who the killer was until the end of the novel! River of Fallen Angels is full of romance, suspense, and intrigue! I recommend this for fans of Jennifer Ashley, Tessa Arlen, and Karen Odden!

I really enjoyed this book even though it was a Victorian mystery. I’m more into thrillers but this book had a really good plot and it did keep me interested!! I would definitely recommend this book!! I will even get a copy for myself.

A historical fiction story with a mysterious plot. A serial killer is on the loose and the killings seem all too familiar. A copycat? Maybe? Sarah is a Crime photographer and an Investigator and she is on the case with her partners. Plenty of twists to keep the story intriguing and thrilling. A provocative Victorian mystery story and impressive storytelling.


Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this book, I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5-4 stars

I love reading Victorian mysteries, but this one didn’t grab my attention as much as previous ones. While I enjoyed the serial killer aspect with the Torso Murderer and seeing Sarah and Thomas go back and forth with their theories for who could be responsible for such heinous acts, I unfortunately found Inspector Reid to be a bit distracting from the crime itself due to his ego. The end especially left me with mixed feelings and it seemed it left Thomas feeling uneasy about the outcome as well.

While I do enjoy this series and Laura Joh Rowland’s writing, this particular installment wasn’t my favorite. I do still recommend it, though, because I feel it is a pivotal inclusion in the series.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book to review.*

I enjoy the characters and the twists involved her this authors mysteries. I also like the historical London setting. This book does build on her previous books in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

River Of Fallen Angels is the seventh book in the A Victorian Mystery series by Laura Joh Rowland.

The story starts with Sarah Barrett at the shore of the Thames near London’s Tower Bridge, taking photographs of a young worker hanging from the bridge by a rope tied to his leg. Upon leaving after the man was rescued, Sarah and her friends, Mick, Hugh, and her sister Sally come across a lady's torso near the water’s edge. This torso is the second torso to wash ashore in two years, and the police fear there is a serial killer responsible and are referring to it as “The Torso Killer”. Unfortunately for Sarah and her husband, DS Thomas Barrett, their nemesis, Inspector Reid, has been put in charge of the investigation. Inspector Reid believes that Jack the Ripper is responsible for the torso. Reid continues to think that Sarah has kept secrets about the Ripper investigation and has been ordered off the investigation. Sarah and Barrett, along with Hugh, Mick, and Sally, and trying to stay out of Reid’s way, will set out on their own investigation. They will also have input from Hugh’s doctor, who specializes in criminal profiling. Their quest will have looked into a barber, a midwife, and the pastor of a religious cult.

This series is one of my favorite historical cozy series. The books are well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The characters are well-developed and interesting. There are enough twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end as to the reveal of the murderer.
I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the exciting series.

I have come to the conclusion that Laura Joh Rowland is incapable of writing a bad book. Most authors of series eventually write a dud or two; over two series Rowland has written I think twenty-five books, all of them excellent. Her new work, "River of Fallen Angels," among them

As the book opens, Sarah, Hugh and Mick are at Tower bridge in 1891 as it is being built. A workman is dangling from the bridge as people try to rescue him. Sarah is taking pictures for her newspaper. Then, a dismembered woman's torso washes up from the Thames. I don't like spoilers so I am not going to say anymore. I will say that all of the principal players appear in this book and new readers will have no problem following who is whom.

My only problem with this book, with the series in fact, is that I worry when Sarah and her police officer husband quarrel over professional things. She wants to do things one way, and he another. Some of their disagreements are very heated, and I worry about their marriage; I don't want them to split up.

In conclusion; you cannot go wrong in picking up a book by Laura Joh Rowland. This recent Victorian series is absolutely excellent. The characters are true-to-life, the plots clever and convoluted. Treat yourself to a really good book and read "River of Fallen Angels."

Torso murderer?

Once again it’s Sarah Bain Barrett and her family elect against the odds.
Dismembered bodies are turning up in the Thames, identification is impossible and Inspector Reid is convinced it’s the work of Jack the Ripper. Sarah and friends know that’s impossible. Sarah’s sister Sally is alarmingly taken with the idea, and how to divert her is troublesome.
When a charasmatic vicar is tracked down, his flock of sacred lambs and vestal virgins is no laughing matter. Guilty of starting a cult he may be, but murder?
An exciting mystery that travels further into the lives of Sarah and Thomas, and leaves one rewarded but exhausted.

A Crooked Lane Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Is Jack back? When the severed torso of a woman is fished out of the Thames London is abuzz with rumors that the evil Jack the Ripper has returned. Sarah Bain Barrett, a crime photographer, along with her team of Hugh and Mick, and her sister, Sally are on the case. They are also at odds with not only the detective in charge, Reid (their nemesis) but Sarah and her husband, Det. Sgt. Thomas Barrett, are not in agreement on the direction of their investigations. Reid is convinced that Jack the Ripper up to his old crimes but Sarah is looking in another direction. There is no time for fighting over it as it will cost the case valuable time. there will be more murders to come. If that isn't enough tension, there is information about Sarah and her team that must never be revealed and Reid wants it.
This is book #7 in the series but can work as a standalone. If you enjoy well written historical mysteries set in Victorian London and the addition of the Jack the Ripper thread along with a strong cast of recurring characters, this is a series not to be missed.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thought after the last book that Sarah’s struggles would be in part behind. But I forgot Inspector Reid was still in the shadows, longing to see them take the downfall he believes they all deserve.
So here they are once more crossing path, playing cats and dogs, but also endangering Sarah and her husband’s relationship as they both want to follow a different path.

So here they are Mike the rescued street urchin, Hugh the disowned lord, Sally, Sarah’s younger sister, all working for a newspaper as photographer for Sarah and reporter for Sally.
Plus Thomas, Sarah’s detective husband.

Sarah is known to be like a dog with a bone, she never lets it go without a fight, even when it threatens her own safety and happiness. With this new affair of the Torso Murders, she will risk her marriage’s equilibrium.
So as clues, secrets and facts pill up, they have to compromise, make choices and in the end, they won’t come out unscathed but with a truth they might not have wanted to witness.

On a happy note, it was good to see Hugh coming back to his usual self and Mike rekindling his relationship with his love interest.
Plus their group is growing with these intriguing new characters.

I loved revisiting the era and area, following Sarah’s footsteps along Whitechapel streets, the docks and the Thames. Everything to give you the thrill of the chase and goosebumps when the truth comes out.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scene

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

I received a complimentary ARC copy of River of Fallen Angels A Victorian Mystery Book No.7 by Laura Joh Rowland from Net Galley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

… Rowland has written a cleverly crafted, compelling, gritty Victorian mystery with dynamic, vivid characters and a fast-paced intriguing plot…

A fan of this series I have been lucky enough to read and review each book and it is definitely one of my favorites. The seventh entry in author Laura Joh Rowland’s Victorian Mystery series, River of Fallen Angels does not disappoint. When crime scene newspaper photographer Sarah Bain Bennett and her rag tag crew stumble across a gruesome find on the banks of the Thames they get more than they bargain for. The discovery of a female torso suggests that the serial killer dubbed “The Torso Killer” has returned. Sarah and her husband DS Thomas Bennett investigate with the help of Rowland’s usual cast of characters Mick, Hugh, and Sarah’s sister and reporter Sally. When conflicting theories emerge ranging from a barber and midwife to the leader of a religious cult, Sarah and Barrett butt heads putting their marriage and happiness on the line. Their nemesis Inspector Reid, as always, is out to ruin them for what he believes is them hiding evidence in his stalled Jack the Ripper case. Convinced that the Torso murderer and Jack the Ripper are one and the same, Reid pursues Sarah and her friends to finally solve the case and get the accolades he feels are long overdue. Only Sarah, Barrett, Hugh, and Mick know the truth about the Ripper (book one), and they have vowed to take it to their graves.

As usual Rowland has written a cleverly crafted, compelling, gritty Victorian mystery with dynamic, vivid characters and a fast-paced intriguing plot. Although not my favorite in the series it still had me turning pages and I look forward to reading more in this series. I highly recommend! It would work as a stand-alone, however I really recommend reading the books in order.

A fast paced and exciting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While as well written as the other's I have read in this series this isn't my favourite book. While the author writes gritty and realistic and atmospheric mysteries rather than cozy type mysteries I didn't enjoy the issues between Sarah and Thomas while perhaps realistic it did cast a pall over the extended family and didn't make them seem as intriguing as before. I would recommend reading this books in order otherwise you might miss some of the nuances. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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The River of Fallen Angels is a gripping read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a captivating tale of mystery and intrigue.

Interesting historical mystery. I like the idea of a build-your-own family for this rag-tag crew of friends. This is book 7 in a series, but it is the first one I have read. I did not feel completely lost, but I did feel like most of the character development took place in earlier installments. There is a fine line in providing readers enough info to not completely spoil prior books, but providing enough information for context,
The secret between the main characters about Jack the Ripper was kind of a looming shadow over most of the story here. Looking back at the titles, it seems that may be a secret that goes all the way back to book 1. I’m glad the author didn’t spill the entire story, but the big “secret” looms so large over the whole story that I would have liked at least enough information to know why they can never tell anyone about it. At least enough of a teaser about those events to explain why they can’t tell anyone to make me want to go back and read the rest of that story.

No one can agree on who killed the woman whose torso has washed up on the banks of the Thames-not Sarah not her husband DS Thomas Barrett not their group of friends and certainly not the awful DI Edward Reid. Everyone has an opinion and, in the Victorian era, there's no forensics to answer easy questions, although Rowland has introduced the idea of profiling. Is the woman yet another victim of the Ripper- as Reid would have it? Read this as much for the characters, for the tight band of diverse people who have made a family at Sarah and Thomas's house (and, grudgingly, for Reid) as for the mystery, which is less engaging than it could be. That said, this latest in the series would be easily and happily read as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

3.5 upped to 4
Even if it's a gripping story, darker and grittier than usual, it wasn't a favorite as I found the characters a bit off and less strong than in the past.
It's a good story that a lot of people will love.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Sarah Bain Barrett and her crew including her husband Detective Sergeant Thomas Barrett, Lord Hugh Staunton, and Mick O'Reilly are on the case again when Sarah almost steps on the torso of a woman while taking photographs. It is feared that a serial killer who has left a trail of women's body parts in the Thames is back in action again.

Spearheading the police investigation if Inspector Reid who is a long-time enemy of Sarah's. He's certain that she knows more than she's saying about the Jack the Ripper murders, which is true, but the truth coming out would mean that she and her partners would be in grave legal trouble.

Reid is convinced that the Ripper murders and the Torso murders were committed by the same person and Sarah's sister Sally who has begun a new career as a reporter also believes this. Meanwhile, Sarah and Thomas have radically different ideas about how to pursue this new case and discover who the Torso murderer is which creates a lot of conflict in their marriage.

Hugh's new psychologist Dr. Joshua Lewes is a pioneer in the field of criminal profiling and is quick to share is favorite theories about this murderer too. Sarah is afraid that he might just be too perceptive about the various secrets she's hiding.

This was an engaging and entertaining historical mystery set in London in 1891.