Set in the Victorian era, this murder mystery story brings Victorian London alive. Following Pennys journey to investigate her friend Lizzie’s death.

This was a very sad story of revenge and mistakes which become intertwined. Great characterisations and a believable storyline, Alls well that ends well.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found it a slow burner. Set during the 19th century, Penny is an unusual news reporter who begins working alongside z young police inspector, James Blakely to investigate the murder of a woman who had supposedly drowned 5 years earlier! As the story progresses itt is clear that they are both keen to investigate properly and not cut corners as others wanted. The descriptions of London landmarks at the time are very well described, particularly the new Natural History Museum and the Midland Hotel, Euston. Highgate Cemetery features with its atmospheric setting. I enjoyed the book, once I got into it. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy historical crime fiction.

An entertaining and solid historical mystery that I enjoyed. Plenty of surprises, good characters and vivid historical background
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a fun read and I look forward to reading more of the series. I don't typically enjoy books that take place prior to the 20th century but I enjoyed the way that this book was written (specific to the time period but with a bit of a modern perspective). I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the way the mystery unfolded to keep me engaged until the end.

I liked this book. It gives you a taste of theatre, journalism and levels of lack of morality across the government. The main characters themselves seemed okay. James was tepid, Penny was strong in a man's world but did not quite resonate. The mystery was intriguing enough although the culprit seemed a little obvious after a certain point. I'll probably try a few more booksin the series, but it won't be at the top of my list

#netgalley #Limelight

Limelight offers an atmospheric Victorian mystery with a compelling premise, but the pacing didn’t fully hold my attention. While Penny Green is an interesting character, the plot felt overly drawn out in places, and some twists were predictable. The historical setting and descriptions were enjoyable, but the story lacked the urgency I hoped for in a murder mystery. Still, fans of Victorian-era mysteries might find it worth a read.

Penny Green is a Victorian woman in the man’s world of journalism. Having thwarted her Mother’s desire to have Penny move home outside of London after her father is lost on an Amazonian expedition, Penny is barely scraping by. After proving the Scotland Yard’d Chief Inspector wrong on a recent murder case, Penny loses her job when the embarrassed policeman complains to her editor. A new murder now brings the Yard to Penny when her former friend, actress and courtesan Lizzie Dixie is found murdered. The death is quite mysterious because Lizzie was thought to have drowned 5 years earlier when a boat sank in the Thames. Her husband and daughter had a funeral for her and a mistakenly identified body was buried with Lizzie’s tombstone. Because of Penny’s previous relationship with Lizzie, the Chief Inspector gets Penny reinstated at her newspaper in return for her helping Inspector James Blakey solve the case, Who is the murderer, where was Lizzie for the past 5 years, who else is in peril and what will Penny and James’ relationship become??? The beginning of an intriguing series.

The book was a very interesting historical mystery. The characters were very well developed. The story kept my interest till the end. I would recommend this book to historical fiction fans.

Brilliant Victorian murder mystery read.
Not a great lover of this genre but this book really had me hooked and would recommend it .

Serial detective fiction, like any serial, trades on familiarity and continuity. Limelight happily tosses off references to past incidents in the life and career of its protagonist Penny Green, recently fired as a reporter from the Morning Express for being too forthright about a wrongfully convicted murderer - which I assumed was, along with much business with a missing father and exasperated landlady, the stuff of previous books in the series. Well, there are indeed twelve books in the Penny Green Victorian Murder Mystery series, but Limelight turns out to be the first. Interestingly, the world seems so lived in that future books may deal with that past, but I guess it is part of Emily Organ's solid world-building. Miss Green is already a capable journalist and sleuth and does not have to prove herself to the readership, even if she constantly has to for her male contemporaries. There is a forward-thinking Police Inspector who wants to work with her and I daresay may be a slow-burn love interest (very slow burn if this book is any indication), an exasperated editor and a prudish landlady who will be useful supporting characters, but these will probably be clean and accessibly continuity light mysteries.

This opener concerns the murder of a woman who had already been reported dead in a tragic accident five years before, so has a nicely ghoulish "how do you kill someone already dead" aspect to it. The suspect pool stays relatively small, and I had worked out the criminal relatively early on because they were the person who seemed to have the most motive and had been kept out of the narrative for the longest. But the book gains a touch of hefty from its setting, the crime takes place in Highgate Cemetary (a mile from my house), and despite the changes from Victorian London there is still a solid sightseer vibe (from the British Library Reading Room to the Teather Royal Drury Lane). But it all feels very natural, and satisfying, and I would certainly come back for more.

A very interesting historical book which was a great mystery. Kept me interested all the way through. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A Victorian mystery. A good story with interesting characters. Easy to follow along. The mystery was well written.

Six hundred people drowned when the SS Princess Alice sank in the Thames and Penny’s friend and actress Lizzie Dixie happened to be one of the victims who drowned on that ship. After several years, a body is found at the cemetery and Scotland Yard has identified the body as none other than Lizzie’s. The same body Penny saw being laid to rest at Kensal Green Cemetery. With the help of nice and kind Inspector James Blakey, Penny sets out to discover who is responsible for Lizzie’s death and why did she fake her drowning those years ago? Penny must put all the clues together and figure it out soon because it looks like the killer is coming for Lizzie’s innocent daughter. Great, fun, amazingly intriguing murder mystery!

STUNNING read. Emotive, wonderfully descriptive. A well thought out plot. What more can I add? More please Emily!

This is a Victorian murder / mystery. Our heroine is fighting her way through the male dominated world of a Fleet Street journalist. Because of her friendship with the victim in this case, she is attempting to help Scotland yard find the killer. Obstacles come from all sides and sorting the lies from the truth is almost impossible.
There are very interesting characters and plenty of suspects to choose from.
The story will keep you interested and I didn't guess who the killer was.
Very interesting.

The story takes place in London , 1883. Penny Green is a Fleet Street reporter. Her Friend, Lissie Dixie, drowned in the Thames River 5 years ago- but has just been discovered shot in the Highgate Cemetery! how is that possible? Scotland Yard comes to Penny asking for her help. She works with Detective James Blakely to investigate the deaths and try to find the truth.

So this sounded right up my alley- historic mystery with a strong female that take place in London.


There is a lot of historical information in the book that I found interesting (always love when I learn something new)! However, I was not drawn into the story. The characters had moments where they were fleshed out, but overall I felt that they were flat. The mystery unfolds in a way that did not engage me- I felt like it was a telling of a story, with no "subtle reveals", which is what draws me into a story.

Many others enjoyed this more than I did- so I encourage you to read their reviews.


Thank you to NetGalley and Storm
Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

Penny Green is a journalist in the late 1800s. She gets tasked with helping a young detective from Scotland yard, James, to help solve a murder. Lizzie Dixie a famous actress, and Penny's friend, is found murdered in a cemetery-only she was thought to have been dead for the last 5 years!

This was an enjoyable read. I think the beginning was a little slow and really focused on Penny's temporary unemployment and resulting lack of money. That could have been much less focused on. The story didn't have too many twists and turns and was a bit predictable but it was still enjoyable. The background mystery if her father having vanished in the Amazon is interesting and I would be curious to see what comes of that.

An interesting plot twist with a woman presumed drown found murdered 5 years later. Very nice to see a title that reflects story : the plot thread of theater productions. I am confused how this 2024 cooyright
Is different from an earlier publication. This version is new paperback, I think. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Limelight for advanced digital copy.

Lizzie Dizzie was famous and died tragically in a huge ship accident in which over 600 souls perished. Her husband showman is continuing with his shows and bringing up Lizzie’s daughter who is in show business herself. When Lizzie’s body is discovered, shot in Highgate cemetery five years later, it is a great mystery all around. Why did she fake her own death, where did she live all these five years, how did she sustain herself and why now - was she a threat to anyone.

Her friend Penny who worked as a journalist and a amateur detective, lost her job due to the unfair influence of the detective in charge of the case is distraught at the death of Lizzie and despite caution by all, is determined to get to the bottom of the story. There are many suspects for this murder including Lizzie’s husband, Lizzie’s producer director who was her lover and father of her daughter and a slightly built young man always appears at crucial moments and is so elusive that he is never caught.

The story is full of historical detail and is also a social commentary of the times. The characters drawn from show business and normal Victorian society add a dimension as well.