This is part of the Lady Emily Mystery series, and it takes place in 1907 London. The dual timeline, which is something I generally enjoy, did not work in this book. Instead, things felt very disjointed. It was hard to connect with the characters, which made it hard to stay engaged or care about how the mystery unfolded. While I really enjoyed the vivid setting, I had expected more from the storyline and character development.

4.5 / 5.0 Stars

This is yet another wonderful tale in the Lady Emily mystery series. It's 1907. London's season is open and matches are to be made. The Marquess of Harrington has made his match with Victoria Goldsborough. They are waltzing at the Harrington House Ball and suddenly, Victoria meets her demise from an apparent poisoning. Given the delicacy of the situation, it isn't long before the investigative services of Lady Emily and Sir Colin Hargreaves are called upon - this time by none other than King Edward VII himself. Who could possibly want to harm Miss Goldsborough? What possible motive could there be? Jealousy? A scorned suitor? It's a troubling case and not everyone involved is forthcoming. Can Colin and Emily resolve the matter before harm befalls others? Only time will tell.

Author Tasha Alexander writes an exquisite narrative capturing two stories set centuries apart, with a narrow thread connecting them. Both are set in and around London. One in 60 A.D. touching upon that of the much revered Queen Boudicca and the main story is set in 1907. The author has captured well the feminine strength of both stories. Eventually, the two stories are connected across the eons and the stories draw to a satisfactory unified conclusion.

As for the writing, it is solid, evocative, and well delivered. The scene settings are rich and the descriptions of evening wear - exquisite. One is easily transported to the times of the story as the tales are beautifully spun. If historical fiction with a mystery woven in for good measure suits you, then I commend this book to you.

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


Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: September 23, 2025
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-1250374981

I love a good murder mystery and was so excited to receive this book! I did enjoy the plot, but unfortunately for me the different timelines left me a bit confused at times. At the end I understand why it was added into the story, but felt like it pulled me away and made it hard for me to come back and read. I did not realize this was a series and will be reading more books by this author and from this series. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy

This is another fascinating dual timeline story. Lady Emily and Colin are appointed by the King to investigate the murder of a debutante newly engaged to a marquess. In the earlier timeline we meet a young woman caught between Britannia and Rome who becomes a trusted friend of Boudica. The investigation becomes even more snarled with there is a second victim. The Boudica thread is mesmerizing as we know her fate, but what about the young woman's?

Wow!!! Is all I can say about this absolutely outstanding book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope there is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked! This was an outstanding novel from the cover to the last page!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this advance copy.

I've read this entire series so far and the last few books have been just OK for me. I found myself wanting more from this story, especially more from the conclusion. It just felt a little anticlimactic. I love the main character, Lady Emily, a clever and witty Edwardian solver of murder mysteries. I love the time period and the author's description of clothing and settings. I like Emily's husband, Colin, an official investigator hired by the Crown. I am plus/minus on the alternating chapters that the author has started including in the series, highlighting a somehow related other time period and well-known historical character.

If you read this series then I recommend you continue but I don't know if I would tell someone to pick this up otherwise.

When several young women die mysteriously, Lady Emily and her husband Colin try to find out the cause. Told in parallel with another story about the Roman empire. I found the back and forth confusing and if I wasn’t on vacation I probably would not have finished it.

This was such a captivating read. Tasha Alexander weaves history and intrigue together in a way that feels both rich and accessible, pulling me right into the world of secrets, alliances, and power. The historical details are beautifully layered into the story without ever slowing down the suspense, and the women at the heart of the book feel dynamic and fully alive.

What stood out most to me was how well the narrative balances mystery with emotion. The characters’ choices felt authentic, and the relationships—fraught, loyal, or dangerous—gave the story its real heartbeat. The pacing was steady, with reveals arriving at just the right time to keep me engaged and curious.

It’s a novel that feels empowering, mysterious, and atmospheric all at once, and I found myself savoring the way it brought the past to life while still feeling immediate and gripping.

Although this was an entertaining read, for the most part, it was sometimes hard to follow. It had a great amount of mystery all throughout but the going back and forth between times made it more complicated than it needed to be. I think it would have been a great book without including Boudica, who was ancient Britain's warrior queen. I just didn't think both timelines connected at all.

I still enjoyed the story and the happy ending at the end (in regard to getting justice). I do have to say it was a slow burn for me. It was sometimes hard to get into. I am glad I pushed through and finished it.

This was a 3.5 read for me!!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Victoria Goldsborough is the Season’s most accomplished and elegant debutante in London 1907. When she is poisoned at her engagement ball, Emily and Colin are called to investigate. Could it be the finance after their brief courtship? Or perhaps it is the disappointed suitor who hides a gambling habit. It’s even possible that the jewel thief is at fault. When the second debutante falls to poison, the race to find the ruthless killer becomes desperate.

Murder mysteries are usually quick and entertaining reads for me. The story is pushed as a closed-room mystery and I love those. This one was a bit disappointing. The main characters Emily and Colin are likable enough. There’s enough foreshadowing and hinting to keep abreast of the investigation. The writing is good, but not great.

It’s the dual timelines that made the book feel scattered. The tenacious link between Boudica and ancient Rome muddied the plotline more than aided it. I did appreciate the historical details were done well. The abrupt shifts from Emiy’s point of view to Vatta’s pulled me from the story the first time it happened, and I couldn’t get back into it.

On a positive note, as an introduction to the series of Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries it wasn’t bad. It is enough of a standalone at book 19 that there’s no need to read any of the previous books by the author, all things considered. Though I am sure it helps to already have an emotional connection to these characters. I doubt I’ll pick up another, but more because I was looking for more thrills and less time jumping.

Content Warnings:
Major - Murder
Moderate - Violence
Minor - War, Sexual assault

A celebrated debutante drops dead at her own engagement ball in 1907 London, launching the nineteenth installment of Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily Mystery series, "The Sisterhood." The opening scene hooked me immediately with its perfect blend of high society glamour and shocking death.

I found myself drawn back into Lady Emily and Colin's world, where their partnership continues to shine as the heart of these mysteries. Their collaborative sleuthing and warm rapport remain the strongest elements in Alexander's series, providing a reliable anchor even when other aspects falter.

Unfortunately, the dual timeline structure didn't work well for me in this installment. The historical sections featuring ancient Britain and connections to Boudica felt disjointed and confusing. The shadowy perspective made it difficult to connect with these historical characters, and I often wanted to skip these sections to return to the main mystery.

The historical portrayal of women's constraints in Edwardian London comes through vividly. Reading about the suffocating expectations placed on young women of society makes me grateful for how far women's rights have progressed since then.

Emily's mother deserves special mention as one of the most infuriating characters I've encountered recently. Her constant criticism made me genuinely angry on Emily's behalf.

While "The Sisterhood" offers an engaging mystery with compelling historical details, the disjointed timeline prevents it from reaching the heights of some previous entries in the series.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my advance copy. As always, the thoughts shared here are completely my own.

Title: The Sisterhood   
Author: Tasha Alexander         
Genre: Historical fiction    
Rating: 4 out of 5 

London, 1907: When the Season's most accomplished and elegant debutante, Victoria Goldsborough, collapses and dies at her engagement ball, the great and good of London Society prepare to mourn the tragic loss of an upstanding young woman. But all is not what it seems, and after a toxic beverage is revealed to be the cause of death, the king himself instructs Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves to unearth the truth.

Who would want to harm one of the most popular women of the year? Is it her fiancé with whom she had an unusually brief courtship; a rival for his affections bitter at being cast aside; her best friend who is almost certainly hiding a secret from Colin and Emily; a disappointed suitor with a hidden gambling habit; or a notorious jewel thief who has taken a priceless tiara from the Goldsborough home? When a second debutante succumbs to poison, the race is on to find a ruthless killer.

Emily and Colin’s investigation leads to a centuries old tomb in the center of London with a mysterious link to another death dating back to Roman times and the violent reign of Boudica, ancient Britain's fearsome warrior queen. As the stakes rise and the clock ticks down, Emily must find the killer before they strike again.

I haven’t read any of the Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries series, but that wasn’t a problem. I had no problem feeling at home in this world and with these characters. This was a solid historical fiction read and a nice mystery, as well. I did not figure out who the killer was before the reveal, so there’s that, but I enjoyed all the different characters.

Tasha Alexander lives in Wyoming. The Sisterhood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 9/16).

The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Sisterhood is the nineteenth book in the Lady Emily Mysteries series. And, while it can be read as a standalone, having a familiarity with the series through past books will certainly strengthen the overall reading experience. The Sisterhood is a fast-paced and engaging read expertly combining historical fiction and mystery to form an unputdownable read!

Set in London in 1907, Lady Emily and her husband Colin aim to discover the truth after the Season's well-known debutante, Victoria Goldsborough, dies at her engagement ball. Lady Emily knows that things are never as they may initially seem and after a toxic drink is determined to be the cause, the king tells Lady Emily and Colin to solve the mystery.

There are plenty of suspects, including Victoria’s fiancé with whom she had a short courtship, a rival, her best friend who is hiding something, an upset suitor with a gambling problem, and a thief who has stolen a tiara from the Goldsborough’s home. Then, unexpectedly, a second debutante dies and Lady Emily and her husband need to solve the mystery quickly before even more trouble comes. As Lady Emily and Colin investigate, they end up at an old tomb in London with a connection to another death in the Roman times. With the stakes higher than ever before, Lady Emily needs to unravel this mystery in spite of its complexity.

Overall, this is a great historical fiction/mystery! The added timeline of ancient Rome was certainly unexpected and super interesting! The wit, intelligence, and determination of Lady Emily is marvelous. The perfect read for historical fiction and cozy mystery readers!

Another great entry in this series. I read book 1 many years ago, and I’ve read a few of the more recent books. I really must read all the in between books as I enjoy Emily and Colin so much. I enjoyed the story with Emily and Colin and the debutantes. The secondary story set in ancient Britain was much harder to get into for me. He two story ones finally tied together, but it took a while. Great book!

I didn’t realize this book was part of a long-running series until I was already reading it. While it does work well enough as a standalone, I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I had read some of the earlier Lady Emily mysteries first.

The main storyline, set in 1907 London, hooked me right away. A debutante poisoned at her own engagement ball, the king calling in Lady Emily and her husband Colin to investigate, and a web of possible suspects ranging from jealous rivals to jewel thieves sounded really interesting. I really liked the murder mystery, especially the final reveal, which managed to surprise me. The banter and chemistry between Emily and Colin were highlights, and I can see why readers love them as a duo.

Unfortunately, the two-narrative structure just didn’t work for me. The abrupt switches to Vatta, an Iceni maiden during Boudica’s reign, often pulled me out of the story and it took more than half the book before there was any real connection between her timeline and the main plot. I didn’t enjoy her perspective much at the start and, to be honest, liked her even less by the end.

Still, Lady Emily herself intrigued me enough that I’m planning to check out the earlier books in the series to get a better sense of her backstory. This one had its frustrations, but it also had moments that reminded me why historical mysteries can be so much fun.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Minotaur Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book 19 of a series. I didn't realize that when I chose it. Very enjoyable will definitely start from book 1. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I didn't realize this was a series until after I started. While it worked well enough as a standalone, I do think having read earlier installments in this series would have helped immensely.
However I did find that I enjoyed the story.

A elegant debutante dies at her engagement ball. Lady Emily is asked to investigate to figure out who hilled her. The story is the steps of who has some hints or knows who to talk with next. I like the time period and the polite way the conversations are conducted. I enjoyed the book. Well done and interesting.

I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction but this was a good one! It's 1907 and Victoria is engaged to Peregrine when she's poisoned at her own party and investigator Emily steps in to do what she does best. That's all you need; it's often funny, sometimes, serious, but it's a great story line that kept me entertained throughout!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I love a historical fiction, and I love a mystery. I don't often find the genres combined as often as I would have liked, and I was very pleased by THE SISTERHOOD. It was fast-paced and the mystery was engaging. The dual timelines also added a ton to the story, and Ancient Rome was another fun twist that kept me interested. Lady Emily is witty and curious, and I always love a lady detective! I hadn't read the previous books beore this one, but I understood the story just fine without that context, and I'm interested in going back and trying some of the other entries in the series (especially to read more of Emily and Colin)! Overall, this was a fun, light historical read that was perfect for a cozy day!