The Whispering Women

This is a well-written novel that was a lot of fun to read the mystery was engaging and kept me hooked. However it's quite sad to note that a book set 100 years ago involved in issues still being dealt with today such as abortions and women's rights and LGBTQ issue's. That's not to say that this is not indicative of the era with exploitation of the immigrants and the rich verses the poor as we follow the character's from decadent ballrooms to brothel's in Old New York. I received a special copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ellen Malloy work for the Garretts she was the ladies maid for Hattie Garrett, But one night when fellow maid Sesealia, had to be rushed to the hospital she witnessed certain things that would’ve been better for her not to see. She went to the police station looking for an Irish detective that used to know her brother after a miserable stay at the Work house he asked Miss Louisa faraday to take her in. Louisa Fairaday was from one of the nicer families in the upper crust of New York in until recently was thought to be high society but since the death of her father she has since found out they were destitute. She wrote an inconsequential society column for a small paper but when she took Ellen then and learned about what she witnessed and the death of Adele Cummings she made it her business to get to the bottom of it. This book was so good not only was it historically accurate but it was way more than the small summary I put. The author tackles lots of issues that were popular in the day and some that were so popular but we’re still around. Besides touching on popular culture there’s also a great mystery and that is what I enjoyed the most. I found this book to be humorous intriguing compelling and so worth reading a total five star book. I cannot wait for the second book in this New Victorian era mystery series and I can’t recommend this one enough. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I love historical crime novels and this one didn’t disappoint me. The setting is interesting and vividly described, the characters are lovable and interesting at the same time. I have already read several books with similar setting and characters, but this one still brought some new ideas and the style was very appealing. It is a story I would like to follow in next book.
I highly recommend this book.

Louisa Delafield was previously a member of high society but has since lost her standing due to her deceased father's bad investments. However, Louise is still able to rub elbows with the upper class through her role as a writer for the society page of The Ledger. This allows her to attend all of the high-class events while making money to support her mother and their modified standard of living.

In a strange turn of events, Louisa gets connected to Ellen Malloy. Ellen was previously a ladies maid for the Garrett's - a longtime family friend of the Delafield's. Ellen was a witness to some suspect events that led to the death of fellow maid, Sesealia.

Both women, from very different levels of society, find themselves on the trail to find out who killed Sesalia. This exposes them to corruption at the very highest levels and the willingness to do whatever it takes to keep things secret and keep images untarnished. The story also exposes the world of forced abortions, white slavery and gangs. Despite Louisa's decline from society, Louisa still considers the Garrett family and other families to be her friends. However, this murder investigation forces her to look more closely at these individuals and she struggles to believe they could have any involvements in these corrupt events.

This story takes place in New York City in 1913 but in many ways Louisa and Ellen reminded me of historical Nancy Drews. They were both on the case, risking their lives and fighting for justice and the rights of others. The novel is a page turner and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

This has an interesting cast of characters that carry the story along a nice pace and create depth to the story. Great plot and I found myself filling an afternoon reading this in one sitting as I found it so enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest , unbiased review. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unlikely allies working together to no longer whisper the truth. Historical fiction and mystery make for a compelling read.