Jim Eldridge

Murder at the Victoria & Albert Museum begins with the newly married Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are commissioned by Queen Victoria to solve the murder of Andrew Page, a curator whose body was found near the foundation stone she laid at this monument to her great love, Prince Albert. Just imagine how handy a royal commission letter can be to investigators. They are aided by a friend in Scotland Yard while that friend’s supervisor fumes about their involvement but sees the value in sharing information, especially if he thinks it’s a one-way street.

Andrew Page, the murdered curator, is a perfect murder mystery suspect. Was he murdered by a romantic rival, German spies, an unscrupulous embezzler, a philandering colleague, or a jealous coworker? The red herrings abound and the story is such that you think if Daniel and Abigall just turn one more corner, they will find another. This is complicated when there is another murder.

Murder at the Victoria & Albert Museum is the eighth book in the Museum Mysteries series. [Here’s the author introducing the series in 2020.] The mystery is fair in that the readers are provided the clues as the detectives gather them. I haven’t read the first seven in this series but don’t think that decreased my enjoyment of this one.

The book is fast-paced and focused heavily on the plot. There is very little character development which is a weakness, particularly with Chief Superintendent Armstrong who is a very flat character. He hates the Museum Detectives and his unnecessary competition with them leads him to make one poor decision after another. He becomes a malignant buffoon and I am sure deserves better. But even the protagonists, Daniel and Abigail, are relatively flat. They feel as if they were unpacked from a box where they are stored between murders.

The mystery itself was well-plotted, complicated but fair. I love the abundance of red herrings though I do think too many were too quickly dispatched. It would be good to see several balls in the air at one time, so to speak. Still, I am thinking of reading the seven that preceded this book because I do love a good cozy.

I received an e-galley of Murder at the Victoria & Albert Museum from the publisher through NetGalley.

Murder at the Victoria & Albert Museum at Alison & Busby
Jim Eldridge author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2022/08/23/murder-at-the-victoria-al...… (more)

1899, British-imperialism, South Africa, private-investigators, archaeologist, ex-cop, law-enforcement, friction, friendship, Boer-conflict, historical-novel, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, royalty, due-diligence, murder, murder-investigation, museum, egoist*****

I have read some of the others in series, but I believe that this one, too, can easily stand alone.
Abigail Fenton is an archaeologist who even explored the tombs in Egypt with Flinders-Petrie but is now working as a private enquiry agent with her partner, Daniel Wilson who is a former Scotland Yard detective. Together they are known as the Museum Detectives because of the past cases they have solved.
Queen Victoria wants them to be on the case, but Chief Superintendent Armstrong of Scotland Yard doesn't want them involved. Too bad. While investigating, they find suspicions of one man, but the CS goes ahead with charges and publicity only to be embarrassed when the man is proven innocent. And so, the suspects pile up! Another fine mystery!
I requested and received a digital ARC of this book from Allison & Busby via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!… (more)

Museum Mysteries, a series by Jim Eldridge, is one of my go-to reads. Each new title that comes out feels like a bit of a vacation to me. The books read quickly, the characters are engaging, and the mystery solutions take some real thinking. The mysteries are set in London during the reign of Queen Victoria, a period I'm particularly fond of when it comes to historical mysteries.

This volume is interesting in that the narrative includes two murders, which may or may not be connected, making Daniel and Abigail (the central characters) unsure of the number of culprits they're seeking. Several characters have engaged in unscrupulous activities of one sort of another, so no one can be quickly removed from the list of suspects. Add in tensions between our detective pair, Scotland Yard, and government departments. There are no dull moments in this title.

If you need a mystery-based "vacation," and like historical mysteries, this title should do the trick!

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (more)