I am always up for a historical fiction mystery book with a strong protagonist woman, who bucks the system put in place on woman’s ability to use their mind. Kara is just that type of woman, and in this fist book in the series, she takes on a partner other than her ever faithful friend, Turner. When someone steals a piece of her exhibition display and later turns up dead, she is the number one suspect. Can she uncover who truly is at fault, who is framing her, and why this is all happening before Scotland Yard puts her in jail? Find out more about the mystery man who becomes part of her team, and soon her heart as they battle the clock, raving to uncover the truth. How does her cousin, Joseph, play into all of this? Can they solve the mystery, who will help them out ? Who are the secret enemies? Curl up, grab your favorite warm drink, and read away. ( )

At the Great Exhibition of 1851, Miss Kara Levett displays her automatons and clocks to the crowds. But when a murder occurs in the Crystal Palace, she becomes the prime suspect. With help from Mr. Niall Kier, an artist and fellow exhibitor with secrets of his own, they uncover international espionage schemes and family secrets as they race to find the killer and stay ahead of the villains.

I must confess that I haven’t read much about the Great Exhibition but what little I know made the description of this book fascinating. The mid-Victorian era is interesting because of the changes in industry that happened and makes a good setting for a murder mystery. I only wish I had been more interested in the main characters.

Niall Kierr was my favorite character, harboring secrets that are only hinted at in this book. Every time the narrative was with him, I was interested to see what he did. On the other hand, I never really warmed up to Kara Levett. It felt like she was a character who didn’t have a failing. It seemed as though every page there was some new skill she taught herself. There was always this sense of “I’m not like other girls” and it just rubbed me the wrong way.

The mystery itself was interesting, and had several misdirects. Even if I did guess the real “villian” of the story, my reasoning was off. For the most part, the details of the time period seemed spot on.

Although not an immediate favorite, I am interested to see what happens next for Niall and to learn more about his past. I would recommend this to readers looking for a historical mystery set in Victorian London. I received an advance copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own. ( )

A Killer in the Crystal Palace by Deb Marlowe
The Kier and Levitt Mysteries series #1. Historical mystery.
London, 1851, Miss Kara Levitt has a spot in the Great Exhibition showing her mechanicals and automatons. Kara is a suspect when one of her exhibits gets stolen and a man is found dead outside the hall. Niall Kier is a blacksmith and fellow exhibitor and jumps in to help Kara investigate and prove her innocence.

🎧 I listened (twice) to an audiobook version narrated by Henrietta Meire. An excellent performance with distinct voices for Kara and Niall. I listened to it twice for my own clarity and outside interruptions. I enjoyed the repartee between Kara and Niall where her attitude and confidence in herself came through clearly. I listened to the audiobook at my preferred speed of 1.5. I found that the best speed for listening to accents and cadence.

From the exhibit hall to the street gangs to the fancy mansion party, the story is rich with conflicts, clue gathering and acts of kindness in particular for the classes lower than herself. A few twists caught me by surprise. I’m amazed by the clever actions and advancing technology for the time. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Tantor Audio. ( )

The Crystal Palace was the site of The Great Exhibition of 1851, where innovative industrial products from all over the world were displayed. The heroine, Kara Levett, and hero, Niall Kier, meet for the first time in the office of an Exhibition panellist, who has the power to approve their selection as exhibitors. Kara makes automatons and Niall forges things from iron. When a man is murdered with the arm from one of Kara's automatons and she is accused of the murder, she and Niall team up to find the real culprit. The plot involves a one-armed man, a maker of artificial limbs, industrial espionage, treacherous foreigners, a hideous birthmark, secret passages, and more. There are many characters and places that have nothing to do with the plot but slow the pace and add to the confusion. The characters speak contemporary American English.

The setting and the historical background were interesting, but otherwise I found the book dull. It is the first in a planned series, and the author has tried to introduce too many characters and insert too many incidents that are meant to describe Kara's background and character but would be better left to another book or removed altogether.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for this ARC. ( )

1851, amateur-sleuth, first-in-series, historical-novel, historical-research, inventions, inventors, jealousies, London, misconceptions, misogyny, murder, murder-investigation, mystery, new-series, read, romantic, secrets, teamwork, the Crystal Palace, the-Great Exhibition, theft*****

Kara Levett is an Englishwoman with a genius for clockworks, Niall Kier is a Scotsman who is an artist in metalwork. They have managed to have entries in the Great Exhibition of 1851 showcasing Britain’s Industrial genius to the world in the Crystal Palace. Things go awry when Kara is accused of murdering a thief who stole part of her most impressive exhibit and Niall champions her in this misogynistic world.
Excellent historical mystery with a romantic undercurrent. Well worth the read!
I requested and received an EARC from Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )