One fine day I came upon a series of books called "Silent in the.." by an author named Deanna Raybourn.Great! I thought an historical fiction with a female sleuth to boot.This can not be bad in any way.
...Well it was so-so.

I gave up my hopes for finding a good Victorian Era Lady Sleuth Book

Until I found "A most dangerous woman" by LM Jackson

It all starts when a mysterious woman called Sarah Tanner opens up a coffee house in a seedy street in Leather Lane,London.

No one knows where she comes from but her new neigbours all agree that she is bound to have a dark and mysterious PAST(thats in capital letters folks)



Not soon after she is recognized by an old friend,who hardly makes it out of the door before he is murdered.But why? Sarah decides to set out and discover the truth.

Even if it means she has to face old foes and other dickensian London obstacles.Like a Victorian female crime boss that goes by the name of "Her Majesty and her henchman,the suave and violent Symes and many other villains from the London underworld.



I was hooked.

Sarah Tanner is a bit unconventional,but she feels real within the era that she lives in.And while she isnt from exactly upper class or working class she knows how to act both downstairs and upstairs.The other characters both villains supporting character feels real and substantial.

The mystery is quite good and well thought out,as I didnt figure out who was the culprit until the protagonist did and even then youre in for some twists and turns in the plot.

Its a historical fiction,with a mystery and a heroine with a backbone that isnt a Mary Sue .Whats not to like?

I am quite sad that there probably wont be a third book in the series as the second book raises some question about the future for the main character. I even asked the author about it.

Kagama
Just finished "The mesmerists apprentice"...
and I found it very enjoyable.Was a bit disappointed though that it didnt feature "her Majesty" or Symes.I thought their affairs with Sarah werent quite finished.

I would also like to find out more of Sarahs past Perhaps in a future book?


LM.Jackson
"Glad you enjoyed Mesmerist's ... always nice to know some people are actually reading my books! My plans for the next Sarah Tanner book definitely feature Symes and Her Majesty, and at least one crucial event from her past ... check back with me in 12 months or so ...!

In fact, I confess, Sarah Tanner's UK future hangs on a publishing knife-edge at present ... however, my books are doing well in France (merci, mes amis!) which makes another ST book more likely, even it's retrospectively published 'on-demand' by me, from the French edition (!). best wishes, Lee (ps. see my other books published as "Lee Jackson


Kagama
"Vive le french!^^ Its too bad to hear..But I hope things picks up

This was in 2008.. ( )

Good read i have read this twice now the first time was when it first came out in paperback, gave it to family and it has been pass on through out family and friends, with the comment always coming back " what a great book" I have bought it in ebook formate when the second book (The Mesmerist's Apprentice) came out to reread, still has good has the first time around

A standard amateur detective murder mystery, of the 'I must avenge the death of someone with whom I have a vague personal connection!' ilk. Sarah Tanner, a woman of dubious morals who has recently made good as the owner of a coffee shop, has all the credentials for solving a murky crime in a back alley - background, training, connections - but little substance to hold the reader. I found her a little contrived and not very convincing - a woman of 'independent means' accepted by the working class and local ne'er-do-wells, yet who could pass as an educated, 'respectable' lady when required, calling on the service of a gentleman friend to gain entry into polite society.

The plot is intriguing, but there are perhaps one too many twists and turns, which come thick and fast in the final chapters, for a satisfying conclusion - one revelation is shocking, three or four in quick succession cancel each other out. And Sarah's clues were suspiciously coincidental - overheard conversations proving to be relevant, adverts in old newspapers suddenly springing to mind (and hand), witnesses and accomplices readily divulging information - stock-in-trade for the detective genre, but still a test for the reader's suspension of disbelief!

Finally, there is a potentially destructive drinking game to be devised out of this, and other historical novels - a shot for every time Jackson uses the slang word 'ma'am' would have everyone under the table by chapter five! I'm not even sure it's historically accurate - surely 'madam' would have been more appropriate, particularly amongst the middle and upper classes? 'Ma'am' sounds like an American term, or how to address the Queen! The semi-colon is also wheeled out far too often; breaking up sentences where commas would suffice (not recommended for the 'Dangerous Woman' drinking game!)

An average novel - evocative descriptions of Victorian London show up a weak protagonist who could have done with more of a backstory. ( )

The first copy of this book I got had a misprint. Several pages near the end were duplicated and there were some missing, so I enquired with one of the other branches in the service as to whether or not their copy had the missing pages. I was gutted that I couldn't finish, a little over 50 pages to the end. Today I finished it, and it was worth the wait.

Sarah Tanner is a mystery. She appears out of nowhere in a working class area and sets up shop with a coffee house and what would now be called a cafe. Her hours reflect the businesses in the area. She's content with her new life and doesn't regret leaving her old one behind. This all changes when an old friend is murdered in front of her. The murderer is a policeman and her past precludes her being believed by the authorities. She feels a need to investigate and this drags her back into the murky underworld she's been trying to escape from.

It's an interesting read. The twists near the end took me by surprise as they happen suddenly. Leaving me a little breathless, but it also left me with an urge to read more by this author. The story was gripping and interesting and I really liked the characters created. They were nicely flawed and nothing was necessarily obvious. ( )