Title: The Woman in the Veil by Laura Joh Rowland
A Victorian Mystery Series Book Four
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 314 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Award-winning author Laura Joh Rowland is back with the fourth in her critically acclaimed Victorian mysteries where the case of a mutilated “Sleeping Beauty” washes ashore in London.
London, June 1890.
Sarah Bain and her friends Lord Hugh Staunton and Mick O’Reilly are crime scene photographers for the Daily World newspaper. After solving a sensational murder, they’re under pressure to deliver another big story. On a foggy summer night, they’re called to the bank of the river Thames. The murder victim is an unidentified woman whose face has been slashed. But as Sarah takes photographs, she discovers that the woman is still alive.
The case of “Sleeping Beauty” becomes a public sensation, and three parties quickly come forward to identify her: a rich, sinister artist who claims she’s his wife; a mother and her two daughters who co-own a nursing home and claim she’s their stepdaughter/sister; and a precocious little girl who claims Sleeping Beauty is her mother. Which party is Sleeping Beauty’s rightful kin? Is someone among them her would-be killer?
Then Sleeping Beauty awakens–with a severe case of amnesia. She’s forgotten her name and everything else about herself. But she recognizes one of the people who’ve claimed her. Sarah is delighted to reunite a family and send Sleeping Beauty home–until one of the claimants is murdered. Suddenly, Sarah, her motley crew of friends, and her fiancé Detective Sergeant Barrett are on the wrong side of the law. Now they must identify the killer before they find themselves headed for the gallows.
Review:
The Woman in the Veil by Laura Joh Rowland is a compelling historical mystery with an intriguing storyline. This latest addition to the Victorian Mystery series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the previous installments as well.
Sarah Bain, Lord Hugh Stanton and Mick O’Reilly are called to the scene where a woman has been left naked alongside the Thames River. Sarah is a photographer for the Daily World and she and her friends also investigate crimes for the newspaper. Sarah feels a bit of kinship for the victim and after photographing her, she makes a stunning discovery. Although gravely injured, she is still alive. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the World’s owner, Sir Gerald Mariner, Sarah, Hugh and Mick work alongside her fiancé, Detective Sergeant Thomas Barrett to figure out Sleeping Beauty’s identity and hopefully catch her attacker.
Sarah and Thomas appear to have worked through their issues but there is discord between them almost from the outset of the investigation. With three different people claiming Sleeping Beauty is part of their family, Sarah and Thomas put aside their differences as they continue working the case. As Sleeping Beauty settles in with the family she says she recognizes, Sarah continues searching for her missing father and Thomas turns his attention to his other cases.
An out of the blue invitation brings Sarah, Hugh and Mick to the estate where Sleeping Beauty is ensconced with her family. Despite her initial certainty about the woman’s identity, Sarah is soon harboring doubts. Little inconsistencies are troubling, but she tries to set aside her misgivings. When someone turns up dead, the pressure is on Sarah, her friends and Thomas to learn the truth about Sleeping Beauty in order to unmask a killer. Sarah is soon in a race against time to catch the murderer since her nemesis and Barrett’s boss, Inspector Reid, would like nothing better than to arrest her for the murder.
The Woman in the Veil is an engrossing mystery with an intriguing plot and engaging cast of colorful characters. Sarah continues to be an independent, strong woman but she tries to be more careful not to alienate Thomas. Hugh is caught in a painful situation with a loved one that could lead to future heartache. Thomas is moving up through the ranks but not everyone is happy about his promotion. The investigation surrounding Sleeping Beauty is even paced with Laura Joh Rowland keeping readers guessing right up until the novel’s exciting conclusion. An excellent addition to the Victorian Mystery series that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.
