The Sign of Death is the second book in Callie Hutton’s Victorian Book Club Mystery series. Set in the late 1800s in Victorian England, this is one of my favourite cozy mysteries!
Title: The Sign of Death
Author: Callie Hutton
Series: A Victorian Book Club Mystery #2
First Published: April 13, 2021
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery,
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley
*** Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
James Harding was a lot of thinga—businessman, well-to-do, probable scoundrel—but a drinker he definitely wasn’t. So when Harding is believed to have drunkenly fallen to his death into the icy River Avon, Lord William Wethington is immediately suspicious.
Finding William’s name on a letter in the Harding’s pocket, the local police summon William to identify the victim. The detectives learn that William had been one of Harding’s business clients and not the only client the dead man had cheated.
William asks Lady Amy Lovell, a fellow member of the Mystery Book Club of Bath, to help him find out what really happened to the late Harding. Amy, a celebrated mystery author herself, once called on William to help her solve a real-life mystery, and now she fully intends to return the favour. But it won’t be easy.
Practically every one of Harding’s many clients had ample reason to want to do him in. And there’s precious little time to narrow down the list: William and Amy soon become prime suspects themselves when the police discover them ruffling through files in Harding’s house. Amy will have to be as clever as her fictional characters if she’s to save William from the gallows…and herself from Harding’s real killer.
A delightful historical cozy mystery
After reading the first book in this series, A Study in Murder, (you can read my review of that book here), I was super excited to get early access to the second book in the series. As with most sophomore books in a series, there’s always a risk that it won’t be as good as the first one, but this definitely wasn’t the case. I enjoyed this second story as much as the first.
You can read The Sign of Death without having read the first book in the series, but I highly recommend you try and read the books in order. The buildup of the relationships between some of the characters is very enjoyable and gives you a better understanding of them in this story. However, there is enough of a background given that you definitely can jump right into this book without starting at the beginning of the series.
As with the first book, I devoured this story in one sitting. The pacing of the story is quick, without feeling too rushed and there is enough interesting side stories going on to keep things interesting while Amy and William investigate the main mystery. There are quite a few surprises and distractions along the way, including a couple of plotlines that involved other members of the book club and Amy’s hidden life as mystery writer E.D. Burton.
While parts of this storytelling felt a bit modern – often in the speech and attitudes of the characters – the story itself is so charming that a few modern quirks in a Victorian England setting didn’t really bother me. For the most part I loved the descriptions of the settings, the clothes, and the book club discussions.
There are several storylines driving the action in The Sign of Death.
As I mentioned above, there are quite a few stories happening in the book.
First, the main murder mystery involves the death of James Harding, a businessman who had dealings with William and several other prominent men. When it turns out that many of Harding’s deals were shady, the list of suspects includes all of those men that he swindled, which includes William.
Second, a more hilarious plot involves William’s mother who has come to stay with him while she tries to convince him to get married. While there, she attends the book club and while still focusing on William’s love life, it seems that she may have found a bit of romance of her own. The romances don’t take up a huge part of the story, but since romance has always been brewing between William and Amy, it was fun to see what happens when his mother is thrown into the mix.
There are also a few plots involving some of the book club members, which was a nice way to flesh out some of the supporting characters.
And, finally, another small storyline involves Amy’s nom du plume, E.D. Burton. Amy writes mystery novels under a pseudonym (in a deal she made with her father to keep her identity a secret) but now her publisher wants her to make a public appearance and this adds even more stress to Amy’s already busy life.
This series abounds with wonderful characters
One of the things that makes this series extra delightful and charming are the characters. I adore Amy and William and I like most of the secondary characters as well, even the detectives!
Amy is smart, forward-thinking, and determined but has just enough self-doubt and kindness to make her likeable. Meanwhile William is the perfect match for her – he is also smart and capable, but is a bit more cautious than Amy and is often a good grounded foil to her high-energy eagerness. His relationship with his mother is endearing and his budding relationship with Amy is one that you can’t help cheering for.
It’s not often that characters make me smile but I found myself grinning throughout this book and, just like the first book in the series, when I finished I was incredibly happy and couldn’t wait to read more.
Read The Sign of Death for yourself
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