Book Review of The Innocents by Bridget Walsh

Name of Book: The INNOCENTS 

Author: Bridget Walsh 

ISBN: 9781913547523

Publisher: Gallic 

Part of a Series: Variety Palace Mysteries ( The TUMBLING GIRL prequel) 

Type of book: Victorian England, 1863, 1877, mystery, secrets, tragedy, revenge, policeman turned detective, lower class, proprieties, independence 

Year it was published: 2024 

Summary:

The hotly anticipated follow-up to  T he Tumbling Girl , The Innocents follows Minnie and Albert on a new crime-solving quest in the world of a Victorian music hall. A string of murders has torn through London, throwing together the now notorious Minnie Ward and Albert Easterbrook once again. It seems that the crimes all link back to a tragedy fourteen years ago that left 183 children dead. But given that the incident touched so many people’s lives, everyone is a suspect . . .

Characters:

Main characters are definitely Minnie and Albert. Minnie is best described as a determined young woman who is very used to either working or looking out for herself. She is also independent and values that above all. She is also multi talented and is capable of doing multiple tasks in a pressurized environment. Albert comes from a wealthy family but got disowned due to him wanting to become a police officer instead of becoming a dilletante. Albert has a very kind heart but is also very tough and often is uncertain when it comes to female sex. There are plenty of returning secondary characters such as Minnies eccentric manager Tansie as well as his pet monkey; then Alberts housekeeper and the boy who helped them out a lot. New characters also make an appearance, namely the taxidermists daughter who works the books, then possibly the seamstress and the mysterious killer. All are written well and are a delight to be with. 

Theme:

Justice must be served, no matter the status

Plot:

The story is written in third person narrative from Minnies and Alberts points of views. The novel begins in 1863 when a tragic accident occurs, but then picks up in 1877 where the readers get a quick update on what happened to Minnie and Albert shortly after their first mystery together. I am of definite opinion that reading the first mystery is a must before continuing on to this one, and the books need to be read between short intervals because there is a lot that will be missed out on. 

Author Information:
( From goodreads) 

I was born in London and now live in Norwich with my husband and two dogs. After a degree in English Literature, and a few abortive career choices, I found my home as an English teacher for 23 years. I completed my PhD in Victorian domestic murder at London University in 2009, but my fascination with Victorian crime never left me. In 2019 I completed the Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) MA at UEA where I was awarded the David Higham Scholarship and received the UEA Little, Brown Award for Crime Fiction. I am represented by Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann.

The Tumbling Girl, the first in a series of crime novels set in the 1870s and featuring an intrepid, working-class heroine and her somewhat posher sidekick, will be published by Gallic in 2023.
Opinion:

For the readers who loved the first Variety Theater mystery, THE TUMBLING GIRL, where we meet the determined Winnie who is determined to figure out why and how her best friend died as well as Albert, a private investigator who comes from a wealthy family but who is fair and honest in his dealings, the two are back in the latest tale of THE INNOCENTS, which is just as good as the prequel. It was definitely a heartbreaking novel, especially in the case of  the Victorian Hall incident of 183 ( yes it actually happened) and just like the predecessor, there is definitely a sense of historical realism within the novels. Its really hard for me to pick out a specific aspect that i enoyed because they all worked well together, creating a beautiful picture. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)