Historical Murder Mystery Fiction Snap Shot & Cast Iron
Historical Murder Mystery Fiction novels Snap Shot and Cast Iron, written by Marilyn Todd, are sure to be loved by Victorian murder mystery crime fiction fans.
Both Snap Shot and Cast Iron take place in England, circa 1895. Snap Shot is book one of the Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries book series. I agree with the book critics when they say, “Snap Shot is an engaging atmospheric Victorian thriller crime fiction novel.”
The publisher’s book summary describes Snap Shot as:
“A brilliant new Victorian mystery series you won’t want to miss! For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Thompson.”
“Julia turns from murder suspect to England’s first crime scene photographer…”
In Snap Shot, Julia McAllister, a young widow on her own, has found a way to support herself by taking risqué photographs. In a criminal turn of events, Julia is framed for murder, when her models began turning up dead.
In Cast Iron, book two of this series, we learn that Julia has apparently moved on from the problems she faced in Snap Shot. She is ready to board a train, and go forward with her life. But, before you can say, “All Aboard!” Julia finds herself right smack in the middle of a crime scene on the train line. And the police call upon Julia to photograph the deadly crime scene. I agree with the publisher’s hype for Cast Iron, “Julia returns in a Victorian mystery full of dark humor!”
But, Julia had plans and dreams. She visualized her future. And it was a vision of supporting herself doing what she loved. She yearned to capitalize on her photography skills. She yearned to find happiness and self-sufficiency by traveling to, and photographing exotic locales such as Africa and…but I digress.
Instead, Julia is headed for something else…another future. And what might that future be? Julia, no longer a murder suspect, becomes England’s first crime scene photographer. Julia is “…a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in nineteenth-century London.”- Publisher Quote.
I do so love historical fiction and I enjoy a good murder mystery novel as well. Snap Shot, the first book in the series, introduces the characters and background, but Cast Iron can be read as a stand-alone story. The story of Julia McAllister is compelling and the characters are well drawn and quite engaging. I most especially appreciate how the author wrote this story in a way that succeeds in bringing present-day women’s issues to the forefront. Snap Shot and Cast Iron were completely enjoyable reads for me.
If you would like a copy of both or either of these books, clicking the text links below will take you to them on Amazon, if you buy using these links, I may earn a commission.
