Review: Murder by Lamplight

“Murder by Lamplight” features Dr. Julia Lewis who generally treats the working poor in Whitechapel at a clinic that she runs with her grandfather. Because of her grandfather’s illness, she arrives at a construction site where a murder victim has been found. The victim has been…mutilated. Her insights help Inspector Richard Tennant get on the trail of a vicious killer, but there are hints that Julia herself may be a target of the murderer.

Parts of the story, particularly the descriptions of the murder victims, are grittier than I prefer, but they do serve a purpose. First, the brutality of the killings points to an unthinkable motive and second, the descriptions emphasize the fact that Julia is used to seeing horrific things in her work and is not phased by it.

One of the things I really liked about “Murder by Lamplight” is that it is taking place shortly after Dr. John Snow’s work in pinpointing the source of a cholera outbreak in 1850s London. That work marks the beginning of modern public health, but the doctor faced an uphill battle in getting decision-makers to listen to him (in other words, most people still believed that disease was caused by bad smells). Added to this is the exploration of the London sewer project happening at the time. There is considerable discussion in the novel about the changes that are taking place in the medical profession and in public health.

This book is great for those who like gritty Victorian era mysteries.

CW: descriptions of human mutilation, sexual assault, and violence against the LGBTQ community.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kensington Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.