Lies That Comfort And Betray by Rosemary Simpson

Overview:

Heiress Prudence MacKenzie is a valuable partner to attorney Geoffrey Hunter, despite the fact that women are not admitted to the bar in nineteenth-century New York. And though their office is a comfortable distance from the violence of the city’s slums, the firm of Hunter and MacKenzie is about to come dangerously close to a high-profile killer across the pond . . .
 
Nora Kenny works in Prudence’s Fifth Avenue house, just as her mother once served Prudence’s mother. As children, they played freely together, before retreating into their respective social classes. Still, they remain fond of each other. So when Nora’s body is discovered in a local park, Prudence is devastated. As other poor, vulnerable young women fall victim, the police are confounded. Has the Ripper crossed the Atlantic to find a new hunting ground? Is someone copying his crimes? A former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey intends to step in, and Prudence is equally determined. But a killer with a disordered mind and an incomprehensible motive may prove too elusive for even this experienced pair to outwit.

My Review:

This is the second book in the Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson and is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.  I was hesitant at first to start the series because I have never been a fan of historical novels set in the States for some reason.  I have always preferred a Georgian or Victorian England setting so this series being set in New York was a little outside my comfort zone but I am so glad I picked it up because I love it. 

In this book, we rejoin Prudence and Geoffrey as they try to track down the killer who murdered and mutilated Nora - a childhood friend of Prudence.  Before they can barely begin their investigation, another maid is murdered and cut up the same way.  Fear quickly spreads that the London Ripper has crossed the Atlantic and taken up his killing spree in New York.  When a third girl, this time a prostitute, is murdered an mutilated, Prudence and Geoffrey start to doubt they will ever catch the killer.

In this book, we didn't learn very much more about Geoffrey and that left me a little disappointed.  We definitely know a lot more about Prudence simply because the entire first book was about her so we already know her backstory so I was hoping for more about her partner.  Their secretary Josiah played a bigger role this time and I enjoyed that, although he is still rather mysterious and needs to be more fleshed out.

Geoffrey still isn't treating Prudence like an equal partner in the firm and I hope that changes.  He left her out of quite a bit of important things and while I know it's because he thinks she is still too fragile after the events in the first book, it was a little grating.  Again, I understand the time frame that the story takes place in and that women were not seen as capable and were denied entry to most occupations but Prudence isn't the typical woman of her day and I hope that Geoffrey comes around sooner rather than later.  Otherwise, it isn't going to be a successful partnership.

The pacing was good and the plot well thought out but I had a bit of an issue with the ending.  Not really in who the culprit was but how they ended up catching said person.  It didn't make sense and seemed very rushed.  That seems to be a common theme in a lot of books I'm reading lately.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I think it's still in the early stages and the characters are still trying to find their way but I will happily follow along while they sort things out.  I can't wait to see where it goes!