Review by Booklist Review
History meets mystery in this Victorian thriller starring Leo Stanhope, who has a dark secret: he was born Charlotte and is now a trans man. If he is found out, he will be imprisoned or remanded to an institution. But that is the least of it. He is desperately in love with a prostitute named Maria and is devastated when she is found murdered. Despairing, he determines to undertake the dangerous job of finding the murderer. He quickly runs afoul of a crime ring that operates a string of brothels and is ambitious to expand its operation. Will he find Maria's murderer, or will he, perhaps, wind up dead himself? In his first novel, Reeve does a fine job of evoking the Victorian period and brings a neat twist to traditional Victoriana. Most interestingly, he has created a protagonist who simply happens to be a trans man; his condition of being is not the main plot point in a nicely paced mystery that will keep readers guessing until its satisfying ending. Look for a sequel.--Michael Cart Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Reeve's impressive first in a Victorian mystery series introduces Leo Stanhope, who identifies as male though born into a woman's body. Leo works at London's Westminster Hospital as secretary to the surgeon in charge of the mortuary. He take pains to keep the truth about his anatomy secret, even as he develops strong feelings for Maria Milanes, a prostitute who works in a brothel. When Maria is found with the back of her head crushed near London Bridge, her body is taken to the hospital's mortuary. Leo's relationship with the murdered woman attracts the interest of the police, and the shock Leo experiences at the loss leads to an absence from work that costs him his job. Skeptical that the authorities will pursue all leads, Leo turns sleuth and begins looking into another recent death that he believes is connected with Maria's: Jack Flowers, who worked for the brothel's owner, supposedly drowned accidentally just a few days earlier. Readers will look forward to Leo's further adventures. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
