1894 Cambridge. Daniel Wilson, ex-Scotland Yard detective now a private inquiry agent is called to investigate the death of a man at the Fitzwilliam museum by Sir William Mackenzie.
He is helped in his investigation by the discoverer of the body, archaeologist Abigail Fenton. Who then discovers another body in her office. But will this be the last one.
I enjoyed this well-written historical mystery. I liked the characters and the plot. A very good start to the series. ( )

Jim Eldridge has written a good solid mystery rooted in 1894 Cambridge, England that kept me guessing. Daniel Wilson, ex-copper-turned-private-investigator, is the stiff-upper-lipped good guy whose heart sings whenever he's around archaeologist Abigail Fenton. Anyone who's ever watched the film "Pretty Woman" will be familiar with the term "bum magnet," and that seems to be Abigail's claim to fame (being attracted to the wrong sort of man) because little of her talent as an archaeologist is ever really shown.

As good as the mystery and setting are, I have to admit that the two main characters really didn't appeal to me-- and there were too many unnecessary romantic flutterings to suit me. Alas, Daniel Wilson may go on to investigate murders in other museums, but I doubt that I'll be tagging along. ( )

This is a murder mystery set in Victorian England. Former Scotland Yard detective Daniel Wilson is hired by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge to investigate a murder on its premises. He teams up with Abigail Fenton, a museum employee, who is cataloguing the museum's Egyptian acquisitions. She found the body and this puts her in the spotlight. A couple of other dead bodies turn up as Wilson and Fenton investigate. The investigation is essentially led by Wilson and results in the discovery of the killer's identity.

The story has an interesting premise and it is basically a good one. However, the whodunit gets edged out as the author chases after tangential storylines, that soon are abandoned with no conclusion, For example, there's writing about the campaign for women's right to vote and some demonstrations are staged by the principal female characters . However, this issue (and several others) lasts for only a brief time and then disappears without resolution. Then there's something called the Pyramid Inch. Red herrings or lost ways? There's simply too much crammed into the storytelling.

In the final analysis, this merits a "needs improvement" rating. It's a cluttered and overly busy story. Better to have stuck to the murder mystery! There are probably some who will say there's little mystery about the killer's identity I was surprised to learn that the author had written several other books because this one seemed like a debut. The storytelling gets better as it goes along to the end, which gives me hope that a sequel will be a more enjoyable read. ( )

There is a comfortable almost old-fashioned feel about this book set in Cambridge at the end of the nineteenth century. A body has been found, recently murdered, in a sarcophagus in the Egyptian room at the famous Fitzwilliam museum.

The manager of the Museum decides to use a private enquiry agent, Daniel Wilson, a young man who became famous as part of Scotland Yard's Abberline team who solved the Ripper case. (There is some back story here as the principal members of that team have now left Scotland yard and are all working as private detectives). The investigation into the murder brings Daniel into contact with Abigail Fenton who discovers the body.

The story proceeds at a good pace, another two murders occur, but I found it a relatively unchallenging read. Perhaps attractive to those who look with nostalgia at the Golden Age who-dunnits. ( )