Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg ISBN-13: 9780778389330 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Park Row Released: December 29th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In the heart of London, secret tunnels that exist far beneath the city streets. There, a mysterious group of detectives recruited for Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries use their cunning and gadgets to solve crimes.

Late one night in April 1958, a filing assistant for Miss Brickett’s named Michelle White receives a letter warning her that one of their own is about to commit a crime. She goes to investigate and is murdered by a killer she can’t see—her death the only sign she wasn’t alone. It's clear that the person responsible must also work for Miss Brickett’s, making everyone a suspect.

Almost unwillingly, Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-training, finds herself being drawn ever deeper into the investigation. When her friend and mentor is framed for the crime, to clear his name she must sort through the hidden alliances at Miss Brickett’s and secrets dating back to WWII.


My Review:
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a mystery set in 1958 in an England filled with clockwork gadgets. The story started off with two characters who were not the main character, and I didn't find the story interesting until Marion became the point of view character. This happens quickly enough, but I think I would've liked it better if the story had just started with her. Anyway, Marion has been recruited because of her mechanical skills, but she spent most of her time investigating (so may end up as a detective). She worked with her friend and a detective who's investigating the murder. They listened to gossip, uncovered secrets (including doing things that could get them fired), spied on people, and put together clues to discover what's going on and whodunit.

The main characters were interesting and likable, but not developed very much. It's more of a suspense than a puzzle-mystery, with physical danger to those investigating. While the locked-room mystery aspect was fully explained, a critical element (how it all began) didn't make sense. Even Marion questioned why the World War II secret hadn't simply been destroyed (rather than hidden), and given the answer provided her, one has to question why it still hasn't been destroyed at the end. I also found it odd that these recruits--skilled professionals in their 20s--were being treated (and acted) like teenagers...except for the frequent drinking of alcohol. However, the overall story was an enjoyable, lively mystery with some clockwork fantasy thrown in. There was no sex. There was a fair amount bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.