“Detective Inspector Field of the Metropolitan Police, London, here to see the hospital director, Dr. Hall.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the porter. “If you’d follow me, sir.”
As they walked, they passed wards in which Field glimpsed uniformed women moving among rows of beds. The porter led him to one of the corner staircases, and they began to climb. At the top floor, along a broad corridor, was a row of open windows with a view of the sea. Field paused for a moment to inhale the fresh breezes. Four floors below, the grass was dotted with crosses. Clearly, it was a cemetery.
“Inspector?”
Field turned from the window to find the porter gone. In his place stood a clean-shaven, fair-haired young man with a prominent brow and high hairline. He had a quiet, deferential manner, and the hint of a Yorkshire accent.
“I’m John Stanhope, sir,” he said. “Dr. Hall will see you now.” He took Field’s satchel from him, opened the door and gestured him in.
After Detective Inspector Field first meets Miss Florence Nightingale and her nurses in Crimea during the war, it’s a wish come true to reunite with them as part of his future in London. But unexpectedly, the horrors of the past seem to have followed them.
Official synopsis:
Case closed. Or is it?
Twelve years later, back in London, amid the turmoil surrounding the expansion of voting rights, women again start turning up dead, their mouths covered by that telltale embroidered rose. Did Field suspect the wrong man before, or is he dealing with a deviant copycat? Either way, he must race against time to stop the killer before more bodies are discovered, and before his own family gets pulled into danger. Populated by real figures of the day, from Benjamin Disraeli to novelist Wilkie Collins to, of course, Florence Nightingale herself, and steeped in historical details of 1860s London, The Nightingale Affair plays out against a backdrop of a rapidly changing society. Most of all, it is a pure reading delight, offering shocks, unforgettably vivid scenes, and surprising twists.
The timeline switches between the initial meeting of all the main characters in 1855 in Turkey, and twelve years later in London. Unfortunately, while time has passed after they thought the Beast had ended his own life instead of being convicted of his crimes, the horrifying murders of women and those in favor of women gaining rights have started up again. Has the Beast returned from the dead? Did their own eyes deceive them, and he never died? Is it a copycat killer haunting them all again?
The story in both timelines was intricate and felt realistic. The characters and their relationships were genuine, and there was plenty of suspicion to go around about who could be doing the gory murders. The descriptions of the setting both in war time Turkey and 1860s London were colorful, with the descriptions of the tunnels and their construction under London being especially fascinating.
Overall, this detailed book earned 4 out of 5 stars as a great read for those who enjoy historical fiction surrounding the war in the Crimean Peninsula, London and the mid 1800s. The discussions of womens’ rights, both as they fought for the legitimacy of nursing careers and then for the vote, was also interesting.
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Becki Bayley enjoys reading with the feel of the sun on her skin. A refreshing cocktail can only make the day pass even more pleasantly. See some of what she’s up to on Instagram where she posts as PoshBecki.
GIVEAWAY:
One of my lucky readers will win a copy of The Nightingale Affair!
Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Wednesday, May 17th, at 11:59pm ET, and winner will be notified via email the next day, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.
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The Nightingale Affair, by Tim Mason
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