A Slash of Emerald

 A Slash of Emerald (2025) by Patrice McDonough

London, 1867. Dr. Julia Lewis and Inspector Richard Tennant are back in a second historical mystery. This time the focus is on the artistic community and links to pornography and other illicit trade "goods." 

While it is perfectly acceptable for Victorian women to dabble in watercolors and painting as an innocent pastime, women who try to make a living as an artist face ridicule and worse. And the women who pose for artists (male or female)? They're even worse. Julia is called to examine a young woman suspected of prostitution (to make sure she's not spreading disease) even though the girl insists that she's a shop girl and an artist's model at times. The police only became involved because two men were harassing her--though it's obvious they think she attracted their attention on purpose. Then, a new artistic friend of Julia's, Mary Allingham, suffers a break-in the studio on the grounds of her home. A large "W" (for whore) in emerald green paint is left behind. Local officers aren't too keen to investigate the "goings-on" at an art studio, but Julia asks Richard to speak with her friend about other incidents in the female art world.

When young female models become the target of a killer, both Richard and Julia are sure there's more behind this than just spite against females who don't know their place. Mary's brother Charles, an admirer of all sorts of art, has also died of poison. It looks like and is ruled a suicide, but then the family doctor and a member of Charles's club also dies of poison. The club has been tied to another line of investigation involving young girls--are the two threads connected? And if so, how?

McDonough has provided another absorbing Victorian mystery (one of my favorite historical periods). We learn more about Julia and Richard and we get to watch them learn about each other. The supporting characters are also interesting and given depth--even those who aren't on stage long. I enjoyed the look at the artistic world of the 1800s and McDonough deftly weaves real artists into the story in a very believable way. Like Richard Tennant, I wasn't happy that justice wasn't served up to all of the deserving. At the end of the book he takes a leave of absence from the force and is off to France in search of one of those responsible. I hope he catches them...but since the official justice system isn't interested, I do wonder what he's going to do when he does find them. ★★★★

First line: Annie O'Neill peered into the January mist and thought, Why didn't I hail a cab?

"What rational person wants to plow through eight hundred pages of a three-volume novel only to be left heart-sore and depressed by a sad ending?" (Mary Allingham, about Great Expectations; p. 199)

Last line: "Godspeed," she whispered, and walked back to the path.
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Deaths = 10 (one beaten; two natural; three poisoned; two stabbed; two drowned)