Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Emily Organ for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I’ve been enjoying this series by author Emily Organ. Emma Langley is a character brought in to partner with Penny Green, now Penny Blakely. Penny was the focus of her own series prior to her getting married and becoming a mother. After helping Emma solve a mystery involving her late husband, the two women have teamed up in Victorian London to solve more mysteries.

In Murder in the Soho Graveyard, Emma and Penny team up to investigate the murder of a wealthy widow. They become entangled when Emma happens to run into Clara Clifton, who found the dead woman. Clara volunteers for a group dedicated to making more green space in London (yes, apparently that was a concern in Victorian times as well). In that regard, she surveys disused and abandoned churchyards with an idea towards turning them into parks. Did you know this? I did not. I will be looking at parks in London much differently when I visit next.

Anyway, Clara is distressed after talking to the police about finding the body because they automatically consider her a suspect in the woman’s death. Mrs. Melbourne was a wealthy widow who seemed to be quite philanthropic. However, that was a mask for a personality that seemed to alienate everyone she met. Emma suggests that Clara talk to Penny, since Penny’s husband, James, is an investigator for Scotland Yard. However, he’s not assigned to this investigation. Penny doesn’t think much of the investigator who is assigned to Mrs. Melbourne’s murder and suggests that she and Emma look into it themselves.

As Penny and Emma investigate, they learn there are plenty of suspects and plenty of motives. The problem is whittling the list down. Every move they make seems to uncover another possible suspect and more reasons someone would want Mrs. Melbourne dead.

I really enjoy how Penny and Emma are bucking the societal constraints on them. There are times I think Penny tends to drop her kids off with the housekeeper a little bit too much, but this is a woman who had a career as a reporter before getting married. She’s used to having more to focus on than just the household. She’s used to adult conversations. She loves her children, but she also wants to use her brain. I don’t think Penny could have married someone who didn’t support her outside interests, but James fell for her because of these very characteristics. Emma is getting along as a widow, but there are hints that she’s beginning to think about romance again.

Penny, especially, is very direct when they talk to people they suspect were involved in the murder. I found it hard to believe that these people didn’t just tell her to get lost (or whatever they said in Victorian times). It makes the book a little simplistic, but it’s an interesting mystery that’s perfect for a light summer read. I didn’t figure it out until the end. There were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. The pace is pretty fast, and the story moves along quickly.

The suspects are well-written. They don’t start out all that deep, but as Penny and Emma visit them over and over, more is revealed about each of them. They end up pretty deep, but it doesn’t have the feeling of an information dump this way.

I enjoyed reading Murder in the Soho Graveyard, and I’ll continue with the series. I like the strong female characters, even though some of their antics feel a little unrealistic. Emily Organ creates very interesting characters, and as historical fiction mysteries go, I think it’s a great read.

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