While the murder mystery was introduced rather later in the novel than I had thought, it is well-crafted if a minimal focus for the novel.

The first to pick up on a pattern of death that sends her, and her young ward, on a hunt for A strong, smart, and capable undertaker, Violet is the brains of her household, which becomes more and more obvious as her blundering and boorish husband gets into schemes way over his head.ĭeceased (even talking directly to them as she does her job - a la Ducky of NCIS!) Violet is Without seeming anachronistic, her life as a tradeswoman sets her apart from many of her contemporaries and makes her quite relateable. I really liked Violet - outside of the detail and attention paid to Victorian mourning rituals - she was the strongest factor in the story. More interested in seeing the dead sent gracefully into their final rest than housekeeping or playing hostess, Violet's devotion to her job strikes up issues with her more traditionally-minded husband early on. Outside of what society at the time would deem 'seemly', her work with the dead fulfills her in ways that traditional female gender roles do not. Violet Morgan is a well-realized and complicated main character. Trent eases her readers into Violet's world, with appearances from Queen Victoria herself, as well as Prince Albert, and one of England's most famous (and real!) killers. With a minimal focus on the advertised serial killer mystery, this is more of a well-crafted romance, though one with exceptionally strong period settings. The amount of research that went into crafting this novel is both apparent and one of the strongest aspects of the story as a whole. One thing that is both certain and obvious about the novel is that the author knows her time period intimately.

And the closer she gets to the truth, the greater the danger forĪ richly detailed and atmospheric historical fiction tale set during the 1860's in England, Lady of Ashes is the first in a forthcoming series from veteran Christine Trent about a female undertaker named Violet Morgan. But her position remains precarious, especially when Grahamĭisappears and she begins investigating a series of deaths among the Undertaking the funeral for a friend of Queen Victoria and PrinceĪlbert.

Meanwhile, Violet receives the commission of a lifetime: Nursed a hatred of America since his grandfather soldiered for Greatīritain in the War of 1812, becomes involved in a scheme to sell arms to She provides comfortįor the grieving, advises them on funeral fashion and etiquette, and Morgan is struggling to establish a good reputation for the undertakingīusiness that her husband has largely abandoned.

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent