I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book, and learned a lot about the pneumatic Railway in England. Reading this book prompted me to go to Wikipedia in order to learn more. To me, that is a good sign. But it is also a bad sign that the author did not provide enough information about pneumatics to inform me, the reader.
The basic story that revolved around the railway was basically kind of thin. The characters were not developed very well. I seemed to know as much about Sally, the child, as I did about Tommy Jones. The book was choppy and did not transition easily from one subject to another.
But what I was most disappointed with was finding out at the end that this book was the third book in a trilogy. I could tell while reading that this book would make a good trilogy, but I thought this would've been the first book, not the last. Not for me. But it was an okay cozy mystery, if you like that sort of thing. ( )

This feels like a "Dickens" with a good mix of actors all carefully introduced. Some good maps are included which is always helpful with novels of this style. Overall an engaging and certainly not a 'light' read! Recommend.

The book is a good read and the author has her historical facts right. I like that.
The book is indeed what the cover says: a cosy crime.
I liked the main subjects very much and I will certainly read her two earlier books. ( )

Won this as an Early Reviewer copy.
I had won and read the first book in this series and enjoyed it so I was looking forward to this one. Was not disappointed. Thoroughly researched this historical mystery offers engaging characters both real and imaginary and is a very entertaining read. Fast paced and suspenseful, this was a lot of fun and I would recommend as well as read more in this series. ( )

The book begins with a long list of characters who will appear in the book. It can look a bit intimidating, but it's good to have a reference to check back if you forget who someone is! Samson Light, a surgeon, is being held at the Clerkenwell House of Detention, suspected of committing a murder of a man found dead in a car of the new pneumatic railway. In 1870, when the story begins, the pneumatic railway is an exciting new feature in London. The intended use is to use it to transfer mail across the city. Samson had been seen by a witness arguing with the man who was found dead shortly thereafter. No one who knows Samson actually believes he could be the killer, so they set out, with his defense lawyer, Perseverance Stone, to track down witnesses and prove his innocence. Stone askes an acquaintance of Samson's, young Tommy Jones, to go north to Durham to track down a man who worked at the railway but left town suddenly after the man's body was found. Perhaps he has more information that could help Samson. Another story involves Jo Harris, an artist who lives with Hortense Smith and her young daughter Sally. Jo is also a friend to Tommy, so everyone is involved in one way or another in trying to solve the mystery of the death. The story featured many historical figures and details that were fascinating. It was interesting to read about the development of the pneumatic railway and the fact that the money and prestige associated with the latest developments have always been an attractive incentive to some people to line their own pockets at the expense of others.

I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers.