Peril at the Exposition

I had read the first book by Nev March and had been eagerly waiting for the new one. So I was quite excited when I got the opportunity to read the next one thanks to Minotaur books.

This book is set entirely in Chicago contrary to my expectations of another in British ruled India. Captain Jim And his wife, the very resourceful and spunky Diana have moved to the US and Captain Jim is now Detective Jim. He is an ardent fan of Sherlock Holmes and loves teaching his wife the methods that the literary character employed to get to the bottom of problems.

The book is set in 1893, a momentous year as we see various illustrious historical characters throughout the course of the mystery. They are both embroiled in figuring out a terrorist plot at the Chicago World Exhibition. There is a lot of talk of new scientific discoveries and ideas being showcased at this exposition. There is opposition to some of the new ideas by people deeply invested in the older way of doing things. There are so many twists and turns that it was a little difficult to keep pace. But the author has got the atmosphere of Chicago taking a leap ionto the new world beautifully.

There are places where I was forced to take Diana's capabilities, specially being a colored woman in 1893, with disbelief. That coupled with the sheer number of famous achievers from the time along with Swami Vivekananda, is what made me give this a four star rating instead of five. That said, I will still be waiting for the next Nev March reveal of this duo working together passionately to solve another crime.

I really enjoyed meeting Jim in Murder in Old Bombay. When given the chance to continue this series, I happily accepted.

While this took a bit for me to warm up to, overall I ended up enjoying it. I've seen mixed feelings with regard to Diana and how naive she is, and with how unbelievable her journey in Chicago seemed. On one hand, I understand where these readers are coming from. On another, Diana doesn't have the experience or knowledge that Jim has and she is learning as she goes along.

I actually enjoyed reading from her perspective and watching as she hones her detective skills, learns from her mistakes, and becomes stronger both in heart and mind. I especially love the dynamic between her and Jim and am hoping for a case that they solve together. I look forward to the next installment.

I sincerely appreciate St. Martin's Press for the review copy. All opinions expressed herein are my own.