“…a highly entertaining book with a well-drawn pair of characters who have both sparkling chemistry and conversation. “Still Life With Murder is sheer perfection…gripping…powerful…unforgettable…You’ll know you’ve read one hell of a story after you turn the last page!” “If you like fast moving, accurately drawn, historical mysteries, you won’t go wrong by trying Still Life With Murder.” A very clever plot in which each clue is clearly offered and yet the identity of the murderer is a complete surprise.” Vividly alive characters in a setting so clearly portrayed that one could step right into it. “With its rich sense of place and time and a crisp, intelligent plot, readers will speed through this tale and be clamoring for more.” – New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen I look forward to seeing her in action again.” “The atmosphere is that of The Alienist, but feisty Irish Nell Sweeney is a more likeable protagonist. – New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly I’m very glad there will be more to come.” “A beautiful combination of entertaining characters, minute historical research, and a powerful evocation of time and place. Ryan makes a stunning debut with Still Life With Murder…I can’t wait for the next installment.” Ryan makes a stunning debut with Still Life With Murder … I can’t wait for the next installment.” Originally published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Nell finds that she must delve into the kind of dark and treacherous underworld she thought she’d left far behind if she is to unearth the truth before the hangman’s noose tightens around William Hewitt’s throat. Infuriated by his son’s deception and convinced of his guilt, August Hewitt forbids his wife from coming to Will’s aid, so she begs Nell to help exonerate him. But one snowy February afternoon, his parents learn that he is, in fact, still alive-and in jail for having murdered a man while intoxicated on opium. The Hewitts’ eldest son, William, a former Union Army battle surgeon and the black sheep of the family, was reported to have died three years before in a notorious Confederate prison camp.

But she soon learns that ugly secrets lurk beneath the surface of their gold-plated world. Born into dismal poverty, young Nell Sweeney scratches by on her wits and little else until fortune blesses her with a position as nursery governess to the fabulously wealthy Hewitts. Still Life With Murder Book 1: Nell Sweeney Mysteriesīoston, 1868: The dawn of the Gilded Age, an era of burgeoning commerce and invention, of unimaginable new fortunes and lavish excess-for some.

Still life with murder by pb ryan