Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose

By: T.A. Willberg

Narrated by: Karen Cass

"What a delight... I found myself so drawn into this world of peculiar crimes that finishing the last page left me disoriented, requiring an extra beat to flash forward and rejoin the current century." – Sarah Weinman, New York Times Book Review

The envelope was tied with three delicate silk ribbons: “One of the new recruits is not to be trusted…”

It’s 1959 and a new killer haunts the streets of London, having baffled Scotland Yard. The newspapers call him The Florist because of the rose he brands on his victims. The police have turned yet again to the Inquirers at Miss Brickett’s for assistance, and second-year Marion Lane is assigned the case.

But she’s already dealing with a mystery of her own, having received an unsigned letter warning her that one of the three new recruits should not be trusted. She dismisses the letter at first, focusing on The Florist case, but her informer seems to be one step ahead, predicting what will happen before it does. But when a fellow second-year Inquirer is murdered, Marion takes matters into her own hands and must come face-to-face with her informer—who predicted the murder—to find out everything they know. Until then, no one at Miss Brickett’s is safe and everyone is a suspect.

With brilliant twists and endless suspense, all set within the dazzling walls and hidden passageways of Miss Brickett’s, Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose is a deliciously fun new historical mystery you won’t be able to put down.

Office intrigue yet again

I had high hopes that the second book would be more outward looking. That didn’t happen. I will read the description more carefully before I read another in the series.

Adore this series

I absolutely adore this series. I haven’t enjoy a murder mystery since Agatha Christie. Recommend the action, the suspense, and the camaraderie. Excellent listen!

book review

This is a really fine book. I truly loved the voice acting. this book deserves all five stars, it is truly a fantastic book.

Disappointing

I am baffled as to why this convoluted tale received such positive reviews. The underground gadgets used to assist in catching spies were a particularly ridiculous aspect of this much too long book.

Harry Potter meets QAnon

The Marion Lane books are essentially Harry Potter for adults. The author shamelessly takes much of her stories directly from JK Rowling: a giant snake, secret chambers underground, something called a “snitch”- I could go on and on. In this book a conspiracy theory plot is thrown in, I guess to give readers something to relate to? Don’t waste your time or money- spend both on the Harry Potter series instead.