The Tumbling Girl

Variety Palace, Book 1

By: Bridget Walsh

Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow

1876, Victorian London. Minnie Ward, the feisty scriptwriter for the Variety Palace Music Hall, is devastated when her best friend is found brutally murdered. She enlists the help of private detective Albert Easterbrook to help her find justice, even though he already has his hands full trying to catch the notorious Hairpin Killer.

Together they navigate London, from its high-class clubs to its murky underbelly. But as the bodies pile up, Albert's burgeoning feelings for his amateur partner start to interfere...

2024, The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) Dagger Awards New Blood Dagger, Short-listed

©2023 Bridget Walsh (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'I absolutely loved THE TUMBLING GIRL. Beautifully evocative, deftly plotted and with engaging characters, it was a page-turner from beginning to end.' (Sheila O'Flanagan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Three Weddings and a Proposal)

'THE TUMBLING GIRL is brilliant. Beautifully written by a true authority on Victorian domestic murder, this book keeps you guessing till the end!' (A.J. West, award-winning author of The Spirit Engineer)

'I loved it from the opening line! It’s such a fresh and funny take on the genre, but gripping, too, and I love its authentic, feminist edge. Bridget writes wonderfully. It had me on the edge of my seat until the final page.' (SJ Bennett, bestselling author of the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series)

'Bridget Walsh’s The Tumbling Girl is the first in what promises to be an entertaining series of historical mysteries [...] a killer in a narrative that neatly weds historical detail and quiet wit.' (The Sunday Times)

‘Walsh impresses in this series launch featuring an unlikely pair of investigators in 1876 London [...] diligent research pays off in spades here, and her rich and nuanced portrayal of the period will leave readers feeling like they’re on the soggy streets of London.' (Publisher's Weekly)

'This atmospheric debut historical mystery captures the world of music halls and the danger to women in Victorian London. Will appeal to fans of Leonard Goldberg’s DAUGHTER OF SHERLOCK HOLMES mysteries, Sherry Thomas’s LADY SHERLOCK books, or the show Miss Scarlet and the Duke.' (Library Journal)

Interesting characters, setting and story.

I really enjoyed this book. It was just unusual enough to keep my attention and I liked the main characters.

I find authors that use cliff hangers scammers

Ms. Blackborow did an excellent portrayal of characters. However, the author's cliffhanger scheme to sell the next book in a series makes me feel totally disgusted. A truly talented author creates a work that can stand on its own and not sucker bunch readers into buying the next.