In this second book in the Detective Murdoch series author Maureen Jennings paints a vivid picture of poverty-stricken Toronto in late 19th century as Murdoch investigates the death of Dolly Merishaw, a midwife and abortionist.
Dolly Merishaw was a harsh and unlikable person. She was cruel and mistreated her mute daughter and the two boys who lived with them. And, Dolly was not above blackmailing some of her former clients to make ends meet. The investigation leads Murdoch to a stage dancer as well as a judge’s wife.
It is up to Murdoch to find out who was the last person at Dolly’s house and did they have reason enough to kill the old woman. On top of his investigation, Murdoch is also training for a bike race and of course still practicing his dance steps for the upcoming dance.
There were definitely moments I wasn’t expecting in the development of the story, mainly to do with the two young boys. Again, I think Jennings excels at atmosphere and describing another place and time.
A few characters from the first book make a welcome appearance in this follow-up and Jennings continues to explore how the inspector is recovering from grief. Inspector Murdorch is a very likeable character and I can only hope that as the series progresses we see him leading a life less solitary.
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Added 03/07