Murder in Punch Lane - Jane Sullivan - ★★.¾

AUTHOR: Jane Sullivan

GENRE: Historical Mystery

PUBLICATION DATE: July 2, 2024

RATING: 2.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical murder mystery set in 1860s Melbourne and partly based on true events. The content turned out to be even darker than I expected. Loved the unusual setting and the atmosphere, but didn’t like the convoluted plot development, the impulsive characters, and the initially easy investigation of the mystery.

Plot Preview:

1868. Melbourne. When young theatre actress Lola Sanchez watches her best friend, a theatre star named Marie St. Denis, die in a painful manner, she refuses to believe, like everyone else does, that Marie chose to kill herself by overdosing on laudanum. However, as no one else is convinced by Lola’s claim that Marie was murdered, she embarks on a quest to find Marie’s killer. When a journalist named Magnus Scott writes a touching, almost-personal obituary for Marie, Lola approaches him for help. As the two amateur detectives traverse the dark alleys of Melbourne, they discover sinister truths connected to the wealthy and the powerful, which increases the danger every step of the way.

The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of the key characters.

Bookish Yays:

😮 The unique historical setting of 1860s Melbourne – captured well by the writing.

😮 Great atmosphere, especially in the second half when things get really murky.

😮 The author's note – caught me by surprise! Didn’t remember that this was based on actual people and some true events, so it was stunning to discover that whatever I thought might have been farfetched was actually true. Appreciate how the author clearly distinguishes fact from fiction.

😮 I love that cover, even though it is too serene for such a story. It does match the plot well.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🧐 The lead duo of Lola and Magnus – Interesting and complicated characters, but not easy to connect to. Arcs too uneven to get a gauge on their actual personality. Very impulsive and a bit too confident in their abilities.

🧐 The other characters – quite intriguing in their own way, but not developed enough. Too many convenient turnarounds to be convincing.

🧐 Plenty of racist words, which suits the era but feels odd to read, especially as some aren't really necessary for the core plot.

🧐 The murder mystery begins somewhat dark but goes even darker as the investigation proceeds. While this might work for many readers, I wasn’t in the frame of mind to read about such heinous sexual assaults.

🧐 There are enough twists and turns to keep us on our toes, and the final reveal was also a surprise. However, the red herrings feel too convoluted and forced at times. The ups and downs don’t feel natural in the plot development.

Bookish Nays:

😔 The investigation by the “detective” - Lola seems to have almost 100% success in her maiden investigation. She gets detailed answers from any random person she questions on her very first attempt. She can create an in-depth backstory just from looking at some scattered clues on the murder site. The process felt far too straightforward, even though the results weren’t.

😔 Whenever she is referred to, Marie sounds much older than her actual age of seventeen. Also, her age is revealed only in chapter fifty, which is the final chapter of the book. Her age was an important factor in the plot, so it should have been revealed much earlier.

All in all, the history was great and the mystery was okay. As I said, I was not in the headspace for this read, and hence the second half was very disturbing for me, especially considering Marie’s age.

Recommended to those who enjoy prose more than the plot, are okay with really dark sexual content, and interested in reading a partly-fictionalised factual story.

My thanks to Echo Publishing for providing the DRC of “Murder in Punch Lane” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.