The Pickwick Murders by Heather Redmond

Release: October 26, 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N,

In this latest reimagining of Dickens as an amateur sleuth, Charles is tossed into Newgate Prison on a murder charge, and his fiancée Kate Hogarth must clear his name . . .

London, January 1836: Just weeks before the release of his first book, Charles strangely receives an invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. But his initiation in a basement maze takes a wicked turn when he stumbles upon the corpse of Samuel Pickwick, the club’s president. With the victim’s blood literally on his hands, Charles ends up in notorious Newgate Prison.

Now it’s up to Kate to keep her framed fiancé from the hangman’s noose. To solve this labyrinthine mystery, she is forced to puzzle her way through a fiendish series of baffling riddles sent to her in anonymous poison pen letters. With the help of family and friends, she must keep her wits about her to corner the real killer—before time runs out and Charles Dickens meets a dead end . . .

About the Author:

Heather Redmond is an author of commercial fiction . She also writes as Heather Hiestand. First published in mystery, she took a long detour through romance before returning. Her last British-born ancestor departed London in the 1920s. But she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century.

She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she has achieved best-seller status at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her 2018 Heather Redmond debut, A Tale of Two Murders, was a multi-week Barnes & Noble Hardcover Mystery Bestseller.

Her two current mystery series are “A Dickens of a Crime” and “the Journaling mysteries.” She writes for Kensington and Severn House.

She is the current president of the Columbia River Chapter of Sisters in Crime (SinC).

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The Pickwick Murders Review:

I have not read the previous book in the series, but I found “The Pickwick Murders” to be a thrilling mystery.

The plot captured my interest as soon as Charles experiences something shocking, thinking Augustus will initiate him into the Lightning Club. I felt terrible for Charles as he found Samual’s body and wondered what to do. My heart went out to Charles in some scenes, primarily when Curdle randomly attacks him for no reason. The author does not disappoint in the mystery and thrills, as something shocking happens in every chapter.

Moreover, I like how strong Kate is and decides to investigate herself through William’s help. Kate is the star of the show, and I thought the author portrayed her beautifully. She shares a friendly relationship with her father and her sister Mary, and I enjoyed how she took charge of the situation to help Charles. The author paces the mystery nicely, and I was intrigued when Kate started receiving the letters. Some memorable moments are when she meets Charles’s father or deciphers the poem with Agnes Baillie. Even Breese, Fred, and Julie added nicely to the supporting cast. Frankly, I loved Fred, Julie, and Kate as the brave trio as they investigated the crime and tried to find out what was happening.

However, my only criticism of the story is that the person, in the end, turned out to be someone I had suspected, so I was not shocked by the reveal. Apart from that, I thought “The Pickwick Murders” was a very creative book and has inspired me to pick up the first book to see how it all started. If you love Charles Dickens and historical mysteries, do check out the series.