As a lover of historical mysteries, this book hit the spot.

Inspector Bell is no longer young but has proven himself as a competent and consistent investigator for Scotland Yard. However, he does this with the help of an informally trained nurse named Gemma Tate.
Both dogged in their pursuit of justice but more reserved in their unspoken feeling for each other, they work independently to find the murderer.

I enjoyed the way author Irina Shapiro alternated chapters between the two protagonists. This kept the reader engaged and anxious for the two to eventually come together to share their findings (or feelings).

This was my first foray into the Tate and Bell mysteries, but it will not be my last. I look forward from starting the series from the beginning and am excited to see where it goes from here.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Irina Shapiro for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder on Platform Four coming out July 30, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This series is amazing and I love it so much! The time period and setting is perfect. Gemma and Sebastian are amazing. I love the dynamics between them. This book was a little different than the other books. I am definitely reading more books in the series.

This was not the best book in the series, Gemma and Sebastian seemed to be investigating in parallel for most of the book until about 75%. Their relationship seemed to be on a standstill too. I did like that Sebastian has finally worked on his relationship with his brother.

Lastly I listened to the audiobook and this narrator is one of the worst.

#MurderonPlatformFour #NetGalley

This is beautifully written by Irina Shapiro and is the 5th book in the series. Inspector Sebastian Bell arrives at Paddington Station to meet his estranged brother, but discovers a body in an abandoned trunk who has been stabbed with a knife.

Sebastian does his best to solve the murder mystery with help from Gemma Tate due to budget constraints with the Police Force. I wish Gemma got more involved in these cases

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

This is one of my favorite mystery series, and this is a great addition to it. I love the whole cast of characters, and that even the supporting characters show growth and development in each book. Of course I especially loved Gemma’s new-found determination and assertiveness. The setting and atmosphere are spot on. I always feel that Shapiro does a great job of writing a “meaty” mystery, but it’s not overly complicated or convoluted. The only thing I’m disappointed about is that there is another detour on Gemma and Sebastian’s road to happiness.

This one was so disappointing for me.
I knew who the killer *AND* the why very early on [I knew the killer the minute they were introduced], I really missed the interactions between Sebastian and Gemma [it felt like the author was deliberately keeping them apart throughout this whole book], I am not sure why we get that brief interaction with Sebastian's brother as it added absolutely nothing to the story, and even with that ending, we had BETTER NOT be heading into a [stupid] love triangle. Seriously.
Because I knew the who and the why, the reveal was a bit tepid for me [with the exception of what happens at Colin's house - that was completely unexpected and very shocking], and overall, I just felt this story was...and that it was the weakest of the books. As I have absolutely LOVED this series [and will 100% keep reading; I love Sebastian and Gemma and I really want to see their story to the finish], I was, ultimately, disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Irina Shapiro, and Storm Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for this ARC. Fourth book in the series and still going strong. Bringing in Sebastian's brother develops the character more. Enjoyable plot with good twists

|:: Murder on Platform Four
By Irina Shapiro
Chapter Thirty-Five Page 206
🌟🌟🌟🌟

{* He could see the hurt look on Bertram Quince's face as he shut the door behind himself, but he wouldn't apologise for doing his job. He would be remiss if he didn't check on the whereabouts of the uniform and its owner. Sebastian was just about to head upstairs and check on Gustav when Mrs. Poole emerged from her own room, a strong floral scent filling the foyer and the fabric of her dressing gown swishing against her bare calves. She reared back when she saw Sebastian, then raised her chin defiantly. This was her house, after all, and she was about to be married. She had nothing to be ashamed of.
“What are you doing lurking in the shadows?” she demanded. *}

​A unique death, shrouded in mystery, a handful of suspects each with their own story to question, a nurse who is too clever for her own good, and a detective whose integrity far outweighs those around him.

Who stands to gain? What secrets threaten to reveal themselves?

​G loves H.
7 letters. Not enough to solve a crime, not enough letters to solve a mystery. Not enough information to help him get answers.

​Unfortunately for Detective Sebastian Bell, this is the only proof he has that the person who was murdered on Platform 4 had a family who may need to be notified. But without a name, logical reason for being in London, friends, accomplices, lovers, colleagues, or long lost family, how is he supposed to help the dead rest?

​We witness Sebastian rifle through meticulous clues, obscure facts, and red herrings intentionally thrown in to throw us off course. Once you were certain you were on the path to discover the mystery murderer, the trail would take a nose dive in a completely unrelated bend that you would never have thought of.

​Despite Sebastian concealing his own heartache, pain, and troubles, he must battle with himself and time to struggle and find every avenue available to him to deal with his personal baggage and leave no stone unturned in the investigation he took on solely.
​
With the help of Miss Tate, although unbeknownst to him at the time, her lack of authority, especially around men, allowed her the freedom to exploit the men who so dismissively wrote her off as soon as her sex was identified.

​Meddlesome, spinster, hardheaded she might have looked, but in the end her wit on the day as she came to the same conclusive end Sebastian had managed to do, at roughly the same time, announced the killer in a proud moment for women everywhere!

​I have never read about Sebastian or Gemma before, and I enjoyed their interaction. The guilt they both felt, the way they had to wait for one another to come to the same conclusion they both had a long time ago! But at that age, talking of such things would be inappropriate, which is why books like these are so wholesome.

​To be back in an age where words meant more than gestures and respect was meant and vowed by the gentlemen of the era. If it wasn't for the sexist approach to life I would have said it was sadly missed.
Although I think the hygiene, hospital skills, technology and inventions were highly needed, it was the romance that was freely thought of in nothing more than thoughts.

​And the law, the detectives who had nothing to go by other than instinct and cold facts in a time period known for its brutality, mistakes, and disregard for human life. Stories like that of Detective Bell really breathe life into the heart of human nature. We all wish we had a Sebastian and I'm sure the males of today wish they had a Gemma!

​Together they were a force to be reckoned with. I was impressed with each tiny morsel they delivered which went hand in hand in harmony when concluded together. It's hard enough thinking of twists and turns to elude the reader for one character and let's say two suspects? But this amazing author was able to write for two characters, creatively weaving a whole host of different suspects and reasons to go with them. I really enjoyed it!

​I can't wait to hear more about what is next for Detective Bell and Miss Tate, both of whom I was obsessed with from the beginning. Despite the frosty introduction to the character I loved ‘Sami’ and had a soft spot for ‘Mabel’ who made me think of my nan. It really was a joy to read.
Thank you for creating another genre for my past self to get lost in.

​Title: Murder on Platform Four
Author: Irina Shapiro
Publish Date : 30/7/25
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Review Score 4/5

​A huge thank you to Irina Shapiro, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and relay my honest feedback. ::|

Inspector Bell has been a favourite of mine and I was delighted to read this story. He pairs off with Gemma and I am really hoping for a happy ending there. Penny is now married but a bit restless with the way the world looks at her - a wife, a mother who should leave her journalistic career behind.

When confronted with a body at Paddington Station at the same time he has arranged to meet his long estranged brother, there is no question in Sebastian’s mind about what should take precedence. Following up on clues despite opposition from higher ups who think this investigation of an unknown poorer woman is of no significance as against bigger and potentially cases which will get better publicity for the police. It seems symptomatic of the times, that poorer people got little attention as against the richer strata of society in England.

The constraints on women were irritating to even read about, and how clever intelligent women had to skirt around people in order not to irritate the men and their egos. It was a hard time for women. The book does well as a stand alone but is part of a very good series.

Murder on Platform Four is a new, intriguing and riveting addition to the series excellently written by Irina Shapiro. I'm loving this novels.

In this book, Detective Bell has to expose the murderer of a woman found in a trunk at the train station. It won't be easy because there aren't too much evidences, he has only few days to close the investigation, and he has to work alone for lack of men. Fortunately he can always count on Gemma and her intuitions.

Gemma is my favourite character. She is sharp, compassionate, and impetuous. I would like for her to have more freedom to roam and help Sebastian with his cases, and to live her life and love without too many Victorian constraints and societal expectations.

Read it!! You won't regret it..

A complex mystery that delivers historical atmosphere and the harder-to-get-right social attitudes. Gemma Tate is a nurse in the Victorian period who must struggle in a society that wants to restrict what she can do. She performs a forbidden examination of a dead body for Inspector Bell to help him find the woman's killer while the coroner is down for the count because of illness. If the coroner finds out she could lose her job. Meanwhile, Inspector Bell has his own problems with a new boss at the Met who is more interested in close rates than what he thinks is a hopeless case. As the two follow the clues, they discover the killer may be much closer to home than they thought and may be ready to deliver another fatal blow...

I really enjoy how Gemma is struggling to find a way to balance her desire to make a real difference with the cases she has helped investigate though society and her boss disapprove and the reality she has a difficult and drudgery job of taking care an older woman who has dementia. She needs the job to feed herself so it isn't so easy to just say I will do what I want and who cares what society say. There are real repercussions of acting out against society's expectation. And she isn't the only one who might have to deal with those repercussions. Bell might have come to support Gemma in her investigative efforts but that doesn't mean others do. He might not just suffer some teasing from people in his job but real doubts from his supervisor about him being able to do his job and question his findings. The ripples of challenging society are nuanced and I am glad that the writer doesn't wave it off as something simple.

Overall, I thought this mystery was good. It is fun to have a mystery based on a body being found in a trunk left at a railroad. I have heard about that many times but have actually read very few mysteries that use the trope. I wish that Gemma and Bell would have had a bit more time together in this book and maybe advance their relationship a bit more. But I look forward to more in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I’m really enjoying this series which challenges the preconceptions that all women were just ornaments or drudges. It was a very challenging time for women but Gemma breaks the mould, having been a nurse in the Crimea, which gave her a different life experience to most women of the time.

Sebastian Bell is a hard working, thorough Police Inspector, who has had his own share of tragedy but is dedicating his life standing up for the victims in the crimes he is tasked to investigate.

There is a really good storyline running through this, lots of twists, suspects and red herrings. The relationship between the two main characters is moving slowly, but hopefully with a purpose. I like that Sebastian finally gets together with his brother Simian, and hopefully their relationship will continue to grow. Can’t wait to see what happens next with these characters lives.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A solid caper with the whole gang. Not much movement on the relationship front, though it was interesting to hear that Sebastian suspects Colin has feelings for Gemma. I had thought Shapiro decided against that plot line. I liked the tease of Poppy for Colin. I'm glad Sebastian's brother Simeon popped up in this one and that loose emotional thread got mended.

I hope the next book takes place on the road - maybe a murderous visit to Simeon's farm? Will Seb & Gemma ever make it America to join the Pinkertons and detect together? I'm here for it!

I really enjoy the audiobooks of this series. The narrator makes it so engaging. For fans of historical mystery duo series with sweet romance - it doesn't get much better than this series. The writing and plots are always a cut above.

Another great addition to this great series.

Not much better than a historical mystery and this author brings all needed to grab your attention from page one until the end. Be transported to Victorian London and the streets where murder and mayhem lurk.

Heartbreaking but suspenseful. Be transfixed!

Murder on Platform Four is the fifth book in the Tate and Bell series by Irina Shapiro and if you haven't picked this one up and you enjoy historical mysteries, you should consider grabbing book one and diving in.

This book picks up shortly after the last book left off and we find out that Sebastian is at Paddington station to meet up with his brother (whom he hasn't seen in years) but unfortunately finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery when a woman's body is found in an abandoned trunk. From the start the case seems hopeless but through Sebastian's determination, he finds some hints and clues that take him where he needs to be. The downside is that this disrupts his plans, at least for the moment, to reconnect with his brother. What Sebastian doesn't expect though is that when he finally makes it back to his room at the boarding house, he finds Simian there waiting for him and he realizes he is relieved to finally have a chance to reconnect and resolve their past issues and mistakes.

On the other end of things, Gemma is still working as a private nurse for Colin and his mother is getting worse but Gemma knows this is where she needs to be for now. That said, Colin is under the weather when the body of the woman is brought in for an autopsy and knowing how desperate Sebastian is for a lead, she decides to take a chance and examine the body herself. When she shares her findings with Sebastian he is thankful for her push to find some information. However, when Colin finds out, he doesn't react in the same way. His anger actually drives a bit of a rift between them despite the fact that Gemma knows he is right. And when Colin brings in one of his student's to re-examine the body, he finds out some more interesting information that helps to solve the case.

As I mentioned, I am really enjoying the series. Shapiro has developed great character stories alongside solid mysteries for them to solve. The only thing that detracted from the story on this one for me is the fact that Gemma and Sebastian didn't spend much time together in this book. Based on the route their relationship is taking, I'm hopeful that we will see a shift here soon with that in future books because really, I love a bit of romance with my stories and they are just on the cusp here of moving things forward. if you're looking for a new historical mystery, consider picking this one up. I'll be grabbing the next book in the series as soon as I can.

Rounded up to 4.25 Stars!
This is an excellent installment in the Tate and Bell historical mystery series.

Sebastian Bell is arriving at the train station in hopes of reconciling with his brother. It is dark and misty, and Sebastian discovers a woman's body in a trunk with stab wounds. His boss does not support investigating this case. Gemma Tate, a nurse, looks at the body at the morgue and discovers that the woman recently had a baby, and she has a wedding ring with initials on it. Gemma and Sebastian are determined to find out what happened to the woman.

Once again, Irina Shapiro presents a dark, creepy historical mystery that has many secrets and is tightly woven to a spectacular conclusion. She continues to write realistic growth into her characters, and this is what makes the stories so satisfying. At their core, Sebastian, Gemma, et. all are empathetic to the victims they find, and want justice for them. They do not let societal boundaries impede them. One "bother" I had: there were a few times when Gemma seemed irritated that she was told she could not do certain things. Yes this is London in the 1850's, and in previous books she worked around this with a little less pouting! But even with this small issue, it is still a great story. These are darker mysteries, with a realistic representation of the times. Yet, there is heart and some lighter moments in the telling.

This is the 4th book in the series. I highly recommend reading them in order so that you can understand the relationships and development of characters. I highly recommend this series, especially is you are looking for authentic 1800's historical mysteries!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Inspector Sebastian Bell arrived at Paddington Station to meet his estranged brother when he overhears a porter say a body has been found. Sebastian can’t help going to look at it and discovers that it’s a young woman with nothing on her to identify her.

Nurse Gemma Tate, Sebastian’s, friend and fellow sleuth, once again becomes involved in helping him track down the woman’s identity and the search for the killer. Set in 1859 London, they have few clues to follow, but they eventually narrow down the list of suspects.

Told from the points of view of both Sebastian and Gemma, the plot has a slow build with some good twists and revelations along the way. Together they make a good investigative team, with Gemma being able to find out gossip and use her woman’s perspective to good use.

This is the fifth episode in this enjoyable historical series and Gemma and Sebastian’s romance is moving slowly, mainly because Gemma has been in mourning for her twin

I really do love this series, it's characters and the different cases put across in every installment. Irina Shapiro does a marvellous job of her research within the era and even putting characters into their roles with the thoughts and opinions they would have at the time, without making them sound completely brutish and unappealing to our modern ears.

This book seemed a little more rushed than the rest with a relatively tame (For Irina) murder and no (or not many) dangers to look out for while it was being solved. In a way this would be a mystery more typical of the time and less action Hollywood than many of the historical crime novels out there. It felt like there was some solid ground covered by Sebastian and Gemma alike, with their sleuthing. However, this also meant that they were hardly in any scenes together, unfortunately. I know that 'realistically' they cannot really become a crime busting married couple, for the times would not allow it, but just a little more romantic progress would be lovely.

Overall though I did enjoy the book, finished it rapidly and will eagerly await the next installment! My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC.

I just love this series. This time inspector Sebastian Bell is meeting his brother at Paddington station after they haven't seen each other for almost two decades. At least that is this idea, because before he meets his brother he discovers a dead body in a large trunk and gets kind of distracted.
It turns out that the murder has links to some of the lodgers at Sebastians boarding house.

In the mean time Gemma takes advantage of the fact that Colin is ill to conduct a kind of post-mortem herself, leading to some tension in her relationship with Colin, who had some really old-fashioned viewpoints and turns out not to be so much different from the other doctors Gemma encountered in het past. Sebastian however is pleaded with the information she discovered.

Sebastian and Gemma both have different strategies for interviewing suspects and "persons of interest" but in the end they figure out who is the culprit.

Well written like the previous books. Looking forward to the next episode.

I always enjoy this series, with its compelling plots and strong characters. This one has Sebastian finding a dead woman in a travel trunk at the train station, and of course Gemma soon also jumps in to help figure out who she is and what happened to her. The mystery ends up hitting somewhat close to home. As always in this series, the mystery itself is well plotted and driven by human nature. It’s always a delight to see Sebastian and Gemma slowly grow closer and try to start planning for the future despite the obstacles that always seem to pop up. I look forward to the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.