I requested this book from Netgalley mainly based on the cover… it is stunning. And when I found out the author is a South African based in Malta I was even more excited (yet slightly disappointed when the book was set in London…).

This is Willberg’s debut, and it is fairly obvious. I absolutely love the idea of it and the atmopshere throughout it all is great. We follow a young woman in her early twenties, who works as an apprentice in an underground spy agency and has a great talent for gadgets. These elements were done ever so well. Marion and her friends acted their age which was lovely to read.

But… the book is a mess. The means and the motive get rather mixed up making the hole thing rather confusing and illogical. Then there is the fact that the villain hosts a massive party to hide (attract attention to) his crime and disappearance. Willberg had this really interesting idea of a labyrinth with moving walls to hide this great secret… which then isn’t used at all. There is a potential love interest that is supposed to be incredibly attractive and handsome… but seems to me to be the complete opposite. And then there is the fact that at the end we need about 40 pages to get everything actually explained to us and to fix plot holes.

So yeah, I ended up giving this book only 2 stars because it just needed a lot of work still in my opinion. That being said though, I do want to continue the series because Willberg does have a great concept here and I think she can do some very interesting stuff with it.

This book was very good at setting the atmosphere, I loved the time period. The writing was good, only a bit slow-paced sometimes. Overall, I enjoyed the plot and the mystery.
Thanks a lot for this copy.

Atmospheric, gripping and haunting - this book would appeal to countless types of readers! Willberg's use of setting, scenery and atmosphere makes the city come alive around you, throwing you into the heart of the story.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by TA Willberg is entertaining although highly derivative – think of a 1950’s Harry Potter inspired detective.

Marion Lane is an apprentice in a very secretive private detective agency, Miss Brickett’s, that aims to right the wrongs that the police cannot solve. The agency hidden beneath the streets of 1950’s London is full of technology and tricks that feel like they were inspired by HG Wells or Jules Verne.

Marion gets called upon by her mentor to solve a murder within the agency of which he is accused. In the process she uncovers a terrorist plot and the dark origins of Miss Brickett’s.

This is complete tosh, moderately enjoyable but I got to the end and breathed a sigh of relief. I won’t be reading the next in the series.

I received a review copy of Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to T.A. Willberg and Trapeze Books for the opportunity and for inviting us to the book’s Blog Tour. Minor spoilers may follow.

Marion Lane and the Midnight MurderA colleague asked me today what I’d been reading recently and I described Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder to them as follows: Well, you know Harry Potter has a Wizarding School? Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder has an academy for Sherlock Holmes-esque Detectives and Inquirers. It’s set in the 1950s, in London, and there is an underground secret village where they operate from. The entrance of which is a trapdoor in a bookshop. They are extremely secretive, intelligent, ghost-like crime-solvers, who come to the aid of Londoners when nobody else can assist and they even have their own postal service. Near the start of the novel, there is a murder at the academy. So, that person must have been killed by an agency employee. Marion Lane, a first-year apprentice whose point of view perspective we follow, spends the novel trying to figure out who committed the crime and how it could have taken place. Things get a bit more intense when one of her closest acquaintances is accused of the titular Midnight Murder. After probably wishing they had never asked me, my colleague said they liked the sound of it and then went to their next meeting.

I liked the sound of it too when Trapeze was kind enough to approach me. I was intrigued by the book’s premise and Stuart Turton’s cover blurb sealed the deal. I found the UK cover to be striking yet it does give an impression of the novel being YA. That’s okay though as Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is one of those books that graces the crossover ground of YA and Adult and can be appreciated by both types of readers.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a quality mystery thriller, which takes place not long after World War II and is mostly set in a subterranean setting. It’s a fun, clever, and intricate read which includes some intriguing engineering and Steampunk elements. Marion is a likable lead and the supporting cast, which includes students, Inquirers, and professors, are varied and entertaining to follow.

T.A. Willberg is a writer with huge potential and a very readable style. I found this was a story that rewarded me for paying extra careful attention to what was happening. There were a lot of great story elements throughout including characters gossiping about events, strangers following others, motives, ambitions, and the internal hierarchy of the academy, complex character histories, mysterious maps, unwalkable pathways, and a mechanical area-guardian.

On reflection, I had a mostly positive time with Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder and I will happily rate this debut as a solid 7/10. Although that’s the case, I’d say that the first 33% was just interesting enough to keep my attention. If I wasn’t on the blog tour I may have DNF’d this and moved on to something else. After the first third of the novel though, happenings get really interesting. This is when somebody is accused of the titular murder and they must be guilty as nobody else entered the room. Or did they? How is that possible? After this point, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder reminded me of what makes a fine, readable, and memorable mystery novel and why I love the genre.

Slow to start and at times it did seem that the action didn’t tie-in with the time period it was set in.

I did get confused about some of the characters as well. Not sure if there were too many at some points.

By the last quarter of the book it was more intriguing and I would be interested to see what the story is between some of the characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review #MarionLaneAndTheMidnightMurder

Oh I loved this book! A detective agency, hidden under the streets of London in secret passages and mysterious tunnels. Add to that spy gadgets, trapdoors, hidden chambers, secret cameras, poison darts, you name it, this agency uses it! Marion Lane was a female lead you could root for, the plotting was excellent and of course there was a murder to solve. It had suspense, twists and plenty of historical details. A little gem of a book, I hope we get to meet Marion again!

This quirky murder mystery has an almost gothic feel as much of the action takes place in the labyrinths beneath the streets of London where a secret private investigation team solve mysteries other crime fighters cannot solve. When one of their own meets an unnatural death, their existence is threatened and the whole team become suspects. This is a really enjoyable read that is different in a good way.

I really enjoyed the premise here there was enough to keep it fresh and interesting, I think it's a series that has legs. Good writing, great characters and a plot with enough to keep you interested. A bit formulaic at times but a pleasant read.

What an absolute delight this book was from start to finish. It’s quirky, mysterious and even has a bit of a steam-punk type vibe to it which I love. I flew through the pages so quickly trying to work out whodunnit and what was likely to happen next.

The idea of hidden underground tunnels with a secret agency living under the streets of London is so incredibly imaginative. It has come together with some great characters to build the perfect mystery crime book. It felt to me like a kind of a mix of Harry Potter meets an Agatha Christie novel meets Sherlock Holmes and then throw in a bit of Bond. The spy gadgets, the secrets and whispers with groups of friends conspiring together. It all combines together resulting in a whirlwind of a ride and I am so here and waiting for the next book in this series!

Secrets, murder, alchemy, gadgetry, hidden traps you name it this story has it. If you love a detective novel with a lot of suspense and a tiny hint of fantasy thrown in then this is definitely the book for you.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder has to be one of the best mystery books that I have read in a while. It's quirky, mysterious, and a fun read. T.A. Willberg's writing Kept me guessing throughout the whole book.

A really good plot with some great character's. If you like detective novels, then this one is a must.

A very slow start. Somehow I found the book stifling as if I too were living underground like the characters in the story (was that intentional on the part of the author???)
The idea of a hidden group of private investigators operating outside the law and using weird gadgets worthy of batman was definitely intriguing.
I'm on the fence as to if I will read book 2...

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder was an intriguing book to read. I was initially drawn to this book by the cover. There was something appealing and mysterious about the book. I was also intrigued by the blend of historical fiction and fantasy.

For me there were moments when the book dragged and I struggled to stay motivated. But I did continue, which meant that the effort was worth it as there were some bits that had me on the edge of my sit.

There is a lot of information to get through and it is this that slows the pace of the story. I also found Marion a little hard to sympathise with and some of the other characters I struggled to tell who was who.

Overall Marion Lane, was okay, it wasn't the thrill-seeker I was after. But was a solid enough debut and I am super intrigued to read the next book. Hopefully the next book will be more fast-paced.

“Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder’ is a wonderful story, with the most fantastic, strange and imaginative elements. Marion Lane works in a run-down bookshop after a family friend secured her a post there. Or does she? In reality she works for a mysterious investigate organisation, hidden under the streets of London. She must tell no-one and even her own grandmother is oblivious to the reality of Marion’s life. When a co-worker is murdered, Marion must find out the identity of the murderer, to save someone dear and to save the existence of the secret world she has grown to love.

The premise of a secret world underground is fascinating, and T.A. Willberg uses the most beautiful language and descriptions to pull the reader into the fantasy. I wanted to know what lay in every nook and cranny, and around every corner. It was mysterious and scary. It was exceptionally well-written and left me wanting much, much more of Marion Lane and her life below the streets of London.

I was given this ARC to review.

This story is set in London in the 1950’s, following a group of private investigators who work underground, below the streets of London. Marion is a trainee investigator, she dreams of qualifying. Marion is employed at the agency which is under the ruse of being a book shop.

She’s quite a lonely character and this job becomes her only joy. One of her colleagues is murdered and a close friend of hers is accused of the murder. Marion is determined to prove his innocence.

This was a great and thrilling read, it kept me guessing throughout. It was fantastic to read some historical fiction too. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

A lot of work and research has gone into this book you can tell from the acknowledgements the synopsis really pulled me in old days London underground investigation agency solving crimes the police have deemed unsolvable. The organisation is top secret, there to help those who post their requests into secret post-boxes and the headquarters is disguised as a bookshop which I loved. It felt slow to begin with and grating but by page 40 I was beginning to become used to the writing style and interested in the plot it did pick up and was interesting however around three quarters of the way in it became apparent to me that there was a trope in it that had I known was there I wouldn't have picked it up. this is of course my personal dislike of tropes in book and actually did nothing to take away from the fact that this is a good book, but it fell flat for me . I think its possible there could be more books it certainly has the foundations to build on and further stories from the agency to tell if the author whished. I rate this book a high 4 stars.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to access this book early. Review shared on netgalley,goodreads, amazon and waterstone's.

#Marion Lane and the midnight murder #netgalley

This was one I requested for the fact it was blurbed by Stuart Turton.

It was an okay read, I couldn’t quite get my head around the setting. Parts felt very Victorian, parts post-war, parts futuristic. It made for a bit of a disconnect getting into the story.

I didn’t really warm to the characters, they weren’t anything I hadn’t felt I’d read before.

I didn’t hate it and I was entertained by the end, but I don’t know if it’s one I would continue the series in.

Huge thanks to Trapeze, NetGalley and the author for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
---
Marion Lane is called in to investigate the murder of a colleague and has to clear the name of the alleged murderer, her framed best friend.

This one was a quick fun read for me. I really liked the post-war London setting and the various gadgets and contraptions described were fascinating with the added benefit of being easy to picture. Although it can be said that the latter might only be enjoyable for readers with tastes similar to mine.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of character development and this was worsened by the large size of the cast. I also felt that the mystery wasn't all that difficult to solve and the pacing a bit abrupt.

I do think however that those last two points could be compensated for in the next instalment in the series.

This is a a light and fun read for anyone who enjoys detective mysteries in an older setting!

Overall rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐ stars

Marion Lane, a first year apprentice for an underground detective agency, is thrown in to the investigation of a colleagues murder. Her friend and mentor is framed for killing and her only option is to find the truth and clear his name.

This is a really light and fun murder mystery. Set in post-war London, it’s full of fun gadgets and training exercises which make it an engaging and easy read. The plot was quite predictable and I feel that certain reveals were often signposted a little too obviously. I also felt that the climax of the novel came about quite abruptly and there wasn’t enough character development and background provided to make sense of the killer.

I believe this is the first in a series and I think I would probably read the others as it is an interesting concept and was an enjoyable read. Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know quite what to make of this story, it was certainly different. There were a good number of characters and maybe a list at the beginning would have been useful. Marion is the main character with her friend Bill. Their work was all very mysterious and secret but I must admit that I’m not into mechanical contraptions and so tended to skip over the descriptions. Marion is quite a strong and determined person. There were a number of events happening, solving the murder, relationship with the grandmother and the work that happened underground. The tense relationship with the grandmother wasn’t fully explained so more may be revealed in later books. I did have to keep reading until the end to find out who was the murderer but it wasn’t my favourite genre. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.