1864 in Bristol, England

Nelly was a reporter, but she was given the column to write about women, not exciting stories of everyday life.

When she received news of the murder, she knew it was the story of a lifetime. A story that could change everything in her life. She might even get her daughter, Harriet, back.

Nelly met with Eliza, who told her that the wife and baby of a prominent man had been murdered. When Eliza's body was found in the river the next day, Nelly knew she had to investigate both cases.

Little did she know, however, that she would put herself in danger and even lose her daughter before she could get her back.

Nelly was persistent, ambitious, and dreamed of reclaiming her daughter, who had been taken from her shortly after birth. She was only fifteen when her family took Harriet away and sent Nellie to a mental institution.

This was the story of a woman who fought for her daughter, for her dreams, for justice, and for the truth.

It was an interesting and quick read. This book captivated me enough that I couldn't put it down. I was expecting a more gothic atmosphere and some kind of suspenseful twist that would have added a bit more depth to the story.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes. If you like mysteries, you'll definitely enjoy it.

I’d forgotten how much I love reading Louise Douglas! I’ve read four of her books and particularly enjoyed the du Maurier-inspired The Secrets Between Us, but then I seemed to lose track and missed all of her more recent ones. The Emerald Shawl turned out to be the perfect choice for my return to her work.

The novel opens in Bristol in 1864, with journalist Nelly Brooks meeting a woman in a green shawl by the docks. Nelly’s ‘journalism’ amounts to writing a women’s column for the Courier, giving advice on cooking, cleaning and decorating, which is all her editor will allow her to do. She hasn’t given up on her dream of becoming a serious news reporter like her male colleagues, however, and when Eliza Morgan, the woman in the shawl, tells her of the murder of the wife and newborn child of an important man, Nelly is sure she’s found the story she’s been hoping for. When Eliza herself is found floating lifeless in the river the next day, Nelly doesn’t believe the verdict that it was an accidental drowning. She’s convinced that Eliza was murdered and that she is the only person who may be able to find out who killed her.

The mystery is the main focus of the book, but Nelly’s personal life is also interesting. Having become pregnant at the age of fifteen, she spent several years in an asylum, sent there by her parents who found it preferable to admitting that she’d had an illegitimate child. Nelly has had no contact with her daughter – or her parents – since the baby was removed from her after the birth, but she has now discovered that twelve-year-old Hannah is attending a school near Nelly’s place of work. As well as investigating Eliza’s death, Nelly also sets out to find a way to bring Hannah back into her life.

The characters in the book range from the very wealthy, such as the politician Sir Edward Fairfield and his wife, for whom Eliza Morgan worked as a seamstress, to the working class Skinners, who are drawn into the mystery when their daughter’s body is stolen from the morgue. Although both families live in Bristol, they may as well be in different worlds and Nelly has to navigate between the two.

I found it interesting to learn after finishing the book that Douglas based Nelly’s character on the American journalist Nellie Bly, who went undercover to report on conditions inside a mental institution. The fictional Nelly’s own experience of mental institutions allows Douglas to explore issues around mental health and how ‘insanity’ could be used as a convenient way of dealing with people seen as problematic. I also loved the Victorian Bristol setting, which made a nice change from the usual Victorian London settings! The building of the Clifton Suspension Bridge is completed during the course of the novel, an important event in Bristol’s history which helps set the story in a wider historical context.

I hope Louise Douglas will return to Nelly Brooks in a future book as I think there’s a lot of scope to do more with the character. If not, I still have plenty of her earlier novels to enjoy!

It took me a while to get into this one but it was worth persevering. It is interesting to read about women’s struggles for equality and acceptance in the framework of a novel rather than as a factual text. Nelly is the first woman journalist and must carve a path for herself in a men only world. She follows and uncovers a murder that only she believes in, her informant being a poor seamstress who was also murdered. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After a hard start following giving birth at just 15 and then being locked up by her parents, saved by her aunt. Nelly still longs for her daughter, but is determined to make her own way. She has managed to get a job working with a newspaper in Bristol. However, this is Victorian England so she is only able to write on women’s stories, not the news she wishes to cover.
One day she meets a woman with a story to tell, she is carrying a beautiful emerald shawl she was given by a young woman. This woman and her child have been killed. Nelly senses a story, even more so when the young woman is fishes out of the harbour, dead.
I enjoyed reading this book and following Nelly as she follows the story. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

I struggled with this book. While it was very well written with interesting characters I didn’t enjoy it . Just not a genre I enjoy …a bit too dark

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of this novel.

The emerald shawl of the title is the principal key to the mystery that young reporter Nelly Brooks, hired by the Bristol Courier to report on domestic issues, sets out to solve. It was gifted to seamstress Eliza Morgan, who sewed for the beautiful young wife of a nasty member of the House of Lords. Pregnant with the child that the much older Earl desperately wanted—in hopes that the baby would be his sole male heir after the death of his first wife—she died suddenly in childbirth. The baby boy was stillborn. This was in no way unusual in Victorian Britain, especially in filthy industrial towns like Bristol. Nelly agreed to meet Eliza at a dockside tavern, where, while drinking heavily, she related her suspicions that both wives and the baby were murdered.

Abject poverty had made Eliza shrewd and quick to demand a fair price. Known to have a drinking problem, she had several gins on Nelly’s bill during their meeting, but revealed only a few select details. The bait was a promise to turn over the deceased woman’s diary for a price far higher than Nelly could afford. But a story like this one, if the promised evidence was in hand, could elevate Nelly’s career. She could finally put aside the stultifying writing of trite household advice to entice middle-class women to read their husbands’ newspaper.

They agreed to meet again when Nelly had found a way to meet the price. Eliza departed for another appointment, forgetting the shawl. Nelly took it home, thinking to return it quickly. The next morning, Elizabeth was identified as the drowned, probably drunk, woman who had fallen into the dirty waters of the dock only steps from the tavern. This story also made perfect sense. But not for Nelly. Did someone go after Eliza to shut her up about the earl’s dead wife and child? Perhaps about both dead wives? What role did the earl’s adult stepdaughter, inherited from his first marriage, have in all this? Was Nelly now also in danger?

By making her one of Britain’s first female journalists, the author is modelling her Nelly Brooks on the famous historical character Nellie Bly. Bly was an intrepid reporter, women’s rights supporter, and champion of better treatment of the poor, especially mothers and children. Like Nelly Brooks, she was also ruthless in her pursuit and exposure of the truth.

It is this dogged determination that propels Nelly. She had suffered her own loss of a child, born to her at the age of 15, to be raised by her well-off parents as their own. When she told her parents of her plan to support herself and take back her baby, they spirited the child to a hidden location and cut off all contact with her. Finding her daughter, almost ten by the time Nelly has settled in Bristol, becomes another of the mysteries that she is driven to unravel.

And then there is the handsome young reporter who shows her great kindness in the office and would like to be her friend as well as her colleague. She likes him but, not surprisingly, doesn’t want romantic involvement. She also wonders whether his offers of help in finding out whether the suspected murders were connected and why, and whether the earl was behind one or both, are just his attempts to ‘scoop’ her story in the highly competitive press environment.

These interwoven strands make the book suspenseful and compelling but they are also somewhat confusing for a short novel. In particular, the heartbreaking story about the search for her daughter takes the reader away from the main story. But the character of Nellie Brooks, as well as the setting of the misogynistic press and the larger society, are so finely drawn that I can highly recommend this excellent historical mystery.

My rating:

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction
Mystery and Suspense


Review:

This book takes you back to the Edwardian England a very different time where women still had few rights. The main character Nelly Brooks is a strong woman who is determent to forge a life for herself despite the restrictions and limits set by society or her job.. As one of the few female reporters of the time with a strong sense of justice, she is determent to investigate when a source tells her about a possible murder cover up, Things turn more serious when the source is found dead the next day.

The book is well written, atmospheric and full of intrigue. The story flows well and has the right amount of mystery and suspense that makes it hard to put the book down. The characters are well developed; their personalities were explained with enough detail so that they felt realistic.

Overall:

This is an interesting story that captures you from the beginning, with realistic characters and the right amount of mystery and suspense.

Review copy provided through Netgalley at no cost to me.

Set in the 1860’s this is a very different genre for this talented author but one which magically brought to life the strength of a woman fighting for truth. Our protagonist, Nelly, an aspiring journalist is the sole woman at the paper where she has been given a job writing a dedicated column for women. She has a very troubled past which she is hiding from people and a fierce desire to tell the truth. When she meets seamstress Eliza and hears a tale of the murder of a woman and her infant child Nelly is faced with the question of how does she prove this and what has happened to poor Eliza.

Hauntingly told and the descriptions of the Bristol area at the time and of the huge cast of characters is wonderfully written. The sinister character of the watcher and the evil men who seem to hide behind their wealth are so easy to imagine. As a protagonist Nelly is a huge part of the success of the book and one which invites the reader to hope for her to succeed both personally and professionally. I hope we will see more of her story in a future book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and broody atmospheric setting in 1860's Bristol. Full of fog, rain and the dark waters of the port. A great thriller featuring the plucky Nelly. Several twists and unexpected turns to keep the reader engrossed. Another great novel by the author.

The seamstress is found in the darkened docks, floating, silenced. Those who found her are sure it must be a tragic accident, probably the result of too many drinks in a nearby public house. But journalist Nelly Brooks recognises the dead woman immediately – Nelly has her emerald shawl in her bag. Very exciting, gripping from the start, historical fiction at its best. The author never ever disappoints me, this a story of 1800s, how much support Nelly gets being a lady journalist in the world ruled by men. Definitely, recommending this beautiful book to everyone for the love of historical fiction.

This was a good mystery full of surprises. I liked Nelly and her determination to get to the bottom of things. The story did seem to be a little too long and dragged at times. I did still enjoy the story and want to know what happens to Nelly and her life.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved reading this book.

We meet Nelly, she is a journalist, there is not much women can do as a profession or in their lives during this time.

She’s visited by a seamstress and informs her about a wife and baby who were killed by her husband who had lots of money.

Soon after the seamstress’s body is discovered. Nelly realises that there is a story here worth investigating, but will she be able to do that? Her duty on reporting stories is brought down to writing about the things related to women.

Why isn’t Nelly alllowed to look into the death of the seamstress or why the mother and child were killed?

I liked the that the story kept you engrossed in the plot, the the mystery of both the seamstress and the death of the wealthy man's wife and child.

I highly recommend this book.

I romped through this book so quickly, I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, I loved the era it was set in and I think the author evoked that perfectly. A really enjoyable read

Historical drama featuring a female news reporter who is given women's features but longs to do more. She stumbles on a story it struggles to get anywhere and her personal history intrudes.

Sign me up to anything with a female journalist (it’s what I went to uni for)

And I’m glad I did as this was an intriguing mystery that hit all the right beats for me.

Things I loved:
1. I loved the Victorian era setting
2. Interesting mystery with a great payoff
3. Great fmc
4. Explores tougher topic of women’s rights or lack thereof


This book had me hooked from the first page and I loved Douglas writing! I don’t want to spoil anything but I highly recommend

Thank you Netgally and Boldwood Books for the ARC

I'm not normally a historical fiction fan but this held my interest due to the excellent writing from Louise Douglas. Her Sea House book is worth a read too.

This is the first book I have read by Louise Douglas. It was very exciting, a real page turner. Nellie Brookes had an unfortunate history in her early life and had to endure 10 years at an asylum, installed there by her parents. For them it was less humiliating than admitting the fact that Nellie had given birth to an illegitimate child at the age of 15. Nellie’s Aunt rescues her from the asylum and Nellie gets a job on the local paper to write a ladies’ column. Nellie discovers some worrying facts about a possible murder. She is desperate to put things right and the story enfolds about the threatening and frightening events that happen to her. I recommend you read this story for yourself, you won’t regret it. My thanks go to NetGalley, Louise Douglas and the publishers, Boldwood Books.

Historical novels aren’t really my thing , strange really you’d think given that genealogy is my passion, however, Louise Douglas is currently one of my favourite authors, loved the Sea House series , but I digress, I absolutely fell in love with Nelly and her determined spirit . Great cast of characters, beautifully written and with a wonderful sense of place . I’ve never been to Bristol , not in person, only in a virtual way with my genealogical research , but that mattered not as I could feel it , the Christmas Steps, the alleyways where dark shadows lingered , all fabulously described. Absolutely highly recommended to anyone who enjoys this genre….and those , like me, who normally don’t!

If you found a body of a friend, would you wonder how and why she died. This is exactly what happened to Nelly. As a journalist she knew something strange was taking place and she uses all her investigative skills to uncover the truth. A woman in what was traditionally a man’s world, and with her own secrets, Nelly follows her head and heart even though she puts herself and her family at risk. An enjoyable read from a master writer.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
This book was so good! It grabbed my attention right from the beginning. I liked the time period (1864) and all the descriptions. This is about Nelly Brooks, who is a budding journalist. It is hard for her to report on the big stories because she is a woman. She becomes involved in two mysteries-the drowning death of a seamstress and the possible murder of a young lady and her baby. Louise Douglas is an excellent author! The story is intriguing, and the characters are very well written. Highly recommend this book if you like mysteries with a gothic feel!