Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read "The Poison Puzzle" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second book in the Emma Langley Victoria Mystery series and it was worth the wait because it is a fantastic read. The story is set in January 1889 and Emma Langley is about to get mixed up in another murder as she searches for answers. She found a sinister symbol in her late husband's diary and she went to the address in the diary and found the same symbol on the door plaque.

With her friend Penny Blakely a former news reporter they watch 8 men enter the house and they hope to talk to one as they exit but they are not a friendly bunch. When Emma gets splashed by a hansom cab a gentleman gives her his coat and asks her to return it the following day. When they find the man dying and they learn that he is a Lord, they suspect that something sinister happened to him. They end up with a key to a left luggage locker and they embark on a treasure hunt not realizing that some dangerous men are also on the hunt.

Miss Organ brilliantly wrote about a maze, the reader will feel the claustrophobia that Penny and Emma do and the fear when they realize that someone is following them. In my opinion the piece about the treasure is a fantastic reveal that the reader will not expect coming.

This story is also about the power of ladies joining forces and they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

One feature of Miss Organ's books that I really enjoy is her historical notes. In this story she give us extra information on the Whispering Gallery at St. Paul's, the Hedge Maze at Hampton Court Palace, the Ye Old Cheshire Cheese that has stood on Fleet Street since 1538, St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, St. Bartholomew the Great, The Serpentine in Hyde Park, and the Old Police House built in 1870. It is always interesting to learn more about the places that are mentioned in the story.

This series deserves more than 5 stars in my opinion. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Emma is still trying to unravel the odd clues left over from the peculiarities surrounding her husband's death and the questions that remain unanswered. Her ally in this endeavor is former Fleet Street reporter Penny Green and her husband Inspector James Blakely of Scotland Yard. The point is clearly made by Penny that freedom and self-identity are lost when a parent attempts to work from home without help whether in 1889 or now. The venture begins when Emma tries to return a valise but finds the owner dying of apparent suicide. That is only the first, but they are not suicide. They are murders. Now the investigation gets really complicated!
It was well worth my time to read the historical note.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Avail Jul 23, 2025 ***** #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial
#ThePoisonPuzzle by Emily Organ #EmmaLangleyVictorianMysteriesBk2 @stormbooks_co #cozymystery @barnesandnoble #netgalleyreviewer #booksamillion #bookshop_org #poison #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #VictorianLondon #victorianmysterynovel #friendship #investigations #journalist #wasitsuicide #secretsociety #realdetectivework

Another great read in this compelling series. So clever and I was immediately hooked into the story. Not a difficult read at all. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. It was exactly what I needed on the day.
Fairly light weight, with two charming characters.
Plenty going on, and some twists along the way.
Mostly just some solid detective work without having to rely on modern devices.
I definitely need to go back and read the first book, as well as read the third, fourth and fifth when they come.

This novel does justice at living up to it's name in the title. The Poison Puzzle is a extraordinary murder mystery novel which takes place in Victorian England. It is part of a series and I will say i will definitely be looking into the other books because these two female amateur detectives are the best. Not only that there is literally a plethora of other murderers in this novel that it makes you wonder about the sanity of some people. I was very impressed with this story.
Emma Langaly is trying to figure out some details concerning her late husbands death after finding a strange symbol in his diary. She enlists the help of her friend Penny to look into it as she believes her husband may have been involved with a secret society. However at the location they arrive late and a kind stranger gives Emma his coat.
The next day they go to return the coat only to discover Lord Harpole is dead. The death is rules a suicide but Penny and Emma are convinced it was murder because they heard him murmur the word help. There is a wide list of suspects such as the fiance and Lord Harpole's brother but those turn out to be dead ends. But soon other murders occur and someone assaults Penny's husband. Will they be able to find the true killer and the motive before it is too late.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

I enjoyed this latest mystery featuring Emma and Penny. It was a cleverly put together plot, with a seemingly simple suicide being shown to be something much deeper, with an unlikely murderer. I love the way these two use their ingenuity and logic to work things out, and I also enjoy the historical setting.. I now eagerly await their next outing, especially to see how Penny's mixing of motherhood and writing evolves, and what is next for Emma. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy to read and freely review.