Grab Marion Lane And The Deadly Rose (Marion Lane, #2) Narrated By T.A. Willberg Accessible In Edition

a sucker for boarding school mysteries, And while Miss Brickett's Investigations and Inquiries is not exactly a boarding school, it meets the essential criteria: an isolated location in this case in an ancient underground tunnel system under the streets of London, a pressure cooker emotional atmosphere, a strictly enforced hierarchical line of command, a hidden history, shifting alliances and secret agendas, discreet and not so discreet deaths and attempted murders, and of course, a locked room mystery.


Marion, the delightfully resourceful, selfdoubting inquisitor trainee featured in the series debut novel, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is back and somewhat the worse for wear, having sustained emotional and physical scars from her novice year in spycraft.

And there is more than an echo in the underground chambers of some other underground chambers authored by JK Rowling, which is not necessarily a bad thing.


This time around the threat initially originates aboveground in the guise of a grim character nicknamed “The Florist,” for his habit of branding his victims with a rose before their deaths.
Marion is assigned to this case, right around the same time she begins receiving mysterious notes warning about the trustworthiness and potential danger of one of the three new recruits who will be starting at the agency.
And then there is another source of discontent at Miss Bricketts, in the form of the rise of the ERPS or the Employee Rights and Protection Society, which begins as an almost fringe group, but grows, using persuasion tactics such as conspiracy theories and manipulation within the agency to distort the truth.
The parallels to current real life circumstances are unsettling and timely, Still the ending of the book seemed a bit rushed, with characters almost falling over themselves to herd us to the conclusion.
But along the way, we discovered more about Marion and her connection to Frank, her mentor/father figure, Of course we also learned that we have more to learn,

I appreciated getting a little more of the backstory of some of the members of the high council, and look forward to additional revelations about them as well as for some of Marions classmates and inner circle of friends in upcoming books.
In this one, for gadget hungry fabulists in the reading audience, there are more spy glasses, electrical conduits, and clock springs in store for those hanging on to the whiffs of romance between Marion and several of her Inquirer cohorts, they will not be disappointed and for those who are

after the thrill and blank of uncovering a puzzle, Willberg does a good job of keeping the identity and paradox of the turncoat apprentice until the last moment, which is not an easy thing to do.

This is a great series, but again I'd like to see more about the actual work they do outside in the real world.
Two books in and so far both investigations have been too inhouse, like the agency only exists to investigate itself, Marion Lane And The Deadly Rose is the second in this series by T, A. Willberg. The year is, and as the Cold War heats up, Scotland Yard is baffled by the discovery of murder victims with roses branded on their bodies.
They turn to Miss Bricketts agency for help, Marion is once again tasked with helping solve to solve the mystery, and working on one of her own, One of the new first year recruits should not be trusted, But which of them is up to no good

I enjoyed being back with Marion and her fellow Inquirers, working within the tunnels and underground passageways beneath London.
This is a wellimagined series, full of intrigue and mystery, There is danger and darkness, but also camaraderie and hope, Marion had more confidence and a sense of purpose, She could see that her talents were appreciated and this made her push on in pursuit of justice,

I enjoyed the group dynamic, as her friends and colleagues played a part in the case, The interactions between them were important and bode well for the future of the series, An enjoyable story.

I was given this ARC for review, Marion Lane receives a private note pointing suspicion at one of the new recruits, her own personal mystery to solve, even while the Inquirers at Miss Brickett's agency need to track down a gruesome murderer.
This is the second in the series and so didn't sweep me away in quite the same fashion as the first, But the plot twists and the intriguing underground world of Miss Brickett's still drew me in and had me reading nonstop, While Willberg provides background for those who haven't read the first in the series, I still think they would be confused, So, read "Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder" first to enter into the world of Miss Brickett's and get to know the characters, then jump into this fun mystery that includes hints of darker secrets still to be uncovered.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series,
based on an eARC received from the publisher via NetGalley, I stumbled across T. A. Willberg's debut novel, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder in, I absolutely loved it and have been eagerly awaiting the next entry in this fantastic series, It's here! Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose has just released,

What's to love How about a hidden detective agency below the streets of London, an eclectic group of 'Inquirers', wondrous, magical gadgets that aid in investigations and a spunky female apprentice.
The name of the agency, Miss Bricketts Investigations amp Inquiries, conjures up time and place and a bygone method of crime solving.
Thetime period is perfect,

Marion Lane is our lead character, You can't help but like her, She's clever, curious, dogged and determined to become a full fledged Inquirer, Willberg fleshes out Marion and gives her a personal life as well, Those personal and workplace relationships will be sorely tested in this second entry, A killer named The Florist is loose in London and Scotland Yard has called on Miss Brickett's for help, A mysterious letter to Marion suggests that one of their new recruits may have ties to the killer,

Willberg's plotting is full of twists and turns, changing and challenging my answer for whodunit with every new clue, Who to trust Who not to trust

I wanted to be Nancy Drew when I was younger, Marion evokes that desire and Miss Brickett's brings to mind Platform¾, Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose was a unique, wonderfully imaginative, delightfully fun read that took me away from the worries of today.
I had great fun walking in Marion's footsteps as she pursues the mysteries of Miss Brickett's, I'll be eagerly awaiting the third book!

And personally, I think the reader would enjoy this latest having read the first book.
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