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Still Life with Murder
Still Life with Murder | P B Ryan
"What a thoroughly charming book! A beautiful combination of entertaining characters, minute historical research, and a powerful evocation of time and place." -NYT bestselling author Barbara Hambly Boston, 1868: The dawn of the Gilded Age, an era of burgeoning commerce and invention, of unimaginable new fortunes and lavish excess-for some. Born into poverty, young Nell Sweeney scratches by on her wits and little else until fortune blesses her with a position as nursery governess to the fabulously wealthy Hewitts. But she soon learns that ugly secrets lurk beneath the surface of their gold-plated world. The Hewitts' eldest son, William, a former Union Army battle surgeon and the black sheep of the family, was reported to have died years before in a notorious Confederate prison. But one snowy February afternoon, his parents learn that he is, in fact, still alive-and in jail for having murdered a man while on opium. Infuriated by his son's deception and convinced of his guilt, August Hewitt forbids his wife from coming to Will's aid, so she begs Nell to help exonerate him. Nell finds that she must delve into the kind of dark and treacherous underworld she thought she'd left far behind if she is to unearth the truth before the hangman's noose tightens around William Hewitt's throat. Still Life with Murder is a #1 national bestseller originally published by Berkley Prime Crime. 91K words. "P.B. Ryan makes a stunning debut with Still Life with Murder, bringing Nineteenth Century Boston alive, from its teeming slums to the mansions on Boston Common, and populating it with a vivid and memorable cast of characters... I couldn't put the book down... I can't wait for the next installment." -Bestselling author Victoria Thompson "P.B. Ryan captures an authentic flavor of post-Civil War Boston... The atmosphere is that of The Alienist, but feisty Irish nursemaid Nell Sweeney is a more likable protagonist. I look forward to seeing her in action again." -New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen "Still Life with Murder is a skillfully written story of intrigue and murder set during Boston's famous Gilded Age. Nell Sweeney is a winning heroine gifted with common sense, grit, and an underlying poignancy. With its rich sense of place and time and a crisp, intelligent plot, readers will speed through this tale and be clamoring for more." -Bestselling author Earlene Fowler "Utterly absorbing. Vividly alive characters in a setting so clearly portrayed that one could step right into it. A very clever plot in which each clue is clearly offered and yet the identity of the murderer is a complete surprise." -Bestselling author Roberta Gellis "If you like fast moving, accurately drawn, historical mysteries, you won't go wrong by trying Still Life with Murder." -Reviewing the Evidence "This debut mystery is a winner, with a feisty heroine, a colorful historical backdrop and a strong mystery rife with complexities. An ideal blend of history and mystery." -RT BookReviews "Still Life with Murder is sheer perfection... gripping... powerful... unforgettable... You'll know you've read one hell of a story after you turn the last page!" -Reader to Reader Reviews
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Ncostell
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this on my Kindle forever and finally got around to it. This is the first in a mystery series set in Boston shortly after the Civil War. I was quickly drawn into the story of Nell, a governess with an inauspicious past who tries to help clear her employer‘s son of a murder charge. I will definitely check out the rest of the series as I enjoyed the development and evolving relationships between the primary characters.

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Lynnsoprano
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#Top20Series #20Series20Days #Day16

This is a delightful six book series set in Boston after the Civil War. Nell Sweeney, the main character, is a strong yet vulnerable woman. There are mysteries here, but the relationships drive these books. It also has the most graceful ending to a series that I‘ve ever read.

Andrew65 Look good. 4y
keys_on_fire I own this book but haven‘t read it yet! Didn‘t even realize it‘s party of a series 😬 4y
Lynnsoprano @keys_on_fire I think they get better as they go along and the relationships between characters develop. I cried at the end of the last book 4y
60 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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beaconhillbooks
Pickpick

Bostonite in me enjoyed this cozy.

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Texreader
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This is the last freebie I found for today.

annahenke Really like this series! 4y
28 likes1 comment
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Lynnsoprano
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#day2 #7days7bookcovers. No description, no information, just covers you love.

DGRachel I‘ve had this on my Kindle TBR for ages! 6y
77 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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From my Kindle #tbr. I kind of feel like I'm cheating, but it's just so much easier to search cover images from my iPad. 😔

#fruit #maybookflowers

Andrew65 It is most definitely easier, but don't think it's cheating. 😊 (edited) 7y
60 likes1 comment
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Shaunesay
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I picked this up as a Kindle Freebie awhile back (I don't think it still is) and had it chosen for me in a "pick-it-for-me" group. I'm only just now getting into the mystery part, so we'll see how it goes!

annahenke It's good! I liked the whole series. 7y
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Lynnsoprano
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#Marchintoreading Nell Sweeney is definitely a character who fits the description #shepersisted. Love this six book series, which has one of the most graceful endings to a series I've ever read. Thanks to @Sharanya for the gift of this book in our #cupidgoespostal exchange and reacquainting me with a beloved character.

Sharanya You're welcome! Nell is forever my favorite ❤️ 7y
72 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lynnsoprano
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#marchintoreading I #blameitonLitsy that there are books in front of books on the shelf. Of course, unseen are the books piled on top of books on the shelves of the bookcase in the guest room. (If I stash them there, then hubby doesn't know how bad my addiction is😂)

101 likes2 comments
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Lynnsoprano
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Thank you, thank you, @Sharanya ! I love my #cupidgoespostal gift. I've read some of Patricia Ryan's books, and actually read this quite a while ago, but never owned it. I am definitely looking forward to a reread. And I had to laugh at the Sprout bookmarks. I put some in @Cortg 's Secret Santa gift, then went back to get some for myself, and they were gone. Thanks again for picking the perfect book.

MMenefee 💚📚💚 7y
Lynnsoprano @Sharanya And I just opened the candle, and it smells so good ❤ 7y
Cortg I ❤ those Sprout bookmarks! They stay in your book really well and never fall out when you toss your book, upside down, into a bag 😉 7y
Sharanya You are so welcome!!! Lol great minds obviously think alike 😝. I'm so happy this is a book you love too, and that you'll be getting good use out of the sprout bookmarks and the candle. Happy Valentine's! ❤️ 7y
112 likes4 comments
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BellaBookNook
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I read this years ago and loved it. Get it while it's free. I know you will get hooked and buy the rest in the series! Buy it!!

LeahsBookNest Got it! Thanks for letting me know! 7y
BellaBookNook @LeahsBookNest It's so good. It's a historical fiction with some romance. I liked reading about Boston during that time period. 7y
4 likes2 comments
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annahenke
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#funfridayphoto #mystery #hiddengem I devoured this entire series in one week! I loved the Nell Sweeney Mysteries, and it feels like hardly anyone has read them. Features a murder-solving Boston governess in the Gilded Age. Can I get a yes, please?!

Complete series of six books.

Poptart Love this series. Love Nell Sweeney, but also her partner in mystery solving, William, who was a surgeon during the civil war and is an opium addict when Nell meets him. 7y
amandaz This was such a great series! 7y
LeahBergen Sold! 7y
See All 10 Comments
mamasanace I loved this series too! So evocative. 7y
Live_to_read Read the series and loved it. 7y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I've been aware of this series, but haven't read it yet. Will look for the first one! 7y
Laura317 Adding this series. 7y
SaraFair Sounds like a great pbs series! I will try it... 7y
aa_guer2021 I love this series. 💙 7y
LauraBrook Added. I've always wanted to read this series! Glad to hear that you love it! 7y
101 likes21 stack adds10 comments
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mrsmarch
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As true today as in the decade after the Civil War, apparently.

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mrsmarch
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Time to start a new book while Miss Mini is in ballet! 💃

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Sharanya
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Pickpick

A little late to the party for #Recommendsday, but better that than never, right? This is one of my most beloved reads of all time. The first book in a magnificent romantic mystery series with beautiful turns of phrase and characters that stay with you long after the last pages are turned.

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