Book Review - The Corpse Played Dead

The Corpse Played Dead (Lizzie Hardwicke #2)

Author: Georgina Clarke

Publisher:  Canelo 

Publication Date:  August 19, 2019

4 Stars

Lizzie Hardwicke is a prostitute at a high end brothel.  In exchange for some extra money, she has agreed to work on occasion for Mr. Fielding, the chief of the Bow Street Runners.  He had found her useful on a recent case, and thought she might also be helpful in the future.  Her main contact is inspector Davenport.  Davenport is impressed with Lizzie’s attention to detail and her logical thinking.  He calls her in to help with a case at the theater on Drury Lane.  Many unexplained accidents have happened there, and he inserts Lizzie as a seamstress so she can find out the truth.  Lizzie is in for much more than she bargained for though when the next “accident” involved the brutal death of Lord Hawbridge.  

Lizzie is an engaging heroine.  Her duel backgrounds provide some unique characteristics.  Her upper class upbringing brings book smarts and logic to the table.  Her second life, after her father banished her, brings her street smarts and most likely the attention to detail she processes.  As much as Lizzie is a likable character, Lord Hawbridge is as equally a repulsive character.  It was hard to feel sorry that he was killed.  He was a truly disdainful character.  The man had a terrible temper that flared anytime he did not get his way.  Lizzie, however, is still determined to figure out who killed him.  It speaks a lot about her admirable qualities.  The author did a great job on further developing both Lizzie and Davenport’s characters and creating some new and interesting players.

Georgina Clarke has written a great follow up to Death and the Harlot.  I thought I would have trouble with Lucy’s career, but it brings a unique multifaceted platform to the plot.  The mystery is great and Lizzie does a great job of digging to get to the truth.  Her actions seem believable and help the reader navigate to the truth.  The story kept me guessing all the way until the end when Lizzie puts all the clues together.  

The setting is fascinating, and the author does a tremendous job bringing the reader back in time.

I’m looking forward to the third book in the series which, I believe, the author mentioned will feature the other girls of the house more prominently again.

Thanks to Net Galley And Canelo for an ARC of this book.   #NetGalley    #TheCorpsePlayedDead