ARC Review: A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough

A Slash of Emerald
Author: Patrice McDonough
Series: A Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Kensington (February 25, 2025)

Description: A trailblazing female medical examiner in 1867 London and a skeptical Scotland Yard detective investigate a string of art world murders in this dark, atmospheric, historically rich mystery for readers of Andrea Penrose and Deanna Raybourn.

London, 1867: Among the genteel young ladies of London society, painting is a perfectly acceptable pastime—but a woman who dares to pursue art as a profession is another prospect, indeed. Dr. Julia Lewis, familiar with the disrespect afforded women in untraditional careers, is hardly surprised when Scotland Yard shows little interest in complaints made by her friend, Mary Allingham, about a break-in at her art studio. Mary is just one of many “lady painters” being targeted by vandals.

Painters’ sitters are vanishing, too—women viewed by some as dispensable outcasts. Inspector Richard Tennant, however, takes the attacks seriously, suspecting they’re linked to the poison-pen letters received by additional members of the Allingham family. For Julia, the issue is complicated by Tennant’s previous relationship with Mary’s sister-in-law, Louisa, and by her own surprising reaction to that entanglement.

But when someone close to them commits suicide and a young woman turns up dead, the case can no longer be so easily ignored by ‘respectable’ society. Layer after layer, Julia and Tennant scrape away the facts of the case like paint from a canvas. What emerges is a somber picture of vice, depravity, and deception stretching from London’s East End to the Far East—with a killer at its center, determined to get away with one last, grisly murder . . .

My Thoughts: We are dropped right into London is 1867 when Dr. Julia Grey is called to a police station to examine a woman who has been arrested for prostitution by her friend Inspector Tennant. Just passing by an Army base is enough for any woman to be arrested. In this case, the young hatter has been on a legitimate errand and is let go. The blatant sexism of the time is something that winds its way throughout the plot of this story. 

Not only did Julia get onto the registry of doctors through a loophole but she has to face all sorts of prejudice from most men who can't believe that a woman can be a doctor. When she is instrumental in rescuing a man from ice breaking while skating, he doesn't let her examine him leaving his sister Mary concerned about his welfare.

Mary Allingham is facing prejudice of her own as she is trying to make her name as a female artist. Richard Tennant is concerned about these female artists because there have been blackmail letters and other threatening letters sent to many female artists and many artists' models have been disappearing. 

Tennant is looking into the death of a young artists' model whose body was thrown from a speeding carriage. And shortly after, he also has the case of a famous artists' model who has had her throat cut. Margot Miller was frequently the subject of both male and female artists.

Tennant's investigation leads him into the world of pornography and trafficking which is partially wrapped into the art world. Mary's brother who is a wealthy printer and publisher is a suspect in both the trafficking and pornography until he is found dead in an apparent suicide. 

Julia and Richard are both involved in the investigation and have different sources of information. I liked the way the mystery unfolded. I also liked the way Julia and Richard's slow-burn romance is progressing. The story had great historical details. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.