No Cure for the Dead
A Florence Nightingale Mystery
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A murdered nurse, long-buried secrets—this Victorian mystery series debut starring Florence Nightingale is a “natural fit for fans of Anne Perry’s William Monk mysteries” (Booklist)
It is 1853. Lady of the Lamp Florence Nightingale has just accepted the position of Superintendent of the Establishment for Gentlewomen During Temporary Illness in London. She has hardly had time to learn the names of the nurses in her charge when she suddenly finds one of them hanging in the Establishment’s library. Her name was Nurse Bellamy.
Florence’s mettle is tested by the dual goals of preserving what little reputation her hospital has and bringing Nurse Bellamy’s killer to justice. Her efforts are met with upturned noses and wayward glances except for her close friend and advocate inside the House of Commons, Sidney Herbert. As Florence digs deeper, however, her attention turns to one of the hospital investors and suddenly, Sidney becomes reluctant to help.
With no one but herself to count on, Florence must now puzzle out what the death of an unknown, nondescript young nurse has to do with conspiracies lurking about at the highest levels of government before she’s silenced too.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1853, soon after Florence Nightingale, the heroine of this disappointing series launch from Trent (Lady of Ashes), becomes the superintendent of the Establishment for Gentlewomen during Temporary Illness in London, she stumbles on the body of nurse Caroline Bellamy hanging in the library. Although Caroline appears to have committed suicide, Florence has her doubts. As Florence works to bring her often insolent and slovenly staff into line and establish proper nursing procedures, she faces demanding administrators; eccentric patients and their challenging relatives; and attacks on herself, an errand boy, and the facility's librarian. When a prominent member of one of the Establishment's governing committees turns up dead, Florence is under increasing pressure to discover details about Caroline's secret life, unmask the perpetrator, preserve her position, and save the Establishment's reputation. Anachronisms, stilted presentation, awkward introductions of historical information, and a disorganized plot fail to convince.