The Shadows of Kensington Gore by Ross MontgomeryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The second book in the series featuring former Borstal boy Stephen Pike and Miss Decima Stockingham, an elderly and infirm aristocrat with a foul mouth, recently released from a form of house imprisonment by her cousin.
Stephen and Miss Stockingham are now living in an apartment in Kensington Gore, a very up-market area close to the Royal Albert Hall in London. Its 1911 and London is preparing for the coronation of King George V, but the Suffragette movement is planning disruption. Stephen escorts Miss Stockingham to a Suffragette rally at the Royal Albert Hall, whilst getting some air high up in the gallery he sees three Suffragettes congregating around the statue of Prince Albert in what he thinks is a suspicious manner when all the other Suffragettes are inside the hall. When a policeman shouts at them and starts running towards them with his truncheon out Stephen is afraid that the policeman will beat the women and runs down into the street, only to find the policeman dying in his own blood.
At first it seems obvious that one or all of the three women must have killed the policeman, but Miss Stockingham raises doubts. Then Mrs Pankhurst herself asks Miss Stockingham to investigate the murder and exonerate the Suffragettes by the end of the week - otherwise the government will use the murder as an excuse to declare the Suffragettes an illegal army. What ensues is a convoluted time-pressured investigation where no-one is who they seem, everyone comes under suspicion, and sadly more people will die.
I really enjoyed this, very different to the first book, lots of clues, and also lots of detailed facts expertly woven into the story about how the establishment treated the Suffragettes - and indeed the different treatment meted out to the aristocracy versus commoners.
I can't wait for the next one.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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