A Killer in the Crystal Palace

The Kier and Levett Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Deb Marlowe

Narrated by: Henrietta Meire

Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

A grand showcase for technology, art, design, and . . . murder.

London, 1851, and the Great Exhibition is on. A soaring success despite months of dour predictions, it is the event of the year, on front pages and wagging tongues the world over—and Miss Kara Levett is thrilled to be in the middle of it. The daughter of a baron and an exhibitor herself, she happily demonstrates her elaborate automatons and case clocks to the crowds.

But her situation grows perilous when a man is murdered in the Crystal Palace and she becomes the prime suspect. With the unexpected aid of Mr. Niall Kier, a reserved Scottish blacksmith, artist and fellow exhibitioner with secrets of his own, Kara begins the work the Metropolitan Police show no inclination for—finding the true killer.

Together, Niall and Kara dig up international espionage schemes and sordid family secrets, and chase clues from Victorian high society to the London slums, all while trying to stay ahead of the villains who seek to make her the next victim.

©2023 Deb Marlowe (P)2023 Tantor

Loved It!

If you are looking for a cozy mystery, look no further! This book was wonderful! The main female character, Kara Levett, has been accused of murder. Being an inventor in a time when this was not the norm for ladies, she is a perfect target for such an accusation. A fellow artist, Niall Kier, sees her for the brilliant young woman she is, and together, they embark on finding the real killer and clearing her name.
I absolutely fell in love with these characters! Kara’s spunkiness and keen intelligence keeps Niall on his toes through the entire book. Her back story is interesting and explains much about the woman she has become. Niall has some secrets that we hope to learn as the series continues. The imagery that Deb Marlowe uses is exquisite. My mind could see London during the time of The Great Exhibition as if I was walking the streets myself. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who like mysteries or historical novels with a hint of action and romance along the way. It truly was a joy to read!

A great adventure.

First book I've listened to from this author and she did not disappoint. Loved the historical setting and time. Characters were easy to understand and connect with as the story developed. Enjoyed the mystery and the evolving friendship that the duo developed as they set out to solve a murder.
Narration was done well.
Will definitely be continuing on with book two of this series.

I would love book four to put on the audio version some time soon??????

Only the first 3 😉 of 4 books of this series is on Audio (audible) version. 😢

I’m Hooked on This series!

What a great job of weaving history, mystery, romance and ingenuity into this fabulous book! I will listen to it again and will be looking for the rest of the series!

Gripping action with the human element grounding us.

I know this writer excels at a compelling historical mystery tale, but I haven’t seen anything like this from her for awhile. Well how could I have forgotten? This looks like it’s going to be a great series and I’m eager to start book two. I love this team she has created, Kier and Levett, our Hero and heroine. Can’t wait to see what comes from their association in the future. There’s some heat building there. I also loved the cast of characters I expect we’ll be seeing more of in future books.

I was taken by surprise by who the culprit was.

Recommended highly. By the way, wonderful covers too.