I was really excited to read this book and it was exactly what I wanted. It's based upon the real Charles Dickens (obviously) with some embellishments, ie he didn't really solve crimes (that I know of). I liked how his future wife and in-laws, and even his own family members were featured. His family and the Hogarth family are lovely and add some nice dimensions to the novel.
The mystery is different in that the one trying to solve it, doesn't really have access to everything he needs to. Dickens is considered middle-class, so him questioning people is harder than in most mystery novels. It does lead to some interesting interactions with Kate though, all of which are very cute.
I also enjoyed that Dickens had to balance his work with solving this crime, since most other detectives don't usually have that problem. No spoilers, but things start sadly and perhaps slowly with one death and then it just gets bigger than Dickens ever thought it would. There are some nice twists and turns, with nearly everyone not a Dickens or Hogarth seeming to be a viable suspect.
The one thing I will say, is don't google Dickens or Kate until after reading this. I learned from personal experience because I'm curious and was awfully sad. Real life is not as cute as novels, obviously, but I like the character of Dickens better than the real life version.
I received a copy from NetGalley.
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