Much of what is good about this series’ previous novels is still good. It’s a good thing, then, that Will is more than willing to look after her and lend her his arm…and perhaps even more. Her investigation leads her into the North End’s dark dens of sin, a place not at all suitable or safe for a lady. But that doesn’t stop Will from jumping at the chance to help Nell clear the name of her friend, Colin Cook.ĭetective Cook, the rare Irish cop in Boston and an honest man to boot, has been a good friend to Nell, so when she learns that he supposedly murdered a ne’er-do-well named Johnny Cassidy, she immediately wants to get to the bottom of it. Their relationship is at a bit of a stalemate, however, since Nell is still legally attached to Duncan Sweeney and won’t consider divorce for religious reasons. Nell Sweeney is still acting as a governess/substitute mother to her beloved charge, Gracie, and her role in the Hewitt family has expanded a bit with the pretend engagement she has concocted with Will Hewitt, the oldest son – a ruse necessary to legitimize the amount of time they spend together. While this series has been generally quite enjoyable overall, this new installment is weaker than the others, and the lack of romantic denouement feels forced. Ryan’s Nell Sweeney mystery series set in post-Civil War Boston. Murder in the North End is the fifth book in P.B.
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