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    Lies That Comfort and Betray
    Lies That Comfort and Betray
    Lies That Comfort and Betray
    Audiobook12 hours

    Lies That Comfort and Betray

    Written by Rosemary Simpson

    Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

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    About this audiobook

    The murders in Whitechapel are shocking enough to make news worldwide, and in the autumn of 1888, Geoffrey and Prudence find the stories in the New York Herald quite unsettling. But London is not the only city to be terrorized by a mad butcher.

    Nora Kenny makes the occasional journey on the Staten Island ferry to work in Prudence's Fifth Avenue house, just as her mother once served Prudence's mother. As little girls, they played freely together, before retreating into their respective social classes. Still, they remain fond of each other. But when Nora slips away to Saint Anselm's one chilly Saturday to confess her sins and never returns, Prudence is alarmed. And when Nora's body is discovered in a local park, Prudence is devastated.

    Nora will not be the only young woman to fall victim, but the police are uncertain what they are dealing with. Has the Ripper sailed across the Atlantic to find a new hunting ground? Is some disturbed soul copying his crimes? A former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey intends to step in where the New York Metropolitan Police seem to be failing, and Prudence is just as determined to protect the poor, vulnerable females being targeted. But a killer with a disordered mind and an incomprehensible motive may prove too elusive for even this experienced pair to outwit.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 30, 2018
    ISBN9781541488953
    Author

    Rosemary Simpson

    Rosemary Simpson is the author of two previous historical novels, The Seven Hills of Paradise and Dreams and Shadows, and three previous Gilded Age Mysteries: What the Dead Leave Behind, Lies that Comfort and Betray, and Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. Educated in France and the United States, she now lives near Tucson, Arizona.

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    Reviews for Lies That Comfort and Betray

    4/5

    44 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Absolutely fabulous . The story and writing, can’t wait for the next book to hear
    • 4/5
      This is the 2nd book in a series. In 1888, Prudence is working as a private detective along with lawyer friend, Geoffrey. When Prudence’s sometimes-maid (and friend from when they were kids) turns up not only murdered, but “gutted” (similar to Jack the Ripper over in London), people wonder if the Ripper has moved to New York or if this is a copycat. The police want to solve the case quickly, so they arrest the fiancee, but Prudence and Geoffrey don’t think he did it. Then another, then another young woman turn up with a similar MO. I am really enjoying these mysteries. Prudence is much more assertive than most women of her time and “station”, but I like her. Realistic? I don’t know, but the entire atmostphere/setting of the book is done really well, I think. With how these murders are happening, there is some gore, but that doesn’t bother me. There was more going on than the murders in this book, so even when things appeared to be drawing to a close, there was more to come.
    • 3/5
      In 1888 New York Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter are private investigators. The Ripper of London is news but the New York police believe that they wouldn't take long to discover the murderer, until the first slashed body is found.
      Unfortunately the writing style or the characters really didn't capture my imagination and draw me in. Though I was interested enough to read to the end.
      A NetGalley Book
    • 4/5
      This series just keeps getting better. I loved it, and lost sleep to finish it!
    • 4/5
      This second installment in Rosemary Simpson's, "A Gilded Age Mystery" series is a wonderful continuation of the story set up in book one, "What the Dead Leave Behind". Ms. Simpson spins a wonderful yarn of mystery around three murders. She beautifully captures the atmosphere of a bustling New York City of 1888 as the colder weather sets in in early November. Her descriptive prose draws upon all of the reader's senses - whether it's the reek of spoiling fish or of a grubby homeless boy and his flea-infested dog; the greasy feel of of fried potatoes served in a discarded page from a newspaper; the sounds of horse hooves clip-clopping on the cobblestone streets as handsome cabs drift by; or the striking visuals of beautifully clad women or the horribly disfigured pummeled faces of men. The historic references are rich and well researched. The red herrings are many and the tension holds throughout the story which ultimately comes to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Synopsis (from book's dust jacket):Heiress Prudence MacKenzie is a valuable partner to attorney Geoffrey Hunter, despite the fact that women are not admitted to the bar in New York’s Gilded Age. And though their office is a comfortable distance from the violence that haunts the city’s slums, the firm of Hunter and MacKenzie is about to come dangerously close to an unstoppable killer . . . LIES THAT COMFORT AND BETRAY The murders in Whitechapel are shocking enough to make news worldwide, and in the autumn of 1888, Geoffrey and Prudence find the stories in the New York Herald quite unsettling. But London is not the only city to be terrorized by a mad butcher. Nora Kenny makes the occasional journey on the Staten Island ferry to work in Prudence’s Fifth Avenue house, just as her mother once served Prudence’s mother. As little girls, they played freely together, before retreating into their respective social classes. Still, they remain fond of each other. But when Nora slips away to Saint Anselm’s one chilly Saturday to confess her sins and never returns, Prudence is alarmed. And when Nora’s body is discovered in a local park, Prudence is devastated. Nora will not be the only young woman to fall victim, but the police are uncertain what they are dealing with. Has the Ripper sailed across the Atlantic to find a new hunting ground? Is some disturbed soul copying his crimes? A former Pinkerton agent, Geoffrey intends to step in where the New York Metropolitan Police seem to be failing, and Prudence is just as determined to protect the poor, vulnerable females being targeted. But a killer with a disordered mind and an incomprehensible motive may prove too elusive for even this experienced pair to outwit. From the author of What the Dead Leave Behind, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric mystery that captures both the elegance and sophistication of nineteenth-century New York, and the secrets and bloody terrors that lurked behind its gilded facades.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in Rosemary Simpson's Gilded Age mystery series. I really enjoy the rich sense of time and place that she puts in her books. The time is 19 century and the place is New York City. It's a time when New York City is a hotbed of high society and intrigue, and underneath is the seamy underbelly where murder and crime are rampant. The police force is corrupt, and if you can afford the graft, you can get away with quite a bit. Here we have Gregory Hunter and Prudence MscKenzie. Both are firmly in New York's high society with money and privilege, but their office on Wall Street called Investigative Law brings them into contact with some pretty scary people. In this case, which is right around the time of the Whitechapel murders in London, there is a particularly brutal murderer stalking young maids in New York. He's crafty and he's fearless, and he almost gets away with some particularly brutal killings. Prudence and Gregory slip in and out of the underworld, and with their investigative eyes, intelligence and their knowledge of the law, they manage to identify the killer. Getting him to justice is another story though, and at great risk to themselves and with the help of a young man and his big dog Blossom, they persevere. Ms. Simpson has a firm grasp of her time and her beautifully crafted scenes and plots are colourfully drawn. Reading her books puts you right in there with Gregory and Prudence as they race against time to catch a particularly brutal killer..
    • 4/5
      Lies That Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson is a 2018 Kensington publication. The first book in this new series set a solid foundation to be built upon. But, did the second book take advantage of that momentum? Yes! Yes, it did-This is an excellent follow up to ‘What the Dead Leave Behind’. With Jack the Ripper terrorizing London, New York finds it is not immune to the same depravity. When Nora Kenny, a young woman who works for Prudence, is brutally murdered, the prospect of JTR having crossed the pond is not a pleasant one, nor is the idea that New York is dealing with a copycat killer. But, the police immediately arrest Nora’s fiancé, a man Prudence is sure is innocent. With the help of Geoffrey, the law firm of Hunter and MacKenzie begin a harrowing murder investigation, hoping to discover the real killer before he strikes again. This installment deals with a host of feminine related double standards prevalent in the gilded age. The dangers of back alley abortions, the stigma of premarital sex, and pregnancy out of wedlock are all explored, as well as a little tippy toeing around religion and a few blatant hypocrisies. Prudence still battles her own demons, but they do not take center stage, this time around. Instead, Prudence channels her energy and thoughts into her work. Prudence and Geoffrey make a terrific team and I was happy to see the way their characters are developing. But, at the end of the day, the real test is how challenging the mystery was for me and if it kept my attention, if it was suspenseful, atmospheric, and if it kept me guessing. I’m happy to report that this novel passed the test in all categories! While this is a part of a series, it can still be read as a stand alone- however, to get Prudence’s full background, and how she came to be partnered with Geoffrey, reading the first installment will certainly enhance your enjoyment of this second one. Overall, I am a very happy customer and am eagerly awaiting the third book in this promising series.
    • 3/5
      Lies that Comfort and Betray by Rosemary Simpson is the second book in A Gilded Age Mystery series. It is November of 1888 and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing London with his savage butchery. Prudence MacKenzie is a partner in the private inquiry firm of Hunter and MacKenzie with Geoffrey Hunter in New York. Prudence is distressed when her childhood friend, Nora Kenny is ruthlessly murdered and left dead in Colonial Park. The manner in which Nora was killed mimics the Ripper’s. She had been expected at the MacKenzie home on Fifth Avenue to help prepare for the holidays. Where did she go after getting off the ferry from Staten Island? Then Nora’s fiancé is arrested for the crime and the police make him disappear. Prudence, Geoffrey and their well-connected assistant, Josiah Gregory start investigating by looking into Nora’s movements the day she died. They soon discover that Nora had secrets she was keeping from her family and friends. Then Ellen Tierney turns up dead in the same manner as Nora. Soon another woman is dead. There is a murderer loose in New York and the police just want to sweep the deaths under the rug. What connects the victims? Prudence and her associates intend to find out and put the killer behind bars.I thought that Lies that Comfort and Betray would be a historical cozy mystery. I quickly found out that Lies that Comfort and Betray is a dark and graphic novel. Readers are given detailed descriptions of the mutilation done to the bodies as well as graphic sex scenes (one person has a strange religious fetish described in detail). There is also foul language in the story. At the beginning, my attention was captured. After a while, though, my mind started to wander (I was bored). I thought the author was wordy and overly detailed (do we need to know what the church smells like for example). We are given the minutest of details. This led to a slow pace that lasted throughout the whole book. We are also given details on what every character is thinking and feeling (including the dog). I liked Prudence MacKenzie. I thought she was well-crafted and developed. She is a strong, intelligent female doing an unusual occupation (studied law with her father). She is also struggling to overcome her addiction to laudanum. It is a shame that women were not admitted to the New York State Bar at that time. I also liked the character of Josiah Gregory. The mystery is one, for the most part, that plays out (which I find frustrating). The killer is not introduced until the halfway mark and we are given one miniscule clue. Otherwise, we are not given the details needed until right before the reveal (which is drawn out). The ending does wrap up all the storylines. I did appreciate the mention of Jo’s Boys in the story (Prudence was reading it). While Lies that Comfort and Betray is the second book in A Gilded Age Mystery series, it can be read alone. The author includes a summary of what occurred in the first book as well as background on the main characters. With a different writing style this could have been an interesting novel (had potential).
    • 3/5
      As Jack the Ripper terrorizes London, a killer is on the move in New York. While the police try to hide this from the public, Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter fight to learn the truth before another unfortunate woman meets her end.First of all, this is not a book for the faint of heart. It delves into the dark side of the time period with gruesome murders and abortion. Prudence was an interesting character as she is fighting against an addiction that wasn't her fault. She had depth, and what she has endured makes it more believable why she would choose to be a partner in an investigative team when she was raised to marry and continue as a part of society.What rubbed me wrong was the writing style. A paragraph would start out with a sentence describing a character and then the very next sentence would be what that character was thinking, even if the rest of the section had been from someone else's perspective. The inconsistency irritated me to no end. (Also, I'm not sure why the thoughts of a dog and a team of horses were included. Was there really no other way to let the reader in on what was happening?) The rush to the ending left me off-balance and confused.I had high hopes for this as I do love the gilded age, however, it just wasn't to my taste. Those who like darker mysteries might enjoy it.I received a free copy from NetGalley to read and review.