A review by b00kw0rms0fthew0rldunite
Murder at Traitor's Gate by Irina Shapiro

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 I am loving this series! A passionate and decent male lead with his own tragic past, recovering from addiction and a brave and strong female lead with no fear of helping anybody she can in any way. All set in Victorian London with the author shunning rose tinted glasses and telling it like it is with slums, scum and scourges galore. 
 
 This story can be a stand alone if you haven't read the first, but if you haven't read the first, you are sorely missing out! A character from the first book becomes a murder victim in this book and Inspector Bell and Gemma Tate are on the case. With a friend in peril and sharing a background with the victims, Gemma becomes involved despite Sebastian's warnings. 
 
 I liked the twists and turns in the plot and I did guess at the reason for the murderer's ire in advance. Superbly written with no flowery filler, Irina Shapiro is an author that I endeavour to read more from. I would love to see what her other series' are about.
 
 Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.