Lady of Ashes, Christine Trent
Lady of Ashes, Christine Trent
1 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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Lady of Ashes

Author: Christine Trent

Narrator: Polly Lee

Unabridged: 15 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/30/2021


Synopsis

A female undertaker in Victorian London suspects death by unnatural causes in a mystery "rich with historical incidents and details" (Publishers Weekly).

Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian England, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death's role in life—until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door.

Violet's peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she's always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she's dressed have been murdered. When Graham disappears, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an undertaking of royal proportions. But she's certain there's a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own.

About Christine Trent

In addition to six novels and three short stories in the Lady of Ashes series, Christine Trent has written several historical novels about women in unusual professions, including The Queen's Dollmaker (a dollmaker to Marie Antoinette), A Royal Likeness (an apprentice to the great waxworker, Madame Tussaud), and By the King's Design (a draper to the Prince Regent).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mike on October 08, 2014

This book suffered from a crisis of identity. It did not know what it wanted to be: a mid 19th Century London period piece centered on (but not completely about) a female undertaker, a murder mystery, a romance, an examination of the effects the US Civil War had on England, or commentary on British......more

Goodreads review by Jane on May 12, 2015

Where I got the book: borrowed on Overdrive. ***SPOILER WARNING*** I’m a sucker for the whole Victorian-obsession-with-death thing and can personally think of a dozen plots that might revolve around the delightfully lugubrious profession of undertaker, so I picked up Trent’s novel with anticipation.......more

Goodreads review by Jenny on May 05, 2013

I actually have Christine Trent's first novel, The Queen's Dollmaker, languishing somewhere in Mt. TBR, and I've added her others to my list over the years, and now I wish I hadn't waited so long to read her because I was very impressed with Lady of Ashes. It's a really well-written tale that combin......more

Goodreads review by Tom on July 03, 2021

A very well written historical fiction with an overlay of mystery and romance. The setting is 1860's Victorian London England. I really admired the author's use of a strong female protagonist with the occupation of an undertaker. A novel use of an out of the ordinary occupation for a female living d......more