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Marilyn Todd
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Cast Iron: You can run but you can't hide... (Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Marilyn Todd (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 152 ratings
Julia returns in a Victorian mystery full of dark humour! For fans of Sherlock Holmes, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters and Victoria Thompson.

The past is catching up with Julia McAllister…

1895, England

Julia McAllister may have a murderous past but she is determined it won’t interfere with her future.

Julia is a photographer. Yes, it may have been of the peeping-tom striptease variety. But she dreams of capturing vast African plains and wild American vistas.

For now, though, she just needs to escape.

But her journey is halted almost immediately by the discovery of a woman’s battered body.

And when the police ask for the services of a crime scene photographer, she is forced to oblige.

Will Julia be able to keep her past a secret? Can she once again unmask a killer?

Or will she finally be forced to pay for the crimes of her past…?

CAST IRON is the second book in the Julia McAllister Victorian Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in nineteenth-century London.

Praise for Marilyn Todd:

‘wry and entertaining’ – Mystery Scene

‘delectably enjoyable’ – Daily Mail

‘Skilfully tangled plot’ – Booklist

‘never boring’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘thoroughly entertaining’ – The Bookseller

JULIA MCALLISTER VICTORIAN MYSTERY SERIES
BOOK ONE: Snap Shot
BOOK TWO: Cast Iron
BOOK THREE: Bad Blood
BOOK FOUR: Dead Drop
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  1. Book 2 of 4
    Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries
  2. Print length
    234 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    October 20, 2019
  6. File size
    2.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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There are 4 books in this series.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VPL39S2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 20, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1913335021
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 152 ratings

About the author

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Marilyn Todd

Marilyn Todd

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Marilyn Todd is a critically acclaimed author of short stories and historical thrillers, who "paints antiquity with a particularly suspenseful brush and skillfully tangled plots" (Booklist). Her Roman series features "a gorgeous rich bitch, plotting and spying to survive adverse fortune" (Daily Mail). The Greek novels feature "an abundance of historical tidbits and robust prose" (Kirkus Reviews). All her work embraces humour, suspense and a lively sense of drama, often inspired by the places she visits.

In 2015, her short story "Blood Red Roses" won one of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine's prestigious Readers Awards.

The year before, "The Wickedest Town in the West" scooped the same award.

And another story, "Room for Improvement", about quickie divorces in 1950s Brighton, was nominated for a Shamus.

She and her husband currently live on a French hilltop surrounded by vineyards and woods, and when she isn't killing people, Marilyn enjoys cooking. Which is pretty much the same thing.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
152 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's characters engaging. The plot complexity receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting its surprising twists.

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Character developmentPlot complexity
5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, with one specifically mentioning their appreciation for Julia and the inspector.

"Engaging characters, surprising plot twists. This book makes you look forward to finding out what happens next. Great series. Read it." Read more

"I like Julia and the inspector and want to see more of them. I hope another book is in the works!" Read more

"...She writes a tight, detailed tale with personable characters and takes us to a well-pictured Victorian age...." Read more

"...The lead character is especially well developed and is a model of a strong and intelligent woman...." Read more

4 customers mention "Plot complexity"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot complexity of the book, with one review highlighting its surprising twists, while another notes how the historical elements seamlessly integrate with the narrative.

"Engaging characters, surprising plot twists. This book makes you look forward to finding out what happens next. Great series. Read it." Read more

"...She writes a tight, detailed tale with personable characters and takes us to a well-pictured Victorian age...." Read more

"The novel is made up of several crimes, all of them intriguing. The characters are well drawn and anchor the plots...." Read more

"...the characters from first book .The new characters and history ease along with the plot...." Read more

Cast Iron is a Completely Enjoyable Read!
5 out of 5 stars
Cast Iron is a Completely Enjoyable Read!
I am partial to historical fiction and enjoy a good mystery as well. I found this story compelling and the characters quite engaging. I especially loved the character of Julia McAllister, who in Marilyn Todd's, Snap Shot (the first book in this series) goes from murder suspect to England’s first crime scene photographer. As Cast Iron begins, we learn that Julia left her past problems behind her. She is ready to board a train and move forward with her life. But, before you can say, “All aboard,” Julia finds herself right smack in the middle of a crime scene on the train line. And the police call upon Julia to photograph the crime scene. Cast Iron is a completely enjoyable read!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • justme
    5.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to book 3
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Engaging characters, surprising plot twists. This book makes you look forward to finding out what happens next. Great series. Read it.
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  • Website's Mom
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I like Julia and the inspector and want to see more of them. I hope another book is in the works!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bonnye Reed Fry
    5.0 out of 5 stars A historical lesson you cannot put down....
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I received a free electronic copy of this excellent historical novel shared by Marilyn Todd and Sapere Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this British who-done-it of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Marilyn Todd to friends and family. She writes a tight, detailed tale with personable characters and takes us to a well-pictured Victorian age. I have added her to my favorite author's list.

    'You can run but you can't hide' is the second novel of the Cast Iron series, Julia McAllister Victorian Mysteries. The setting is at the end of the 19th century in OakBourne, a growing suburb of London. Mrs. Julia McAllister has inherited a thriving photography business from Sam McAllister, though there aren't many who know that he is deceased. There were very few occupations in 1895 that a woman was allowed to aspire to, and photography was one of the many considered to be a manly art. She learned all she knows from Sam and is an excellent photographer, but has had to cross a few legal lines Sam didn't need to, to make a living at it. Breaking into the new field of photographing crime scenes for the police and the courts could increase her income and make those teasing postcards unnecessary, so she is ready to do an excellent job for Detective Inspector John Collingwood as he investigates another murder. They worked well together before, after the murders of her models. And it may not be for long - Julia has about made up her mind to cut all ties with England and become a world-traveling photographer... Would that be considered running from your past? Or just seeking your future?
    One person found this helpful
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  • Deerfield
    5.0 out of 5 stars Holds one's attention
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The novel is made up of several crimes, all of them intriguing. The characters are well drawn and anchor the plots. The lead character is especially well developed and is a model of a strong and intelligent woman. The period is late Victorian and the author has researched the history and culture of this period well. I highly recommend this book especially because there is no place where the novel drags. The writing is exemplary and flows smoothly. Reading this book was pure enjoyment.
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  • Sully
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Loved the characters from first book .The new characters and history ease along with the plot. Enjoyed it and hope there's another soon to continue their relationship and to have them solve another murder!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Calatsch
    5.0 out of 5 stars None
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I want to just give 5 stars and not write a damn review. So I am giving this book 5 stars.
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  • AnnieB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric and well written
    Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    Cast Iron is the second Julia McAllister period mystery by Marilyn Todd. Released 20th Oct 2019 by Sapere, it's 234 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

    This is a very well written period murder mystery with a strong, intelligent, and sympathetic female protagonist. This is the second book in the series, but I had no trouble following the plot or keeping the characters straight. It works perfectly well as a standalone; the author is adept at giving enough backstory to bring readers up to speed (without feeling like one is being force fed). The plotting is spare and tightly controlled. The technical aspects of the writing are well done (dialogue, characterization, etc) and unobtrusive. It's an engrossing read. It's not a cozy, it's serious and in some places gritty. The first crime scene Julia photographs was so well described it gave me chills.

    The ebook version includes an interactive table of contents Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the first book in the series) are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. It's always fun to find a new to me author and series to read. I would recommend this one to fans of period mysteries. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

    Five stars. I really enjoyed this book.

    Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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  • Red Rock Bookworm
    5.0 out of 5 stars 'YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PAST, BUT YOU CAN INFLUENCE THE FUTURE
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2019
    Format: Kindle
    Set in Victorian England the CAST IRON narrative takes the reader into the life of Julia McAllister, currently assisting her part-time paramour, Detective Inspector Collingwood, as a crime scene photographer. Prior to her current assignment she applied her photographic talents to producing risqué “French postcards” and turning a handsome profit. Before that she stepped up and became “savior of her family” when she murdered her violently abusive step-father, disposed of his body and moved to her current digs.

    Now Julia is doing her best to stay one step ahead of the law while she assists in applying her talents to catching the killer of a local woman. Will Julia be able to identify the woman’s killer without exposing her own questionable past?

    Author Marilyn Todd has created an irresistible protagonist. Julia is my type of amateur sleuth who, while she doesn’t have access to the same information as the constabulary and has her own personal problems where the law is concerned is nonetheless a smart, independent woman who uses her powers of observation and deduction to provide surprising solutions and resolutions to the intertwined multiple story-line arcs.

    If you’re looking for an inventive and entertaining reading experience, make that cup of hot chocolate and get ready to be whisked away to the murder and mayhem of another time…another place.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • C Jennings
    5.0 out of 5 stars A puzzler
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A puzzling case, and as the bodies clock up what is the connection? Is there a connection?

    A great read, with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Thoroughly enjoyed and I'll be onto the next in the series now. Marilyn Todd has created a great character in Julia McAllister and always some interesting supporting characters.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well written murder mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Some interesting twists and turns in this story all wrapped up in a clever denouement. Some anachronisms here and there but nothing too egregious.
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  • Mrs E J Pitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant as usual!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Loved it, couldn’t put it down.
    Thought I had the case cracked but it turned out I was completely wrong ... twist in the tail!
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