The Murder Next Door
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- Create Date：2021-06-08 09:51:59
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Bell
- ISBN：1527287793
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Summary
July 1912
Leeds， England
A man is found dead on his study floor and his now-missing wife is the obvious suspect。 To their neighbour， Louisa Knight， it's a shocking piece of news but nothing more。 However， when she tells her 'companion' over breakfast， Ada Chapman nearly breaks their teapot and looks ready to run out the door。
For Ada watched Mrs Pearce leave from the window of her painting studio。 A moment's glance of a fearful face brings back old memories and gives her doubts。
As far as the more pragmatic Louisa is concerned， Ada's determination to investigate is bound to lead them into trouble。 Again。 Yet Louisa's curiosity cannot be denied， and as the pair delve deeper into their neighbour's life what they uncover only clouds the issue further。 The question soon becomes not just 'Who killed Mr Pearce？' but also 'Does that person deserve to hang for it？'
Even if the couple can find the guilty party， will they be able to agree what should become of them？
Leeds， England
A man is found dead on his study floor and his now-missing wife is the obvious suspect。 To their neighbour， Louisa Knight， it's a shocking piece of news but nothing more。 However， when she tells her 'companion' over breakfast， Ada Chapman nearly breaks their teapot and looks ready to run out the door。
For Ada watched Mrs Pearce leave from the window of her painting studio。 A moment's glance of a fearful face brings back old memories and gives her doubts。
As far as the more pragmatic Louisa is concerned， Ada's determination to investigate is bound to lead them into trouble。 Again。 Yet Louisa's curiosity cannot be denied， and as the pair delve deeper into their neighbour's life what they uncover only clouds the issue further。 The question soon becomes not just 'Who killed Mr Pearce？' but also 'Does that person deserve to hang for it？'
Even if the couple can find the guilty party， will they be able to agree what should become of them？
Reviews
Stay Home and Read
，
If there's one genre I'd like to see more of， it's queer historical murder mysteries -- and this book perfectly filled that need。 The mystery was really engaging and held my attention the whole book。 In fact， I stayed up far too late flying through the pages to solve the whodunit。 I won't say too much more about the mystery so as not to spoil it， except to say I found the ending satisfying and clever。Perhaps even more than the mystery， I enjoyed the quiet romance between the two lead characters。 If there's one genre I'd like to see more of， it's queer historical murder mysteries -- and this book perfectly filled that need。 The mystery was really engaging and held my attention the whole book。 In fact， I stayed up far too late flying through the pages to solve the whodunit。 I won't say too much more about the mystery so as not to spoil it， except to say I found the ending satisfying and clever。Perhaps even more than the mystery， I enjoyed the quiet romance between the two lead characters。 Ada and Louisa are in an established romance -- another genre rarity that I really appreciated。 As much as I love reading romances about people falling in love， I enjoy romances about an enduring， established romance even more。 All in all， the romance was lovely。 I went into this book knowing it was a sapphic mystery， only to be pleasantly surprised to learn that one of the characters is asexual （and in the process of coming to terms with that aspect of her identity）。 While I have encountered asexuality occasionally in literature -- particularly romances -- I can't think of many occasions where I've come across an asexual main character in a mystery。 I felt that the representation was handled really well， particularly as Louisa is still navigating that aspect of her identity。I adored this clever mystery and can't wait for Ada and Louisa's next adventure。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Lauren
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Sarah Bell’s writing style feels so well developed and her storytelling is so vivid it’s hard to believe ‘The murder next door’ is her debut novel。The story is set in 1912 but rather than being dragged down with heavy historical details the time period is portrayed perfectly for this murder mystery。 The neighbour of our main characters， Louisa Knight and her companion Ada Chapman， is murdered and his wife and son are missing。 Ada works for the police as a sketch artist and Louisa has a backgroun Sarah Bell’s writing style feels so well developed and her storytelling is so vivid it’s hard to believe ‘The murder next door’ is her debut novel。The story is set in 1912 but rather than being dragged down with heavy historical details the time period is portrayed perfectly for this murder mystery。 The neighbour of our main characters， Louisa Knight and her companion Ada Chapman， is murdered and his wife and son are missing。 Ada works for the police as a sketch artist and Louisa has a background in law and science but their female intuitions are obviously overlooked by the police: Clearly the two women must go it alone to find the murderer。I really loved this book because it is a brilliantly crafted， layered mystery and has a lively pace throughout the investigation。 The element that I loved most though was the way Bell writes the relationship between Ada and Louisa; they are flawed characters who have their own issues and pasts but together they have a sweet， genuine love for one another。 Their story felt as current as any contemporary queer representation I’ve read so even if you aren’t so keen on the historical genre this is still an exceptional read。 I cannot wait for the next installment of Louisa and Ada’s story; Sarah Bell is definitely an author to watch。 。。。more
Georgette B
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This was a wonderful story。 It is well written， has excellent character development and is an overall thrilling ride。 I was sucked in from the first page and stayed hooked throughout。 The writing style reminds me of Joseph Hansen and Radclyffe。 The story tells the tale of Louisa and her “companion” Ada。 As the story progresses， we gain a better picture of their life together and the true nature of their relationship。 Although there are rumors surrounding their living arrangement， coupled with th This was a wonderful story。 It is well written， has excellent character development and is an overall thrilling ride。 I was sucked in from the first page and stayed hooked throughout。 The writing style reminds me of Joseph Hansen and Radclyffe。 The story tells the tale of Louisa and her “companion” Ada。 As the story progresses， we gain a better picture of their life together and the true nature of their relationship。 Although there are rumors surrounding their living arrangement， coupled with their Holmes and Watson like penchant for involving themselves murder investigations， they manage to keep their secret。 When their neighbor is murdered and his wife and son disappear， Ada’s impulsive nature （coupled with guilt over something from her past） will nit allow her to stay away。 She brings the more reticent Louisa along for the ride。 I love that the author subtly introduces us to the concept of an asexual character in a historical novel。 Partly because of Louisa’s inability to experience desire， the romance is presented in a sweet， and chaste way。 You get a feeling for their deep and abiding love for each other and their loyalty to one another rather than focused on sexual energy。Another plus for the author， she managed to incorporate the major social issues of the day within its historical context。 She tastefully addresses issues of race， class， gender， and sexuality。 This book had layer upon delicious layer of intrigue， twists， turns， companionship， and a strong commitment to justice。 I could go on and on for days about how much I enjoyed this book， but I won’t。 I just say this-get this book and let Sarah Bell suck you into her story of A Murder Next Door in 1912 Leeds， West Riding of Yorkshire。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Jude in the Stars
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4。5⭐️ – The Murder Next Door is Sarah Bell’s debut novel and what a debut it is！ A historical mystery with a sapphic couple investigating and so much more。Ada Chapman is a painter and a sketch artist for the police。 She lives with Louisa Knight， officially as a companion but they’re really lovers。 Ada is impulsive and creative， Louisa is rational and logical。 When their neighbour is murdered and his wife and son disappear， Ada can’t resist getting involved， despite Louisa’s misgivings。This is ap 4。5⭐️ – The Murder Next Door is Sarah Bell’s debut novel and what a debut it is！ A historical mystery with a sapphic couple investigating and so much more。Ada Chapman is a painter and a sketch artist for the police。 She lives with Louisa Knight， officially as a companion but they’re really lovers。 Ada is impulsive and creative， Louisa is rational and logical。 When their neighbour is murdered and his wife and son disappear， Ada can’t resist getting involved， despite Louisa’s misgivings。This is apparently not the first time the couple gets involved in police work， another case is mentioned a few times that may not have ended well。 While both women’s past is alluded to， those mentions give them a past as a couple as well and add depth to their relationship。 Speaking of which， their relationship is one of my favorite parts of this story （I liked plenty of parts， keep reading for more）。 Their love for each other is obvious but they’re not exactly on an equal footing。 Louisa is wealthy and posh， Ada reins in the accent that betrays her origins。 Ada is free and self-confident， despite birthmarks that make people stare， whereas Louisa grew up with an unloving and demanding father and is only now， thanks to Ada， coming to terms with her asexuality as well as her ability to love。The secondary characters are as good as the two mains。 Davey， Ada’s childhood friend and now a policeman， and Sophie， the couple’s young maid and protégée， were my favourite but most of them are multilayered and well-written。The atmosphere is fantastic。 The story is set in Leeds （England） in 1912。 The language， both in the narrative and in dialogues， takes the reader back seamlessly。 The author doesn’t shy away from social issues of the time （which aren’t so different from those we still face， a quite discouraging fact）: classism， racism， sexism…The mystery itself is effective， with twists and revelations。 Unveiling the culprit isn’t what matters most （even though the suspense about what happened is very satisfying）， it’s a pretext for a reflection on justice， the police and the dichotomy between legality and morality。I don’t know if Sarah Bell has plans to bring Louisa and Ada back in another mystery in the future but I wouldn’t say no to a sequel， or a series。I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Ru
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This was a delight to read！ There were so many excellent aspects in the writing which helped make it into a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable story。 The characters were a highlight - Louisa and Ada burst off the page with life and realism。 Both sympathetic and likeable characters， with clear backgrounds and details that made them excellent protagonists and narrators。 I really liked how their respective class differences and backgrounds impacted on their perspectives， of the murder， of the other This was a delight to read！ There were so many excellent aspects in the writing which helped make it into a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable story。 The characters were a highlight - Louisa and Ada burst off the page with life and realism。 Both sympathetic and likeable characters， with clear backgrounds and details that made them excellent protagonists and narrators。 I really liked how their respective class differences and backgrounds impacted on their perspectives， of the murder， of the other characters and if the question of ethics and morality in general。 I would read do many books featuring them！The topics of ethics was another big positive for me。 I really liked how the very notion of justice was questioned and examined and the way that the story found a satisfactory resolution without oversimplifing or glossing over the decades of the rest of the book。 There was a very strong sense of place too。 I greatly appreciated reading a historical novel set in non-London urban areas， and the details in the description were vivid enough to give me a clear picture in my head of what ut was like。 Finally， the diversity of the world they inhabited was well done， with race， class， gender and sexuality incorporated thoughtfully。 I really liked having the historical detail of Louisa's understanding of her asexuality contextualised。 This was an excellent debut novel and I will definitely be looking for further books from this author。 *I received a free ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review* 。。。more
Rebecca Crunden
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Ooooh， a historical mystery！ Sign me up！
Delphie Bell
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A most enjoyable murder mystery， with a dash of Sapphic romance。I have had the privilege of being able to read the first proof of the paperback of Sarah's debut novel，'The murder next door'。 Sarah has been writing since her teens， honing her skills and finding her 'voice'。 All that hard work has paid off， the quality of the writing is impressive and the plot is lively and intriguing。 Excellent prose evokes the sight and sounds of Leeds in 1912， and the inner lives of Ada and Louisa。 The characte A most enjoyable murder mystery， with a dash of Sapphic romance。I have had the privilege of being able to read the first proof of the paperback of Sarah's debut novel，'The murder next door'。 Sarah has been writing since her teens， honing her skills and finding her 'voice'。 All that hard work has paid off， the quality of the writing is impressive and the plot is lively and intriguing。 Excellent prose evokes the sight and sounds of Leeds in 1912， and the inner lives of Ada and Louisa。 The characters are all well presented， drawing us into their lives， with interesting back stories also revealed as the story progresses。 The maid， Sophie， although a lesser part of the story， is also well thought out and fits nicely into the narrative。I really enjoyed the plot， I always wanted to know what was going to happen next， and I did not guess the outcome of the mystery part of the novel before it was revealed。 （My early guess of 'whodunnit' was way of base！）。 There is quite a lot of characters and quite a lot going on at times。 There's also some unexpected twists and turns， just as you would hope from a good murder mystery。 The romance between Ada and Louisa is presented in a sweet， quite naive， way。 There are no sex scenes and the descriptions of their romance are mostly quite chaste， with their sex lives only lightly alluded to。 We learn more about Loiusa's thoughts on their relationship， and her asexuality， as the narrative develops。 We don't hear as much of Ada's point of view - is she confused， upset or frustrated by Louisa's lack of desire？ - I would be interested to see this aspect of their lives covered more in the next book！Along the way the novel touches on a number of social issues of the day - such as class and their place in society， intolerance， employment/job security or lack thereof， and the suffragette movement， among others。 All in all a right good romp through the mores and morals of the end of the Edwardian era。 All I want to know now is - when can I read the next installment of Ada & Louisas' lives？ 。。。more
AnnMaree Of Oz
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ARC for Booksprout， I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。I enjoyed this mystery set in 1912， but it's so much more。 There are two female 'companions' from different classes， making a life for themselves， together。 I liked that the relationship was already established when we meet them。 Ada the artist from a lower socioeconomic area in Leeds， England， is living with her lover and partner， Louisa， a wealthy woman whose father had recently passed on ARC for Booksprout， I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。I enjoyed this mystery set in 1912， but it's so much more。 There are two female 'companions' from different classes， making a life for themselves， together。 I liked that the relationship was already established when we meet them。 Ada the artist from a lower socioeconomic area in Leeds， England， is living with her lover and partner， Louisa， a wealthy woman whose father had recently passed on。 They are living in Louisa's house for a year now， and sharing a bed。 We slowly get a picture of their life together， throughout the early stages of the investigation into the Murder Next Door。 We hear the rumours surrounding their living arrangement， and their odd past time in investigating murders， and Ada's job with the police as a sketch artist。 There are various issues surrounding England in 1912。 Such as the suffragette movement， votes for women， classism， patriarchal backward ideologies， especially against wives and mistresses of philandering husbands。 There's also discussions on the death penalty， true justice and the law and it's victims and why they may become perpetrators - and how often times women are put in impossible positions with no good outcome。 I found it poignant and thoughtful， causing me to truly think about these issues， and how even in today's age it's not dissimilar。 I also found it refreshing that the character of Louisa is asexual （of course that term isn't used）。 As the story goes on we find out she experiences no sexual attraction， and never has。 She didn't even think she had the capacity to 'love' thinking something was 'wrong' with her， until she read some more obscure sexology texts。 After meeting Ada， she found she could indeed love， and love very deeply - but the sexual element still wasn't there for her。 But she chose to please her lady， but not receive - but admits to often reading the signs wrong， needing Ada to guide her。 However there are not actual sex scenes in the book。 Throughout the text you definitely get a strong sense of their love。 Louisa truly adores Ada， and while Ada has a past， that is somewhat tied to the politics and justice they seek - she truly loves Louisa。 They are different， yet similar in many ways。 They aren't perfect， though， and I appreciate that， too。 Louisa is definitely more from the stiff upper crusts of society， having been well educated （and is still studying chemistry and other sciences throughout the novel）。 While Ada is more free spirited and artsy。 They argue or 'debate'， but always apologise and reconcile。 This novel is very detailed， we go over lots of intricacies for the investigation and there are a lot of people， characters and moving parts here。 However I did find it easy to keep up when I was absorbed in the story - but if I were distracted I could see how it would be easy to miss some details。 So do make sure you're in a mood for holding your attention。 I did read this over a couple of days， just to keep my mind focused。 Details definitely abound， and again there are so many social issues here， that even with the time period being 1912， so many of them are still so relevant today， that it brings forth a lot of quality thoughts and discussion that could be had。 I ultimately enjoyed the read， and would look forward to the authors future works， and perhaps even more from Louisa and Ada， and their investigative adventures！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Murder Next Door
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Murder Next Door&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Murder Next Door&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0