A LADY IN THE SMOKE by Karen Goddard

A LADY IN THE SMOKE by Karen Odden is a solid, character driven Victorian murder mystery.  I understand that this is Karen Odden's debut novel.

I like the start of the novel with instant drama with Lady Elizabeth Fraser and her mother's train careening off the tracks and promptly bursting into flames.  Lady Fraser has spunk so she is injured yet able to pull her unconscious mother to safety.  A brilliant young railway surgeon, Paul Wilcox, comes to the scene and saves her mother's life.  She feels an immediate connection to the young surgeon, but of course in those days, one could never marry out of class.

The instantaneous romance was not very plausible, but the writing about the era was interesting.  

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.