The Story

The third book in Jennings’ Detective Murdoch books, Poor Tom is Cold tells the story of a police officer who is found after an apparent suicide. After the verdict is decided, some new evidence comes to light that shows that this may not be a suicide, but may actually be a murder. Detective Murdoch is on the case, trying to get to the bottom of things.

Meanwhile, at a house only a few doors down from where the dead police officer is found, the third wife of an older gentlemen (with children the same age as his third wife) is ushered to the insane asylum, after she is convinced that his children killed her own son and are out to get her next.

The Review

Oh, I do love Murdoch. I do also love Jennings’ Victorian Toronto! I really like that it isn’t romanticized and that we do see the dirty parts of Victorian Toronto – like the asylum in this one, and how its patients are treated. Having women strapped into baths for hours on end as a form of treatment? Not the worst of treatments people used to get, definitely, but long after the water has gone cold and whatnot? Hmm, not fun and still somewhat disturbing.

But the character of Murdoch is as wonderful as always, and I love his inner struggles – they totally endear him to me. I like characters that aren’t perfect, and you can totally see that with how he’s trying to work out everything in his head in relation to women, and faith and yes. He’s just figuring some things out, and it’s adorable. As I’ve mentioned previously, I also really do love the way Jennings’ portrays a very Catholic Murdoch in a very Protestant Toronto.

I found the end of the book to be a bit fast-paced… things were starting to draw to a close and it seemed that all of a sudden, the book was finished. Too soon, I think. I wish the ending had been drawn out a little bit more instead of the rush to the finish.

The Bottom Line

Definitely a solid book in the Murdoch series. Loved it, and I didn’t know how things were going to end up by the end of the book – it was definitely very cool to have been kept guessing. Cannot wait until I get a chance to read the fourth book.

Other Reviews

bookgirl’s nightstand. Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Let me know and I’ll add your link.

In the second of Jenning’s Detective Murdoch books, a midwife and abortionist in late 19th century Toronto is found dead by her foster sons. It soon comes to light that many of her clients have come from high-class society, and Dolly (the midwife) had a habit of getting every little penny that she could from her clients, even years after they have had need of her services – sometimes in the form of blackmail. Acting detective Murdoch is on the case, trying to find out exactly who murdered Dolly, and one of her foster sons who soon turns up dead as well.

I’m still new to the mystery genre, and I don’t know if I would really get into the genre if it wasn’t for Murdoch. I haven’t enjoyed any other mystery book quite as much as the ones in this series, I have to say. I find it unpredictable and thoroughly readable. The setting is so much fun – Victorian Toronto! – and the characters, oh! the characters. Love love love them all! Especially Murdoch himself.

Oh, Murdoch, how much do I love you? I don’t even know where to begin. You ballroom dance! You race bicycles. You are oh-so-smart. You feel guilty about being attracted to one of your fellow boarders, and it is so adorable. You are a practicing Catholic in a Very Protestant Toronto, and must go through so many struggles because of it. I do love you, and I think every book will make my love for you grow. In fact, I haven’t loved any fictional character this much since Horatio Hornblower and Lieutenant Bush.

As mentioned, I love that Murdoch is a very devout practicing Catholic in a very Protestant Toronto – it gives a bit of an insight to the struggle it must have been at that point in time, as well as how hard it must be to be a part of a minority group in the present time. And you can see how his beliefs have an impact on his daily life – especially when it comes to a fellow boarder that he seems to have a bit of a crush on. He believes he could never be with her because she isn’t Catholic, but he still likes her anyway (and it’s so cute – especially the part in the epilogue where he’s got women he finds attractive on both sides of him and he’s rather flustered).

I especially loved the interaction between Murdoch and Annie Brogan, a young stage performer who gets involved in the case. She’s a lot more outgoing and revealing than the women Murdoch is used to. It is quite amusing to see Annie go from being wary of Murdoch to trying to embarrass him constantly, and I would have loved to see more of her.

The Bottom Line: Definitely loved this book. Devoured it. Would highly recommend it, and I’m very much looking forward to reading the others in this series.

Murdoch is my newest fictional crush. I blame the television adaptation solely for that, because it really is one of the greatest TV shows that I’ve been watching lately. (It’s so nice to have good Canadian television that doesn’t make me want to cringe.) I also blame the TV adaptation for giving me yet another book series to become immersed into.

Except the Dying is the first of the Detective Murdoch mysteries by Maureen Jennings. Taking place in the late 1800′s in Toronto (Ontario, Canada) Murdoch is an acting detective for the Toronto police force. This case starts off with the murder of a pregnant maid from a wealthy family. Murdoch has run-ins with all types of people in this story, ranging from the pair of prostitutes who stole the girl’s clothes when she was lying dead on the snow-covered street, to the wealthy household the girl worked for. Soon more people are getting murdered – what seems to be those who know something about the first girl.

I can say upfront that I am certainly going to be making my way through the rest of the series. This book had so many great things going for it. First, it takes place in Toronto in the late 1800′s. How fun is that?! Second, Murdoch is positively wonderful! I may love Murdoch in the same sense and way that I love Horatio Hornblower, and that’s saying quite a bit. Thirdly, the rest of the characters are so real and wonderful – especially Crabtree, who is one of my favourites on the show.

Then there is Jennings’ style of writing, which sucked me in right from the beginning. I loved that she started with giving us a bit of the victim’s last night from the victim’s point of view, to actually make use care about the girl and the story. She was also able to surprise me with the ending of the book. Certainly not who I had expected to be the killer!

While there are some differences between the show and the book, I found the show keeps itself fairly true to the book. There were some differences (always are), but it had the same atmosphere, and the characters that I really care about were (for the most part) the same. And Murdoch was just as wonderful in the book as I had expected him to be!