The Death Mask Murders

This story takes place in Melbourne, Australia during the tail end of WWI. I love the early 1900s so I'm often drawn to stories that take place in that era.

Emma Hart is a young girl who has suffered great loss when her fiancé is killed in Somme, France during WWI. She has been sent to live with her Aunt Florence, a wealthy widow with no children of her own, that lives in Brighton. Emma can often be found sitting on the beach, sketching the scenery, it is on one such occasion that she is caught in a violent storm and is subsequently rescued by a stranger, Max. Max takes Emma to an abandoned mansion where they end up having to take shelter in the cellar. Once down there, they discover the death masks of three young women. Emma is fascinated with these, who are they? And where did they come from? Even more disturbing is who created them and why?

Soon, Emma, Max and Aunt Florence are embroiled in the events that unfold surrounding the discovery of the death masks and who they belong too. They have a local hot shot reporter to thank for it, Reggie Da Costa. All four team up with a doctor, Silas Bacon who discovers that his past is about to collide with his present. Sadly, Max is arrested and thrown in jail in connection with the death masks. Can they figure out who the perpetrator really is and in time to save Max and clear his name?

This story was fantastic. It was a quick read with great pacing and I loved the in depth backgrounds that each character has. There is also an underlying theme of how largely mistreated mental illness was back then. Specifically in regards to PTSD, which Max suffers from. It was considered embarrassing and he was labeled unstable and at times, dangerous. There is also mention of largely outdated and harmful treatments like lobotomies and cold baths and even shock therapy. One question asked "can someone be born evil?" As a lover of true crime and stories like those, this is something I have often pondered and honestly I have no answer. 

This appears to be this authors debut novel and I have to say that I am most definitely excited to see more from her. This is an impressive story and a great read!