Alex Reeve's THE HOUSE ON HALF MOON STREET belongs to a genre that I don't usually choose for myself, and because of that, it's always a real pleasure to discover an intriguing and well-written story that I otherwise may never have read.

This book tells the story of Leo Stanhope, who works in a hospital morgue in Victorian London. Born as a girl and having grown up as Lottie Pritchard, Leo now identifies and lives as a man, unbeknownst to most of his friends and colleagues. Only a precious few know of his secret, and Leo's world is rocked when the closest of those suddenly turns up in the morgue one night. From there unravels a mystery involving a brothel, a boat, two murders, a satchel and a seemingly useless item bearing a mysterious name. Leo is determined to solve the mystery and avenge the death of his loved one, even though danger lurks around every corner and the prospect of his secret falling into the wrong hands becomes riskier by the minute.

I found this book very readable and the character of Leo so sympathetic and endearing. The plot was mysterious without being unnecessarily twisty-turny (sometimes I find that ends up becoming too frustrating), and the setting of foggy Victorian London and the dark, tarry depths of the Thames were just perfect. I understand this book is the first in a planned series, which is great news.

If you don't tend to go for historical novels, I do recommend giving this one a try. The setting in time only lends character and atmosphere to the story, rather than bogging it down in what sometimes ends up being unnecessary detail. A great read.