Murder in the Soho Graveyard by Emily Organ Summary

Murder in the Soho Graveyard by Emily Organ Summary

Murder in the Soho Graveyard by Emily Organ. This is Emily Emma Langley Victorian Mystery number three. I picked up the first one maybe about six months ago. It feels like it was six months ago; it could have been a little longer. It is a Victorian murder mystery series. I would say it’s not cozy, but it’s also not overwhelmingly mystery thriller either, so I find it's a really good fit when I just want something fairly easy to read. Now, this one felt a little slow at times, but let's dive into the summary and go from there.

A churchyard discovery, a shocking secret, a deadly confrontation. London, 1890. When the body of a wealthy widow is found in the neglected courtyard of St. Anne's Church, Soho, Emma Langley and Penny Green soon discover her respectable facade concealed a web of bitter enemies. From a disgraced doctor stripped of his livelihood to a governess whose reputation was destroyed by lies, the victim, Miss Melbourne, left a trail of devastation in her wake. Then Miss Melbourne's Belgravia mansion is consumed by a mysterious fire.

Emma and Penny must race to decipher water-damaged papers salvaged from the ruins that could hold the key to the truth. But as anonymous threatening letters arrive, warning them to abandon their investigation, the friends realize they're hunting someone who would kill again to protect their secret. In the shadowed streets of Victorian London, can Emma and Penny expose the murderer before they become the next victims?

It’s about 320 pages in the Kindle edition, with expected publication on September 25th, 2025. I am going to try to release this one on the day of its publication. When I have that opportunity, I try to do it. If I don’t, I schedule it as close to publication as I can.

Emily Organ has written quite a few books and she loves her lady sleuths. I would not call these Sherlock Holmes-esque—they are not that deep—but I do like that she tends to have fairly strong female protagonists. Penny Green, who appears in this book and is kind of the partner to Emma Langley, has her own Victorian mystery series with about twelve books. Emma Langley has her own as well, and so far there are only three: The Whitechapel Widow, The Poison Puzzle, and Murder in the Soho Graveyard. You don’t have to read the other two to understand this one, though I’d recommend The Whitechapel Widow to meet Emma Langley and find out how she comes into this business.

Every time I would pick up this book or write something down about it, I kept writing “Soho Garden” instead of “Graveyard.” I had to fix it a couple of times because I kept writing G-A-R instead of G-R-A. Anyway, we are back with Emma, Penny, and Penny’s husband James, who is an inspector with the local police. The body of Miss Melbourne was found by Miss Clifton, who surveys old graveyards to see if they can be turned into usable property like playgrounds or gardens.

Miss Clifton meets Emma and Penny to talk about it, explaining that the park they’re in was once a graveyard but has been turned into green space. On the day she goes to St. Anne’s graveyard to survey it, she finds the body of Miss Melbourne. Soon after, she becomes nervous, thinking the inspectors are trying to pin the murder on her. Emma and Penny don’t believe Clara Clifton has anything to do with it, so they decide to look into it. They’ve solved a few cases in the past, and maybe they can unravel this one and get the inspectors off her back.

They begin interviewing potential suspects. One is a doctor sued by Miss Melbourne after he failed to save her nephew who had suffered a grievous head injury. Miss Melbourne ruined his career. Another is a governess disgraced and fired by Miss Melbourne, who now struggles to find work because of her ruined reputation.

The plot thickens as Emma and Penny discover that Miss Melbourne, though respected in society, had a darker side—vindictive and bitter, leaving behind enemies who may have wanted her gone. I thought it was well done and engaging. It’s not overly imaginative or reinventing Victorian murder mysteries, but it’s enjoyable. The characters are fun, a bit like a female version of Sherlock and Watson. Penny Green, with twelve books of her own, is more experienced, while Emma Langley, though newer, seems naturally skilled. Together, they work well to narrow down suspects.

One of the suspects is also murdered, and then the house burns down—someone clearly doesn’t want them to uncover the truth. It’s not an edge-of-your-seat thriller with bullets flying, but there are shadows, chases, and lurking danger. The atmosphere is great—dark alleys, foggy London streets, and the contrast between Soho and Belgravia, from slums to elite areas.

It’s certainly not horror or supernatural, though I personally wish there were a few ghosts involved. I do want to go back and read The Poison Puzzle, which looks really good. All three books appear to have been published in 2025, which is impressive. Apparently, The Poison Puzzle involves Emma discovering something mysterious about her late husband’s diary, which I suspected after the first book.

These ladies are very engaging—a little bit of a female Sherlock Holmes and Watson vibe. Penny sometimes brings along her toddler, Thomas, and her infant daughter. They’re working women in 1890s London, helping others despite societal expectations. It’s fun to see their determination and intelligence.

This book is a historical mystery, taking a real setting—Victorian London—and placing fictional characters within it. I do think it fits the historical fiction label well. I like to imagine that maybe there really were women like Emma and Penny back then.

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