Murder on the Prince Regent by Irina Shapiro - Book Review

Series: Tate and Bell Mystery #6

Publication Date: 03rd Nov 2025

Genre: Historical Mystery 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Dark and intriguing 

June 1859

Gemma boards Prince Regent, an American packet ship, to assist Inspector Sebastian Bell in investigating the death of a British aristocrat. Lord Anthony Blackstock has been murdered in his cabin, and his wife has vanished. With the clock ticking and the ship reading to reach the shores, the duo has to solve the case before the killer can escape. 

The story comes in Gemma and Sebastian’s third-person POVs. 

My Thoughts: 

Phew! After the overarching plot dragged on in the previous two books, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Luckily, there is some progress (at the beginning and end), so I’m hopeful about the next book. 

This is a kind of locked-room mystery or locked-ship mystery since everyone is onboard, surrounded by water. Not the MCs, though. They get on the ship to solve the case. 

As always, the mystery is dark and deals with some disturbing themes. There are enough suspects to keep guessing about who, what, and why. I did figure out eventually, and it makes sense (even the questions raised). 

Also, it was a relief to see the MCs work together on a case and have equal roles in the process. Not to mention, the time spent away from the house and patient was the change we readers desperately needed. 

I’m starting to get a bit annoyed with a side character I previously liked, so I hope there’s redemption for them in the next book, along with the much-needed development for the main characters. 

I’d say the fight scene was wonderfully done. I could visualize it easily! 

To summarize, Murder on the Prince Regent redeems itself after the stagnancy in the previous book and presents an intriguing case to solve. Now, I expect the series to maintain its momentum. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Strom Publishing, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderOnThePrinceRegent