Praise for Under a Veiled Moon
“An exceptional sequel to Down a Dark River … Odden never strikes a false note, and she combines a sympathetic lead with a twisty plot grounded in the British politics of the day and peopled with fully fleshed-out characters. Fans of Lyndsay Faye’s Gods of Gotham trilogy will be enthralled.” –Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
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Under a Veiled Moon
Praise for Karen’s Books
The tragic crash of the Princess Alice makes for a thrilling set piece in the triumphant return of Inspector Michael Corravan. When the disaster is dubbed an act of terrorism, the Irish-born Corravan goes back to his old neighborhood of Whitechapel to investigate. He finds "the Chapel" much changed by gangs, prejudice, and violence which threatens to engulf the people he loves and the city of London itself. Rich in emotion and historical detail, Under a Veiled Moon is a brilliant tale of the dark, thorny places where the personal and the political intertwine.
...this thrilling, action-packed story [is] an absolute delight to read.
Odden’s third effort injects a refreshing level of complexity, both in character development and plotting, into what one typically expects to find in historical cozies. This will appeal to fans of Victorian mysteries, as well as those interested in art history. Rich in emotion and historical detail
An Absolute Delight to Read!
A Refreshing Level of Complexity
Karen’s Previous Novels
About Karen

Karen Odden received her Ph.D. in English from New York University in 2001, writing her dissertation on Victorian literature. Subsequently, she taught at UW-Milwaukee and edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture. When she finally turned to writing fiction, she set all her novels in her beloved 1870s London. Her first mystery, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller. Her fourth, Down a Dark River, was an Oprah Daily pick; and the sequel, Under a Veiled Moon was nominated for the Lefty, Agatha, and Anthony Awards for Best Historical Mystery. Her sixth novel, An Artful Dodge, about an all-women thieving gang in 1879 London, is forthcoming from Soho Crime in June 2026.
Since 2019, Karen has offered over 40 writing workshops for libraries, professional groups, and conferences, and she has received awards and grants for her work to promote literacy and support the writing community. Karen serves on the national board of Sisters in Crime, reviews books for Publishers Weekly, and divides her time between Arizona and Utah, where she loves to hike while plotting crimes. Read More
Latest Blog
- My New Writing Practice: Poetry as Pre-GameA few weeks ago, I was looking over a new manuscript I’m working on (a literary murder mystery mashup of the Victorian novel Vanity Fair, which I’m co-writing … Continue reading “My New Writing Practice: Poetry as Pre-Game”




