I considered Except the Dying a dark mystery. It takes place in Toronto in 1895. The townspeople come across as cold as the Canadian winter it occurs in. Detective Murdoch is trying to solve the crime of a young maid found frozen to death and he doesn’t seem to be getting much help. 

This is the first in the series. Maureen Jennings is a gifted writer. Her characters conversations made me feel a part of the story. The author has an ability to shock her readers at some points in her story and there was a couple of points in the first three of four chapters in which I was ready to bail. But, I stayed with it to try and solve the mystery. I would consider it a mature theme mystery. 

Ms. Jennings has given us an interesting new series. I think because of the way it is written and set up it would do even better as a movie.