An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch

Overview:

On a spring morning in London, 1875, Charles Lenox agrees to take time away from his busy schedule as a Member of Parliament to meet an old protégé's client at Charing Cross. But when their cryptic encounter seems to lead, days later, to the murder of an innocuous country squire, this fast favor draws Lenox inexorably back into his old profession.

Soon he realizes that, far from concluding the murderer's business, this body is only the first step in a cruel plan, many years in the plotting. Where will he strike next? The answer, Lenox learns with slowly dawning horror, may be at the very heart of England's monarchy.

Ranging from the slums of London to the city's corridors of power, the newest Charles Lenox novel bears all of this series' customary wit, charm, and trickery—a compulsive escape to a different time.

My Review:

This is the 7th book in the Charles Lenox series and if you read my review on the 6th book, you'll know that I was quite unhappy with the direction the series was going.  I also said that because I had already purchased the rest of the series, I would continue to read them, but they weren't a priority.  Well, I already finished the June pick of the Novel Adventures Book Club (review at the end of the month) so I figured I would give this series another try and I am glad I did.

This book finally gets back (almost) to why I enjoyed this series so much in the first place.  It was a good mystery and Charles spent way more time on it than he did his parliamentary duties.  There was also a significant drop off in his and Jane's ridiculous infatuation with their daughter.  She was more of a very-in-the-background character and I liked that.  She's there but not intrusive which is how it should be at this point.  

Anyway, as far as the story goes, I enjoyed that Dallington played a much bigger role and another character was added that I like very much and hope to see more of in future books.  The plot was interesting but could have been just a bit tighter and the pacing was just a tad too slow, with too much unnecessary detail in some places but overall, it was intriguing.  

The ending happened way sooner than it should have, as there were several chapters afterwards that just went through explaining things.  It would have been much better to have them as part of the action instead.  I understand why it had to be done the way it was, because it was Dallington who had to take care of that particular part but the series isn't written in first person so I don't see why we couldn't have followed him along during that journey but that is really a minor gripe.

Overall, I enjoyed this book much better and if the ending of this one is any indication, I think I will enjoy diving back into this series but I will keep you updated.

A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch

Overview:

Charles Lenox is at the pinnacle of his political career and is a delighted new father. His days of regularly investigating the crimes of Victorian London now some years behind him, he plans a trip to his uncle's estate, Somerset, in the expectation of a few calm weeks to write an important speech. When he arrives in the quiet village of Plumbley, however, what greets him is a series of strange vandalisms upon the local shops: broken windows, minor thefts, threatening scrawls.

Only when a far more serious crime is committed does he begin to understand the great stakes of those events, and the complex and sinister mind that is wreaking fear and suspicion in Plumbley. Now, with his protege, John Dallington, at his side, the race is on for Lenox to find the culprit before he strikes again. And this time his victim may be someone that Lenox loves. 

My Review:

It has been quite some time since I last read a book in the Charles Lenox Mystery series by Charles Finch.  I was so disappointed in the last one that I put down the series for several years before finally picking it up again to see if distance would improve my thoughts.  Unfortunately, it didn't.  

In this book, Charles has been chosen to give a key speech in front of Parliament but with all the interruptions from people telling him what to include, he decides to escape with Jane and their daughter Sophia to the country estate of his uncle where he can write and think in peace and solitude.  When he arrives, however, he learns there has been a series of incidents that he initially brushes off as just local boys playing pranks but when a police constable is murdered, Charles realizes there is more going on and decides to help solve the murder.

It sounded like an exciting plot but it was clumsily done and very easy to figure out early on what was happening.  That in itself wouldn't normally be enough to turn me off because I enjoy the escape that reading provides but I just can't get past the character issues.  Charles obviously misses being a detective and it's absolutely Jane's fault that he can't pursue his passion because she thinks it is beneath their station.  That makes her a very ugly person because she has known him from a very young age and knew that he loved detecting just to help those who are considered inferior and have no legal recourse of their own.  She married him anyway and then proceeded to take away the very thing that made him who he was.  He is plainly miserable and that really comes through the pages.  

I also don't like the way Charles acts so stupid over his daughter Sophia.  It's very unrealistic for that time period and while I could forgive that, he just goes way overboard with it.  

I also wish that Dallington was more involved.  I like him and want to see more of him.  Since Charles is no longer allowed to be a detective, perhaps Mr. Finch would continue the series with Dallington.  I want to read about murder mysteries in Victorian England - not about a main character who is clearly miserable with his Parliamentary career and over-the-top enthused about his child.  

I never like my reviews to be so totally negative.  There's usually something I like about every book I review and if not, I generally don't post about it.  That being said, I am seeing a trend that I don't like in the mystery genre and am having a really hard time finding books that are engaging, suspenseful, historically accurate, and worth my time.  

Have you read this series?  What did you think?  Am I being too harsh or not critical enough?  Let me know in the comments below.  Also, I am totally open to suggestions for other books to read.  

To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

Overview:

From the Gilded Age until 1914, more than 100 American heiresses invaded Britannia and swapped dollars for titles—just like Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, the first of the Downton Abbey characters Julian Fellowes was inspired to create after reading To Marry An English Lord. Filled with vivid personalities, gossipy anecdotes, grand houses, and a wealth of period details—plus photographs, illustrations, quotes, and the finer points of Victorian and Edwardian etiquette—To Marry An English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible.

My Review:

In a bit of a departure from my normal murder mystery book reviews, this is instead a work of non-fiction.  With degrees in History and Anthropology, I have a passion for all things history and British – especially the Victorian era – and this book combines both. 

This book tells the stories of the American Heiresses like Consuelo Vanderbilt and Jennie Jerome who ended up marrying into the elite of British Society.  Consuelo married the Duke of Marlborough and Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill and gave birth to Winston Churchill.  There are numerous others named but those are the two names most people will be familiar with. 

These marriages were considered good matches all around as the impoverished British Peerage needed the money and the American Aristocrats wanted the titles.  On paper it was a win-win for everyone except the poor women who were basically auctioned off to the highest title holder. 

The one complaint I have about the book is how it is laid out.  There are numerous one- to two- page spreads of additional information such as styles of architecture or the various types of what the authors call Wall Street Fathers. These spreads occur throughout the book and usually in the middle of a chapter so you have to thumb through the additions to finish the main section you were reading.  It is a little distracting and would be better to have these either at the end or beginning of each section.  Once you finish the paragraph or section of the main story, you are forced to backtrack to the “secondary” sections. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it, especially if you were a fan of the PBS show Downton Abbey as the creator of that show, Julian Fellowes, took his inspiration from this book.  

Where the Dead Lie by C.S. Harris

 

 

Overview:

 

In the latest mystery from the national bestselling author of When Falcons Fall, the gruesome murder of a young boy takes Sebastian St. Cyr from the gritty streets of London to the glittering pleasure haunts of the aristocracy...

London, 1813. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is no stranger to the dark side of the city, but he’s never seen anything like this: the brutalized body of a fifteen-year-old boy dumped into a makeshift grave on the grounds of an abandoned factory.

One of London’s many homeless children, Benji Thatcher was abducted and tortured before his murder—and his younger sister is still missing. Few in authority care about a street urchin’s fate, but Sebastian refuses to let this killer go unpunished.

Uncovering a disturbing pattern of missing children, Sebastian is drawn into a shadowy, sadistic world. As he follows a grim trail that leads from the writings of the debauched Marquis de Sade to the city’s most notorious brothels, he comes to a horrifying realization: someone from society’s upper echelon is preying upon the city’s most vulnerable. And though dark, powerful forces are moving against him, Sebastian will risk his reputation and his life to keep more innocents from harm...

My Review:

This is already the 12^th book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series and it just keeps getting better with each new edition.

The main plot of the story this time involves the brutal abduction and torture of Benji Thatcher.  When it is learned his little sister Sybil is missing, Sebastian begins an investigation that reveals multiple children have come up missing – all of them street urchins that no one cares about.  Being a new father, Sebastian’s heart breaks at the thought of the children being gone and probably dead with not a single person to care besides himself and his wife Hero.

At the heart of the mystery are the pornographic writings of the Marquis de Sade which are being secretly read and recreated by the most elite of society.  The Marquis lived from 1740 – 1814 and was notorious for his erotic works, most of which were quite violent in content.  Right after his death, his son had all unpublished manuscripts burned and the family was forbidden to talk about him until the late 1940s.

In addition to the main story, there are several subplots interwoven like only Harris can do without the whole story becoming a muddled mess.  One is the on-going conflict between Sebastian and his father-in-law Charles, Lord Jarvis who is the power behind the throne.  I have no doubt that eventually it will come down to one eliminating the other and it will be interesting to see which side Hero comes down on.  Her character is developing nicely but not as fast as I would like and though I understand her softening since getting married and having a baby, I don’t want to see her lose her strength and fight that have been a hallmark since she was introduced.

The other storyline that is progressing throughout all the books is Sebastian’s search for his mother.  I find this to be very interesting and wish Harris would make it more of a focal point instead of just dribbling a few sentences in each book.  It is moving way too slowly and is starting to get annoying.  It almost feels like the author hasn’t quite decided where to go with it yet so is just sprinkling in little bits at a time so readers don’t forget about it.

In the end, it is an excellent book in a fantastic series and I can’t wait for the next one.  It is called “Why Kill the Innocent” and is scheduled for release on April 3, 2018.  I noticed Barnes and Noble is already taking pre-orders so if you love this series as much as I do, I highly recommend you put your order in now!

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson

 

Overview:

As a midwife in turn-of-the-century New York, Sarah Brandt has seen pain and joy. Now she will work for something more--a search for justice--in a case of murder involving one of New York's richest families.

My Review:

This is the first book in the Gaslight Mystery series and though it was published in 1999 and I have had it on my shelf for years, I am just now getting around to reading it.  Not because I didn't think it would be good but because I prefer my historical mysteries set in Georgian or Victorian England.  Now I could kick myself for wasting so much time in getting started with this series.

Set in turn-of-the-century New York, we are introduced to Sarah Brandt who is a midwife.  While visiting a patient following the delivery, Sarah learns that a young boarder has been murdered.  Sarah had seen her the night before while delivering her patient's baby and thought the girl looked familiar.  It turns out to be the younger sister of one of her old friends.

Sarah had been raised in high society but chose to defy the conventions of the day by not only marrying a doctor, but also by becoming a midwife.  He died (murdered as we find out later) and Sarah is left to make her own way in the world.  When she is approached by the Detective in charge Frank Malloy to examine the body, Sarah discovers she indeed knows the girl and is determined to help find her killer.  

I loved the juxtaposition of Sarah and Frank.  He is immediately prejudiced against her when he learns she is high-born but also has a grudging respect for her when he learns how she defied society to follow her heart.  He also knows that she will be invaluable in helping him gain access to places he would otherwise be banned from.  He resents this but his sense of justice prevails and he cautiously accepts her help.

The characters are realistic and I found myself drawn to all of them and that doesn't happen very often.  I enjoyed the bitterness of Frank, especially as I learned more about him throughout the book, as well as the determination of Sarah.   

The setting was rich in detail and I was easily caught up in that world.  As a historian by trade and education, I know that though mostly accurate, there were some discrepancies but it didn't distract me from the book.  A lot of times, authors will add in modern elements such as a turn of phrase just so the reader can get a better understanding of what a character is thinking and while some readers don't like that, I really don't mind.  It wasn't so egregious that I felt it took me out of the setting and I'm willing to overlook some of that if it helps progress the story.

The plot is well thought out and though it isn't difficult to figure out the murderer, there is an unexpected twist that you really don't see coming - something that is lacking in a lot of mysteries these days.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am on the hunt for the next one in the series.