Agatha Award for best new mystery nominee 2007
One of Library Journal's Best Books of 2007
In this his first novel, Charles
Finch introduces the reader to Charles Lenox, an amateur detective in Victorian
London. Charles is the wealthy younger brother of a baronet who likes nothing more
than dry feet and relaxing by the fire with his tea and his books. But he can’t
help himself when an opportunity to investigate presents itself. Lenox is aided
in these investigations by a host of characters including his brother Edmund,
his best friend Lady Jane Grey, his assistant and friend Dr. Thomas McConnell,
and his faithful butler Graham.
In A Beautiful Blue Death,
the investigation begins when Lady Jane requests Lenox’s aid in discovering how
a former maid died while working in another household. Lenox discovers he is
dealing with a murder by poison rather than suicide and we are introduced to a plethora
of potential suspects. Like any good mystery writer, Finch drops small clues throughout
the book, some relevant, others misdirects.
The book’s characters are fully developed,
and you’ll feel you actually know them.
The same attention to detail is given to the customs, events, buildings,
and neighborhoods of historical London.
If you are familiar with the city, you can travel along with Lenox
during his investigation. Some might find the book slow going because of all the detail but I appreciated it. If you are looking for a fast read, this is not it.
Currently there are 14 Charles
Lenox Mysteries. I’ve already started book #2, which takes place at Oxford.
3.63 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon
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