Tag: Charles Finch

The Last Passenger by Charles Finch

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Last PassengerBarbara’s Rating 4.5 of 5
Series: Charles Lenox Mysteries #0.3
Publication Date: 2/18/20
Number of Pages: 304

Charles Finch is back with the third, and I believe final, prequel to the Charles Lenox Mysteries series – and I think this might be my favorite. We have a well-crafted mystery that involves two continents and some really vile villains. We also get to know and like Lady Jane’s husband and a young Charles falls in love. Add in tragedy and misery and goodness – there is everything you could possibly want in this book.

In October of 1855, it seems that all of his friends and relatives – at his mother’s behest – are trying to get Charles married off. Charles doesn’t have a particular objection to marriage, he just hadn’t really considered it. He’s been busy developing his chosen career as a private detective. Although the rest of the aristocracy looks down upon him for that choice, he still can’t give it up.

Lenox was sitting in his study playing chess with his neighbor – Jane’s husband, Lord Deere – when he received a visit from Inspector Hemstock of Scotland Yard. Hemstock is disinterested and inept and is asking Charles to accompany him to Paddington Station where there has been a murder.

Thus began an intriguing mystery that is filled with twists and turns. Just when you (and Charles) think you have it all figured out, the clues take off in another direction. The victim was horribly murdered and anything that could possibly identify him had been removed from the body. So, not only do they have a murder, they don’t know who the victim is nor any clues to help identify him.

Charles pursues his investigation even though some in Scotland Yard want him to leave it alone and are really irate when he seems to be the only one who is finding any clues. When Charles identifies the victim and his mission in England, the investigation takes off in a whole new direction. When Charles finds additional victims, he finds himself in danger as well.

I loved getting to spend time with Jane’s husband and getting to know him better. He was such a sweet and honorable man that you can easily see how Jane came to love him. Charles also spent some time falling in love, but – well – I never did come to understand her at all.

This was an intriguing and mystifying read and I loved every page. I hope you will as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Vanishing Man: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series (Charles Lenox Mysteries prequel 2)The Vanishing Man: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series by Charles Finch

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Charles Lenox Mysteries – Prequel #2
Publication Date: 2/19/19
Number of Pages: 304

The Vanishing Man is a wonderful addition to the Prequel series for Charles Lenox Mysteries and it is set three years after the first of the prequel novels A Woman In The Water. As always, it is well-written and well-plotted. I have read all of the books in the Charles Lenox series and it is nice to now go back in time and meet a younger and more unsure Charles who is just feeling his way into his chosen profession. The author does an excellent job of putting you in that time and place and making you feel the censure Charles gets from his peers for choosing that profession. While the mystery is excellent, two of my favorite things had nothing to do with it – one was the excellent outline of the British peerage, it was excellently done, and another was learning the origins of some words like ‘tips’ and ‘clue’. I might also add that if I were just newly coming to this series now, I would prefer to read the prequels before starting on the series itself. For one thing, the travel back in time is a bit of a shock to the system and it is bittersweet to get to know some people when you already know what their future holds.

In this book, Charles is still fairly melancholy and missing his father a lot. The author did an excellent job of putting you in Charles’ place and making you understand his grief and loss. Charles also does a bit of pining for what might have been between him and Jane. On a lighter note, I absolutely loved Charles’ young cousin, Lancelot, who was staying with him over the two-week term break at Eton. There is a scene in there between Lancelot and the Duke of Dorset that will have you in stitches!

Charles still hasn’t decided what to call himself – Private Investigator – Private Detective – he just can’t decide and since there are no others like him, it is up to him. Since his last case, things have been pretty slow for Charles – and then he gets a summons from the Duke of Dorset. So, things are looking up.

Charles arrives at the Duke’s home and is taken directly to the duke’s private-private study (you’ll understand when you read the book) where the duke tells him that there has been a robbery and he wants Charles to solve it. A painting with little value has been stolen from the room they are in, but the duke is convinced that the thief got the wrong painting. There is a priceless painting hanging directly beside the one that was stolen and the duke is sure that is the one the thieves wanted. After hearing the entire tale, Charles isn’t so sure that the thieves took the wrong painting. What was surprising was that the duke was only interested in the name of the thief, he wasn’t interested at all in recovering the painting.

Charles is busy trying to track down the painting when the duke is kidnapped and a ransom demand is left behind. Now, Charles has two mysteries to solve! Then – there is a murder and Charles has three cases to juggle. It will take all of his investigational skills and observational skills to figure out what is happening. He also meets Thaddeus Bonden who is famed for ‘finding’ things and Bonden agrees to help and to mentor Charles in some skills Charles feels he is lacking.

There is excellent character development from the first book to this one and it is nice to be able to explore the early relationships between Charles and his brother as well as Charles and Lady Jane. The love between Charles and his brother, Edwin, is plain to see and I enjoyed their interactions. All of the relationships in Charles’ life – Edwin, Graham, Mrs. Huggins, Lady Jane – are all rich, charming and funny. Then you add in the mischievous Lancelot into the mix and you have some lovely light moments that alleviate those darker ones.

I love Charles’ continuing pursuit of knowledge in the field of his craft. Part of that pursuit causes him to visit bedlam weekly to speak with criminally insane inmates. He wants to understand the criminal mind. Charles is insatiably curious about almost everything and that all goes a long way to help him develop the necessary skills he needs.

I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is very well written and the research is impeccable. You feel as if you are in that place and time along with the characters in the book. Well done Mr. Finch.

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”