Synopses & Reviews
Called “absorbing” (Publishers Weekly) and “beguiling” (The New York Times Book Review), The Fleet Street Murders finds gentleman detective Charles Lenox investigating the mysterious, simultaneous deaths of two veteran newspapermen, while engaged in a heated race for Parliament.
Its Christmas, 1866, and amateur sleuth Charles Lenox, recently engaged to his best friend, Lady Jane Grey, is happily celebrating the holiday in his Mayfair townhouse. Across London, however, two journalists have just met with violent deaths—one shot, one throttled. Lenox soon involves himself in the strange case, but must leave it behind to go north to Stirrington, where he is running for Parliament. Once there, he gets a further shock when Lady Jane sends him a letter whose contents may threaten their nuptials.
In London, the police apprehend two unlikely and unrelated murder suspects. From the start, Lenox has his doubts; the crimes, he is sure, are tied. But how? Racing back and forth between London and Stirrington, Lenox must negotiate the complexities of crime and politics, not to mention his imperiled engagement. But as the case mounts, Lenox learns that the person behind the murders may be closer to him—and his beloved—than he knows.
Review
Advance Praise for The Fleet Street Murders:
“Deftly plotted and richly detailed, The Fleet Street Murders is a taut Victorian thriller delivered from the pen of a master.” —Deanna Raybourn, author of SILENT ON THE MOOR
“Somewhere in detective heaven, Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey are already preparing a glass of hot whisky for Mr. Charles Lenox . This suave and flinty sleuth has a gorgeously dangerous future ahead of him, and so do lovers of Victorian mysteries. I can't wait to see where Charles Finch takes us next.” —Louis Bayard, author of THE BLACK TOWER
“Charles Finch has mastered the art of transporting his readers back in time. The Fleet Street Murders is intelligent, rich with detail, and full of suspense—a delightful read!” —Tasha Alexander, author of Tears of Pearl
Praise for The September Society:
“Even the most astute reader will be guessing to the end. Another triumph.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“An intriguing glimpse of student life at Oxford during the mid-Victoria era with a sleuth to rival Sherlock Holmes, only with more foibles and warmth than the original.” —Rhys Bowen, author of Royal Flush
“Combines the sensibilities of Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy L. Sayers with the creative talents of its young author…. An all-around winner.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
Praise for A Beautiful Blue Death:
“A fine specimen of the genre…. Particularly good is [Finchs] delineation of Lenox's cozy-but-proper relationship with Lady Jane.” —Washington Post
“The best sort of historical mystery—clever, charming, full of period detail, and a delight to read.” —David Liss, author of The Devils Company
“What a delight this book is!” —Louise Penny, author of The Cruelest Month
Review
“A beguiling Victorian mystery [with] an amiable gentleman sleuth cut from the same fine English broadcloth as Dorothy L. Sayerss Lord Peter Wimsey.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“Deftly plotted and richly detailed, The Fleet Street Murders is a taut Victorian thriller delivered from the pen of a master.” —Deanna Raybourn, author of Silent on the Moor
“Somewhere in detective heaven, Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey are already preparing a glass of hot whiskey for Mr. Charles Lenox. This suave and flinty sleuth has a gorgeously dangerous future ahead of him, and so do lovers of Victorian mysteries.” —Louis Bayard, author of The Black Tower
“This third entry in Finchs series shows the author at his confident best, with a well-conceived story [and] an honorable and amiable hero.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A charming and intelligent mystery series. . . . Finch effortlessly evokes a tone fitting the Victorian times, and that is a large part of his novels charm.” —The Oregonian
Synopsis
The sitting room looked as familiar as the back of his hand, and immediately Lenox took a liking to the young man who inhabited it. He saw several small artifacts of the missing student's life---a frayed piece of string about two feet long of the sort you might bind a package with, half of a pulpy fried tomato, which was too far from the breakfast table to have been dropped, a fountain pen, and lastly, a card which said on the front The September Society. . . .
In the small hours of the morning one fall day in 1866, a frantic widow visits detective Charles Lenox. Lady Annabelle's problem is simple: her beloved son, George, has vanished from his room at Oxford. When Lenox visits his alma mater to investigate, he discovers a series of bizarre clues, including a murdered cat and a card cryptically referring to the September Society.
Then, just as Lenox realizes that the case may be deeper than it appears, a student dies, the victim of foul play.
What could the September Society have to do with it? What specter, returned from the past, is haunting gentle Oxford? Lenox, with the support of his devoted friends in London's upper crust, must race to discover the truth before it comes searching for him, and dangerously close to home.
Synopsis
The Agatha-nominated Charles Lenox series returns with the gentleman detective investigating the violent murders of two reporters.
Synopsis
The third book in the Charles Lenox series finds the gentleman detective trying to balance a heated race for Parliament with the investigation of the mysterious simultaneous deaths of two veteran reporters.
Its Christmas, 1866, and amateur sleuth Charles Lenox, recently engaged to his best friend, Lady Jane Grey, is happily celebrating the holiday in his Mayfair townhouse. Across London, however, two journalists have just met with violent deaths--one shot, one throttled. Lenox soon involves himself in the strange case, which proves only more complicated as he digs deeper. However, he must leave it behind to go north to Stirrington, where he is fulfilling a lifelong dream: running for a Parliamentary seat. Once there, he gets a further shock when Lady Jane sends him a letter whose contents might threaten their nuptials.
In London, the police apprehend two unlikely and unrelated murder suspects. From the start, Lenox has his doubts; the crimes, he is sure, are tied, but how? Racing back and forth between London and Stirrington, Lenox must negotiate the complexities of crime and politics, not to mention his imperiled engagement. As the case mounts, Lenox learns that the person behind the murders might be closer to him--and his beloved--than he knows.
Synopsis
Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as "highly atmospheric" (
New York Times Book Review) "remarkable" (
Richmond Times-Dispatch) and "satisyfyingly meaty."(
Guardian, UK) Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.
Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson--the married father of her daughter, Kate--does not help. The bones turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret which the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?
About the Author
Charles Finch is a graduate of Yale and Oxford. He is the author of the Charles Lenox mysteries, including The September Society and A Stranger in Mayfair. His first novel, A Beautiful Blue Death, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of Library Journals Best Books of 2007, one of only five mystery novels on the list. He lives in Oxford, England.