"Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!"
Book Details:
Author: Charles Finch
Series: Charles Lenox series (Since, it's the prequel & Lenox's first case, it possesses no prob to those unfamiliar with the series)
Genres: Mystery & Thrillers
Page Count: ___
Publisher: Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press
To be Published: 20 February, 2018
Blurb:
This chilling new mystery in the USA Today bestselling series by Charles Finch takes readers back to Charles Lenox’s very first case and the ruthless serial killer who would set him on the course to become one of London’s most brilliant detectives. London, 1850: A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective…without a single case. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime—and promising to kill again—Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself. The writer’s first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islets in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer’s sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse. In the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, this newest mystery in the Charles Lenox series pits the young detective against a maniacal murderer who would give Professor Moriarty a run for his money.
My Review:
~~~May contain spoilers~~~
I love me a good detective story and this one was really good, if not the best sleuthing story I've read. A truly classic whodunit scenario book. I give this book 4/5 stars.
Finch has such an understated style of writing with a wry sense of humour. He is able to vividly capture the characters and settings around them and bring it all to life. I felt like I'm right there, experiencing the Victorian world with the characters. The thing I love the most about historical fiction is the sprinkling of historical tidbits throughout the text. Here, Finch has added quite a few interesting tidbits and blended them well into the plot so that they don't feel out of place- hippopotamus who recently arrived from Egypt, origin of the name of Scotland Yard, introduction of Safety matches, Currer Bell's novel, etc. I loved the little quirks the author gave each of the characters.
There were 2 dialogues that caught my attention the most:-
Lenox’ irritation at the headline—“Nevertheless, the headline had managed an error in its scant seven words. On the Thames River – doubtful, Lenox thought, that anyone had been murdered on the Thames River.” It caught my attention because I too had thought the same thing and when he pointed it out, I felt amused.
"The hardest part of losing a person,Charles, is that grief is only an absence, there is nowhere to go to touch it." An extremely profound quote from Charles' father which left me in deep thought.
The character of Lenox was an interesting one. He appeared to be at odds with his normal customs of his period. As a gentleman-detective, he was a source of mockery at the Scotland Yard as well as the aristocratic circle. What I found a bit odd was that he was 23 yet he didn't have any significant responsibility yet; I'm not well aware with Victorian England customs but this just struck me as odd. Nevertheless, I admired the energy and eagerness, he devoted to solving the mysteries and his determination to become detective without a salary at Scotland Yard. Since he was young and inexperienced, he didn't have a set method and just doggedly went along searching and researching through a hit and trial method. This is also partly the reason I liked this book- I have never before came across a detective series which was helmed by an inexperienced adult protagonist.
The side characters were also quite good. The bond of love within the Lenox family was heartwarming. The housekeeper, Mrs. Huggins was exasperating as well as funny. Jane/Elizabeth gave me mixed vibes; not yet a fan of her. The members of Scotland Yard were also aptly portrayed. Graham, with his quiet demeanor and sharp mind, was easily my favourite side character.
The plot was such that it was quite hard to put the story down. The murder part was interesting and engrossing but the emotional aspect of the story drew my attention. This led me to miss some quite subtle clues which later proved important. The culprit reveal was quite the surprise. Although I was a bit put out by the incomplete resolution(the culprit not getting caught), I think it makes room for this thread to be revisited in the books of the main series.
Now, regarding the title. While reading, I had wondered why the title said - The Woman in the Water, not The Women in the Water but after everything regarding the mysteries was made clear, the title became clear to me too.
Final Thoughts:
Highly recommended for fans of historical mysteries.
