I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion.
I have never read a Charles Finch novel, and so have no prior knowledge as to his series about Charles Lenox, London detective. In the fourteenth installment of the series, Lenox is asked by the Prime Minister to go traveling abroad after he successfully uncovered corruption at the heart of Scotland Yard. Agreeing to the request, Lenox finds himself traveling to Newport where he is later to be asked to investigate a murder. A young beautiful debutante is found at the bottom of a cliff. Lenox must determine which of her friends and/or beaus is the killer hiding behind American elitism.
I typically love historical mysteries (Sherlock Holmes being my favorite), but there was something about this novel that prevented me from loving it. Whether it was the unnecessary mentions of the Civil War that had no bearing on the crime or the characters, or the slow pace of the main character, I found reading this very difficult. Charles Lenox also seemed very unsure of what he wanted at that point in his life. It almost felt as if he was in the beginning stages to a mid-life crisis.
The blurb for the story was a bit off as I expected more of a fight with the locals to accept murder. Instead, they all seemed to embrace murder over suicide. There was also the matter that Lenox's family did not play a part in the novel as anything more than casual mentions. With the historical aspects of society being such a prevailing factor in the plot, I would have expected more from his family, particularly his wife.
Overall I rate this novel 3 out 5 stars. I may at some point decided to read this series from the beginning, but for now I am content to try other novels first.
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