Review - The Hidden City

I have only read and reviewed two prior books in this series, which is a mystery in itself since I enjoyed them immensely and intended on reading more in this series.  So many books, too little time I guess.

#3:  The Fleet Street Murders (click here) 

Prequel: The Woman in the Water (click here) 

Author: Charles Finch

Copyright: Nov 2025 (Minotaur Books) 275 pgs

Series: 15th in Charles Lennox Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical cozy, traditional detective

Main Character: Charles Lennox, upper-class Consulting Detective 

Setting: 1879, Victorian London, England

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. When Lenox finds a similar mark at the site of another murder, he begins to piece together a hidden pattern which leads him into the corridors of Parliament, the slums of East London, and ultimately the very heart of the British upper class.

At the same time, Lenox must contend with the complexities of his personal life: a surprising tension with his steadfast wife, Lady Jane, over her public support of the early movement for women's suffrage; the arrival of Angela Lenox, a mysterious young cousin from India, with an unexpected companion; the dizzying ascent of his brother, Sir Edmund Lenox, to one of the highest political posts in the land; the growing family of his young partners in detection, Polly and Dallington; and the return of the problems that have long bedeviled one of his closest friends, the dashing Scottish physician Thomas McConnell."

My Thoughts:

This is a great escapist novel to leave twenty-first century drama and crisis behind for a few hours.  I usually don't comment on the writing style, but Charles Finch has a flare for writing this era and making the sentences flow with ease like a refreshing breeze. 

Lenox is recovering from a near-death stabbing with lingering pain and emotional trauma. This novel presents him with a case that helps him work through some of that while his personal life sees changes, too,

Lady Jane is an outspoken and very public supporter of women's Suffrage, which is causing a stir among fellow high society members. Lennox is worried about the physical threats bubbling up against the movement.

Angela Lenox, twenty-year old second-cousin who's father, Charles' cousin Jasper, died of cholera and left her alone in the world with only her lifelong close friend Sari. Charles was declared her legal guardian in the will. Angela infuses the Lennox household with some new blood and a youthful touch as Charles and Lady Jane are getting older.

Sari is native to India and was raised much like a sister to Angela and they both refuse to be parted. Angela traded in her 1st class ticket to afford 3rd class tickets for both to travel to England.  Sari is warmly accepted by the Charles and Lady Jane. Sari also brings some diversity and a freshness to the story. It isn't a reach since there were a few thousand from India residing in England at the time, either sailors, students, or professionals like lawyers and doctors. 

Lenox receives a letter requesting help from his beloved old housekeeper, Mrs. Huggins. She is living in a house that had an unsolved murder of an apothecary occur inside its walls and now she is uncomfortable by a vagrant sleeping on her doorway and odd occurrences. Lenox discovers an unusual symbol carved into Mrs. Huggins' doorway. That symbol connects the unsolved murder of the apothecary seven years ago to a new murder.  

This drags Lenox out of his general disinterest in cases since his injury and back into exercising his talents.  The subplot of the new family situation gets him out of the doldrums in his private/emotional life because family (Mrs. Huggins included) are paramount for him and the exact medicine he needed.

Lenox investigates the cold case that leads him through East London slums, Parliament, and elite social circles. Author Charles Finch does such a sensational job of researching and re-creating Victorian life in London with his attention to era details. 

The killer reveal doesn't follow the usual conventions. There is no tense confrontation or dangerous chase, which follows the overall reflective and more literary vibe of the novel. This also made portions seem a bit slower than expected for the series. I enjoyed this novel, but it won't be to everyone's taste. If you are a fan of the series you need to read this.  I wouldn't recommend this novel in the series if you are new to it. 

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

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Review - Study in Scarlet Women

Sherry Thomas is an acclaimed romance author - regularly receiving starred reviews from trade publications. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® Award.  

It is a supreme challenge to come up with a new angle for a Sherlock novel, let alone pull any new attempt off successfully.  Ms. Thomas has ventured out from the romance genre and devised and brilliant angle - that Sherlock was actually a woman and she used different methods to conceal it, the stories written by sidekick Watson being only one trick.

Author: Sherry Thomas

Copyright: Oct 2016 (Berkley) 336 pgs

Series: 1st in Lady Sherlock Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild - Adult topics discussed

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Charlotte Holmes, disgraced upper class woman who creates the Sherlock Holmes identity

Setting: 1886, Devonshire and London England

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

From the cover: "With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.

But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind."

Charlotte Holmes is blond, pretty, feminine, and too smart to be accepted easily in society. Olivia is her loving sister who knows her better than any other. Mrs. John Watson, a retired stage actress initially employs Charlotte as a ladies' companion but quickly becomes her sidekick. Lord Ingram Ashburton, a long time friend and first love, is the go-between for "Sherlock" and a police inspector.  Inspector Robert Treadles is a fan of Sherlock and his advice on several cases, but the case of three society deaths makes him want to consult with Sherlock in person.

In 1886 women were still expected to marry and produce children and weren't considered suited for deep thought or much past a simple painting and playing the piano. Into this setting Charlotte hits the scene with a whip sharp intellect, little desire for domesticity, and little regard for societal mores limiting her.  The setting is the era and it's impact that fashions a lovely - even cherubic looking woman - into the legendary Sherlock. 

The plot is mainly the making of Sherlock with a tantalizing murder mystery to show us how Charlotte deducts and leads the police while maintaining her cover as Sherlock.  The murder is clever and likely wouldn't have been uncovered or even suspected as a murder, if it weren't for Charlotte.  The pacing picks up once Charlotte finds Watson, so the beginning sets the stage.

You likely know how I love a suspenseful killer confrontation, but this was a killer reveal that explains the three deaths and the understanding is such a twist that it serves as it's own suspense.  The wrap-up introduces the re-imagined Moriarty that promises more twists on the established Sherlock mythos.  

This story is pure genius.  Charlotte is so counter to the image of Sherlock and yet it works beautifully.  I feel as though Ms. Thomas, to whom English is a second language, was born to write this and it will be her crowning character and series.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Couldn't put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend. 

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I have written and published my first cozy mystery - Iced (Resort to Murder #1) by Avery Daniels is on pre-sale for a whopping low price of .99. This low price will be for a limited time only.  The official release day is May 31st. 

ICED
Julienne has her ideal job as an event planner at a prestigious resort. During a luncheon event she coordinated, a renowned celebrity pastor is killed next to the buffet. All eyes turn to her as the suspect. If she wants to stay out of jail or even keep her job, Julienne needs all the help she can get to solve the crime. 

She has her work cut out for her with a vengeful high school rival now reporter, the public demanding she be fired, plus family who knows what's best for her, and a boyfriend who doesn't understand her. She turns to friends and a new ally to uncover who wanted to put the pastor on ice. 

Julienne goes undercover and investigates a local swingers group as she follows the trail of clues before they go cold. Can she gather enough suspects and motives to convince the police to her widen their investigation? Can she do it before the killer sets his murderous sights on her? Will her personal life ever be as simple as unveiling a murderer?

Preorder the kindle edition for .99 (click here.)  
Print book and audio is due shortly, I will include link then.


Oh, and if you have a blog and would like to do a spotlight or a review, just leave me a comment.

Non-fiction Agatha Award and Nominees

The winner of the Agatha for non-fiction was Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran.  "A fascinating exploration of the contents of Agatha Christie’s seventy-three private notebooks, including illustrations and two unpublished Poirot stories.

When Agatha Christie died in 1976, at age eighty-five, she had become the world’s most popular author. With sales of more than two billion copies worldwide, in more than one hundred countries, she had achieved the impossible — more than one book every year since the 1920s, every one a bestseller."

Sherlock Holmes for Dummies by David Crowder was nominated too.  This is perhaps the first "Dummies" book I have seen nominated for an award!  I had seen this book before and wondered if it was worthwhile.  I think the nomination answered that question.  It also got me interested in other nonfiction books related to the mystery genre.  

Another nominee was Have Faith in Your Kitchen by Katherine Hall Page.  I had done a post on Mystery Cookbooks last year and thought this would be of interest.  This "is the long-awaited collection of recipes from Katherine Hall Page’s famous series of novels starring Faith Fairchild — caterer, wife, traveler, and detective.  Here fans can find in one convenient volume the recipes that have spiced the Fairchild mysteries and provided them with their acute and varied sense of place. In addition, the author has provided a brace of warm-hearted and illuminating personal essays on cooking, locales, and the craft of writing."

But of the nonfiction nominees the one I am most interested in is Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang.

"On a balmy July night in 1904, a wiry figure sauntered alone through the dim alleys of Honolulu’s Chinatown. He strolled up a set of rickety steps and into a smoky gambling den ringing with jeers of card sharks and crapshooters. By the time anyone recognized the infamous bullwhip dangling from his hand, it was too late. Single-handedly, the feared, five-foot-tall Hawaiian cop, Chang Apana, had lined up forty gamblers and marched them down to the police station.

Himself a literary sleuth, Huang has traced Charlie Chan’s evolution from island legend to pop culture icon to vilified, postmodern symbol, ingeniously juxtaposing Apana’s rough-and-tumble career against the larger backdrop of a territorial Hawaii torn apart by virulent racism." Well, this is definitely going on my wish list!!

I found a video of the author discussing the Charlie Chan book, but it can not be embedded for me to include.  Please go here to view this video.


I have not paid much attention to non-fiction books related to the mystery genre but the Agatha Award nonfiction nominations grabbed my attention this time around.  Now I wonder what I have been missing.


Perhaps you know of some interesting books to include in this listing.  Please share!

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You can also find them on Facebook as "Graduate to Go".

Review: The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

Author: Charles Finch

Copyright: 2009 (Minotaur); 320 pgs.

Series: #3 in Charles Lennox Mysteries
Sensuality: N/A
Mystery sub-genre: Historical Amateur Sleuth
Main Character: Charles Lennox
Setting: 1866 London
Winner of any awards: Agatha Winner (author)
Obtained book through: Library Find

This book is the closest rival to the Sherlock Holmes tradition I am aware of. This was my first novel in the Charles Lennox series and I couldn’t be more pleased. 1866 London comes alive with wonderful detail. The novel begins with two journalists murdered within mere minutes of one another one night. The two are essentially opposites; one was self-righteous and the other corrupt. Charles Lennox begins to take an interest in the crimes but he has agreed to run for Parliament and must go to northern England to campaign. Telegrams are Lennox’s way of staying informed of the investigation while he is keeping a hectic campaign schedule. Another murder of a prominent official brings Lennox back to London to investigate.

The novel is deftly handled with just enough period details to richly color the tapestry without loosing the modern reader. I greatly enjoyed Lennox as the main character, he is observant and intelligent and, for a man who doesn’t have to work for a living, he has a sympathetic nature that allows him to appreciate those of a lower “class” and feel a common humanity with them. He has a charming (it is the best word to describe it) relationship with his betrothed who lives next door. They are understanding and respectful of one another and are clearly best friends. He feels deeply for a man and isn’t shamed by it.

In an aristocratic voice, the murderer said, without pity in his voice, “Stupid sot. I hope you burn in hell.”

He put the paper back and fled to the open window, the one from whence the draft that had irritated Carruthers in the final moments of his life had come. The man unrolled a rope ladder and climbed down quickly. The apartment was only on the second floor.

After he was gone, Martha came in, ignoring the body and the long knife protruding from its back, and went to the window, took the rope ladder back up, and after raking the coals again began the slow process of burning it, as downstairs her children slept.

The mystery plays out and the climactic moment involves a suspenseful chase (the chase is afoot! – I couldn’t resist). It is a well-plotted mystery in which the reader is just as in the dark as Lennox and putting the pieces together along with our amateur sleuth. If you have read the prior Lennox mysteries, I will say that a recurring character doesn’t make it to the end alive.

Many people have compared the character Charles Lennox to Sherlock Holmes and I can’t help but make the comparison too. Sherlock is a more flawed character while Lennox comes across as a balanced man who wants to help others and make a difference.

I heartily recommend this work for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.

For your convenience you may purchase your copy here.

Until Monday I wish you many mysterious moments.