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Loading... A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries) (original 2007; edition 2008)by Charles Finch
Work InformationA Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (2007)
  
No current Talk conversations about this book.  overlycriticalelisa | Apr 13, 2024 |    ) cspiwak | Mar 6, 2024 | ) Dabble58 | Nov 11, 2023 |  ) harishwriter | Oct 12, 2023 | I learned from the novel how the British police became known as bobbies. Robert Peel founded the police department on 1829. New officers used a variant of his first name when describing themselves. Alot had changed regarding policing during the time period of the story. I enjoyed learning how procedures came into being. This was another fascinating part of the story. I think I enjoyed the howdunnit more than the whodunit. It cannot be beat. I am rating this magnificent novel 5 out of 5 stars. (  ) Violette62 | Jun 29, 2023 |
If you like a classic whodunit, reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Beautiful Blue Death is for you. The author, Charles Finch, states that he was heavily influenced by Doyles famous Sherlock Holmes tales and it shows in his writing. Instead of it being a bad immatation like so many others who try to copy Doyles success, Finch creates a character that is the complete opposite of Sherlock but retains the feel of reading one of the great detectives novels. The sometimes-detective Charles Lenox is the friendly good-natured version of Sherlock Holmes. Inspector Exeter is the pompous equivalent of Inspector Lestrade from Sherlock Holmes. McConnel is Lenox best friend who is a doctor that helped with the crime scene and the equivalent of Watson. Lenox's older brother is an influential member of parliament and just like Sherlock's brother except they have a close relationship. I had a hard time getting into the story in the beginning because it was slow to really get into the investigation and cultivation of leads. The pace picks up and he begins to make more progress solving the case. I wasn't surprised by who the murderer(s) were, the why was the real mystery. It wasn't a 1 a.m. page-turner for me but those who like a clean and cozy mystery will probably enjoy it. Happy reading! 📚  On the whole, though, most Sherlockians can skip this unengaging debut without risk.  Lovers of quality historical whodunits will hope this is the first in a series. Belongs to SeriesCharles Lenox (1) Is contained in
Fiction.
Literature.
Mystery.
Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, likes nothing more than to relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist the chance to unravel a mystery. Prudence Smith, one of Jane's former servants, is dead of an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The grand house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prue had dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by the motive for the girl's death. When another body turns up during the London season's most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities. Was it jealousy that killed Prudence Smith? Or was it something else entirely? And can Lenox find the answer before the killer strikes again-this time, disturbingly close to home? No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.46)
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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i do like that even though this is the first in the series, that this isn't his first case. they refer to other cases he's investigated, other suspects, other people he's used as help along the way. i like that it's as if we're starting a few books in, they even explain some of the details of previous cases sometimes, but there aren't earlier books. somehow this really worked for me. (