Murder in Park Lane

This is the fifth in this series of murder mystery novels set in early 19th century England featuring the Bow Street Runners, the historical Detective Stephen Lavender and his sidekick Constable Ned Woods. I have loved this series and given all the previous four books 5/5, but I didn't think this quite matched the same standard. While still atmospheric and a good read, with a number of potential candidates as the murderer of lothario Davy McCann, I thought the plot was a little too linear, lacking some of the colour and detailed background of its predecessors. Also I was unconvinced by some aspects such as Woods's fast, which went against his character, and all in all I thought there was a bit less depth to the two main characters than show more previously; a bit more whodunnit by numbers, albeit of a very high standard. show less

This is the fifth in the delightful Detective Lavender and Constable Woods series set in Regency London. A man is found murdered in his lodgings, a locked door conundrum, and this leads our dynamic duo on quite a trail. I very much enjoyed this entertaining tale of suspense which has all the required ingredients for a great read. It has a clever plot, it’s fast paced, full of twists and turns, and has the odd red herring. There’s a great sense of time and place and the characters are well rounded. It’s not without its humour, either.

An easy, engaging and intriguing historical mystery which will keep you guessing - I look forward to the sixth instalment!

Murder close to home this time so Woods and Lavender get to sleep in their own beds for a change. A locked door mystery easily solved turns into more complications as other bodies appear among the young men who live on elderly women's money in return for their attention. Good characterization and a lively plot make this an interesting read.

cosy-mystery, bow-street-runners, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, twisty, historical-fiction

Excellent mystery story that starts with a locked room murder! Detective Lavender and Constable Woods are a formidable team with some interesting foibles and the way that they bring out the best of sleuthing and logic from each other is very well done. Lots of interesting characters, and they all lie of course, and more suspects than any police officer wants to have to think about. Add in an interesting pathophysiology of death in the first murder victim and you have a really fascinating story even before the Regency equivalent of a high speed chase! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas & Mercer Publisher via show more NetGalley. Thank You! show less

This series just keeps getting better and better. The characters are wonderful, the writing is outstanding and the plots keep you guessing to the very end! You can read this as a stand-alone, but to appreciate the full richness of the characters and their relationships, you really need to begin at the beginning.

Stephen Lavender is a Principal Officer at Bow Street and he works with Constable Ned Woods in his investigations. Sir Richard Allison is a renowned physician who works with Bow Street on occasion. He is arrogant and expects to be treated like royalty whenever he deigns to work with Bow Street. So, imagine Lavender’s shock when Sir Richard requests his assistance on a case. It is right down Lavender’s alley. The victim, David show more MacAdam, was found in a room that was locked from the inside, the window was warped and couldn’t be opened and there were no other possible points of entry. It couldn’t be suicide because there was no murder weapon to be found.

Suspects abound and the victim isn’t what he appears to be. None of the witnesses are telling the truth – some are outright lying and others are omitting vital pieces of information. Lavender definitely has his work cut out for him with this one.

When a second victim turns up, it complicates the case even further. Of course, there are personal worries and complications as well – Lavender is awaiting the birth of his first child and Ned is concerned about his weight and takes extreme measures to fix it.

The suspects will blow your mind – you have everything from aristocrats to con artists to loan sharks. What they get up to will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next.

Definitely a good read!

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London 1812 and Detective Lavender is called out to the home of Mrs Sylia Palmer, as she has discovered one of her lodgers dead. Dead in a locked room. The lodger was a David MacAdam but who was he really and why was he killed. Lavender aided by Constable Woods must untangle the mystery.
Another well-written enjoyable mystery is this series, with its likeable characters. The book is easily read as a standalone novel but I would recommend reading the first four as they are such good reads.
A NetGalley Book

Detective Lavender is up to his ears in another murder mystery. Another well written novel by Charlton. The character development continues and Lavenders relationship with his wife is blooming. Just wait for the twist and for the plot to thicken.