Rules of Engagement

The eleventh and final installment in this marvelous series about Sir John Fielding, the blind magistrate, brother of Henry and founder of the Bow Street Runners. The stories are all told from the point of view of Jeremy Proctor, adopted as a boy by Fielding and brought up by him. This final book was mostly written when Alexander died and there were plenty of notes to work from. The story is a little shakier than some of the others, involving a hypnotist and necromancer, but it is fun nonetheless. The series ends with Jeremy at the threshold of his adult life. I give the whole series a hearty five stars--if you like historical mysteries (I've discovered I have a real taste for them) they really don't get any better than this.*****

A thrilling conclusion to the Sir John Fielding series, this book has it all. Rich characters, wonderful London atmosphere, capable Georgian history, intricate plot, and scary moments. I so wish that another author had taken the reins of this series after Bruce Alexander's death.

And so now we've come to the end of this series, and I'm happy to say that the last book was quite worth reading. It was so much better than the previous one in the series, and better than many of the rest of them as well.

so, here's a brief synopsis (don't worry, no spoilers):

The Lord Chief Justice loses his very dear friend Lord Lammermoor to what looks like suicide: Lammermoor throws himself off of the Westminister Bridge for no apparent reason. Although many saw Lammermoor jump, and it seemed to be suicide, the first questions were raised when Lammermoor's mistress (none other than Sir John Fielding's former cook Annie) comes to Jeremy with a story about what happened in Lammermoor's final moments. After hearing what she has to say, show more Sir John realizes that something is very wrong indeed, and with the help of Jeremy, sets out to find out the truth behind the man's death. This won't be easy, as there are those who do not wish for the truth to be known.

My hat is off to this writer, although posthumously, since he is no longer with us. A fine series overall; do be sure to start with the first (Blind Justice) in the series if you decide to give it a try. Those who enjoy historical mysteries or British mysteries will definitely enjoy not only Rules of Engagement, but the entire series as well.

Thank you, Bruce Alexander, wherever you may be. show less

This is the final Sir John Fielding historical mystery in which the subject of hypnotism and "Mesmerism" is investigated as a means to murder, when a member of Parliament jumps from Westminster Bridge into the Thames in front of a dozen witnesses, one of them being Annie Oakum, former cook of the Fielding household. It was obvious that the man jumped himself--no one pushed him--and it was known that he could not swim, but why would he jump?

The mystery itself wasn't much of a mystery in this one, but many threads in the personal lives of the characters were tied together as Jeremy (who tells the stories) and Clarissa prepare for their nuptials. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but due to the author's untimely death, the last few show more chapters were written by his wife with the help of another author. I shall greatly miss having more adventures of Jeremy and Sir John to read about, but at least I can always go back and visit them when the spirit moves me. show less

The 11th and final Sir John Fielding, Jeremy, and the Bow Street Runners mystery in 18th-century London. The ending is somewhat bittersweet for fans of the late author and these characters. The mystery itself is interesting, but the method won’t be a secret to readers.

Alas, the last in this series.