It is 1814 and the Thames is frozen enough for a Frost Fair to be held which makes a great setting for this Lavender short story. An apparent bizarre murder under Blackfriars Bridge turns out to be something quite different providing Lavender with an opportunity to end an ugly problem quite satisfactorily. ( )

I love the characters and set up in this series and it was great to see and preorder this novella back in April, so soon after the last full length novel was published in February. This concerns a death on the famous frost fair on the river Thames in 1814, the very last time the river froze over. It is as usual colourful and full of the warmth and vitality of the very three dimensional characters. I'm docking it half a point as I wasn't entirely happy with the deception our heroes played at the end on their colleagues about aspects of the case. ( )

This is the second short story I’ve read featuring Detective Stephen Lavender and his trusty sidekick, Constable Ned Woods. A missing husband, a distraught wife and some stolen jewels are at the heart of this mystery.

If you are looking for a couple of hours’ distraction from the stresses of everyday life, look no further than this entertaining little read. There are some great, well rounded and likeable characters. The plot itself is intriguing, you will find yourself eagerly turning the pages. The historical elements are interesting and fascinating - I particularly liked the descriptions of the River Thames frost fair. This novella is a great addition to a very enjoyable series of full size mysteries. ( )