Author Charles Finch has delivered another richly rewarding tale with this 10th entry into his Charles Lenox Mystery series. He deftly weaves the stories of at least four mysteries throughout the book. His depth of research is sine qua non and his characters are strong, yet not infallible. Although each books can stand on its own, I do recommend starting from the beginning to get the full impact of the series' development.

As for this story, our protagonist, Charles Lenox, has been cryptically called upon by a friend from Charles' distant past. But that friend mysteriously disappears prior to meeting. Meanwhile, back at the Detective Agency, of which Charles is a partner, there is grave discussion of how best to service and maintain their client roster. The firm, heretofore favored by parliament - their primary account, is hearing some rumblings of dissatisfaction from that quarter, as it assists Scotland Yard in a recent security breach at Parliament. Nefarious attempts on folks' lives and a murder here and there keep the minds whirring and the action streaming. The unraveling of the mysteries is brilliant and the story draws to a satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoy smartly written historical mysteries, then the Charles Lenox Mystery series may just be the one for you. Finch writes prose exquisitely with an eye to every detail. It is a pleasure reading his scenic descriptions as much as delving into the details of the mysteries themselves. The banter among characters is absolutely delightful and it eases the tension of the grizzly parts of the stories. The human dimension of his characters, replete with strong character, charm, and humor as well as a few minor shortcomings (perceived by characters of themselves), enriches the story beyond just telling a tale. One could yearn for such loyal friends with their depth of character.

There are so many twists and turns in this story that just when you think you got all the facts in order another twist is introduced. I do so enjoy the author's cleverness, depth of research and delightful writing style. As much as this book can stand stand on its own in spite of being part of series, you won't want to miss out on all the work leading up to this moment - the groundwork which is laid out in the previous nine books. I might also suggest starting with the three prequels before launching into the original series. I hope and trust that you'll enjoy this series as much as I. ( )

Charles Lenox hears from someone from his past; a schoolmate from his days at Harrow. The friend asks to come see Lenox for help. When the friend doesn’t show, Lenox goes on the hunt.

Gerald Leigh, the friend, attended Harrow as a beneficiary of an unknown benefactor. Discovering the benefactor was Lenox’s first case as a detective. A case he had yet to solve.

Leigh now wants Lenox to find out who is the recent sponsor of a new bequest that has been made to Leigh. Leigh’s disappearance gives the idea that there is much more to this new bequest that could be on the dark side.

Deadly East End gangs, members of the Royal Society (an organization of scientific men) are just a two of the factions Lenox must confront in finding his old friend and solving the identity of the mysterious source of funds.

I enjoy reading the Lenox series. They take me to a different time and place. A nice escape… ( )

I more than likely would never have given this book a great deal of consideration if I hadn't needed to complete another of those pesky challenges that just won't let you rest until they are done. My good fortune was in finding this one, thanks to one of LibrayThing friends. The story has a mystery from the past that is woven nicely into a present day murder. The author did an excellent job of including historical facts into the fictional story. It soon became an unusual and clever plot featuring some really good characters. It's hard to say much more about it without a great many spoilers...but fans of Victorian mysteries will eat this series up and I believe I could go for another one. ( )

When an old Harrow friend returns, Charles finds himself busy tracking threats to his friend while supporting his partners in a solving a Parliament break-in. Both cases become increasingly dangerous as the partners get closer to the truth.