An Extravagant Death

December 7, 2020
Set in 1878, Finch’s entertaining 14th mystery featuring Charles Lenox (after 2020’s The Last Passenger) finds Lenox, “probably the preeminent detective in all of England, professional or amateur,” dealing with the consequences of his exposure of three Scotland Yard chief inspectors being behind an armed robbery and numerous other crimes. The scandal imperils Benjamin Disraeli’s government, and the politician implores Lenox to travel to the U.S. during the trial and allow his testimony to be provided in written form to minimize press sensationalism. Lenox reluctantly agrees, but demands full access to the file on the case of Harold Wallace, who was stabbed to death in his home a few blocks away from Lenox’s own London residence. Lenox has doubts that the man charged with the crime, Wallace’s butler, is guilty. Upon the investigator’s arrival in the States, his skills are called upon by William Stuyvesant Schemerhorn IV of Newport, R.I., after an 18-year-old girl, whom his son had been courting, was found dead on a beach, apparently from a head wound. Finch effectively juggles the various plot threads. This is one of the series’ better recent entries. Agent: Elizabeth Weed, Book Group.

December 1, 2020
In 1878, a famous detective is encouraged to leave England for the good of the government. After former MP Charles Lenox uncovers corruption at Scotland Yard, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli asks him to leave the country so he'll be able to give written testimony rather than testify in open court, which would surely embarrass some important people, throwing in a knighthood to sweeten the deal. Lenox's well-connected wife, Lady Jane, has recently given birth to their second child, and, unimpressed by honors, he's loath to leave home. But acting on his wife's advice, he sets off for New York, where he meets snobbish members of established families and nouveaux riches, all ruled over by Caroline Astor. Theodore Blaine, the scion of an immensely wealthy family with a desire to emulate Lenox as a detective, accompanies him on a trip to Boston that's cut short by a request from William Stuyvesant Schermerhorn, who invites Lenox to Newport to solve a murder. At length he's persuaded to take up the case of Lily Allingham, the season's reigning beauty, who's been found dead on the beach below the magnificent so-called cottages of the wealthy. The suspects are all of the highest pedigree. Lily was at the point of deciding between two well-heeled suitors, Schermerhorn's son and one of the Vanderbilts. Lady Jane's contacts allow him entree into the highest echelons of Newport society, including an invitation to Caroline Astor's exclusive ball, where money and power may shield a murderer from justice. A solid historical mystery that will change its hero's mind about life and death.

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January 29, 2021
Gentlemen weren't supposed to become detectives in nineteenth-century Britain, but Charles Lenox, the hero of Finch's long-running crime series, has bucked that tradition, much to the delight of historical-mystery readers. Lenox's latest case, resulting in the indictment of three Scotland Yard chief inspectors for corruption, has dominated the headlines. Worried about the embarrassment the resulting trial might cause the Yard and the government, the prime minister asks Lenox to visit America until the trial ends. Reluctant to leave his family but gripped by a sense of adventure, Lenox agrees. Little does he know that, once there, he will become involved in one of the most difficult and tragic murder investigations of his career. After beautiful young socialite Lily Allingham's body is found on the beach in Newport, Rhode Island, playground of the elite, Lily's father hires Lenox to find his daughter's killer. Lenox agrees, knowing that he will need to balance discovering the truth against protecting the sensitivities and egos of the Newport blue bloods. Lenox' latest adventure has humanity, heart, and humor; it offers a captivating glimpse of America's richest citizens in the late 1800s; it delivers a gripping and cleverly plotted mystery; and, of course, Lenox remains a thoroughly charming lead character. A pleasure to read on every level.

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