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amphipodgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I was already intrigued when I first heard the premise of this book -- that it's a historical mystery featuring a blind magistrate as the detective. I was even more intrigued when, upon finally picking it up, I googled and found that Sir John Fielding was an actual historical person, brother of the novelist Henry Fielding and with him co-creator of the Bow Street Runners.
The language has enough flavor of the era (the book is set in 1768) to feel suitable without so much that it slowed me down reading and enjoying it. I've read CJ Sansom's Tudor mysteries, and I've recently read a number of Regency romances and Victorian and later English historicals. This was my first British-set book of this particular era and it's interesting to see how different it is from the Regency, which was only two generations later.
I found the narrator, young Jeremy Proctor, likeable and engaging. Sir John is clever and wise, dispensing justice tempered with mercy. It was fun to see some actual historical figures take minor parts in the story -- James Boswell, Samuel Johnson, and David Garrick in particular.
The mystery is well constructed, clues are placed fairly before the reader, and the full solution surprised me in multiple respects.
This has been on my TBR for a long time, and I'm glad I finally read it -- I'll definitely be seeking out the next book in the series.
The language has enough flavor of the era (the book is set in 1768) to feel suitable without so much that it slowed me down reading and enjoying it. I've read CJ Sansom's Tudor mysteries, and I've recently read a number of Regency romances and Victorian and later English historicals. This was my first British-set book of this particular era and it's interesting to see how different it is from the Regency, which was only two generations later.
I found the narrator, young Jeremy Proctor, likeable and engaging. Sir John is clever and wise, dispensing justice tempered with mercy. It was fun to see some actual historical figures take minor parts in the story -- James Boswell, Samuel Johnson, and David Garrick in particular.
The mystery is well constructed, clues are placed fairly before the reader, and the full solution surprised me in multiple respects.
This has been on my TBR for a long time, and I'm glad I finally read it -- I'll definitely be seeking out the next book in the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
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