Woman in the Water

by Charles Finch

He’s a young gentleman settling into his independence in London and trying to make everyone happy and not embarrass his family but also do what makes him happy.  However, private detective does not fit within his social circle’s classification as acceptable.  Charles must do something to keep his mind off the fact that he allowed the love of his life slip through his fingers.  Plans of traveling to Russia for an extended period are shelved when a distasteful and revolting murder sparks his deductive mind and with his friend, assistant and valet (with a hard t), Graham, they begin to tie clues together much to the aggravation and resentment of Scotland Yard.

Charles Finch has put a lot on his protagonist in this prequel to his Charles Lenox series.  There are several story lines going on throughout this novel, yet they do not get tangled.  Finch’s talent of slowly but methodically laying out each detail feels natural without getting wordy or over descriptive. Lenox has real life issues he must deal with as he works the case, but they do not drag down the story.  Fans of this series will recognize many recurring characters from the previous titles. This is an outstanding addition to the series.  New readers will be hooked and want to read more of Lenox’s adventures.  I wouldn’t mind reading more from the early days of Lenox’s detective cases. 

I wish to thank #netgalley and the publisher for generously providing an Advanced Readers Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press

PUB DATE:  February 20, 2018

ISBN:  9781250139467

Genre:  Historical Mystery