The woman in the water

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Title:

The woman in the water

Author:

Finch, Charles (Charles B.) author.

Series:

Charles Lenox mysteries ;

Series Number:

11.

Summary:

London, 1850: A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective--without a single case. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime--and promising to kill again--Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself. The writer's first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islet in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer's sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

viii, 292 pages ; 25 cm.

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction.

Historical fiction.

Subject Term:

Lenox, Charles (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Private investigators -- Fiction.

Serial murder investigation -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

London (England) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Minotaur Books,

Publication Date:

2018

ISBN:

9781250139467

Publication Information:

New York : Minotaur Books, 2018.

Call Number:

FINCH

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003305466	Adult Fiction	FINCH	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable
33607003310557	Adult Fiction	FINCH	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

This chilling new mystery in the USA Today bestselling series by Charles Finch takes readers back to Charles Lenox's very first case and the ruthless serial killer who would set him on the course to become one of London's most brilliant detectives.

London, 1850: A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective...without a single case. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime--and promising to kill again--Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself.

The writer's first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islets in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer's sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse.

In the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, this newest mystery in the Charles Lenox series pits the young detective against a maniacal murderer who would give Professor Moriarty a run for his money.

Author Notes

Charles Finch is the USA Today bestselling author of the Charles Lenox mysteries, including The Vanishing Ma n . His first contemporary novel, The Last Enchantments, is also available from St. Martin's Press. Finch received the 2017 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle. His essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Washington Post , and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Set in 1850, Finch's uneven 11th novel starring aristocratic London sleuth Charles Lenox (after 2016's The Inheritance) recounts Lenox's first serious inquiry, undertaken when he was just 23. Lenox and Graham, his Bunter-like valet ("who every fifteen days or so let slip a small joke at his employer's expense"), routinely peruse the papers for crime stories. An anonymous letter-writer to one newspaper boasts of having committed the perfect murder and of his intention to kill a second woman around the first crime's one-month anniversary. The pair deduce that the writer refers to the unsolved strangulation of an unidentified woman found on an island in the Thames, and Lenox uses his family connections to get access to Sir Richard Mayne, the head of Scotland Yard, and a role in the investigation. Finch supplies an extremely clever solution to the murder mystery, but the dynamic between Lenox and his servants can feel more farcical than realistic, and describing the 19th century as the one "in which murder became a real notion" is ill-phrased, at best. Still, this entry will please series fans. Agents: Kari Stuart and Jennifer Joel, ICM. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

In this prequel to Finch's long-standing historical series, a very young Charles Lenox is eager to prove his worth as a detective. In 1850 London, his problem is getting Scotland Yard and his friends to believe in his abilities. Lenox and his valet Graham come across an intriguing letter in one of the city's less illustrious daily papers-a letter that brags about the commission of a perfect murder. Lenox and Graham begin to dig into the affair and soon make connections that the police did not. While Lenox has the support of the commissioner, he has become something of a joke among the Yard's investigators. Nevertheless, he perseveres. As he works to unravel clues to prevent another murder, Lenox has to deal with unrequited love and the shocking news of his father's failing health. Can he find the strength to pursue his dreams? Can he beat a fiendish killer at his own game? Verdict Finch (The Inheritance) does a wonderful job of re-creating the atmosphere of mid-19th-century England; his characters are crisply drawn and believable. It's wonderful to see the neophyte Lenox develop the skills for which he becomes renowned in later books. An excellent addition to an already terrific series. [See Prepub Alert, 8/7/17.]-Julie Ciccarelli, Tacoma P.L. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.