Reviewed by Laura Flaugher
'A Stranger in Mayfair'
By Charles Finch
St. Martin's Press
11/9/2010
$24.99
308 pp
This absorbing mystery set in cold and rainy Victorian England features Charles
Lenox, a wealthy amateur detective. He lives in a quintessential mansion in
the most fashionable section of England, equipped with roaring fireplaces,
well-stocked drink tables and stacks of books and maps. He has unimpeded access
to all the high-society homes and exclusive clubs in England.
The highly-likeable Lenox darts around town with his dashing protégé Dallington
(a young and somewhat debauched ladies man), sips clandestine hot-chocolate
with his new wife and gives direction to his precise butler turned Parliamentary
clerk Graham (after all, busy Lenox has just been elected to Parliament as
well.)
The enticing mystery is the question of who murdered a young footman in the
servant's alley of the wealthy Starling home. The suspects include Mr. Starling,
who is a member of Parliament, his two sons (one slothful, the other eager)
an exacting housewife, a crazy uncle, a respected butler and a number of
other servants. The sparse clues include a gold signet ring, a very nice
suit and the dead man's scraped-up knuckles. Lenox and Dallington soon realize
they have their work cut out for them.
The succulent, sumptuous imagery in this novel is magnetic. The delectable
charm and cozy settings inspire lengthy reading sessions as much as the unfolding
of the riveting mystery does.
"
A Stranger in Mayfair" is the fourth book in the "Lenox" series.
While it can be read on its own, I wholeheartedly recommend reading each
and every book in the series. CV
