Lenox is an English aristocrat turned sleuth. It is 1853 and Lenox has been called up by the Duke of Dorset to discretely find a painting that has been stolen from his home. It's more than just the painting, though. You see, right next to the rather ordinary, relatively cheap painting that was stolen is a priceless portrait of William Shakespeare -- one that only a few people know exists.
Lenox is an intelligent and interesting character. What adds to the entertainment is the people he surrounds himself with. His valet, who helps him with his investigations, his housekeeper, his neighbor (Lady Jane), and somewhat of a ruffian who Lenox hires to do some investigating--to name only a few. The investigation goes off kilter when Dorset himself is accused of murder and put in the Tower of London. Lenox is not only trying to solve this complex mystery, but he's in danger of losing all social standing if he doesn't.
One of my favorite parts of The Vanishing Man are the several spots where Finch describes the derivation of certain words in our current vocabulary. Tips, bedlam, cottage -- to name a few. I bookmarked them all. He also includes a rundown of the aristocracy and what all the titles mean. Along with these tidbits, the writing is exceptional. The banter between the characters is sophisticated. And the plot moves swiftly, with twists that I didn't see coming. Nothing is for sure until the very end, and then there are still some things that Lenox is not able to nail down completely.
I do have one question, though. Why that title? What man has vanished? If you have read this and have thoughts, please leave me a comment. What am I missing?
I'm a fan of historical fiction and loved learning more about Victorian England and Shakespeare while delighting in these characters and this story. I'm a fan and look forward to beginning my journey through some more Charles Lenox stories. Highly recommended to fans of Victorian mysteries.
Published by Minotaur, February 19. 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
304 pages
Rating: 5/5
5 stars?! Very rare from you so this one must be really good! I just noticed that you are also reading Beautiful Bad, we'll have to see what we both think of it once we're finished.
ReplyDelete