Yet another page turning novel from Karen Charlton following the exploits of the Lavender / Woods duo. Although I usually prefer to read more modern crime fiction, I love the details which Karen puts into her novels along with the social history of our country, which many people are unaware of. Even though the novel is set only 200 years ago, I find her in depth description of Georgian London fascinating and it makes me want to find out more about places and events which took place during that era.

It is a great novel intertwining fact and fiction seamlessly, which I thoroughly enjoyed and in my humble opinion is the best of the four novels in this series so far. It is a stand alone book however if you have previously read the other books, it does give you a very slight edge on knowing the characters a little better.

I received this as a pre publication copy to review and was grateful to get the chance to read it early.

I really enjoyed this book as I have all the books by Karen Charlton that I have read. The characters are colorful but realistic. The topics are very well researched and presented in a way that is relevant to today as well as the past. The author picks fascinating but little known bits of history for her books.

Plague Pits & River Bones starts off with a whole series of crimes, both major and minor, so I wasn't sure which of these would be the central mystery, or even if they would be connected in some way. At first it was difficult to keep all the crimes and suspects straight, but after I read about 30% of the book I noticed an underlying theme, and then I was hooked. I kept reading to see how or if there would be a connection between any of them. At times I could barely hold my eyes open, but I couldn't stop reading, so anxious to find out what would happen next. But I was gratified! I loved it!

One of the events in the story was based on fact. As an American, I was not aware of this history, nor had I ever heard of the people involved, so I thought it was all fiction, but towards the end of the book I wondered if this actually could have happened, so I did some research, and I was quite surprised that the salient events of the story had actually happened. (Only afterwards, did I see the Author's Notes.)

I loved so much about this book! The mystery was very well written, and even though I suspected the villain, I was intrigued as to the how and why. My favorite thing about all of the Detective Lavender books is the relationships among the characters. I love ALL of them, even the gruff Magistrate Read. Their relationships with their spouses, their children, and especially between Lavender and Woods are so beautifully written and heart warming, that those alone would be enough to merit reading this series. Even though this is the fourth book in the series, I think you would enjoy it even if you had not read the others. (But I highly recommend reading them too.)

I only wish these books could come out a little faster because I want to see what will happen next with Eddie, Duddles, and Magdalena.

not worth my time to read this.
Horrible. I could not follow along. I felt the storyline held no meaning.

London is being terrorised by gangs and no where is safe from them. Bow st police station is being repaired and to finance it the detectives are being leased out to other areas. Loved the relationship between lavender and his wife and also with every odd. This is the first book that I’ve read from this author. I didn’t realise that it was book 4 in a series when I started but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of it. It is very well written with some factual events throughout which makes it more interesting. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

The fourth in the series but a book that can be read as a stand alone ... you may, like me, decide to go back and catch up or wait to read them in order.
This is set around the Bow Street runners and there are factual references mixed into the fiction which adds an extra dimension. The characters are credible and those who have read the earlier books will have seen them gradually develop but we hear enough about their back stories to feel we are getting to know the lead characters.
There is mystery, politics, intrigue and enough going on to give crime fans a fun read, although not too taxing, but the historical context adds for an enjoyable element that I found engaging and I will certainly be looking for more Detective Lavender stories.

Breathe of fresh air! 'Plague pits & River Bones' is a fast paced thriller that readers will enjoy immensely! One is hooked from the start to the finish! The story takes place in 1812, in the heart of London. The author is able to mentally transport the reader. One can nearly smell the Thames river. The author obviously spent a great deal of time researching. Detective Lavender is determined to find out first.. who is the victim.. and then.. was he murdered? The story flows well. One is introduced to clues and observations. Awesome whodunnit! One that readers will enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of "Plague Pits and River Bones". While I did not realize it was a fourth installment, I did not feel left out from the action that ensued around me. I feel like I learned a lot about the time period and the way people were viewed based on social class. A great historical mystery and memorable characters, you can't go wrong!

It's 1812 and Principal Officer of the Bow Street Station, Stephen Lavender, and his fiery Spanish wife, Magdalena, are two years married and happily living in London. They would be happier, however, if Stephen were not called away on cases so often. Government funding is always scarce for Bow Street, so they supplement their income by sending Runners out on private investigations. As a Principal Officer, Lavender is much in demand.

Upon returning to London, Lavender is back to work immediately. Highwaymen are roaming the nearby countryside, vicious gangs are on the prowl in the city, and there are not enough Runners to cope. Added to the general disarray is the construction of a new cell block at Bow Street, built over medieval plague pits. The construction is further delayed by the discovery of many bones of the plague victims, and the addition of the freshly dead body of a peer in the pit.What really interests Stephen is a boot found in the Thames with a severed human foot. Forbidden by Magistrate Reed to further investigate the boot, he and his favorite Horse Patrol officer look into the matter anyway. Assigned to the surveillance of a discontented man who has been pestering Members of Parliament, Lavender wonders what can happen next when rumors reach his ear of a new criminal "mastermind" in the city. Can all these events be connected somehow?

The Detective Lavender Mysteries are favorites, and I always look forward to them. Loosely based on a real historical figure, Stephen Lavender was somewhat of a celebrity in his day. Stephen is not at all what one expects from a Bow Street Runner. Meticulous, educated, bookish and a bit introverted, he is an officer in a new mold. The supporting characters are extraordinarily well-drawn, especially Horse Patrol Officer, Ned Woods, his wife, Betsy, and their large family; and Magdalena's maid, Teresa. Plague Pits and River Bones is somewhat darker than preceding stories, with a "Moriarty" like character who is obsessed with Lavender and his wife. The slave trade (outlawed at the time) and assassination at the highest levels of government play a part in this story. Of course, there is Magdalena, a woman in a million! The environs of 1812 London are vividly described from the stench of St.Giles and the Thames, to the peaceful calm of Greenwich and the drawing rooms of the highest society.


I highly recommend Plague Pits and River Bones for those who enjoy historical mysteries. It is not necessary to read the series in order, but I do recommend starting with the first, The Heiress of Linn Hagh.


Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.


RATING- 4.5 Stars

This is the 4th installment of the Lavender Series and I have enjoyed reading them all. Crime mixed in with a historical setting. I found these easy to read. They're not gruesome in any way, but a Tory around a crime with a few unexpected twists on the way.

6th May 1812 and Detective Stephen Lavender becomes intrigued when a severed foot is found, but the Runners are undermanned, and Lavender and Constable Woods must concentrate on a new criminal gang in the area, robberys, and surveillance.
A good mystery with likeable characters makes this an enjoyable and interesting read.

https://crimefictionlover.com/2018/01/plague-pits-and-river-bones/

It took me a while to get into the story but I'm glad I persevered because it turned out to be a brilliant read. I didn't realise it was part of a series but it can definitely be read as a stand alone. Great insight into the events that took place in the murky depths of 19th century London. I will certainly read the next in the series to see if Lavender is made Chief Constable.

Despite not having read any of the earlier books in this series and this being a change from my usual twisted thrillers or contemporary reads, I absolutely loved reading my first Detective Lavender book !

Well written, well researched, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved how the story was based around real events and I totally relaxed and was soon transported into the seemingly effortless telling of the story. That the author manages to bring together many plot-lines, vivid settings, the social/political history and wonderful characters into a seamless and fascinating read indicates the talent she has.

This is a wonderful mix of Historical Fiction and Mystery and I will be reading more in anticipation of the next face off of Lavender, Woods and their new nemesis!

4.5 - 5 stars, highly recommended

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read the ARC of this fabulous book .

This is the fourth book in a series.
I had read the first one and so knew that I was in for a treat but chose to cut my losses and read this edition without two and three.
The first thing that was great was that it didn't matter that I had missed out some of the books or indeed not read the first, the story flowed and we were filled in with 'back story' in a deft way without repeating previous stories.
Stephen Lavender is based on a real Bow Street Runner and this story concerns the discovery of a foot, a criminal mastermind and political intrigue.

The characters were well drawn, not complicated but sympathetic and straight forward.
The mystery was not difficult but the story weaved and spun into a fine yarn.
Four and a half stars.

This is the fourth in the Detective Lavender series and is a solid addition to the series. Our intrepid Stephen (based on a real detective) is caught up in several different crimes all happening around him. He is now living with Magdalena in London. Scotland Yard is being renovated and an old plague pit filled with bones is discovered, but all is not as it should be. Bones that don't belong there are soon uncovered. There are a lot of bones in this book!!
Meanwhile other bones are washed up by the river and the police need the help of a doctor to tell them more.
The story moves from plague pits, to organised crime, to gangs and teenagers, to highwaymen and the robbing of the upper class, and to the - now illegal - slave trade. Constable Woods is still the trusty sidekick and his family back story plays an interesting part in this one. His son is attacked due to his father being a policeman. This makes the young boy unpopular amongst his peers. Meanwhile Stephen and Magdalena are caught up in the crime wave affecting the upper classes with Magdalena being a victim and rescued by a dashing young captain. He saves her and another lady, causing Stephen to wonder if he should be jealous when the Captain pays further attention to Magdalena.
There is a lot going on in this book and at some points it felt a little overloaded. I enjoyed the mystery but found the back story just as interesting.. These are quite gentle mysteries in that there is little grisly detail but it is not a typical 'cosy' with knitting patterns or cupcakes here there and everywhere. This is historical crime with a twist of politics, religious prejudice and class barriers.
Fun read!

Holy shades of Sherlock! I do believe Detective Lavender has met his Moriarty. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know, but can’t wait to find out as the series continues. I certainly don’t want him to become a focus in the series, but popping up every now and again to create havoc could be a very interesting thing indeed!

One of my favorite things about this series is the interweaving of actual people, facts and events with the fiction. Detective Stephen Lavender was an actual Principal Officer of the Bow Street Runners and the author weaves his actual cases and events into the stories. In this one, she uses the real assassination of England’s Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, in 1812. This author does in-depth research before writing her books and then seamlessly blends fact and fiction. The stories are fast-paced, well-plotted, well written, intriguing and filled with wonderfully interesting and relatable characters.

Bow Street received a pittance from Parliament each year. There was no way they could police the area they were required to police and still manage to operate within that budget. The clever Magistrate Read, Lavender’s boss, found a way to supplement their income. Based on that income, he had begun a much needed building addition with additional holding cells, courtrooms, etc. The additional income adding to the Bow Street coffers came from assigning his much-sought-after Principal Detectives to cases in other areas of England – where they were paid handsomely for their services.

“Gawd’s teeth!” is how our story begins in May of 1812. Constables Ned Woods and Barnaby encounter a completely naked man cavorting on the beach in Greenwich. Ned recognizes the man as an escaped bedlamite and after a bit of a scuffle, they capture the man and get him back to Bow Street. It seems things just head downhill from there – for Bow Street.

Detective Lavender returns to London after the successful completion of an out of town case that kept him away for two weeks, only to discover that he is the ONLY Principal Officer in town and everything falls on his shoulders. Not only is he to get all of the cases, but the Magistrate wants him to leave for another out of town case – this time in Ireland. Stephen is not a happy camper!

Crime seems to be running rampant in London. There are rumors, unsubstantiated but believable, of a new gang with a wily leader that is now operating within London. Lavender has to deal with a plethora of cases – large and small – and slowly begins to wonder if they could all somehow be related. There are blatant highway robberies where the thieves seemed to know the victims along with when they were traveling and what they were transporting. Then you have the murder of a Baron that draws in sweet Duddles (you’ll know him from previous books) – not to mention that he is having to keep tabs on a man (formerly a rich merchant) who is bitter at the government. Adding to that list is the discovery that Ned Woods made when corralling the escaped bedlamite – he found a severed foot. Magistrate Read doesn’t want Lavender working on that find, but it intrigues Lavender, so he adds that to his list of cases he’s juggling.

This story is fast-paced and crimes are popping up all over and you begin to wonder how you’ll ever keep them straight and how Lavender will ever solve all of them. Then, you begin to notice a pattern and you begin to wonder . . . . hmmmmm. You think you know who one of the villains is early on, but you learn more and more as you go on and – WOW! You won’t want to take a break from reading – because – something exciting might happen while you are away and you would miss it!

This story is a bit darker than the others in the series, but not too dark. There is a bit of humor too with Magdalena’s maid being taught English words by her want-to-be beau. For instance – Magdalena asks the maid if Lavender’s bath water is hot enough. The answer was that it was “very peppery”.

I love all of the supporting characters in the book, but particularly the relationship between Lavender and Woods. They are great friends and would do anything for each other. Their conversations are just great – Ned is older and offers Lavender great advice – such as – Ned has given Lavender the advice to give his wife back rubs. He’s suggested it several times, so Lavender asks “Ned, what’s this obsession you have with back rubs?” To which Ned replies “Well, that’s good. One thing leads to another . . .” Other memorable characters are Duddles, the young lover of Magdalena’s friend and young Eddie Woods, the thirteen year old son of Ned Woods.

Another thing to like is the believability of the story and the consequences. For instance – when Lavender is trapped in an old building and is submerged in brackish, contaminated river water, he didn’t just walk out unscathed. He was seriously sickened as would have happened in real life.

You could read this as a stand-alone book, but I cannot, for the life of me, think why you would want to. The character development and growth throughout the series is well worth the time to read – not to mention all of the stories are GREAT! So, Happy reading – I just know you’ll love it.

Please see my reviews of the other books in the series here! https://flippinpages.blog/2017/09/27/…

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

The fourth in the Detective Stephen Lavender mystery series set in the early 19thC. Murder, highway robbery, political intrigue and the slave trade combine to make a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable tale. A wonderful blend of historical fact and fiction, this story is well researched and well written. It kept me on my toes with plenty of twists and turns and hurtled along to an almost cliffhanger ending!

I’ve already read book one, The Heiress of Linn Hagh. I will be returning to read books two and three and I guess I will have to read book five to find out what happens next. I think this will prove to be an excellent series.

This book had a great mixture of fact and fiction. The book was cleverly written to include true crimes in 1812.
Once again Stephen Lancaster showed good policing skills, in the early days of law and order.
The story has a good pace and the various stories interlink really well.
Highway robbers, illegal slaves ships and mysterious skeletons are all part of Bow Street's crime fighting team.
Another great read.

I absolutely loved this well written and informative book, a true story entwined with fiction not knowing which was which until I read the glossary at the end.. I will certainly be looking at other books written by this author. 5*