I liked this book because it gave me a peek into mid 19th century policing ..i recommend it for those who like historical mysteries

1850 and Charles Lenox not long finished at university is finding it difficult to get cases as a private investigator. How can he prove himself to his friends and Scotland Yard. A letter published in a newspaper which the author claims to have committed the perfect crime would seem to be the answer.
This is a prequel to the series as Lenox is only 23 years old, and it is my first read of these stories. It was an interesting mystery, and I am sure that the characters developed as the series continued. I did at times find the writing style a bit awkward to read. But I expect I will be familiar with it by the next book.

This is a great beginning to the Charles Lennox Cases. It was slow for me, although the descriptions were so Charles Dickens. I am glad it ended in the way it did, then, on the other hand, I wished it had ended better for Charles love life.
I highly Recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
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5 stars
I was so excited to pick up this prequel in the Charles Lenox series and was not disappointed! After “A Beautiful Blue Death”, which I thought was superb, I fell in love with this series. The story puts more background to Charles and how he was formed into the person we have seen up to this point. He is 23 years old in this book and just starting out in his career as a detective. The reader learns about his family and there is a sadness to this story as Charles learns his father is dying. His struggle with absorbing and acknowledging this pending, devastating event that is looming is very well done by Finch.
The mystery story is about women’s bodies found near (or on) the Thames river that are supposed to be “a perfect murder” per the killer who boasts by writing letters to a main London newspaper. A lot of twists and turns with this story… Charles trying to find his way in his first case and building a relationship (of sorts) with the various persons at Scotland Yard make it even more difficult.
Absolutely enjoyed this installment. Charles Finch is a genius with his mysteries. And on top of that, he gives humanity and feeling to his characters and the life they live.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, St Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Here is that review:

I have read a few Lenox stories and was curious to find out "how it all began", so this was interesting to me. Lenox is just turning 23 as the story opens, has finished school and set up his own house. He is in love with Elizabeth (Jane), but he hesitated to tell her and she has married someone else. He is devastated, but trying to move on.

He has also announced he plans to be a detective, but has had no luck with Scotland Yard allowing him any access and only a couple of small cases have come to him. FINALLY, he finds a mysterious note that may lead to a murderer, and is determined to be involved in the case. Following his first hesitant steps as a detective and learning how his mind works is fascinating. This does give a good background to the later books.

This is my introduction to the Charles Lenox series by Charles Finch and I was excited to read this, the prequel. I feel that my experience was not as invested as those who have already read from the series so with that being said, it was enjoyable and it whetted my interest in the series but I didn't love it. I thought the mystery itself was interesting and I liked the resolution (of sorts) of the crime but I think if I had known the characters previously from the series, I might have enjoyed it a bit more.

WOW! I am in awe of Charles Finch and his writing and I’d give this book more than 5-stars if I could. This has to be the absolute best book of the Charles Lenox Mystery series so far. While it is shown as book #0 in the series because it is a prequel, it is actually something like the thirteenth if you count the novellas. The writing is superb, the characters are fully developed and relatable, and the story is fast-paced, engrossing and detailed.

We are introduced to a young Charles Lenox, just twenty-three years of age and newly living in London on his own. He desperately wants to be a detective, but his few forays into it and his interactions with Scotland Yard have been very disappointing. However, being the tenacious young man that he is, Charles perseveres by honing his knowledge of crimes in London, how they are solved and the details behind them. He does that by buying copies of all of the newspapers and cutting all of the crime related articles out and filing them away.

When one of those newspapers carry the text of a letter claiming that the writer had already committed one ‘perfect’ murder and would be committing another soon, Charles knew he had to be involved. He and his valet, Graham, use the timeline given in the letter and find the case the letter writer must be claiming as his perfect crime. They are off to Scotland Yard to show them their conjecture and to offer their services. Of course, Scotland Yard wants no part of their help, but that doesn’t deter Charles. As he digs and learns more and more – he shares it all with Scotland Yard.

While the murder plot was interesting, detailed and engrossing, I think my favorite parts of the book were the more personal parts. Those are skillfully written and poignant, heartwarming, emotional and sad. We meet Charles’ mother and father and learn of the father, Edward’s, medical diagnosis. How Charles, his mother, and brother Edmund – his father too – deal with that is so bittersweet and lovely. I absolutely adored his father and the efforts he made to ensure that he spent time with each of the family members individually and that they knew he loved them. I loved the descriptions of his fence painting – and I loved that when he finally spoke to Charles about his leaving them he said – “The hardest part of losing a person, Charles, is that grief is only an absence. There is nowhere to go to touch it.”

It was fun to meet the younger, more immature versions of people we’ll get to know and love throughout the series. There is Jane, of course. She’s married to someone else and Charles is heartbroken over that. Graham, of course, is one of my favorite people. Then, we meet a very young and very mischievous John Dallington.

I usually don’t read prequels, especially if I know that someone doesn’t last through the series – especially because of a bad end. I am so very, very happy that I made an exception for this book. It is so well written, so well developed and just such a wonderful read that I cannot imagine having missed it.

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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.”

I bailed on this one. I guess the older I get the less patience I have. This took way too long for me to get into.

In the most recent Charles Lenox series entry, author Charles Finch has provided a prequel set in 1850 detailing Lenox's first important case. Lenox, second son of a baronet, is newly "down" from Oxford and establishing a household of his own for the first time. His ambitions, either to open a detective agency or to travel, have met with a decidedly lukewarm reception from his father and derision from the society he moves in. He and his former scout at Oxford, Graham, spend their mornings combing through the broadsheets for crime news. When he discovers a letter in one of the papers boasting of a "perfect murder" he thinks he has found a connection to the case of an unknown woman found inside a trunk, floating in the Thames. He presents his theory to Scotland Yard, where it is met with some grudging support and more resistance. When a second woman is found on the bank of the river, the Yard and Lenox embark on a chase for the madman responsible. Charles is also dealing with the reality of his father's impending death, predicted to be within six months, and a case of unrequited love.

I have always admired the Charles Lenox series for the quality of Finch's writing, the settings, and the many interesting facts about the period that Finch drops effortlessly into the narrative. My favorite this time is the origin of the name of Great Scotland Street. I can't say that I ever connected with Lenox on an emotional level, or understood why he wanted to be a detective. The Woman in the Water changes that by introducing the 23-year-old Lenox with all his fears and insecurities. His interactions with his dying father, his mother, his brother are very revealing and emotional, without tipping into maudlin. We also get glimpses of long-time series characters; McConnell, a four-year-old John Dallington, and of course, the estimable Graham, and Lady Jane. Lenox makes several rookie mistakes in the investigation which might threaten his nearest and dearest. But even Scotland Yard reluctantly recognizes that he is more than a dilettante. Even his unwanted and disapproving housekeeper, Mrs. Huggins comes to a detente with Charles, providing some comic relief.

I highly recommend The Woman in the Water to both old and new readers of the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

Scrappymags 3-word review: Sherlock Holmes-like entertainment!
 
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com
 
Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery, a prequel to a series I have never read.
 
Shortest summary ever: A prequel to Finch's successful Lenox detective series (which I will now be avidly reading), this story launches the detective career of 23-yr-old Charles Lennox. It's 1850 and he’s breaking the rules of his aristocratic breeding, defying family expectation by investigating the murders of 2 women found in the Thames, both with similarities, both with accompanying letters to a local paper by the killer. With his right hand man Graham along as his side-kick, he delves into the detective world while struggling to rise to public pressure and (of course) uncover something sinister.
 
What’s good under the hood: Finch is a first time read for me so not knowing his previous work, I was thrilled! (I was worried I would miss something, which I didn't). Victorian? Mystery? Count me IN! It’s textbook Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, but  I can NEVER have enough of these mysteries when they are intriguing and well-written such as this. A touch of personal depth thoughout learning about the Lennox family made the characters endearing and I'm sure will make later happenings enjoyable to read. A grand chase of a book - turning the pages at breakneck speed (I had to slow myself down), I felt fully emersed in the time period and the characters. Finch has a gift with balancing the mystery and characterization, which I appreciate. I love to know background and I love to become invested in characters. All that while being captivated by a mystery? SOLD!

What’s bad or made me mad:  I would imagine some might criticize the obvious Holmes/Watson link, however, my belief is that when you create characters so well and develop plots that dazzle, I have NO problem with that.
 
Recommend to:
I would imagine Finch fans will love this since I did so much.
Historical fiction mysteries are a fave of mine. If you feel the same - must read.
 
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and the Mr. Finch for an advanced copy and for firmly and utterly transporting me to Victorian England hunting killers (in my mind of course) in exchange for this completely honest review.

This return to Charles Lenox’s detective “boyhood” was entertaining. We get to meet his father, eavesdrop on his first meetings with Scotland Yard Detectives who would become his companions in later cases, and observe his first meeting with Thomas McConnell and John Darlington. For fans of the series, this is catnip. For newcomers, perhaps a tempting taste of a must-read detective series.

What an interesting thing for Charles Finch to have done. If you haven't read the series, this is an awesome way to start- try this one and you'll want to read the rest of the books. If you have read the series (or if you, like me, dipped and out over the years), read this for the back story. You'll meet Charles Lennox at the start of his career, along with Graham, who is his valet and, more importantly, equal in solving murders. There's a good sense of 1850s London, which is always nice. One woman is found floating in the Thames and then a taunting letter is sent to the newspaper, propelling Lennox to action. While Scotland Yard might disdain him, he persists and, well, you can guess what happens, especially when another woman is found dead. This is really good character driven reading, along with a carefully plotted tale. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I had a very difficult time getting through this book. I have not ready any other books in the series, but I assumed, since it was about Lennox's first case, it would be a good place to jump in. I was wrong. There was too much about Lennox and his personal life and not nearly enough about the mystery. Perhaps fans of the series will enjoy reading about Lennox's housekeeper and her cats, or Lennox's father, or his friend Elizabeth, but I did not.I would not recommend this book.

I'm always a little hesitant when author's choose to do a prequel to their series. Some that I have read have been extremely predictable as you already know what is going to happen, etc. This book however, was different. Finch does a great job of telling the beginning of Charles Lenox's career as a detective while giving us a little more depth and history of some of his characters. We are able to see Lenox's father and mother and get to know them a little plus we see some familiar characters as well and learn how they came to know Lenox. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to more in the series.

I've read a couple of books in the Lennox series and they are overall enjoyable mysteries. I enjoyed this book as well. It's a good historical fiction set in Victorian era England. This series is always true to the era and I appreciate that. The mystery was a great aspect of the book and was not one which I could predict the ending. I found that at times there were too many diversions from the story at hand, which I know was for character development of Lennox. However, the tangential thoughts in between conversations got a little old.

I hate to say this, but part of my problem with reading this one was the digital ARC I received from NetGalley. It was so oddly formatted with additional 1s and 0s that I lost my place quite a bit. It was frustrating and I'm afraid it slightly clouded my opinion of the book. I have to be honest about that.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This was perhaps the finest of all the Charles Lenox series by Finch. Although initially I was skeptical of the "look back" style, it did not disappoint. The author managed to explain via this prequel many of Lenox's subsequent characteristics and reasons for his chosen career, etc. I was particularly impressed with his early characterizations of the relationships between Lenox, his family, Jane and Graham.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have read and enjoyed all of the previous books in this series, so it felt a little strange to go back to the earliest days after Charles Lenox left college and decided that he wanted to be a private detective.

The author did an excellent job of portraying the young and inexperienced Lenox - quite different from the Lenox that we know in his later days, although different in a realistic way. He's a bit full of himself - impressed by his own status and what he sees as his superior intelligence and reasoning abilities. I am glad that he matured in the following books, as I don't think I would have enjoyed reading a whole series with his character as it is here. In this case, though, it really was rather enjoyable, knowing that he would in fact grow out of it.

I didn't find the plot as interesting as in the later books. Perhaps because the plot here seemed rather random, while in the later books, there was a more defined point to the crimes. That said, I enjoyed the book for the characters and for developing a bit more of Lenox's back story. While not my favorite in the series, it was well worth reading.

If you haven't read the other books in the series, you should. And there really isn't any need to read this one first - I think it's more interesting to read after having read the others.

If you haven't met Charles Lenox, the clever detective in nineteenth century London who stars in Charles Todd's popular series, this prequel to the further adventures of a smart, affable fellow just down from Oxford following an inappropriate career path for an aristocrat will lead you right to the rest of them. In Woman in the Water, Lenox and Graham, his valet and chum, are intrigued by the mystery surrounding a waterlogged trunk containing the body of an woman that washes up on an inlet in the Thames, and the taunting note about another murder to come. A month later, a flower-draped body soon dubbed Ophelia by the tabloid press turns up at the edge of the river, and so does another note. Using a family connection, Lenox manages to put himself in the Scotland Yard investigation, much to the dismay and derision of the police officers ordered by their chief to include him. Naturally, he's quicker off the mark than they are, but smart enough not to show off his considerable talents of deduction. By the time the case is solved, the 23 year old Lenox is rethinking whether detecting is a suitable job for a man who doesn't need one. But fortunately for the reader, expecially one who hasn't encountered him or followed this popular series, it is.

I had not read any of the series before and would do so now. The storyline had enough twists in the plot to keep me thinking the who and why. The personal life of Charles was well woven throughout the book and siuted his character as well as the time in history. The threads to take you into the next story have been well set. I look forward to reading more of the series.

Charles Finch once again delivers a rich and vibrant and twisty tale which sizzles from first sentence to last.