The Vanishing Man, the second in a prequel trilogy to the Charles Lenox series, is as delightfully complicated as the first, The Woman in the Water. The young detective Lenox faces his toughest case yet -- someone has stolen the portrait of the great-grandfather of the Duke of Dorset. This case, however, is not a simple recovery of stolen property because the thieves may not be done. Before long, Lenox is caught between saving secrets and a priceless treasure, and when there's a murder, he fears this case may be beyond his skills. The Vanishing Man offers another peak at Lenox's early years as a detective and his relationship with Lady Jane as well as a mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I eagerly anticipate the third one. Mr. Finch captures the time period well, creates memorable characters, and weaves a mystery that immerses the reader in a world of truth and lies -- the challenge is finding the difference. I highly recommend this book.

Book takes place in London during 1853. The main character, Charles Lenox is starting a career as a detective. He is asked by one of the most senior noblemen in England to help solve a case. Story flows smoothly. I enjoyed book.

I do not think, in all my years of reading, I have ever enjoyed a book [or a series] as much as I have enjoyed the Charles Lennox Series by Charles Finch. Each book is an absolute delight and I have never been disappointed.

They are old England, interesting, suspenseful [but not to the point of being scary, though he has moments when you wonder just HOW he is going to get out of the situation], filled with real-like, believable people and a story that always makes you think, makes you grateful [I CANNOT even imagine living back then] and entertains you. I have learned so much about this time frame and it never fails to continue to amaze me the things they had to do and endure and deal with [especially the women!!].

This book takes us back to Charles' beginnings as a detective [this one takes place after The Woman in the Water] and brings him to the door of the Duke of Dorset, who has recently been "relieved" of one of his paintings and hires Lennox to find it. And all sorts of intrigue and shenanigans ensues. To share any more would give spoilers and I am not that person. :-)

Greatly enjoyed this book; it was a great addition to this series. I cannot wait for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading The Vanishing Man motivated me to seek other titles by this author. It’s apparent that the author enjoys etymology - and his description of the time period through small details add color and interest. He’s done his research, but the “factoids” are seamlessly scattered throughout the book rather that inserted merely to show how much the author knows. A good, not-too-contrived mystery with engaging characters. I liked it.

I'm not certain when I do Readers' Advisory whether I start patrons on the prequel series or just have them jump in with A Beautiful Blue Death. However, since The Vanishing Man is only book two of the prequel trilogy I wouldn't want to wait to read the rest of them! Finch always writes a compelling mystery.