Cannot rate this book high enough, just a really great story, well told with fascinating and complex characters. Darwin. Dicken's, Reverend Wilberforce, Victoria and Albert, and Dectective Fields or as Dicken's called him "Inspector Bucket". Who is killing people in London and cutting off their ears? Is it related to Charles Darwin and his new theory of evolution or is it somehow connected to Prince Albert or even the Queen? All Detective Bucket knows is that there is evil loose in London with some highly connected people involved. If you like well done historical mysteries this book is just for you, really good.

I set this aside after reading about 10% of it. It just didn't hold my attention; the characters were not interesting.

Expectations were that "The Darwin Affair" would read somewhat like a good Sherlock Holmes story. The language and setting certainly justified that. In the story the protagonist is continually compared to a Charles Dickens police character. Sherlock Holmes, however, clearly was quick to see clues and get to the action of finding the evil-doer. This story tends to drag on and borders on boring.

Tim Mason has written a engrossing, enticing and engaging historical mystery. It will be the perfect read for fans of Lyndsay Faye and Caleb Carr. We will be buying for our library.