A very good book, entertaining and engaging.
I liked the plot that kept my attention till the end, the fleshed out characters, and the well researched historical background.
Even if this isn't the first installment in this series I had no problems in understanding this book.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley, all opinions are mine.

Murder in park Lane by Karen Charlton.
This was a brilliant read with great characters. I love this series and hope there is more to come. Love how Karen writes. 5*.

I keep promising myself I’m going to kick my cosy mystery habit and move on to something edgier instead, but somehow I never do. My latest read, Karen Charlton’s Murder in Park Lane, did nothing to make me want to look elsewhere.

The book is set in London in 1812 and it’s the fifth in a series featuring Inspector Lavender and his sidekick Ned Woods, butt worked very well as a standalone. So many series writers slip up here, but Charlton has it spot on — just the right amount of backstory, enough hints about past mysteries to nudge the reader towards them without leaving you feeling that you’ve missed out, and yet she manages to engage the reader with her recurring characters (though I would guess there are only two detectives, so there’s not a huge amount of room for confusion).

There’s murder afoot, in fashionable Mayfair, where a man has been found mysteriously dead inside a locked room with no murder weapon. This intriguing premise was perhaps solved rather earlier than I would have liked, but the mystery took off nicely, full of twists and turns as people’s secrets were revealed. Lavender and Woods are hot on the trail, though, relentlessly picking their way through the mysteries of the wealthy and the titled, the poor, the moneylenders and the fraudsters until they reach a satisfying conclusion.

For the most part I loved the characterisation, which was neat and anything but cliched, and I laughed out loud at some of the turns in the book (such as the nymphomaniac elderly ladies with an eye for handsome young men). I wasn’t so taken with the subplot of Woods deciding he was overweight and fasting to the detriment of his health, which was something that felt far more like the behaviour of a teenage girl than of a policeman with an adult child. It was so odd that I assumed it must have something to do with the plot, but it didn’t and rather petered out.

That one gripe aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be going back to read more in the series.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a review copy of Murder in Park Lane, the fifth novel to feature regency detective Principal Officer Stephen Lavender and his assistant Constable Ned Woods of the Bow Street Police Office.

Lavender is summoned to Park Lane by police surgeon Sir Richard Allison who has a conundrum on his hands. Commercial traveler David MacAdam has been found stabbed to death in his his room in his lodgings with the door locked from the inside and no sign of a weapon. MacAdam was not what he seemed and this is just the first conundrum in his decidedly shady past.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in Park Lane which has a great plot, full of unexpected twists and turns, some likeable characters and a good dose of humour. The narrative is an extremely straightforward third person told from Lavender’s point of view and with a linear timeline. What a joy as many of my recent reads have changed everything about from chapter to chapter. This, I could sit down and read and get involved in without distraction, to the extent that I stayed up far too late to read it in one sitting.

The plot is captivating and absorbing. Just as the reader gets used to one set of circumstances the author throws in another twist so you have to read on to find out what’s coming next. It is extremely well conceived and executed. Plotting, however, is not the only joy of the novel. After five novels in the series Lavender and Woods are old friends and their partnership is a well oiled machine. Woods provides the humour and people skills and Lavender the brains but with Lavender’s mind on the imminent birth of his first child Woods gets more of a look in on the thinking until his diet gets in the way.

This is a lighthearted, entertaining read so it doesn’t concentrate on social conditions as many historical novels do but still has enough period detail to set the tone of the era.

Murder in Park Lane is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Really enjoyed this book!

I've on a bit of a roll reading mysteries at the moment, and this one immediately caught my eye when I saw it up for request on NetGalley. It was a fun read. Though a part of a series, it works nicely as a standalone as well, which worked out well for me, as I haven't read the rest of the series just yet.

Starting with a locked room murder, a good portion of the mystery that Detective Lavender was tasked to solve in this one kept me guessing. While there were parts that I was able to guess easily, initially there was enough mystery to keep me hooked through the novel.

One of my favourite parts of the book was the revelation of what was happening in the boarding house where the deceased, David McAdam, stayed. I really enjoyed the fun - and relatively nonjudgemental, if only from the author and not the characters themselves - look into the lives of the women of Mayfair.

I was rather uncomfortable with the way the book addresses some of the non-white, non-Protestant characters - while Lavender is portrayed as non-prejudiced, there is enough displayed to make up for him in spades. While I understand historical accuracy and views, I've read others that deal more empathetically with historically oppressed characters, and I wish this book did the same. On the same note, the motive for murder was slightly off-putting as well.

The other thing that I would critique about this book was the 'swears' that Woods used. I'm not sure whether the use of 'Gawd's' is a nod to historical accuracy or a phonetic version of a accent, but it pulled me out of the novel all the same.

Still, despite my criticisms, this book was an enjoyable and quick read - it kept me engrossed and coming back for more through the novel. 3.75/5 stars for me.

*Note: ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Murder in Park Lane" is a mystery novel set in 1812 in England. It's the fifth book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this story did not spoil any previous whodunits.

The detective was clever, and his assistant constable had skills that complemented the detective's. They asked good questions. However, so many people lied to them that the detective had difficulty making any headway for a while. It was a clue based mystery, and the reader can guess what's going on as quickly as a detective.

I cared what happened to the main characters. They were engaging, interesting people and had realistic reactions to events. The vivid historical and setting details made the story feel unique to that time and place yet didn't slow the pacing down.

There was some bad language. There were no sex scenes. A three month old corpse was described in detail, if an accurate description of a nearly skeletal dead body would bother you. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel.

This series just keeps getting better and better. This time Lavender and Woods have to solve what at first glance appears to be a murder committed in a locked room, but as usual nothing is as it seems including the wonderful petticoat pensioners who believe they are above the law in every way. This book has it all murder, burglary and red herrings galore. This book in the series is not based on the true crimes that had been investigated by Lavender, as the others have been but does not lose anything in the telling. I also like the way the relationships are being developed between the characters and hopefully there will be many more books in this series to come.

My favourite genre is a good historical crime series and this one is a good one!

I love the characters and the fact that the develop and change and have a back story.
I liked the mystery which seemed to be set in the right time and showed a side of the nineteenth century that I found interesting.
I have also missed a couple of books in the series and that doesn't matter because it all makes sense which is another plus.
Highly recommend.

A brilliantly plotted story. Great historical setting and well-drawn characters. The prose flows smoothly and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. A great series, highly recommended.

This is the second in the series that I have read and much better, even though set in London and not my beloved Northumberland. A body is found, behind locked doors and two of Bow Street's finest - Detective Lavender and Constable Woods, are tasked with uncovering what has to be the murder of an apparently normal young man. Nothing is normal of course and they are lead through High and Low Society, with twists and turns all the way before the denouement . The depth and interplay of their characters get better all of the time and the descriptions of 19th century London take the reader right to the heart of the city - from the highs of Park Lane, through its mews to Cheapside and below. Fantastic descriptions. The other characters range equally widely with some really eccentric older Ladies, their servants and some highly disreputable young men. All great fun at one level. It's a highly enjoyable read, probably best classed as a cosy detective with sufficient detail of, but not over the top, gruesomeness, Lose yourself for a few hours, immerse yourself an enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas&Mercer publishing for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Take a pinch of fact and add to fiction, add a touch of marital desertion, bigamy and murder and throw in the characters of Lavender and Woods and you have the perfect combination of a superb read. An enjoyable and exciting read. Thanks to TBC, Netgalley and Karen Charlton for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

cosy-mystery, bow-street-runners, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, twisty, historical-fiction

Excellent mystery story that starts with a locked room murder! Detective Lavender and Constable Woods are a formidable team with some interesting foibles and the way that they bring out the best of sleuthing and logic from each other is very well done. Lots of interesting characters, and they all lie of course, and more suspects than any police officer wants to have to think about. Add in an interesting pathophysiology of death in the first murder victim and you have a really fascinating story even before the Regency equivalent of a high speed chase! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas & Mercer Publisher via NetGalley. Thank You!

Another great story in this series. Inspector Lavender and his colleagues and family are great characters and the interactions between them are always amusing.Portrayal of the old ladies of high society spot on.

The characters of Detective Lavender and Constable Woods Bow Street Runners bring great presence in this historical mystery. You follow the clues with them and even get to smile at Woods along the way.
You have a new take on the murder in a locked room. There are many twists and turns to these murders but the story carries you along at a great pace.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth in the delightful Detective Lavender and Constable Woods series set in Regency London. A man is found murdered in his lodgings, a locked door conundrum, and this leads our dynamic duo on quite a trail. I very much enjoyed this entertaining tale of suspense which has all the required ingredients for a great read. It has a clever plot, it’s fast paced, full of twists and turns, and has the odd red herring. There’s a great sense of time and place and the characters are well rounded. It’s not without its humour, either.

An easy, engaging and intriguing historical mystery which will keep you guessing - I look forward to the sixth instalment!

This series just keeps getting better and better. The characters are wonderful, the writing is outstanding and the plots keep you guessing to the very end! You can read this as a stand-alone, but to appreciate the full richness of the characters and their relationships, you really need to begin at the beginning.

Stephen Lavender is a Principal Officer at Bow Street and he works with Constable Ned Woods in his investigations. Sir Richard Allison is a renowned physician who works with Bow Street on occasion. He is arrogant and expects to be treated like royalty whenever he deigns to work with Bow Street. So, imagine Lavender’s shock when Sir Richard requests his assistance on a case. It is right down Lavender’s alley. The victim, David MacAdam, was found in a room that was locked from the inside, the window was warped and couldn’t be opened and there were no other possible points of entry. It couldn’t be suicide because there was no murder weapon to be found.

Suspects abound and the victim isn’t what he appears to be. None of the witnesses are telling the truth – some are outright lying and others are omitting vital pieces of information. Lavender definitely has his work cut out for him with this one.

When a second victim turns up, it complicates the case even further. Of course, there are personal worries and complications as well – Lavender is awaiting the birth of his first child and Ned is concerned about his weight and takes extreme measures to fix it.

The suspects will blow your mind – you have everything from aristocrats to con artists to loan sharks. What they get up to will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next.

Definitely a good read!

Another cracking story about the 19th century Bow Street runners.
I love the descriptions of London when it was surrounded by fields and areas where the villain congregated.
The characters as always come to life: Lavender, Woods and their families. I could picture them riding on their horses as well as investigating the crimes with pure detective work.
A good story that's easy to read.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.

Murder in Park Lane, despite being the fifth instalment in the series, was my first encounter with Detective Lavender and Constable Woods but I felt it is perfectly fine to be read as a stand alone. Where needed the author alludes to earlier events so I didn’t feel I was missing out on anything.
With the flood of twisted psychological thrillers, cruel cult murderers, psychopathic serial killers and deeply damaged main protagonists out there, it was actually rather nice to follow a wholesome, level-headed, happily married detective and his loyal sidekick around a comfortably picturesque, historical London solving a comparatively ‘harmless’ murder case. The main characters are likeable, the easy-going plot is well-paced, theres a bunch of suitably eccentric suspects, and a fair amount of red herrings before the mystery is brought to a successful conclusion - all in all a very enjoyable, entertaining and cosy reading experience.