First, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really know what to expect when I started it [I sure didn't realize it was set in 1703, a time period I know next-to-nothing about] as I tend to not read too much of the description of the book, but it quickly sucked me in and I found myself completely enthralled.

The problem when you read a book in a time frame you are not accustomed to is, you spend a LOT of time looking things up [50,000 pounds sterling is close to 4 million pounds in today's money, just as a side note - GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY] and that slowed me down considerably. What I learned is that men were just as obnoxious about women and them having knowledge then as they are now [when WILL that end?] and that women spend a great deal of time either ignoring those remarks or trying to prove themselves to the world. It must have been exhausting.

The biggest problem is that I cannot really write a decent review for this without giving a ton of it away. This is a book that needs to be unwrapped by the reader and should not be spoiled by a tacky revealing review. So I am not going to leave one of those. I am going to tell you that Cecily is a great MC, Meacan is a fantastic side-kick and the world of cabinets [that may or may not be magic or hold magical things or they may just be ordinary - the answer lies with each reader] and collecting, even in 1703, was a dangerous and obsessive hobby. I will also say that I didn't get who the killer was until just as they were about to be revealed and that was TOTALLY awesome [my last 4 mysteries I had guessed early on, but didn't in this one - though now that I know, i TOTALLY see it {eyeroll}, so that is BONUS points in my opinion]. And made me like the book even more. And the author leaves it set up for another books, so I do hope that she will be writing another one as I really did enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elsa Hart has written a fascinating historical mystery.Full of interesting characters women detectives searching for the murderer of Barnaby Maybe.I really was drawn in to the story looking forward to reading more by this author,#netgalley#st.martinsbooks

Rating: 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Elsa Hart has written another intriguing historical mystery. I have her "Li Du" historical mystery series, set in China in the 18th century, on my bookshelf. However, I have not read them yet. Her latest work is set in 1703 London. I could not pass up requesting to read an eARC of this book based on what I knew of her earlier series, and the time and place that this new mystery occurred. I am so happy to have had the chance to read this book.
As the book opens, we find Cecily Kay arriving in London with her bundles of dried flora from the Smyrna region of Greece where she had been living with her husband. She arrived at the London house of the famed Collector, Barnaby Mayne on the day he was murdered. To be precise, she arrived before he was murdered. She was hoping to use his extensive collection of dried flowers and plants to help her identify those that she had collected. Immediately upon her arrival she met the demanding Mayne. By 2:30, she had been settled in her room and was ready the planned Collection tour.

A group of four other gentlemen joined her on the tour through the collections. Mayne abruptly cut the tour short after receiving a letter that he had to respond to immediately. Fast forward to a couple of hours later when Mayne was found stabbed to death in his study. His milquetoast curator, Dinley was standing over him with a bloody knife, and confessed to killing him. Then Dinley runs off into the sooty fog of London.

The story pace picks up from there. As luck would have it, a childhood friend of Cecily’s was also working at Barnaby Mayne’s house. Meacan was working as an illustrator of his Collection items. She was the gardener’s daughter on the estate that Cecily’s family owned. As the pair reunite unexpectedly, they band together to try to solve the mystery of Mayne’s death. Cecily just does not believe that Dinley could actually have killed his boss. However, as Meacan and Cecily work together, there are doubts about how much they trust each other as they dig deeper into the mystery.

Ms. Hart so ably captured this Queen Anne era where the world was starting to open up for travel on a broader scale. Rich Englishmen were intent on collecting all manner of things from those travels. Barnaby Mayne’s cabinets were full of wonders and oddities that drew the admiration and envy of many other Collectors of the time. Many folks might have wanted Mayne dead.

As the story progresses, the pace increases. This is a classic who-dun-it mystery. It was well written and entertaining. I would recommend it to aficionados of classic mysteries like those written by Agatha Christie or Josephine Tey. I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy a good historical mystery, or a work of historical fiction. I now have to go back and start reading this author’s “Li Du” mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Elsa Hart turns from ancient China to the streets of London of 1703 in “The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, where we learn that Sir Barnaby Mayne is a collector, a very successful collector, of almost anything you can imagine. Enter Cecily Kay, a married (but unhappily, as it turns out) guest at Sir Barnaby’s museum of a mansion. She’s arrived with a batch of unidentified flora, eager to make them quickly identified.

Sir Barnaby is not a nice man. He orders his employees around like they are slaves, and considers himself vastly superior to almost everyone. These attitudes don’t engender you to others; and obviously, other collectors are jealous of his success, and would like to see him fail.

In the midst of a tour of his collection, Sir Barnaby is called away. The tour continues, but Sir Barnaby does not; he is stabbed to death, and a young curator is found standing over the body. The man runs away. Well, the book has barely started, so this can’t be all there is to it, right? Right. Off we go, along with Cecily, who also doesn’t believe that it can be as simple as what it appears.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But I found it very slow-going, more concerned with relating the contents of the cabinets then making us care about the characters and their emotions. Cecily (with help from her friend Meacan Barlow, who’s also in the house), does figure it all out, of course. The murder is really only a small part of the story.

An author’s note reminds us that “words and imagination can transform one thing into another.” That certainly happens in “The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.” But not in a challenging enough fashion for me, and not with characters that resonate enough to care about the journey.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the prose of this novel versus the one I just read. It was almost jarring going from a present-day setting to a book taking place in the 1700s but once I settled in, I was hooked. The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne is a classic whodunit - a little much in the details but nevertheless impressive. I was more than happy to immerse myself in the mystery surrounding a murder in a time where nearly all you had were your own wits and deductive skill.

I enjoyed reading about Cecily and Meacan's adventure and sometimes misadventures in solving Sir Barnaby's murder. Cecily would definitely belong in our world today - forward-thinking, learned, courageous, and an accomplished woman in her own right (much to the embarrassment to her husband). I didn't really enjoy Meacan's character at first but I believe that was the point and she grew on me after Cecily found herself in a rather muddy situation. The one character that I found interesting that didn't receive much time in the spotlight was Signore Covo - I would love to know more of his story.

I didn't see the identity of the murderer coming nor the story behind the Rose collection. I had an inkling but really didn't see the purpose behind them murdering Sir Barnaby until much later on in the book. I did thoroughly enjoy the descriptions of the items in the Mayne collection and would love the opportunity to peruse it myself if it were indeed real.

This book stands at a high 4.5 and not a 5 because I found some of the details and day to day activities broke up the flow of reading. I would highly recommend The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne to readers who enjoy historical fiction, murder mysteries, and fictional scientific collections. I would like to thank Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this interesting historical fiction book as a digital ARC - all opinions are my own.

I have a weakness for historical mysteries so this one got my attention from the start. It's set in 1703 London and focuses on the current fad of collecting things of all kinds in nature - shells, fish, rocks, plants, it's all there in the home of Sir Barnaby Mayne, the creme de la creme of collectors. Every room is full of his vast and varied collection and even the bed chambers are chock full of displays. Each is lovingly kept dust free and the rest of the contents of the house get a hit or miss dusting at best. Cecily, Lady Kay, has arrived to stay a week in Sir Barnaby's home so she can fill in the names of some of the plants and flowers in her collection. Pressed carefully between pages in three large traveling stacks, she is looking forward to immersing herself in the collections delights.
As soon as she arrives, with some time to spare before her official tour begins, she finds an unexpected person in residence - her childhood friend, Meacan Barlow. Meacan is there to work as an illustrator and they haven't seen each other in twenty-five years. Little did these two strong minded women know that very soon they would begin their investigation to unmask a killer in their midst. Somebody has killed Sir Barnaby with a knife in his study. Somebody confesses but it doesn't ring true to Cecily and she and Meacan make a fine team of investigators.
The pace is slow, the mystery a classic cozy a la Dame Agatha Christie and I enjoyed every minute of it. There was lots of misdirection and a satisfying conclusion. If this is to become a series I will most certainly want to read more.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn’t sure at first what I was getting into with The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne; it sounded a bit odd, but still interesting. And while the first 20% or so is a bit slow, the story picks up and ultimately pays off.

The story has a classic mystery vibe, with some readers evoking comparisons to Agatha Christie (an author I have yet to read, to my shame). The environment of the curious collection of Barnaby Mayne truly comes to life, in a way that you can picture it right before your eyes.

The mystery is complex enough to be engaging, justifying the slightly slower pace to set up the plot, and get things in motion.

I did find something a bit lacking when it came to the characters, however. I never really connected with anyone, even Cecily. While I like that she’s independent and intelligent, I felt there was a sense of shallowness to her relationships with other people that may have been accurate to the period, but did not really endear me to her or anyone else.

I have mixed feelings about the book, but I find the author’s writing style engaging, and would be interested to read more from her in the future. If you love stories with a classic, Christie-esque mystery feel, then you should still check out this book, to see if it works out better for you.

I was completely sucked into this book from the first chapter and devoured it in a weekend. I don’t know what it is about a cozy mystery particularly if it has a female detective, and preferably set in 1700s London, but I am here for it and I need Elsa Hart to write fifteen more books pronto.

Our heroine, Lady Cecily Kay has a passion for botany and arrives at the house of Sir Barnaby Mayne to spend time studying his collection of specimens…when Mayne is murdered. Despite someone confessing to killing him, Cecily suspects that not everything is as it seems, and takes it upon herself to start investigating. She teams up with a childhood friend, who just happens to be a scientific illustrator and also conducting work with the Mayne collection when all of this goes down. The two of them get into all sorts of trouble and danger together and take the reader along for the ride.

The pacing of the story was wonderful, and it was so descriptive that I almost felt I could reach out and touch a sharp crocodile tooth, or stroke the colorful feathers of an exotic parrot at times. I loved the women who star in the story, they were wonderfully bold and intelligent (which certainly wouldn’t have been encouraged in the 1700s).

Barnaby Mayne, found in his study, Killed with the knife. Apparently killed by his curator. This novel, set in the early 1700’s in a time of rampant exploration and collection of the wealth of natural history curiosities, feels like an episode from a Clue game. We are led through Mayne's treasure collection and the streets of London by an two friends, an illustrator and collector, who have come to pursue their work using the collection as a resource.

The descriptions of travel and collection in this period were rich and colorful. The characters were a bit stereotyped, but still interesting. The plot was sufficiently twisted to keep me entertained!

3.5 stars rounded up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the author for bringing such a fascinating topic for discussion and it was a fast and easy read, however, I was starting this book with such a high expectation from the synopsis. I was imagining a book filled with images and descriptions of many interesting and fascinating objects from around the world since the book was talking about the greatest collection of wonders around the world.
I deeply appreciate the author's take in researching the psychology, underworld of collector's routines, way to acquire objects, I really appreciate the psychology of minor obsessions that describes the collector's psychology.
Not sure if actual book ( not the ARC) will have any inserts or objects, but I am sure that would make this read so much more interesting. I would also appreciate a little backstory of some of the collectors, objects they were interested in, their backstories. This may be just an issue of my personal expectations.
This was a very Hercule Poirot-esque mystery novel. I was hoping to get engaged more, unfortunately.
The language: 3*: very easy, I truly hoped for some collectors' jargon, lexicon to be used
The plot: 3*: mystery-solving with an interesting insert of politics
The evolution: 3*: we certainly see some evolution in the book, but not really a character evolution
Interest keeping: 3*: I had lost my interest at some points due to lack of anchors to the text
Conclusion/climax: 4*: interesting intake in rumors/manipulations and I think John Rose was a reference to Resecrusians with all maps & occult, but that may be just my imagination
References: 2*: I'd love to see some London references, as mentioned some subject references to collectors' routines and lives.

I'd love to see new works by the author.
Detailed review in my blog: bibilioanalytic.com

London, 1703--Cecily enters the house of famous collector Barnaby Mayne. In a circle of men who store and display wonders of the natural world, Mayne has the largest collection around. Cecily simply wants to use his cabinets to put identifications to her own small collection of pressed plants. Instead, she gets embroiled in a murder mystery when Sir Barnaby is slain. Though one man admits to the crime at the discovery of the body, Cecily uncovers too many inconsistencies to believe his hasty confession. Finding the truth will prove even more difficult than finding any particular item in the cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover, but I wondered if it might turn out to be a slow, dusty read. While there were a few small spots that dragged when cabinet contents were focused on now and then, overall, I didn't have a problem with the pacing. The main characters were the highlight of the book, and the mystery itself was engaging.

Cecily is a strong, independent woman who has endured much in this world where women are not expected to participate in the affairs of men. There is also Meacan, who was a childhood friend of Cecily's, though the two lost touch over the years. Meacan has been employed at Sir Barnaby's house, and the two make quite the pair as the investigation picks up. For as much as I liked Cecily, Meacan was an even more interesting character. I certainly hope we get to see a lot more of her in the future, compared to the smaller role she had overall in this book.

I had a few theories about who the real murderer was and why, and even about why the confessor would admit to a crime he didn't commit. While my initial guess on the latter turned out to be true, I had no clue about the murderer, even up to the reveal. Overall, it seemed to me like no one really had much of a motive for the murder, even though just about everyone seemed to have the opportunity. Looking back, the clues were mostly there, but meager enough, and stretched far enough apart, that I wasn't exactly kicking myself for not solving it.

The writing and descriptions, as well as the dialog, gave the book just the right historical feel without bogging down the story. There is plenty of intrigue in the lives of both Cecily and Meacan to make them characters you want to follow into a series, and the ending definitely hints at more to come, though I see no specific indication that this is the first in a series. I certainly hope it is. My only real gripe is that the entire first chapter seemed completely unnecessary to me. I don't really understand why it was needed. If it was simply to give us a glimpse at a character that would come into play more later, the scene could have gone a whole different way that would play into the story in this book a lot more. Otherwise, though, I think mystery lovers, especially those who like historical fiction, will enjoy this book.

What It's About: Set in London, 1703, Sir Barnaby Mayne is a collector of rare and exotic items. Much to the envy of other collectors, his home is filled with cabinets of these precious items which he has acquired from all around the world. One day as he is giving a tour of his rare collection to a small group of visitors, he is called to attend an urgent matter. Soon after, Sir Barnaby is found lying dead on the floor and although the killer confessed to the murder, Lady Cecily Kay is not convinced. She is determined to seek the truth and together with her longtime friend, Meacan, they begin to investigate.

My thoughts: This book started off really slow and overall, it was a slow burn mystery. It took me a while to get into it and there are many characters to keep up with. But the writing is engaging enough to hold my interest. It is atmospheric and descriptive. The author transported me to the historical London and the world of collectors.

The plot is clever, twisty and I was not able to guess correctly who the murderer was! So, that is a good sign of a great mystery! The main protagonists are both likeable and overall, the characters in this book is pretty interesting and not dull at all.

In a nutshell, this is one enjoyable, good old-fashioned murder mystery. I am not sure if this is a stand-alone novel or it's going to be part of a new series. Either way, I am looking forward to read more by this author!

Pub. Date: Aug 4, 2020

***Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne is a historical mystery taking place in 1703 when colonization and exploration had sparked a mania for collecting from around the world. Sir Barnaby Mayne was the collector’s collector. Few could indulge his furious collecting of everything. His home became a magnet for scientists seeking to do research, including Cecily Kay who brought a collection of plants back to England from Smyrna and hoped to use Mayne’s collection to identify them.

Unfortunately, on the day she arrived, the tour of the collection was interrupted by her host’s murder. Inexplicably, his meek assistant confessed to the murder before fleeing. Cecily thought it unlikely and is searching for a motive or an alternative explanation.



I liked The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne well enough to be eager to read another featuring Cecily May. The plot is fair and sufficiently complex to suggest more than one murderer. I was interested in the outcome and liked Cecily a lot. It was a bit slow-moving at times, perhaps due to the difficulties of being a woman investigating anything in 1703. Historical novels that seek to be even close to reality can become as stultifying as the lives of upper-class women were. Navigating social norms can be tiresome. Despite that, I am intrigued enough to look forward to the next in what I am certain will be an enjoyable series.

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne will be released on August 4th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan

This story reads like a classic mystery. The pace is a bit slower....but the story is rich and well worth the wait. Set in London in 1703, this tale centers around Collectors. Collectors are an elite, wealthy group who pride themselves on collecting bits of science and history, then display cabinets filled with the wonders they have curated. The best collection is owned by Barnaby Mayne.....rare rocks, plant samples, animal bones, archaeological artifacts....if it's odd, intriguing and interesting, Barnaby Mayne has it in his cabinets. His house is a chaotic yet mesmerizing place filled with his treasures....like a strange museum. Cecily Kay comes to the house to study Mayne's collection of rare plant specimens, but ends up investigating the murder of Mayne himself.

I loved the atmospheric feel of this story. I could imagine myself in Mayne's house surrounded by the things he had collected over years. I could almost feel his pride in The Collection and the envy of the others whose cabinets of wonders just didn't quite match up to Mayne's. Elsa Hart writes a very descriptive story.....I could almost smell the dust and furniture wax.

This story is slow paced like more classic mysteries. It has an almost Sherlock Holmes feel to it. There are plenty of suspects and sleuthing by two women determined to get at the truth....and some well-done plot twists. Definitely a must-read for those who enjoy classic mystery! This book would make an excellent movie....Mayne's house would be quite visual and engaging!

This is the first book by Elsa Hart that I've read. I will definitely be reading more! I've heard very good things about her Li Du series!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Elsa Hart did a excellent job on writing this crime mystery story! You find out from the beginning who committed the crime but that's just the beginning of the mystery! I really enjoyed this fun and serious and mystery book,it happens in the 1700's,and it's very well written on clues,and the time in history! The characters,well,you will just have to read to believe about the so different personalities they you are faced with and they are so very well described,you will end up knowing them very well,they come alive for you,you almost forget your reading a story. Wait til you find out ..no,not telling..but you just will not believe what happens,my mouth dropped open!! Wonderful read it you enjoy history,you enjoy mystery if you enjoy figuring out who did the crime and why and will you even believe it yourself? Enjoy this story,I sure did,thanks Net Gallery for letting me read ahead of time!

Agatha Christie would be proud!

Shortest Summary Ever: It’s 1703 (the place to be!) and Cecily Kay has returned to London to visit the home of collector Barnaby Mayne. While searching for botanical information, she stumbles right into a mystery when the host is killed. But she saw the killer and he confessed! The end? Oh no, that’s merely the beginning!

Thoughts: I wasn’t sure about this mystery until about 20% in, and then I was hooked (line AND sinker!). I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE historical mysteries, and while the tone was more cozy than I typically care for, I fell right in and enjoyed a paddle through this mystery pool.

The author’s narrative was engaging - pulling me into the shelves upon shelves in the home of Barnaby Mayne. I envisioned all of the characters ala Christie fashion, and the mystery itself reminded me so much of her books. Not an easy endeavor. I did guess the killer right off but it was likely a guess or else I’m watching entirely too much ID channel during this quarantine and I should become the next Hercule Poirot (minus the ‘stache).

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Recommend to: Agatha lovers, leaning toward cozy mystery but a little grit.

Not recommended to: Those who love the dark and dirty.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my always-honest review and for the education of the time period!

Overall, I think this book is a perfectly cromulent closed-door mystery. It's a little cozy, it's rich in historical detail and description, and it's fun to read.

What keeps it at three stars for me is wondering what it's really trying to say about this period in history and this particular subject, of collecting specimens from around the the world and displaying them in curiosity cabinets. In this book, there's an occult element to the collecting, but of course in real life, what enabled rich European people to acquire "exotic" things from around the world? The slave trade! Colonialism and imperialism! These things are not disconnected, and it seems weird that a book about rooms of curiosities would just pretend that there weren't deeply sinister and unpleasant aspects to this (hello, human zoos! I mean!) So while curiosity cabinets are fascinating, one has to resist the urge to romanticize them, and I'm afraid that's precisely what this book does.

"From the author of the acclaimed Li Du novels comes Elsa Hart's new atmospheric mystery series.

London, 1703. In a time when the old approaches to science coexist with the new, one elite community attempts to understand the world by collecting its wonders. Sir Barnaby Mayne, the most formidable of these collectors, has devoted his life to filling his cabinets. While the curious-minded vie for invitations to study the rare stones, bones, books, and artifacts he has amassed, some visitors come with a darker purpose.

For Cecily Kay, it is a passion for plants that brings her to the Mayne house. The only puzzle she expects to encounter is how to locate the specimens she needs within Sir Barnaby’s crowded cabinets. But when her host is stabbed to death, Cecily finds the confession of the supposed killer unconvincing. She pays attention to details - years of practice have taught her that the smallest particulars can distinguish a harmless herb from a deadly one - and in the case of Sir Barnaby’s murder, there are too many inconsistencies for her to ignore.

To discover the truth, Cecily must enter the world of the collectors, a realm where intellect is distorted by obsession and greed. As her pursuit of answers brings her closer to a killer, she risks being given a final resting place amid the bones that wait, silent and still, in the cabinets of Barnaby Mayne."

I have always been intrigued by cabinets of wonder. This combines that love with my passion of murder mysteries!

In the history of modern science, the decades that bridge the medieval era, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment were a wild time. The way that Americans are taught about this time makes the medieval era seem like, as Justin McElroy of Sawbones once said, “everyone got stupid for a while.” Ancient science was suppressed in favor of Catholicism and alchemy, until the Renaissance kicked off in Italy and the march of Science resumed. Like I said, this is what we’re pretty much taught over here. When we get to college, we might learn about the geniuses of the Islamic Middle Ages or about weirdos like Paracelsus. This is a huge oversimplification of a lot of history, but it does partly explain the phenomenon at the heart of The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, by Elsa Hart. In the early years of what we now call science, natural philosophy was all the rage as wealthy European men (mostly men) who were curious about the world around them started to study—and collect—specimens from around the expanding world.

Lady Cecily Kay was, until shortly before the opening of the novel, semi-happily collecting plants near Smyrna. When she inadvertently shows up her husband, Cecily is shipped home to England. But she has plans to make the best of it by taking the opportunity to visit the “cabinets” of Sir Barnaby Mayne. Mayne’s collection contains thousands of objects including, but not limited to, fossils, bones, stones, statues, preserved animals, gems, feathers, shells, weapons, books, and occult objects. Mayne’s London mansion is filled to brim and the man has no plans to ever stop acquiring. Cecily wants to use Mayne’s botanical collection to identify her own specimens but, on the very day that she arrives and less than an hour into a group tour of the collection, Mayne is apparently murdered by his assistant.

Cecily, being the inquiring soul that she is, starts asking questions when she realizes that Mayne’s murder is not as simple as it appears. She also has a friend in Mayne’s house to help her find the answers to those annoying questions, childhood friend Meacan Barlow, who is now working as a scientific illustrator. Together, Cecily and Meacan pursue all of the possible suspects to find out who really did it. It was hard to tell if they were investigating because they wanted to free an innocent man, or if they’re just really, really curious and want their questions answered. One after another, Cecily and Meacan look into the possible motives and alibis of thieves, frauds, maniacs, a group of possible warlocks, lovers, and more.

While all this is happening, Hart treats us to a lively portrait of the world of collecting. Members of this society obsessively hunt, acquire, and study all sorts of objects that catch their interest. Because the boundaries between the occult and the natural world are still forming, it’s not unusual for things we would recognize as ordinary scientific specimens to share shelf space with grimoires, holy relics, or objects with outlandish origin stories. Characters who live on the peripheries of the collectors—like Meacan and one Signore Covo, a fixer for the collectors—tend to watch all their antics with a raised, judgmental eyebrow. The funny thing to me is that we still have collectors, although the things that get collected is a lot broader these days. (I have a nephew who used to be able to give me chapter and verse on all his Pokemon cards before he moved on to something else.) On the other hand, some of those collectors went on to become some of the biggest names in early science in Europe.

There are some places in The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne where the plot threatens to get overstuffed or where Cecily and Meacan’s adventures strain credulity a bit. While there is some clumsiness here, I was very entertained by this book. I really enjoyed Cecily as a woman who, when thwarted, quietly finds another way to get to her objectives. Most of all, I loved the descriptions of Mayne’s collection and the world of collectors. I don’t have the collecting bug myself, I could easily imagine myself as one of the people who turned up at Mayne’s doorstep for a tour. I recommend this book for fans of historical mysteries.

I found this to be a fun historical mystery. Although it was a little slow in parts, the mystery itself was good and Cecily is an interesting and fiesty female lead. Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur books for this ARC.