"A mysterious bequest of money leads to a murder in this new novel in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series whose last installment The New York Times called “a sterling addition to this well-polished series.”

Charles Lenox has received a cryptic plea for help from an old Harrow schoolmate, Gerald Leigh, but when he looks into the matter he finds that his friend has suddenly disappeared. As boys they had shared a secret: a bequest from a mysterious benefactor had smoothed Leigh’s way into the world after the death of his father. Lenox, already with a passionate interest in detective work, made discovering the benefactor's identity his first case – but was never able to solve it.

Now, years later, Leigh has been the recipient of a second, even more generous bequest. Is it from the same anonymous sponsor? Or is the money poisoned by ulterior motives? Leigh’s disappearance suggests the latter, and as Lenox tries, desperately, to save his friend’s life, he’s forced into confrontations with both the most dangerous of east end gangs and the far more genteel denizens of the illustrious Royal Society. When someone close to the bequest dies, Lenox must finally delve deep into the past to uncover at last the identity of the person who is either his friend’s savior – or his lethal enemy."

A new Charles Lenox? Yes please and thank you!

Little too wordy for my tastes. Unnecessary filler pages. Still, fun to read for the most part.

Another great masterpiece by Charles Finch. I couldn't put it down.

First Sentence: London was silent with snow, soft flakes of it dropping evenly into the white streets, nobody outside who had somewhere inside to be.

Private Enquiry Agent receives a rather cryptic request for help from an old boarding school friend whom he has not seen for many years. It was a private bequest which allowed Gerald Leigh to attend Harrow, and now he has been notified of a second, even more generous entitlement. Leigh has been attacked once and now when they go to question the attorney, they find him murdered. Between East End gangs, and members of the Royal Society, Lenox has his hands full keeping his friend alive while solving a mystery.

Finch is a wonderfully evocative writer. From the opening paragraph, you are in the room with Lenox and a scene eminently relatable to anyone who has lived in a snowy climate. He then sets the stage for suspense and introduced us to the characters, all in a very concise, economical fashion. Finch is very good at providing background information on the characters as they enter the story. If one is a fan of British detective shows, one might smile at the character of “Inspector Frost.”

One of the pleasures of reading historicals, is the small bits of information one learns—the genesis of “cabs,” why the English drive on the left while American drive on the right, and the changes brought about in the Victorian age, including fish and chips. It is also, sadly, interesting to note the disparity between the salaries of man and women, and the conflict between science and politics. To further establish the sense of time, we have mouth-watering descriptions of food—“Baked mullets came out to the table; rissoles, and roast fowl, and macaroni with parmesan cheese, and sea-kale; for dessert there was a laudably enormous charlotte russe placed at the center of each table, with vanilla hard sauce trickling down its sides.”

Dialogue is a strength of Finch’s, particularly that between Lenox and his brother Edmund—“What shall we do now?” Edmund had asked. “We could have a look around Truro.” “Yes, that should be a thrilling eight minutes.”

“The Inheritance” is wonderfully done with excellent arcs to the story, with rises and falls in the suspense, and a delightful ending.

THE INHERITANCE (Hist Mys-Charles Lennox-England-1877) – Ex
Finch, Charles – 10th in series
Minotaur Books, Nov 2016