Dear Laura

In Victorian London,Theodore Crozier, businessman, has been found dead. Initially thought to be a natural death, suspicions are raised and whispers about a relationship between Mrs Laura Crozier and her brother-in-law Titus are brought to light. It falls to Inspector John Joseph Lintott to investigate.
An enjoyable mystery and an interesting exposé of Victorian domestic life.

Time for another book review, time for another classic mystery. Though actually I’m not sure that merely reissuing a detective novel, in this case from the 1970s, necessarily makes it a classic and to be honest some of the oldies have lasted better than others.

Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh on Dear Laura by Jean Stubbs, because it does have a lot to commend it. It’s a historical mystery set in late Victorian times. Wealthy but emotionally cold businessman Theodore Crozier is dead and his death wasn’t the result of natural causes — but was the overdose of morphine in his system accident or murder? Theodore’s relationship with his wife, Laura, is cold, distant and unemotional, and her relationship with his wayward younger brother, Titus, is anything but. The servants are divided and Inspector Lintott of Scotland Yard is there to unravel the mystery.

As I say, there’s a lot going for this book. It’s well-written and the characters are cleverly-drawn. The author paints a terrific picture of a society whose conventions force those of all classes to accept what is expected of them and illustrates that the rich can be as miserable as the poor. The plot is clever, with plenty of twists and turns, although for me it had a less than satisfactory conclusion, and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, which can make a book a hard read.

Where it fell down for me is in the solving of the mystery. The book is the first in a series featuring Inspector Lintott but apart from whisking across the narrative very fleetingly early on, the detective doesn’t make an appearance until almost half way through. The rest of the book is scene-setting which, while necessary up to a point, seemed rather out of balance. And the investigation itself consisted of Lintott talking to everyone involved and coming to a conclusion — no spoilers but…

Perhaps it’s down to the expectation we have detective fiction but, for me, if the investigating officer is the main protagonist (and he or she has his name on the cover) then he or she needs to be at the heart of the book from the beginning. I thought there was too much back story and not enough detecting and, as a result, I couldn’t really engage with Inspector Lintott in the way I feel I was meant to.

Thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

Dear Laura is a Victorian mystery that introduces the engaging, but shrewd and perceptive Inspector Lintott.

Surprisingly, Detective Lintott doesn't really make an appearance until about half way through the book. The first half of the book introduces the characters in the house hold of Theodore Crozier. Crozier, his wife, his brother, and the household servants are presented in both current situations and situations which provide background for the characters.

Initially, Theodore Crozier's death is thought to have been caused by an aneurysm, but anonymous letters imply something else. Suicide? Murder?

When the cause of death comes into question, Scotland Yard's Inspector Lintott is called in. He has an interesting interview method and good insight into character, but he also finds himself reconsidering some of his opinions as he learns more. He doesn't stick with first assumptions, but alters his investigation with new information.

What I particularly loved about him is when he made a comment completely in keeping with Victorian values, but later, despite his initial response, begins a deeper understanding of the situation. Even today, men have opinions about women and their place, and many are incapable of seeing past the views they have adopted. Lintott is no feminist, but he allows a change in his attitude and convictions because he examines his opinions. He may not approve, but he comes to understand certain situations.

The twist at the very end is not exactly a surprise, but I was never certain that it would end as I sometimes expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery and Inspector Lintott and was surprised to realize when I finished that the book was first published in 1974. One advantage to any historical novel is that it is less likely to feel dated. :)

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Mystery. 1974. Nov. 1, 2018. Print length: 267 pages.

An enjoyable and entertaing historical mystery.
I loved the characters and the well researched historical background.
The plot was engaging and the mystery was good, it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC