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    The Laws of Murder: A Charles Lenox Mystery
    The Laws of Murder: A Charles Lenox Mystery
    The Laws of Murder: A Charles Lenox Mystery
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Laws of Murder: A Charles Lenox Mystery

    Written by Charles Finch

    Narrated by James Langton

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    With all the humanity, glamor, and mystery that readers have come to love, the next Charles Lenox Mystery, The Laws of Murder, is a shining confirmation of the enduring popularity of Charles Finch's Victorian series.

    It's 1876, and Charles Lenox, once London's leading private investigator, has just given up his seat in Parliament after six years, primed to return to his first love, detection. With high hopes he and three colleagues start a new detective agency, the first of its kind. But as the months pass, and he is the only detective who cannot find work, Lenox begins to question whether he can still play the game as he once did.

    Then comes a chance to redeem himself, though at a terrible price: a friend, a member of Scotland Yard, is shot near Regent's Park. As Lenox begins to parse the peculiar details of the death – an unlaced boot, a days-old wound, an untraceable luggage ticket – he realizes that the incident may lead him into grave personal danger, beyond which lies a terrible truth.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateNov 11, 2014
    ISBN9781427243669
    The Laws of Murder: A Charles Lenox Mystery
    Author

    Charles Finch

    Charles Finch is the USA Today bestselling author of the Charles Lenox mysteries, including The Vanishing Man. His first contemporary novel, The Last Enchantments, is also available from St. Martin's Press. Finch received the 2017 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle. His essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Washington Post, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles.

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    Reviews for The Laws of Murder

    4.5/5

    37 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Charles Lenox has left his seat in Parliament and, with three colleagues, opened a detective agency in Victorian era London. A smear campaign in local newspapers dogs his first days in the new business, and that includes some negative quotes from some of his friends in the police department which he has assisted over the years. One of those friends winds up dead and the only clue is a ticket stub no one can seem to identify. The main suspect is a known criminal who lives in the neighborhood where the cop’s body was found. A second murder muddies the waters, however. It’s going to take all his detection skills to solve both of them. And solving them may be the key to Lenox’s remaining in the detective game. All the delightful secondary characters readers have come to know are present for this case and, I must say, the story is the best in the series so far. That adds up to a compelling read and a pivotal case for our hero. Charles Finch is at the top of his game and I can only hope he stays there for many more Lenox stories.
    • 4/5
      This Victorian murder is different than the gritty, hard core thrillers I usually read. I found it very thoroughly researched and well written. Multiple murders, multiple suspects. It's fascinating to read how crimes were solved in the days before internet, DNA, phones or even fax machines. Understanding how they had to do it, it's surprising that any crimes were ever solved in those days.
    • 4/5
      This was the second Charles Lenox mystery I listened to, and as with the earlier one, I found it quite enjoyable. Although a bit slow-paced, I was never tempted to stop reading. I'm a sucker for historical mysteries and this one does a wonderful job of transporting the reader to another time. I will definitely read more in this series.
    • 5/5
      It is 1876 and Charles Lenox has left Parliament after six years and is once again in the detective business. He was the top investigator, in his day, but does he still have it? Being a partner in the firm of Lenox, Dallington, Strickland and DeMaire, he will now find out if he still has the touch after six years absence.

      The case that will test his abilities is a murder...of a close friend and associate. It becomes compounded with a second murder of an important character involved in the case. Taking Lenox into the seamier side of Victorian England, testing his friendships and business relationships, this case has many twists, turns and dead ends.

      I enjoyed reading this book, just like I did the previous one, titled 'An Old Betrayal'. Written at an even pace, with sections of tension and action, it is a good mix. I plan to read others from this series.
    • 4/5
      Having left politics the book opens with Charles closing several outstanding mysteries leading up to the grand opening of his new detective agency with his partners. However, poor press even from his friend Inspector Jenkins makes Charles the weak partner in the endeavor until Jenkins is murdered drawing Charles into the case.The twists and pacing of this novel are similar to others in the series and making a great addition to the series and setting it up for more flexibility moving forward.
    • 4/5
      The 8th in the Charles Lenox series, finds Charles in very different circumstances than previously. He’s grown, widened his views, and admits he is getting older. And for some reason, he’s being attacked in the newspapers.However, when a police detective he and Dallington know is found murdered, the two swing into actions to discover who would dare to kill a Scotland Yard detective, and just what the detective had learned that made that murder necessary.A nice pleasant cozy sort of mystery, but with some realistic looks at London in the mid 1800s.
    • 5/5
      Haven't read this series in a while. Lord Lennox is a wealthy titled Victorian with a flair for solving mysteries. In this entry he and 3 others are struggling to start a detective agency when a Scotland Yard detective friend is murderded. Good Victorian period details. Sympathetic characters.
    • 4/5
      The novel is set in London in 1876, a popular time to set a story in. Charles Lenox has quit his job in Parliament to start a private detective agency, the first of its kind. As the agency is going through growing pains, two related murders happen, one to a friend in Scotland Yard and another to a lord with a shady past. Despite obstacles in their course, namely the threat of physical violence against his family, Lenox analytically pursues the case trying to figure out how the convent across the street from a murder scene and luggage ticket on a ship tie everything together.This was an enjoyable mystery in many ways. Lenox has a likeable personality and displays some sharp analysis. He comes off as being very British, a man of high birth, belonging to the upper class, but still willing to get his hands dirty and do some work. The story unfolded with tension and drama. Besides the mystery component, there are personal sub-plots at work involving the start and survival of the detective agency that Lenox and friends start. The murderer in the novel is a bit cliché but the ultimate motive for the murders was interesting.Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable as always. There were a couple moments in this one where one sort of research the author did kind of felt jammed in there, not really part of the flow, but otherwise a solid entry into the series. This far into the series the author is starting to run into the problems of having too many recurring characters to fit into every book. Graham appears sparingly and Edmund basically not at all.
    • 4/5
      I liked The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch much better than An Old Betrayal. Instead of juggling time and book space to Parliament duties and related controversies this book focused on the mystery of the crime.It was definitely historical fiction but along with murder we have a peek into sex trafficking during the 1870s. It is amazing how some things don’t change. Charles Lenox had given up his seat in Parliament in the previous book and settled down to do what he loves best, being a detective. The book opens with Charles peering out a window at another building doing surveillance. He was intent on capturing seven of dangerous and elusive criminals. Charles is not bringing in the money for the firm and feeling guilty about it. He used to get referrals from Scotland Yard but nothing was coming in. But now Inspector Nicholson is seeking him out for help in a murder case of one of their own. He was invited to check out the crime scene of the murder of Inspector Jenkins.There were plenty of clues. Inspector Jenkins had too much money on his person, twenty pounds. One shoe was triple knotted and the other was unlaced. There was a luggage tag that was difficult to track. The victim’s body was found close to the house of the seventh man on Charles’ list. As time went on more clues piled up but it was difficult to see how they all fit together. Only diligence and teamwork could solve this mystery.The Laws of Murder has humor and wit and not that much politics. Polly Buchanan, one of the detectives in the agency made Charles realize that women can be very smart and why should they be paid less than men. Also his precious daughter, Sophia influenced too. His attitude towards women is changing to one with more understanding and appreciation.I received this Advance Reading Copy from the publishers as a win from FirstReads and that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.
    • 4/5


      1876: Charles Lenox has stepped down from Parliament in order to work full time as a detective in an agency he has opened w/ three other people: John Dallington, Polly Strickland Buchanan, & the Frenchman LeMarie..... But all is not going as well as they would hope, as a friend of Charles, Inspector Jenkins (of Scotland Yard, with whom he has worked closely), has made disparaging remarks about Charles to the local papers and the agency has lost business because of it.

      A few nights later, Inspector Jenkins is found shot in the head with a cryptic clue in his shoe addressed to Charles, and in addition has left a message w/ his subordinate, Inspector Nicholson, that should something happen to Jenkins, Charles Lenox should be called in to investigate.

      Days later, Charles finds out that Jenkins had been investigating the Marquess of Wakefield, who was known for his violent temper & illegal business gains.... The cryptic clue is a ticket to a ship's hold, owned by Wakefield, and upon pulling the ticket's cargo from the hold they find a trunk not only filled w/ salt but with the body of the Marques as well.....

      The book twists & turns and eventually many high ranking members of London's Privileged Class are caught in a scandal of enormous proportions....

      I like Charles Lenox and his coterie of close friends. They all have their flaws but are warm, intelligent, & are dedicated to improving the lives of others.