Book Reviews of A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox, Bk 1)

If you are looking for a well written mystery novel, do not bother with this one. The characters are one dimensional and the plot is poor. It reminds me of writings from a high school senior-who THINKS he is writing something clever. If Mr. Finch spent as much time on creating well written characters as he does on describing afternoon tea (which he seems to do in every chapter) this would be worth a read. One of the biggest faults of this novel is that his characters all speak as if they lived in the present time here in the USA and not in 1865 London. I would recommend that Mr. Finch should read a few historical mystery novels before attempting to write another one. Disappointing, and a waste of time. 1.5 stars.

A Wonderful Atmospheric Historical Fiction

First in what is hopefully a continuing series featuring Charles Lennox, a Victoria gentleman, who has solved crimes that Scotland Yard seems to take credit for. Set in England 1865, Lenox is called by his next door neighbor and childhood friend Lady Jane Grey when Prudence Smith, Grey’s former employee, is found dead in the home of her new employer. Things just don’t add up in Jane’s mind, but Charles can figure it out, he’s clever that way.

Since Pru was found in the home of George Barnard, the current director of the Royal Mint, with a secret of his own; Lennox’s instincts are set in high gear and a wonderful who-done-it-and-why leads the reader on a brilliant journey.

A great cast of characters that leave you smirking and curious, making this an interesting addition to the Historical Fiction genre.

But the best part -- this book seems to start in the middle of the whole Charles Lennox experience with references to the past that makes you wonder exactly where Lennox came from and where Finch is going to take him. Will more of the past be explained or will Finch just leave that up to the reader’s imagination.

Charles Lenox is very similar to two of my favorite gentlemen detectives--Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Thankfully, he is not as arrogant as Holmes. Rather than a Watson or a Hastings, Lenox has a slew of sluething partners. Several of whom are sure to reappear in future books--Lady Jane Grey, his butler and friend Graham, his brother and MP Edmund, and his friend and nonpracticing physician Thomas McConnell. My favorite characters are McConnell and his high-society wife Toto. They remind me of Nick and Nora of Thin Man fame.

Finch provides nearly all the clues to solving this mystery on your own. I got it wrong. I confess that the person I thought was guilty was, but not of the crime I suspected him of. But unlike some authors who deliberately lead you away from the solution, Finch simply provided no more and no less emphasis to the real clues as to the red herrings. I like an author who isn't sneaky.

I happily stumbled on a copy of this book while browsing at our local B&N. Five chapters in, I raced back to get his second book, The September Society, only to discover that there is also a third book, The Fleet Street Murders, available. This fan of Victorian-era mysteries shall be happily immersed in the world of Charles Lenox for a couple of weeks.

I've been looking for a good English mystery and was hoping this was the beginning of a worthy series. I'll keep looking.

The setting was done very well and was the best part of the book. The characters seemed one dimensional, none had any real deapth, or a compelling back story to interest the reader. The dialog was confusing at times, and did not make sense to me. At first I thought it was the way of speaking in that time period, but I've read historicals many times and this just seemed off. And finally, the author seemed to have a hard time keeping focused; there were too many digressions. But I think my main objection is the lack of connection I felt to any of the characters.

I understand this is Mr. Finch's first book, and am more than willing to read the next one or even two in the hopes he progresses as an author.

i found the book entertaining, but didn't really stop to analyze the writing style, dialogue and other elements, as previous readers. I read more to entertain myself. I enjoyed the story, the historical references, and the setting. Very engaging, but not a fast-paced novel. I also enjoyed his second book, though it got a bit confusing at times. Give it a try, as it's better than a lot of the cozy mysteries, but may not be as good as the classic mysteries.

What a great book! It captures the flavor of early Victorian London; the locale, the meals, the weather and the nuanced texture of the social interactions. It’s a thoughtful, subtle and well crafted book. One that needs to be read slowly to catch the nuances.

The protagonist, Lenox, is a man of some means and many interests, who occasionally engages in detective work. As someone else mentioned, he definitely reminds of Holmes as he puts the clues together, and addresses issues in his personal life. The mystery had some satisfying and unexpected twists and turns, with a great “whodunit” ending. The author also provided a couple of chapters at the end to address the “whatever became of..?” questions, rather than the far more common “Big reveal. The end.”

A word of warning: If you're looking for soap opera drama, pornography, explosions, car chases, histrionics, gore and pistols at dawn, this isn't the book for you.

The detective hero of this book, Charles Lenox, is a Victorian gentleman who solves crimes as a hobby. With his love for tea and toast and a good warm fire, he seems more like a hobbit than a man. I also didn't find his friendship with Lady Jane very convincing; he seemed rather lukewarm about it all though it is supposed to develop into something warmer over the course of the series. However the story itself is interesting and readable, if a bit slow here and there. People who like 'cozies' might like this one.

Interesting characters...I would suggest it to my husband and read the sequel...but it would not find a place on my Top Fifty list of mysteries.

I liked this book. I thought it was entertaining and the book's primary character, Charles Lenox, is likeable. I liked picturing the story taking place in Victorian England and it was interesting to see how the detectives were going to solve the mystery during that time without the technological advances that detectives can rely upon today.

Enjoyed the book.