Montmorency and the Assassins Author:Eleanor Updale From Booklist — For those who like elaborately plotted, atmospheric mysteries, Updale's Victorian spy thrillers fit the bill. In this tense installment, thief-turned-aristocrat Montmorency and Lord George Selwyn-Fox, both showing their "forty-odd" years, find themselves once again "dabbling in the underbelly of international politics," this time ... more »alongside younger proteges. Bomb-planting anarchists have become a problem in the 12 years since the team's last major case. Lord George's teenage nephew helps infiltrate the agitators, while allies both old and new (most intriguingly, former prostitute Vi's adolescent son, whose paternity is tantalizingly in question) pursue leads in London, Florence, and Paterson, New Jersey, encountering several historical figures and facing real danger. One favorite character meets an end so gruesome that it leaves Montmorency "vomiting violently into the bushes." The leisurely subplots demand close attention, and despite the participation of the younger generation, the series continues its tradition of featuring predominantly adult perspectives. But Updale's readers have proven willingness to embrace older protagonists, and are unlikely to stop doing it.« less