A death in the family brings gentleman sleuth Charles Lenox back to
the country house where he grew up--just in time to confront an odd,
unsettling crime in a nearby village.
It's London in 1876, and the whole city is abuzz with the enigmatic
disappearance of a famous foreign pianist. Lenox has an eye on the
matter--as a partner in a now-thriving detective agency, he's a natural
choice to investigate. Just when he's tempted to turn his focus to it
entirely, however, his grieving brother asks him to come down to Sussex,
and Lenox leaves the metropolis behind for the quieter country life of
his boyhood. Or so he thinks. In fact, something strange is afoot in
Markethouse: small thefts, books, blankets, animals, and more alarmingly
a break-in at the house of a local insurance agent. As he and his
brother begin to investigate this small accumulation of mysteries, Lenox
realizes that something very strange and serious indeed may be
happening, more than just local mischief. Soon, he's racing to solve two
cases at once, one in London and one in the country, before either turns
deadly. Blending Charles Finch's trademark wit, elegance, and depth of
research, this new mystery, equal parts Jane Austen and Charles Dickens,
may be the finest in the series.
