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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Sentence: He gazed out at the sunfall from an open second-floor window, breathing deeply of the cool salt air, and felt it was the first calm moment he had known in days.
Charles Lenox's life has undergone significant changes. He is recently married, is about to become a father, has given up investigation and is a Member of Parliament. Yet the newly-dug Suez Canal has strained relations between England and France has Charles boarding ship on a secret mission. However, when a brutal murder occurs aboard ship, it is Charles' old skills which must be applied to finding the killer.
It is the characters which draw me back to this series, time after time. Charles is an investigator, not of bravado and daring acts, but of intelligence, determination, and decency. There is a particularly delightful scene of his reaction to a progressive woman he meets in Egypt, signaling the changes times in social culture. Lady Jane, although in a cameo role here, is a character one can't help but love. It was nice to learn the background of their relationship. Yet it is Lenox's ship steward, the ever-eating, ever efficient McEwan, who almost steals the story. One does hope he'll show up in future books.
Finch paints a fascinating picture of live aboard ship; the structure and the disparity of ship-life between the officers and the men--it makes one thinks of today's news. The descriptions of the food and meals were hunger-making. I also appreciated learning the history of the Suez Canal and all the historical information seamlessly woven into the story. The ship's encounter with an American warship was wonderfully done and very interesting.
The plot, however, did suffer a bit. The unmasking of the killer felt abrupt; the inclusion of his being in Egypt superfluous except for the final dramatic, and rather delightfully done, capture of the killer. Then there were the portents at chapter ends; completely unnecessary and had the effect of diminishing, rather than enhancing, the feeling of suspense.
"A Burial at Sea" has suspense, but it is mild. It is a perfect read for those who like their books character-driven, who want something more than a cozy, but not all that dark. It is a series I thoroughly enjoy.
A BURIAL AT SEA (Hist Mys/Priv Invest-Charles Lexnox-England-1873/Victorian) - Good+
Finch, Charles - 5th in series
Minotaur Books, 2011
Charles Lenox's life has undergone significant changes. He is recently married, is about to become a father, has given up investigation and is a Member of Parliament. Yet the newly-dug Suez Canal has strained relations between England and France has Charles boarding ship on a secret mission. However, when a brutal murder occurs aboard ship, it is Charles' old skills which must be applied to finding the killer.
It is the characters which draw me back to this series, time after time. Charles is an investigator, not of bravado and daring acts, but of intelligence, determination, and decency. There is a particularly delightful scene of his reaction to a progressive woman he meets in Egypt, signaling the changes times in social culture. Lady Jane, although in a cameo role here, is a character one can't help but love. It was nice to learn the background of their relationship. Yet it is Lenox's ship steward, the ever-eating, ever efficient McEwan, who almost steals the story. One does hope he'll show up in future books.
Finch paints a fascinating picture of live aboard ship; the structure and the disparity of ship-life between the officers and the men--it makes one thinks of today's news. The descriptions of the food and meals were hunger-making. I also appreciated learning the history of the Suez Canal and all the historical information seamlessly woven into the story. The ship's encounter with an American warship was wonderfully done and very interesting.
The plot, however, did suffer a bit. The unmasking of the killer felt abrupt; the inclusion of his being in Egypt superfluous except for the final dramatic, and rather delightfully done, capture of the killer. Then there were the portents at chapter ends; completely unnecessary and had the effect of diminishing, rather than enhancing, the feeling of suspense.
"A Burial at Sea" has suspense, but it is mild. It is a perfect read for those who like their books character-driven, who want something more than a cozy, but not all that dark. It is a series I thoroughly enjoy.
A BURIAL AT SEA (Hist Mys/Priv Invest-Charles Lexnox-England-1873/Victorian) - Good+
Finch, Charles - 5th in series
Minotaur Books, 2011
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
44 reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Classic Victorian mystery with a watery twist
25 Sep 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I've read all the Charles Lenox novels, and they continue to be fresh and surprising. This one, fifth in the series, has all the charm of a sea adventure and a Victorian mystery.
In earlier books Lenox was an aristocratic amateur detective. Now at age forty-two, he's a solid Member of Parliament on a sensitive mission to Egypt. He has many reasons to stay alive - a beloved pregnant wife and a promising career among them - but staying alive won't be easy for Lenox in the next two months.
Lenox sails on the Lucy, a naval vessel that seems particularly happy and efficient. The brutal murder of an amiable young officer puts an end to this idyllic picture.
Lenox starts an investigation at the captain's request. His detecting skills are rusty, but he still feels the thrill of the hunt. The ship, being an isolated world unto itself, neatly contains all his suspects. Unfortunately there are hundreds of seamen and dozens of officers on board, none of them the least bit suspicious. Read on to become thoroughly perplexed along with Lenox!
There are several wonderful characters. My favorite is McEwan, the steward who becomes Lenox's personal servant on the ship. An enormous fellow constantly munching on something, McEwan is terribly concerned to keep Lenox lavishly fed and awash in tea and alcohol.
The plot has multiple climaxes - and one rousing scene that brought tears to my eyes. I never for a moment guessed the identity of the murderer. Charles Finch is good at keeping the reader guessing. He also shows flashes of a very Victorian sense of humor.
You can read this novel with pleasure independent of the series. But I'd suggest reading all the books in order: A Beautiful Blue Death, The September Society, The Fleet Street Murders, A Stranger in Mayfair and finally, perhaps most enjoyably, A Burial at Sea.
In earlier books Lenox was an aristocratic amateur detective. Now at age forty-two, he's a solid Member of Parliament on a sensitive mission to Egypt. He has many reasons to stay alive - a beloved pregnant wife and a promising career among them - but staying alive won't be easy for Lenox in the next two months.
Lenox sails on the Lucy, a naval vessel that seems particularly happy and efficient. The brutal murder of an amiable young officer puts an end to this idyllic picture.
Lenox starts an investigation at the captain's request. His detecting skills are rusty, but he still feels the thrill of the hunt. The ship, being an isolated world unto itself, neatly contains all his suspects. Unfortunately there are hundreds of seamen and dozens of officers on board, none of them the least bit suspicious. Read on to become thoroughly perplexed along with Lenox!
There are several wonderful characters. My favorite is McEwan, the steward who becomes Lenox's personal servant on the ship. An enormous fellow constantly munching on something, McEwan is terribly concerned to keep Lenox lavishly fed and awash in tea and alcohol.
The plot has multiple climaxes - and one rousing scene that brought tears to my eyes. I never for a moment guessed the identity of the murderer. Charles Finch is good at keeping the reader guessing. He also shows flashes of a very Victorian sense of humor.
You can read this novel with pleasure independent of the series. But I'd suggest reading all the books in order: A Beautiful Blue Death, The September Society, The Fleet Street Murders, A Stranger in Mayfair and finally, perhaps most enjoyably, A Burial at Sea.
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Mystery series rich in historical information and trivia but for me the protagonist's personality lacks punch.
6 Oct 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I read Finch's first Charles Lenox mystery A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries) in 2008 and enjoyed it but it was such a mild enjoyment that I never sought out the next 3 books in the series. However, since this 5th and latest in the series was available on Vine, I decided to try him again. My original impression still holds.
The author does an excellent job of transporting us to Victorian England, with lots of mundane details about daily life and also bigger-picture historical backdrop information. His books are informative and interesting in this respect. The main drawback to my full appreciation of the Charles Lenox series is Lenox himself. For me, he's too mild, almost colorless and passionless and lacking personality. His longtime friend Lady Jane Grey, to whom he is now married, is as gentle and bland as he is. I find myself enjoying the mystery and history of each book, but the detective himself is uninspiring.
This particular mystery takes place mostly at sea on the way to Egypt, where Lenox is being sent on a diplomatic mission with a secret agenda. But just days into the voyage, one of the ship's officers is murdered rather brutally and Lenox is asked to find the murderer. The mystery holds the reader's interest, except for the distraction of so much eating and drinking, mostly of tea and toast, tea and biscuits, ham and butter, well, you get the idea. If one removed all references to the consumption of food and drinks in the 310-page book, it might be reduced to some 270 pages or less. Of course, by doing so, we wouldn't have the running comic relief of Lenox's steward McEwan, who is assigned to be his manservant during the voyage, a man for whom eating is the primary interest in life.
Some days after this murder, other complications arise. But eventually Lenox manages to take enough time out from his eating and drinking to solve the mystery, even endangering his own life in the process. From there it's on to Egypt to carry out his mission, a bit of an afterthought in the book, it seemed to me. However, all in all, it's a pleasant read and I might try #6 in the series whenever it is published.
I do have a little mystery about Lenox that I'd love for someone to solve for me. In the first book of the series, which takes place in 1865, Lenox is described as "a man of perhaps 40". This new book takes place in 1873 and Lenox is now 42. Could someone please tell me how he does this? I'm aging rapidly and would love to slow down the process in the same way.
The author does an excellent job of transporting us to Victorian England, with lots of mundane details about daily life and also bigger-picture historical backdrop information. His books are informative and interesting in this respect. The main drawback to my full appreciation of the Charles Lenox series is Lenox himself. For me, he's too mild, almost colorless and passionless and lacking personality. His longtime friend Lady Jane Grey, to whom he is now married, is as gentle and bland as he is. I find myself enjoying the mystery and history of each book, but the detective himself is uninspiring.
This particular mystery takes place mostly at sea on the way to Egypt, where Lenox is being sent on a diplomatic mission with a secret agenda. But just days into the voyage, one of the ship's officers is murdered rather brutally and Lenox is asked to find the murderer. The mystery holds the reader's interest, except for the distraction of so much eating and drinking, mostly of tea and toast, tea and biscuits, ham and butter, well, you get the idea. If one removed all references to the consumption of food and drinks in the 310-page book, it might be reduced to some 270 pages or less. Of course, by doing so, we wouldn't have the running comic relief of Lenox's steward McEwan, who is assigned to be his manservant during the voyage, a man for whom eating is the primary interest in life.
Some days after this murder, other complications arise. But eventually Lenox manages to take enough time out from his eating and drinking to solve the mystery, even endangering his own life in the process. From there it's on to Egypt to carry out his mission, a bit of an afterthought in the book, it seemed to me. However, all in all, it's a pleasant read and I might try #6 in the series whenever it is published.
I do have a little mystery about Lenox that I'd love for someone to solve for me. In the first book of the series, which takes place in 1865, Lenox is described as "a man of perhaps 40". This new book takes place in 1873 and Lenox is now 42. Could someone please tell me how he does this? I'm aging rapidly and would love to slow down the process in the same way.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Undoubtedly the ultimate of the Lenox series
11 Nov 2011
Format:Hardcover
In New York-born Charles Finch's fifth historical whodunit (after A STRANGER IN MAYFAIR), former detective and now freshman member of Parliament Charles Lenox is dispatched in 1873 on a covert mission to France's newly opened Suez Canal, aboard HMS Lucy. Several British spies have been killed on French soil, war seems imminent, and control of the canal is in Queen Victoria's best interest. Lenox is called away from his later-in-life wife, Lady Jane Grey, who now expects their first child.
On the first night out, Lieutenant Thomas St. James Halifax is murdered, "cut open straight down the middle from his throat to his stomach." Captain Jacob Martin summons Lenox to investigate, waking him not only from sleep but from the dormant desire to return to sleuthing. Astoundingly obvious clues that implicate various officers found at and in the body vanish from Lenox's cabin. Even his portly steward, "a Scot called McEwan," falls under suspicion. Clues abound, and there is a virtual sea of red herrings.
Unraveling a murder mystery in the claustrophobic confines of a small ship is a throwback to Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, here on a British naval vessel instead of a luxury train. "The problem was the preponderance of suspects," with 220 aboard. Complicating matters is "that most dreaded movement...mutiny." Lenox finds a bloody smudge on a note in his cabin, effectively stating The Lucy is ours. "Then there was the widespread illiteracy of the sailors. [F]ew sailors on the ship can write or read." Lenox shifts his suspicion from crew to officers, not excluding Captain Martin. But Martin has a dead-on alibi.
Predictably, Lenox faces death from those who would commit murder and mutiny. At age 42, he's no longer in tip-top shape, and climbing the mizzenmast to investigate makes him aware of his age. With all the goings-on aboard the Lucy, Lenox's original mission in Port Said, Egypt, becomes anticlimactic, but may be a clever ploy of the author for sequels that will keep Lenox embroiled in mysteries set in exotic locations.
According to Finch, this richly researched education of Victorian maritime tradition "required perhaps more research than the previous four Lenox books combined." He brilliantly sets up a slew of potential recurring characters, including nephew Teddy, son of his Parliamentary brother Sir Edmund and consort to Prime Minister Gladstone.
Undoubtedly the ultimate of the Lenox series, this surefire "best sailor" docked on my Top Ten list for 2011.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
On the first night out, Lieutenant Thomas St. James Halifax is murdered, "cut open straight down the middle from his throat to his stomach." Captain Jacob Martin summons Lenox to investigate, waking him not only from sleep but from the dormant desire to return to sleuthing. Astoundingly obvious clues that implicate various officers found at and in the body vanish from Lenox's cabin. Even his portly steward, "a Scot called McEwan," falls under suspicion. Clues abound, and there is a virtual sea of red herrings.
Unraveling a murder mystery in the claustrophobic confines of a small ship is a throwback to Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, here on a British naval vessel instead of a luxury train. "The problem was the preponderance of suspects," with 220 aboard. Complicating matters is "that most dreaded movement...mutiny." Lenox finds a bloody smudge on a note in his cabin, effectively stating The Lucy is ours. "Then there was the widespread illiteracy of the sailors. [F]ew sailors on the ship can write or read." Lenox shifts his suspicion from crew to officers, not excluding Captain Martin. But Martin has a dead-on alibi.
Predictably, Lenox faces death from those who would commit murder and mutiny. At age 42, he's no longer in tip-top shape, and climbing the mizzenmast to investigate makes him aware of his age. With all the goings-on aboard the Lucy, Lenox's original mission in Port Said, Egypt, becomes anticlimactic, but may be a clever ploy of the author for sequels that will keep Lenox embroiled in mysteries set in exotic locations.
According to Finch, this richly researched education of Victorian maritime tradition "required perhaps more research than the previous four Lenox books combined." He brilliantly sets up a slew of potential recurring characters, including nephew Teddy, son of his Parliamentary brother Sir Edmund and consort to Prime Minister Gladstone.
Undoubtedly the ultimate of the Lenox series, this surefire "best sailor" docked on my Top Ten list for 2011.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
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