I've read all of the books in this series and personally feel that Rawlings is at his best nosing his way through the misty back-streets of London, but this one does have its moments. The apothecary's tiresome love life is to the fore here though, and this time it's the 'enigmatic' Elizabeth Di Lorenzi who toys with his emotions - next time out I'm sure it'll be the return of that irksome actress, Coralie Clive. The increase in the 'romance' factor isn't doing the series any real favours, but the mystery element is quite well handled. Rawlings and his daughter are visiting Helston(e) in Cornwall when a rather unpleasant little girl goes missing and Rawlings feels compelled to investigate. There are some nicely drawn characters (as always) and one or two genuinely exciting passages as Rawlings uncovers a canker below the surface of the quiet Cornish town. The ending is well done, and Lake's writing style is as excellent as always...on the down side there's very little involvement for Sir John Fielding and his runners and I hope we see a return to the capital and its environs in the next volume. Having said that, Samuel Swan is blessedly absent from this one as well ! A little less about the apothecary's love-life in future and a bit more period 'grit' would be welcome next time out - the title suggests that 'The Hellfire Club' may play a part, and I'll look forward to that.