The Grenadillo Box [Paperback]

On New Year's Day, 1755, Nathaniel Hopson, an apprentice or journeyman to the cabinet maker, Thomas Chippendale, has just completed the finishing touches on the library of Lord Montfort at his country estate. He soon finds himself embroiled in a conflict as Lord Montfort is discovered dead in that same library. It is initially thought to be a suicide due to despondency as a direct result of excessive gambling debts. However, blood on a windowpane and the discovery of a body in a nearby pond tends to indicate a strong possibility of murder. One of the dead men is an old friend of Nathaniel and draws him into the investigation of the deaths. He travels, not only in this country village, but, throughout London to get at the truth.
A great deal of research went into this highly atmospheric and exquisitely detailed debut novel. A complaint might be that the author went into a bit too much detail thereby slowing the pacing, at times, to a standstill. However, characters were, overall, very realistically sketched and fit in quite well to the historical setting. It is this innate ability that Ms. Gleeson had to draw the reader into another world that makes this first novel so sterling. The highly compelling plot and clever solution only confirm this as one of the year's best.

Because his good friend and fellow journeyman, John Partridge, is indisposed, cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale asks Nathaniel Hopson, to go to Cambridgeshire in order to install the new library that Lord Montfort had commissioned. And even though Nathaniel would much rather stay in London and pursue an acquaintance with the charming Miss Alice Goodchild (who is currently running her father's wood business), duty dictates that he obey Chippendale's orders. At Montfort's estate however, he finds himself at the beck and call of a petty tyrant, much given to violent displays of temper, and who's disposition has made life rather unpleasant for both his much younger second wife, as well as for his unmarried sister. Nathaniel is looking forward most heartily to finishing the job and leaving Cambridgeshire, when disaster strikes: on the very night that Lord Montfort had invited his neighbours to dinner and in order to show off his new library, he's found dead in the library. Everyone at first believes that he has killed himself, especially when it comes to light that Montfort had lost a great deal of money to his neighbour, Lord Foley. But Nathaniel observes certain things that leads him to the conclusion that Lord Montfort may have been murdered instead. Everything becomes even more complicated when the mutilated body of Nathaniel's friend, John Partridge, is found frozen in a lake on the estate. Are the two deaths connected? And if so how? Did the two men know each other? Did Montfort kill Partridge or vice versa? These are the questions that plague Nathaniel. And when Lord Foley, who for reasons of his own, decides to make use of Nathaniel in order to discover what really happened that fateful night, Nathaniel reluctantly agrees to play investigator. Because for Nathaniel, discovering who killed Partridge and why is far more important than discovering what the rich and the titled are up to. And he will use whatever pretext comes his way in order to bring Partridge's murderer to justice...

"The Grenadillo Box" made for some truly riveting reading. The authour is a rather well known art and antique expert, and her grasp for the history and social mores of the time (mid 18th century England) was fairly evident and added to the richness and texture of the novel. Also nicely one was the brilliant manner in which she captured the voice of her protagonist, Nathaniel Hopson. Nathaniel's awkwardness at mixing with those of a much higher social strata, the anger and loss he feels about Partridge's death, and the confusion he feels about his feelings for Alice is all very precisely and vividly portrayed. Indeed, it was this engaging and taking portrayal of Nathaniel that compelled me to read on. And while the plot did seem to be a little complicated (mainly because of the manner in which the story is allowed to unfold) the pacing was swift and taut, so that the book truly does make for an engrossing and suspenseful read. So that all in all, I'd vote "The Grenadillo Box" as a truly worthwhile and excellent read.

Lately I seem to have discovered my passion for mystery novels-only with a twist-they need to be set in a different time. That's why Janet Gleeson's novels are perfect for me-she writes historical mysteries which star unusual people as detectives.

"The Grenadillo Box" is narrated by Nathaniel Hopson, a journeyman apprentice of Thomas Chippendale whose life mostly revolves around wood and women. This all changes when he is sent to finish a job his best friend John Partridge started (rather unwillingly since he'd much rather stay in town and try to beat down the defenses of Alice Goodchild, who runs a wholesale wood business that supplies Chippendale's workshop.)

But it turns out the installation of Lord Montfort's library is no ordinary job. Not only is Nathaniel pushed into subbing for a footman by the housekeeper for New Years Eve dinner but he is also the discoverer of two dead bodies-first Lord Montfort during dinner and then his friend Partridge (who was supposed to be in London) the next morning.

Nathaniel is convinced the two deaths are connected as Montfort was clutching a box made of rare Grenadillo wood that bore Partridge's stamp when he was found dead. After voicing his opinion that the Lord was murdered and did not commit suicide, our hero is pressed into service investigating the deaths with Lord Foley, who stands to receive a great deal of money from Montfort's estate (a gambling debt) unless his death is declared a suicide, which would have meant Montfort was mentally unstable and therefore would have his estates restored to the crown

Soon Nathaniel is drawn into a web of intrigue, fake marriages, missing children, Chippendale's duplicity and the mysterious origins of his best friend. At the same time he is continuing to court Ms. Goodchild and soon finds that she is determined to act in the investigation also-by helping him find out where Partridge found such a thing as the extremely rare Grenadillo wood (also known as partridge wood.)

But whoever committed these crimes does not want to be found out-and soon Nathaniel finds his life, as well as Alice's, may be in danger......

This is a really great mystery-though a bit of a slow starter. It takes many twists and turns to get the end and was wonderfully plotted out-impossible to figure out the first time though once you know the answer its clear all the clues were present in retrospect. The writing is charming and Nathaniel comes off as an incredibly real person-faults and all. There's also a nice little romance, a great deal about the craft of a cabinet maker and insight into the early orphanages of England.

If you like mysteries, especially those of a historical nature, I recommend you read this book.

Four stars.