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| Genre/Form: | Historical fiction Mystery fiction Detective and mystery fiction Fiction History Detective and mystery stories Romans, nouvelles, etc |
|---|---|
| Material Type: | Fiction |
| Document Type: | Book |
| All Authors / Contributors: |
Susanna Calkins |
| ISBN: | 9781250007902 1250007909 9781250036995 1250036992 |
| OCLC Number: | 829445839 |
| Description: | ix, 340 pages ; 22 cm |
| Contents: | Hardback -In Susanna Calkins's atmospheric debut novel, a chambermaid must uncover a murderer in seventeenth-century plague-ridden London For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and Lucy's brother is wrongly arrested for the crime. In a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren't permitted to defend their clients, and -- if the plague doesn't kill them first -- public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never see her brother alive again. Unless, that is, she can identify the true murderer. Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers' shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer. In her debut novel, Susanna Calkins seamlessly blends historical detail, romance, and mystery into a moving and highly entertaining tale. |
| Series Title: | Lucy Campion mystery, 1. |
| Responsibility: | Susanna Calkins. |
Abstract:
Reviews
WorldCat User Reviews (1)
First in a new historical mystery series
In 1665, Lucy Campion is a chambermaid in the household of a London magistrate. He is an honorable man, and the family is kind to their staff, even allowing them to join the family at evening meals when there are no guests and encouraging Lucy's participation in the after-supper discussion of...
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In 1665, Lucy Campion is a chambermaid in the household of a London magistrate. He is an honorable man, and the family is kind to their staff, even allowing them to join the family at evening meals when there are no guests and encouraging Lucy's participation in the after-supper discussion of texts the magistrate reads out loud. This routine is disrupted, however, when a series of young, pregnant serving girls is found murdered and the crimes hit too close to home. Lucy is determined to find justice and exonerate the innocent, lest the dead keep haunting her dreams. Her quest is interrupted by plague and complicated by social hierarchy as she risks her own life and virtue to uncover the killer.
There were enough twists and red herrings in the story to keep me from guessing the killer--always a plus. My one quibble is that Adam, the magistrate's grown son, is a bit uneven in characterization, especially related to his actions and treatment of Lucy. Yes, he is drawn toward her, and yes, he feels honor-bound to leave her alone, but his behavior is a pendulum that swings a little too far for plausibility, in my opinion. Still, I have high hopes that their relationship will be better developed over time in subsequent novels.
I received a free advance reading copy (ARC) of this book from Bookbrowse.com, and I'm excited to discover a new mystery author to follow, for this is the first in a new series by debut author Susanna Calkins. I really appreciated the Historical Note at the end of the book, detailing how the author worked to make the novel historically accurate aside from some minor tweaks to things like the duties of magistrates and constables, as well as updates to the spelling and phrasing.
For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways, primarily, with story secondary. There was no sex and only very mild historical swearing, to the best of my recollection.
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All user tags (9)
- character doorway (by 2 people)
- first in series (by 2 people)
- historical fiction (by 2 people)
- mystery (by 2 people)
- setting doorway (by 2 people)
- 17th century england (by 1 person)
- clean reads (by 1 person)
- cozy mystery (by 1 person)
- historical setting (by 1 person)
- 1 items are tagged with17th century england
- 2 items are tagged withcharacter doorway
- 1 items are tagged withclean reads
- 1 items are tagged withcozy mystery
- 2 items are tagged withfirst in series
- 2 items are tagged withhistorical fiction
- 1 items are tagged withhistorical setting
- 2 items are tagged withmystery
- 2 items are tagged withsetting doorway
Similar Items
Related Subjects:(13)
- Women -- England -- History -- 17th century -- Fiction.
- Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.
- Great Britain -- History -- Restoration, 1660-1688 -- Fiction.
- London (England) -- History -- 17th century -- Fiction.
- Femmes -- Angleterre -- Histoire -- 17e siècle -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.
- Meurtre -- Enquêtes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.
- Grande-Bretagne -- Histoire -- 1660-1688 (Restauration) -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.
- Londres (Angleterre) -- Histoire -- 17e siècle -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.
- Murder -- Investigation.
- Women.
- England.
- England -- London.
- Great Britain.
User lists with this item (2)
- Historical Mystery Novels(33 items)
by FVRL_booklists updated 2014-04-10
- Started but not finished(108 items)
by sberkowitz updated 2013-07-08
