London, 1812. At a fashionable address in leafy Mayfair, a far cry from Detective Stephen Lavender’s usual haunts, a man is found dead in his room. He has been brutally stabbed, but the door is locked from the inside and the weapon is missing.The deceased is David MacAdam, an Essex businessman with expensive tastes. As Lavender and Constable Ned Woods travel between London and Chelmsford seeking … Chelmsford seeking to understand MacAdam’s final hours and unearth the grisly truth, they uncover a tangled web of deceit behind his stylish facade. The unusual circumstances of MacAdam’s death are nothing compared to the shady nature of his life and it seems the house on Park Lane is at the heart of a dark conspiracy.
But when a second body turns up, everything they think they’ve learned is thrown into doubt. Can Lavender and Woods find out who’s behind these shocking murders before more lives are ruined?
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This is my first experience with author Karen Charlton. I usually stick with the fantasy genre, but I’m venturing more into the murder mystery genre.
Murder In Park Lane is a satisfying read. I found the characters to be well developed and engaging, Ned Woods being my favorite. He is realistic, witty, flawed, and incredibly charming. He and Lavander make an awesome team.
I found the story to be somewhat predictable, with two possible suspects in mind as I read the book. One of them turned out to be the actual murderer, and even though I had strong suspicions, I still found the story to be intriguing and with a twist.
The author keeps track of all clues with great detail and definitely ties us all ends by the time the book is over. I recommend this book to any mystery reader.
This series just keeps getting better and better. The characters are wonderful, the writing is outstanding and the plots keep you guessing to the very end! You can read this as a stand-alone, but to appreciate the full richness of the characters and their relationships, you really need to begin at the beginning.
Stephen Lavender is a Principal Officer at Bow Street and he works with Constable Ned Woods in his investigations. Sir Richard Allison is a renowned physician who works with Bow Street on occasion. He is arrogant and expects to be treated like royalty whenever he deigns to work with Bow Street. So, imagine Lavender’s shock when Sir Richard requests his assistance on a case. It is right down Lavender’s alley. The victim, David MacAdam, was found in a room that was locked from the inside, the window was warped and couldn’t be opened and there were no other possible points of entry. It couldn’t be suicide because there was no murder weapon to be found.
Suspects abound and the victim isn’t what he appears to be. None of the witnesses are telling the truth – some are outright lying and others are omitting vital pieces of information. Lavender definitely has his work cut out for him with this one.
When a second victim turns up, it complicates the case even further. Of course, there are personal worries and complications as well – Lavender is awaiting the birth of his first child and Ned is concerned about his weight and takes extreme measures to fix it.
The suspects will blow your mind – you have everything from aristocrats to con artists to loan sharks. What they get up to will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next.
Definitely a good read!
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Best of the bunch so far. It had a very interesting story line and complex story line. The main characters are very likeable and well-drawn. The stories flow very smoothy between detecting and the descriptions of life in London and the English countryside in 1812. There is no descriptive sex or violence.
Very entertaining and I liked the relationship between the two main characters. Good story
‘Good grief, Stephen,’ Read said unhappily as he reached for his quill. ‘You’ll cause a sensation with this case.’
I agree completely. This is a superb mystery, while the personalities of Inspector Stephen Lavender and Constable Ned Woods continue developing. The mystery was full of twists and turns, and the reader is kept on her toes.
I highly recommend it.
These stories have an atmosphere all their own. Very engrossing with fascinating historical detail – highly recommended.
cosy-mystery, bow-street-runners, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, twisty, historical-fiction
Excellent mystery story that starts with a locked room murder! Detective Lavender and Constable Woods are a formidable team with some interesting foibles and the way that they bring out the best of sleuthing and logic from each other is very well done. Lots of interesting characters, and they all lie of course, and more suspects than any police officer wants to have to think about. Add in an interesting pathophysiology of death in the first murder victim and you have a really fascinating story even before the Regency equivalent of a high speed chase! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Thomas & Mercer Publisher via NetGalley. Thank You!
There are better books to read and enjoy!