“Fiction readers who crush on blue-blooded British detectives will fall hard for Victorian-era sleuth Charles Lenox.” —The Washington PostFrom the critically acclaimed and USA Today bestselling author Charles Finch comes The Vanishing Man, a prequel to his Charles Lenox Victorian series, in which the theft of an antique painting sends Detective Lenox on a hunt for a criminal mastermind.London, … Lenox on a hunt for a criminal mastermind.
London, 1853: Having earned some renown by solving a case that baffled Scotland Yard, young Charles Lenox is called upon by the Duke of Dorset, one of England’s most revered noblemen, for help. A painting of the Duke’s great-grandfather has been stolen from his private study. But the Duke’s concern is not for his ancestor’s portrait; hiding in plain sight nearby is another painting of infinitely more value, one that holds the key to one of the country’s most famous and best-kept secrets.
Dorset believes the thieves took the wrong painting and may return when they realize their error—and when his fears result in murder, Lenox must act quickly to unravel the mystery behind both paintings before tragedy can strike again. As the Dorset family closes ranks to protect its reputation, Lenox uncovers a dark secret that could expose them to unimaginable scandal—and reveals the existence of an artifact, priceless beyond measure, for which the family is willing to risk anything to keep hidden.
In this intricately plotted prequel to the Charles Lenox mysteries, the young detective risks his potential career—and his reputation in high society—as he hunts for a criminal mastermind.
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In “The Vanishing Man,” Charles Finch takes another gracious step back into the past to give us a glimpse of how Charles Lenox developed into the well-loved character readers have come to know. The literary mystery in this second prequel teases the intellect.
We come to the second book in a trio of prequel stories in the Charles Lenox series that go back to the beginning when Charles is first getting started on his amateur detecting work. This latest mystery brings him into contact with the powerful Duke of Dorset’s household, an old family trust involving the Bard, and the true challenge of not murdering his mischievous young cousin Lancelot who is visiting Charles during his school holidays.
The Vanishing Man is the second of a prequel trilogy. It could be read standalone or I suppose new readers can begin the series with the first book in this prequel and continue on from there. I think the best way is to start with the series’ release order and the first Charles Lenox mystery because it makes this prequel set more poignant knowing what is to come of it in the lives of the characters.
Charles just came off a case that he solved, but the solution didn’t bring all the satisfaction he wanted. He made mistakes that cost him. He is determined to learn all he can to shore up his knowledge so his mistakes will become fewer as time goes on. He may be the oddity and laughingstock to his peers and betters, but he is set on his path of being a consulting private detective. Getting a summons from the great Duke of Dorset is an opportunity he cannot pass up especially when the duke shares a secret family trust involving a painting of Shakespeare that only a handful of people know exist.
Busy working on the case the duke presented him, Charles’ life is also filled with his ongoing criminal investigation self-education like his visits to Bedlam each week to interview criminals and his days spent observing pick pockets, and now his chance to shadow a ‘finder’. His unrequited love for Lady Jane and her marriage that keeps him in the friends category also has her busy attempting marriage matches for him. Meanwhile, Charles’ annoying cousin and proud owner of a peashooter he uses on Charles keeps him and his household on his toes. Though, that scene when Lancelot took a pompous duke to task had me laughing so hard that I cried.
Much of the book is a gently-paced plot following Charles as he tracks down clues, sorts out the wheat from the chaff, and then noses out the solution. There is a murder, but it is not the focus of the investigation and only one of the pieces. I really enjoy the younger detecting Charles and his life at this time, but also the surrounding cast of characters who are always part of his life and work.
And so, the second leg of the prequel trilogy provided an engaging group of mysteries as part of his latest case and I enjoyed being along for this new installment in the Charles Lenox series. Those who enjoy well described and well developed plots and characters in Victorian era historical mysteries should take a look-see at this series.
Set in 1853 London and featuring the charming amateur sleuth Charles Lenox, in a prequel to the series. Well-researched, with bits of history tucked in like currants into a scone. A pleasure to read!
The Vanishing Man is the second prequel book to the Charles Lenox Mystery Series by Charles Finch. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. However, I am basing my review on the audio book version, which I purchased. Either in print or audio book format, immerse yourself in this captivating series! I want to go back and read all the previous books in the entire series, never mind the first prequel!
Charles Lenox, a young detective, is called upon by the Duke of Dorset, one of the most powerful men in England, to investigate the theft of his great-grandfather’s portrait. He believes that portrait was stolen by mistake, instead of the portrait that was next to it…that of England’s most revered writer. As Charles investigates the theft, a man connected to the Duke is murdered, making it imperative that this case be solved quickly. There are dark secrets surrounding the Duke’s family, making things even more difficult for Charles to solve the case.
I cannot express how much I loved this story! The plot was riveting, a true whodunit that I wasn’t able to solve and which ended up shocking me. Charles was a wonderful character. He was extremely smart, but still struggling to establish his career. He often visited Bedlam in order to learn more about the criminal mind. I very much enjoyed his relationships with his best friend, Lady Jane, and his employee Graham, who helped Charles in his investigations. One of my favorite supporting characters, though, was Lancelot, the young mischievous cousin to Charles. He lent a wonderful sense of humor to the story. Lancelot’s discussion with the Duke about had me driving off the road as I listened, laughing as much as I was. James Langton, narrator of the audio book, is one of the best in the business. He never once hit a wrong note in his telling of the story.
If you’re a fan of historical mysteries, please don’t let this one pass you by!
I had this book for two months before I was able to read it (too much happening during the holidays to give proper attention to a “new to me” author), but once I started yesterday morning I couldn’t put it down. Nicely written with wonderful descriptions of Victorian England, Charles Finch’s The Vanishing Man is the second of three prequels to his popular Charles Lenox series. It’s the first book in this series, and by this author, that I’ve read, and it worked perfectly as a standalone. That being said, I’ll certainly be delving further into this series, I just need to decide if I want to start with the first prequel (The Woman in the Water) or the first book in the series (A Beautiful Blue Death). The author does an admirable job of creating real characters, with real relationships, true to the period but still somehow not as strict as one would imagine in Victorian times. The mystery was very well told, and even to this first time reader of Mr. Finch’s work it was obvious that this prequel sets the groundwork for the series. I’m so glad I read this book, and will definitely seek out the others. 5 stars!
I am a big Charles Lenox fan and have really enjoyed getting to know a younger, less secure and experienced Lenox through these “Prequel” mysteries, though I do miss the older Lenox of the original series. THE VANISHING MAN is a well thought out, richly executed mystery including theft, murder, scandal, and secrets. It is somewhat convoluted but not too difficult to solve, interesting but not quite as engrossing as some of author Finch’s other efforts. The descriptions of London and the aristocracy are inspired, and the character interactions are my favorite aspect of the tale. Lenox and his valet Graham are my favorite characters, and their relationship is fabulous. There is a scene with the Duke of Dorset and Lenox’s 12 year old cousin Lancelot that is laugh-out-loud hilarious. These lighter moments help balance the darker elements of the mystery.
THE VANISHING MAN is an excellent addition to the Charles Lenox canon, and I impatiently await the next installment. Recommended to any historical mystery fan.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my uninfluenced opinions here.
I was hooked on this book before I even started to read it, because I had ready read ‘The Lady in the Water’. I have since purchased 5 more of the series. It’s a series to fall in love with. Great characters and just enough discretion for you to visualize victorian London, but not become tedious to read.
The plot is an easy read and entertaining. No graphic violence, no graphic sex.
I found this book hard to understand. I found difficulty connecting the dots.
I like these characters, and the pacing of the story. Not a wild ride, just a nice mystery that gets solved in the end.
My first Charles Lenox Mystery, but certainly not my last.
The book was a delight. I had no knowledge of the author, but based on the high rating, I decided to try the book. I’m happy I did! The main characters are delightful with some humorous interplay. It was a well-designed detective procedural mystery. The description of life in the Victorian era, the plot itself, and the author’s use of language flowed beautifully. It’s nice to find a series which manages its stories without gratuitous sex, violence, or foul language. Kudos!
Read December 8, 2019
Good mystery with a bit of humor, too.
Charles Lenox, the second son of a baronet is still suffering under the loss of his father 18 months earlier. During the summer holidays, he’s ‘honoured’ (or plagued) with the prolonged visit of a very mischievous young cousin called Lancelot. In the meantime, he’s also trying to establish himself as a private detective, independent from the police. It’s a job occupation and description he invented himself 3 years earlier. He’s very serious about this endeavour, that’s called a hobby by some and even spends 8 hours every week interviewing ‘patients’ of the infamous Bedlam asylum. Lady Jane, his best friend and neighbour is trying her hand as a match-maker and introduces him to her friend Effie Somers.
Charles Lenox is called in by the duke of Dorset, one of the most powerful men in Victorian England, because of a painting that’s gone missing from his study. Even though it’s a portrait of one of the duke’s ancestors, the painting is not very valuable as there are plenty of portraits left. The worrying factor is another painting that isn’t stolen but may well be the real target of the thief. One the same wall hangs an obscure little painting of William Shakespeare painted from life. A priceless painting, as it’s the only one in existence and only 3 people knew of its existence, being the duke himself, the queen and the surveyor of the queen’s pictures as it’s considered a national treasure. But before Lenox can start his inquiries, the duke gets kidnapped in broad daylight in the middle of London and a ransom is demanded. So now, Scotland Yard are involved as well, though Lenox doesn’t reveal anything about the stolen painting. It doesn’t take long before Lenox discovers that the duke was behind this ‘kidnapping’ himself. When he calls out the duke’s ruse, he gets very angry and even goes as far insult Lenox in public and slanders his reputation. Suddenly he becomes a pariah in society. Despite this ungrateful attitude, Lenox keeps the secret about the kidnapping and about the paintings. This isn’t the end of the story because eventually, the duke does something no duke ever does, he apologises and tells Lenox that the painting contains a clue about the whereabouts of an unknown work by Shakespeare. In order to find both painting and play, Lenox enlists the help of a peculiar quirky old sailor Thadeus Bonden, who’s got an impressive talent to “find” things
I’m completely new to this series and Lady Jane and Charles Lenox are both neighbours and very dear friends. He’s a happy bachelor (platonically in love with lady Jane) and she’s married to a husband that serves in the colonies and is now on his way back home. As it happens Lenox does like the husband very much as well and they’ve become friends during his leave. But I don’t understand how they can be such loyal close friends in that strict society without causing suspicions and evil gossip.
An interesting bit of info is that on page 13, there is an oversight of the hierarchy of the English nobility. I don’t know if it’s common knowledge for British people but I’m not even aware of the Belgium titles and their ranking, so this was a very welcome intermission. Not that you can’t read the book without knowing this, but it adds to the “couleur locale” and overall enjoyment.
One of the things I really enjoy in historical novels is fresh knowledgable titbits about the habits and customs of our ancestors. Now, Victorian times aren’t really that far in our past but some of the etiquette rules sound very strange to modern ears. At a certain point, 3 men and a duchess are together in a carriage and the 3 gentlemen are all squeezed together on 1 side of the carriage, not because of rank or hierarchy but because no man who wasn’t a relative could sit next to a woman in a carriage. Although I’ve got a vague suspicion that this politeness may also be influenced by the volume of women’s dress in those days.
I also didn’t know that in London the mail was delivered 7 times a day! And delivered the same day it’s posted as well, something they can’t do nowadays anymore. In Belgium, they’re even talking about limiting the snail mail to every other day. When I was a child (I’m 53 now) the mail was still delivered once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Progress isn’t always an improvement!
There’s also a few references or predictions of things that will happen in the future; They’re quite funny, but it’s not that hard to write accurate predictions about the future in retrospect.
The story starts rather slow and the tempo never really accelerates. But it is a nice and pleasant mystery but not really a thriller. I’m hesitant to use the term ‘cosy’ because I really despise that terminology and that what is often implied by it. So it’s not at all soppy or silly and the historical facts that are sparingly served make the story all the more interesting and authentic. There’s also quite a lot of things happening all along with this investigation, so it is certainly not devoid of action, but all of it at a leisurely pace. It’s certainly caught my attention to read more books in this series.
I thank Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for a copy of this book but this review is my own honest and unbiased opinion
Wow! This has to be one of the top three books in the Charles Lenox series. The characters (even though they’re almost all familiar) all feel fresh, the pacing is superb, and the mystery has a perfect amount of twists and turns. Actually, I hated this book because I couldn’t stop reading it, but I also didn’t want it to end…and when i got to the end, I wanted to start it all over again. Sigh.
One of the best. Exciting
THE VANISHING MAN
How perfect to be reading Charles Finch’s THE VANISHING MAN on Shakespeare’s birthday, with KWMU playing music from Shakespeare as background! I’m savoring the experience, while feeling sure it will be nearly as enjoyable even with so many factors not in such perfect alignment.
Mystery within mystery, unlikely allies, power covering up crimes . . . plus matchmakers and a troublesome but endearing lad on school holiday made this a most compelling adventure. I particularly liked Charles Lennox’s answer to congested streets, hale a fishing boat — Fun!
Lessons worth remembering in troubled times:
“In nature there’s no blemish but the mind; none can be call’d deform’d but the unkind.” — Twelfth Night
“. . . thirsty, tired, and then to drink, to sleep, how joyful it was to be alive in a body sometimes.”
“He realized that he had needed his mother. How did she always know?”
The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch is the second of a planned trilogy of prequels to his Charles Lennox detective series. In this epoch we visit Charles as a young man, living on his own but still at the very earliest stages of his career. He is called upon by the mighty Duke of Dorset, one of the highest-ranking peers in the nation, to find a painting that has been stolen from his home. The juxtaposition of a man of this stature and a man who is little more than an amateur makes the story even more compelling as the duke is at one point arrested and housed in the Tower of London in an apartment that rivals Charles’ own home.
Seeing the steps Charles has taken to hone his craft: the people he has paid to teach him, is, in itself, endearing. To see the compassion he has, even for an inmate of a lunatic asylum, obviously is part of him, even at this young age. To learn about Lady Jane’s husband through Charles’ eyes helps us to understand his strong feelings for her than run throughout the series. And as always, a good mystery, which the reader solves in steps, right along with Charles and Graham. Fans of the series will be fans of the prequels. It is our Charles Lennox; the one we love.
Charles Finch has created and endearing picture of Charles Lennox and his world. One we continue to want to visit. I received a free ARC of The Vanishing Man in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley #thevanishingman
Lenox’s strength is his formidable power of observation and ability to connect seemingly unrelated events. It is a joy to follow the genteel, introspective Lenox as he observes and interacts with all. I especially appreciate his genuine love and affection for his family and friends. He tends to surprise himself as he recognizes little bits of self knowledge that pop up unexpectedly. This mystery takes place in 1850 at the start of Lenox’s detecting career and is wonderfully convoluted.
The Vanishing Man is a wonderful addition to the Prequel series for Charles Lenox Mysteries and it is set three years after the first of the prequel novels, A Woman In The Water. As always, it is well-written and well-plotted. I have read all of the books in the Charles Lenox series and it is nice to now go back in time and meet a younger and more unsure Charles who is just feeling his way into his chosen profession. The author does an excellent job of putting you in that time and place and making you feel the censure Charles gets from his peers for choosing that profession. While the mystery is excellent, two of my favorite things had nothing to do with it – one was the excellent outline of the British peerage, it was excellently done, and another was learning the origins of some words like ‘tips’ and ‘clue’. I might also add that if I were just newly coming to this series now, I would prefer to read the prequels before starting on the series itself. For one thing, the travel back in time is a bit of a shock to the system and it is bittersweet to get to know some people when you already know what their future holds.
In this book, Charles is still fairly melancholy and missing his father a lot. The author did an excellent job of putting you in Charles’ place and making you understand his grief and loss. Charles also does a bit of pining for what might have been between him and Jane. On a lighter note, I absolutely loved Charles’ young cousin, Lancelot, who was staying with him over the two-week term break at Eton. There is a scene in there between Lancelot and the Duke of Dorset that will have you in stitches!
Charles still hasn’t decided what to call himself – Private Investigator – Private Detective – he just can’t decide and since there are no others like him, it is up to him. Since his last case, things have been pretty slow for Charles – and then he gets a summons from the Duke of Dorset. So, things are looking up.
Charles arrives at the Duke’s home and is taken directly to the duke’s private-private study (you’ll understand when you read the book) where the duke tells him that there has been a robbery and he wants Charles to solve it. A painting with little value has been stolen from the room they are in, but the duke is convinced that the thief got the wrong painting. There is a priceless painting hanging directly beside the one that was stolen and the duke is sure that is the one the thieves wanted. After hearing the entire tale, Charles isn’t so sure that the thieves took the wrong painting. What was surprising was that the duke was only interested in the name of the thief, he wasn’t interested at all in recovering the painting.
Charles is busy trying to track down the painting when the duke is kidnapped and a ransom demand is left behind. Now, Charles has two mysteries to solve! Then – there is a murder and Charles has three cases to juggle. It will take all of his investigational skills and observational skills to figure out what is happening. He also meets Thaddeus Bonden who is famed for ‘finding’ things and Bonden agrees to help and to mentor Charles in some skills Charles feels he is lacking.
There is excellent character development from the first book to this one and it is nice to be able to explore the early relationships between Charles and his brother as well as Charles and Lady Jane. The love between Charles and his brother, Edwin, is plain to see and I enjoyed their interactions. All of the relationships in Charles’ life – Edwin, Graham, Mrs. Huggins, Lady Jane – are all rich, charming and funny. Then you add in the mischievous Lancelot into the mix and you have some lovely light moments that alleviate those darker ones.
I love Charles’ continuing pursuit of knowledge in the field of his craft. Part of that pursuit causes him to visit bedlam weekly to speak with criminally insane inmates. He wants to understand the criminal mind. Charles is insatiably curious about almost everything and that all goes a long way to help him develop the necessary skills he needs.
I definitely recommend this book and this series. It is very well written and the research is impeccable. You feel as if you are in that place and time along with the characters in the book. Well done Mr. Finch.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”