BOOK REVIEW: Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles Finch

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I really enjoy cozy historical mysteries, so I was glad to stumble across the Charles Lenox Mystery series by Charles Finch. The first book in the series is A Beautiful Blue Death, which I loved. He is now up to book sixteen. I haven’t had a chance to read them all, and I’ve been reading the new books as they come out, but the mysteries absolutely stand on their own. And I’m glad there is more of the author’s backlist for me to dive into at some point.

The newest book is Midnight in the House of Commons. The protagonist, Charles Lenox, is a Victorian British gentleman who has established a name for himself as an investigator. He is the man people come to when Scotland Yard can’t solve their cases. His deductive skills rival those of Sherlock Holmes.

Charles has a close-knit family. He is married to Lady Jane, his perfect mate despite the fact that her social standing is higher than his. His older brother has a high post in the government and is likely to rise even higher. They are recurring characters and their closeness and regard for one another contribute to the coziness of the series.

The first mystery to present itself in this book is brought to him by Miss Violet Goodhue, a woman of good birth but limited funds, who came to London to find a husband. She intended to marry mostly for financial reasons, but ended up falling in love. And the man loves her too; she is certain. However, after they became engaged, he was called to his family estate, and then disappeared. Lenox is skeptical at first. The most likely scenario is that what she considers love was merely a dalliance for the young man. But she assures him the feelings were mutual, and he agrees to look into it.

As Charles is beginning to disentangle this quiet mystery, something shocking occurs. A man is killed in the House of Commons. His death clears the way for the passage of a bill that Charles’ brother and his party have been struggling to see passed for years. Was the murder politically motivated? Or did someone have another reason to want the man dead?

The tension builds as Charles searches for elusive clues as the clock ticks down toward the day of the vote. Can Charles find the murderer on time.

Oh, and what about poor Miss Goodhue’s fiancé?

For fans of historical mystery, grab one (or all) of Charles Finch’s books.