Brigade: The Further Adventures of Lestrade

The second in the Inspector Lestrade series, this follows up fairly neatly on the first ('The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade') in that the events of that book have influence on this. This one has an advantage over the first in that the plotline and murders are less far-fetched than those in the earlier book.It retains the good points of the first book: a mix of historical and fictional characters, a sense of humour that doesn't overpower the rest of the book, and a reasonable degree of irreverence.It also has some of the earlier problems: Lestrade is not depicted as a very good detective, and I particularly dislike his technique of accusing people of being murderers in order to get information.An entertaining series, but not the best on the market.

Volume two in the Lestrade series lives up to the promise of volume one, and surpasses it. The in-jokes (I especially liked the childhood inspiration for Basil Rathbone's most famous film part!), the victorian atmosphere and the wit are all still there, but the plot has a harder edge - less fantastical that the first time. Indeed, there is a darker side to this novel. The opening description of the Charge of the Light Brigade was masterful, with a pace as fast as the charging horses and a picture of the horror of the event that gripped like a cavalry officer's hold on his sword. The later description of the Manchester poorhouse was equally enthralling and harrowing. A good book and a great read all round.

I found the book cover to be quite fascinating. Incredible reproduction of the lion's face. M.J. Trow's work is a refreshing look at Conan Doyle's characters. Looking forward to reading other books by M.J. Trow.