The September Society

When the paperback edition of "The September Society" became available, I found myself sizing up the three Charles Finch books all in a row. One surprise for me was how nicely the books are together & how good it feels to touch them. Just as the pleasure of putting pen to paper feels differently than simply communicating by a phone call or an e-mail, the books have an evocative touch that triggers the stories. In "The September Society", all sorts of touch sensations remain. The clues linger. I was able to visit Oxford this past September and as I wandered about the old city, I felt as though I was reconnecting with an old friend. I visited the Turf with its scarred wooden tables, Cornmarket Street's crowded spaces & Christ Church meadow complete with cows & a stream. The book, with each reread, becomes more & more of a friend. Also, the cover designs of "A Beutiful Blue Death", "The September Society" & (soon to come in paperback) "The Fleet Street Murders" would make a great boxed set for anyone who wants to have & hold & reach out to touch a part of 1860's Britain. Mystery at its best - treasure the touch of this stuff!!

I enjoyed Charles Finch's previous book, A Beautiful Blue Death, although I felt the writing to be a little stilted in places. Since that book Mr Finch has improved wonderfully in The September Society. His writing is well done although a few tweeks on removing some modern words from the Victorian dialogue would improve it further. The story is superb with several red herrings and a clever solution at the end. The characters have become more rounded in this second outing and I am growing very fond of Charles Lenox. There are many threads from this book to make quite a few more Charles Lenox mysteries in the future and I am very much looking forward to reading them.

"The September Society" is the second installment in the Charles Lenox Mysteries, this time involving crimes that occur in two different eras: the first, when two men are murdered in Punjab shortly after the Anglo-Sikh War; and the second, nineteen years later in 1866, when a young Oxonian, George Payson, vanishes. Lenox is approached by George's worried mother, Lady Annabelle, who prevails upon Lenox to find him. Lenox travels to Oxford where he discovers a collection of bizarre clues in George's room--a dead cat, a red string, a fountain pen, a cryptic note and a card bearing the words `September Society'. Compounding the mystery is the disappearance of George's friend and confidante, Bill Dabney. Soon after, a corpse is discovered in the fields, assumed to be that of George's. As Lenox investigates, it becomes apparent that this murder is connected to those in Punjab, but how? What happened to Dabney? What is behind the covert September Society and what is its connection to the crimes? It will take Lenox's considerable skills to solve what he regards `a strange and laborious case', and do so before someone else is killed. Lenox's pack is back--his associate, the skilled Dr. McConnell; his always-circumspect and resourceful valet Graham; and his best friend, the compassionate Lady Jane--with a new kid on the block, the inveterate drinker and layabout Dallington, now his apprentice. The development of the Lenox character is gaining speed. At forty and still a bachelor, he's now mustering the courage to take his friendship with Lady Jane a step further. There's more introspection, too, as he weighs his continuing desire to pursue his detection against his dream of serving in parliament. Oxford and its many colleges are depicted with much affection and detail (perhaps a holdover from the author's days there) that one can easily visualize their enduring medieval splendor. Of special interest was the interior of Bodleian Library (which I'd long ago only seen from the outside), considered in Lenox's time as the world's greatest library. Oxford, through his eyes, is a wondrous trip back in time. Of interest, too, is the emergence of forensic ballistics as a major breakthrough in criminology, one of the many informative nuggets interspersed within the story. (For example, do you know the origin of the term `swan song'?) There's always something new to learn in a Lenox mystery. A confounding and challenging puzzle, vivid descriptions of place and time, lots of interesting information to absorb (though may seem pedantic at times), and entertaining characters all make for a genuinely good read, especially for Golden Age devotees. It's developing into a quite agreeable mystery series and I look forward to future installments.

This novel has an imaginative storyline with many authentic surprises. As in A Beautiful Blue Death, the engaging characters and finely honed plotting make this a memorable mystery. I highly recommend this author!

I was a big fan of A Beautiful Blue Death (Finch's first Victorian mystery) so I read this as soon as I could get my hands on a copy. It definitely didn't disappoint. There are echoes of Dorothy Sayers, Elizabeth George, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie in the clean writing, finely wrought characters, and sense of humor, but the writer has a style of his own. The book begins with a prologue about a murder in India, then flashes twenty years forward. A young man, George Payson, is missing from his rooms at Oxford University, and his mother comes to detective Charles Lenox for help. Lenox uncovers a conspiracy and a strange group of army veterans called The September Society, and quickly finds the link between them and George Payson's disappearance. The mystery is great but what I love about Finch's work is the characters - the quiet, reliable Lenox, his gentle and intelligent friend Lady Jane, and even a new character - a protege to the detective in the shape of Lord John Dallington, a young and dissipated aristocrat. A definite winner. Highly recommended.