The Laws of Murder

By: Charles Finch

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

It’s 1876, and Charles Lenox, once London’s leading private investigator, has just given up his seat in Parliament after six years, primed to return to his first love, detection. With high hopes he and three colleagues start a new detective agency, the first of its kind. But as the months pass, and he is the only detective who cannot find work, Lenox begins to question whether he can still play the game as he once did.Then comes a chance to redeem himself, though at a terrible price: a friend, a member of Scotland Yard, is shot near Regent’s Park. As Lenox begins to parse the peculiar details of the death - an unlaced boot, a days-old wound, an untraceable luggage ticket - he realizes that the incident may lead him into grave personal danger, beyond which lies a terrible truth.With all the humanity, glamor, and mystery that readers have come to love, the latest Lenox novel is a shining new confirmation of the enduring popularity of Charles Finch’s Victorian series.

©2014 Charles Finch (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Good historical mystery series

Charles Lenox is an independently wealthy, private investigator in 1876–a time when the profession is still young. In previous books, he has always been very successful at whatever efforts he turns his attentions toward. This book takes an interesting turn, in that it shows him struggling professionally for much of the story.

He and several of his longtime friends and associates have decided to open an investigation agency together. And to his astonishment and embarrassment, he not only does not receive a lot of requests for his help at first, he actually is getting some bad reviews in the press. Puzzled and unable to figure out what has happened, he suddenly gets a case when a man from Scotland Yard he has worked with for many years is murdered. Immediately he is back in his familiar territory—searching for a killer.

This is a pretty good series, one I’ve read over the years and enjoyed. I’d say one of the best parts of this books is the cleverness of the plot, but there were parts that were a bit slow (not too many,mostly in the beginning). The story gets quite involved and interesting, especially in the second half. The narration is good, and the various voices are easily identifiable. Recommend!

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Good as always

What made the experience of listening to The Laws of Murder the most enjoyable?

Charles Lennox is one of the nicest, kindest fictional characters I know. He and his world are always interesting in book version already, with this reader, they are even better.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was gripping and the characters appealing.

What about James Langton’s performance did you like?

He is a very good reader, who suits Charles Lennox' character and the story's mood.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me think...

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend the book and Charles Finch's other books, less for being kept on the edge of the seat while reading/listening, more for overall thoughtfulness and interest.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Enjoyed very much

After reading all the others in this series, this was my first audio book of Finch. I enjoyed it just as much as the books. The storyline was well done, detailed and wrapped up sufficiently. The narrator did a good job of changing voices and making it sound more like a drama. Ready for the next....

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fantastic narrator!

The narrator is great and this is one of my favorites of the series! Can't wait to hear the next one!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another solid hit for Charles Lenox series

Would you consider the audio edition of The Laws of Murder to be better than the print version?

Great mystery and characters that you can care about. I've read all of the Charles Lenox mystery series (so far) and have greatly enjoyed them all. Looking forward to another installment.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Original, Intelligent, Engaging Novels

It's a relief to listen to a Charles Finch novel after slogging through the jungle/desert that seems to be contemporary thriller fiction. What is amazing is how completely convincing they are, not only in terms of historical detail and flavor but also in terms of characterizations, plots and subplots that move the action along at a good pace.

This is a well thought out, well described mystery which is not an insult to the listener's intelligence; peopled with genuinely engaging characters who have not been downloaded from the most recent politically correct HBO series, and free of the gratuitous violence and gore that seem to be considered necessary to hold a reader's attention. Much better than 90% of the other works on offer in this genre. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love

i love these book i listen them on bus. love charles Lennox books love love

Great story

I like this one the best of the series so far. I like that music was added at the beginning and the end.