Person or Persons Unknown (Sir John Fielding) [Paperback]

Bruce Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | Series: Sir John Fielding

Investigating a series of prostitute murders in eighteenth-century London, blind magistrate Sir John Fielding, assisted by young Jeremy, launches a desperate plan to catch the killer. Reprint. NYT. PW.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The place: London; the time: 1770, when the wealthy denizens of the city walked through London's streets with scented handkerchiefs over their noses to disguise the stench of the poor. As if filthy streets, impoverished beggars, pickpockets, thieves, and prostitutes everywhere weren't enough of an eyesore, the mutilated bodies of young women start turning up around Covent Garden.To Sir John Fielding, a blind magistrate, the crimes are an abomination; he sets out to trap the killer with the help of his assistant, young Jeremy Proctor.

In addition to a fine mystery, author Bruce Alexander offers up a fascinating guided tour of 18th-century London, from the precincts of the Bow Street Runners to the shadowy haunts of criminals. In the characters of Sir John and Jeremy, we are gifted with the voices of experience and innocence--a potent combination in so murky a venue. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Eighteenth-century London comes alive in Alexander's (Watery Grave, LJ 9/1/96) fourth Sir John Fielding mystery. Here, Sir John, the blind magistrate of the Bow Street Court, and his ward and helper Jeremy Proctor investigate the murders of prostitutes in Covent Garden. After several deaths occur, it becomes clear that they are searching for not one but two brutal killers, each with his own cruel method of murder. With the help of the Bow Street Runners and Gabriel Donnelly, a doctor and medical examiner, Sir John and Jeremy sort through numerous suspects before finally discovering that the deranged murderers were under their noses all along. A first-rate mystery plot, vividly depicted atmosphere, and the growing relationship between Sir John and Jeremy make this an excellent addition to a quality series. Recommended for all collections.?Melissa Kuzma Rockicki, NYPL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425165663
• ISBN-13: 978-0425165669
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, but entertaining., February 28, 2001

By 

holly Taggart (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Person or Persons Unknown (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

I have read all of the Sir John series. They were, in fact, my introduction to the genre of murder mysteries. I have since read better constructed novels, but I continue to love the Sir John series. As far as a mystery goes, the solution became obvious a little too early in the novel for me. The continuing side plot of Jeremy's new life with Sir John held my interest for the entire novel. Definitely one I could not put down.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Series Continues to Improve with Each Outing, May 17, 2001

By 

P. Bigelow (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Person or Persons Unknown (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

This is the fourth in the series set in 1770 London and featuring Sir John Fielding, the blind magistrate of the Bow Street Court, and Jeremy Proctor, a falsely accused thief whom Fielding proves innocent and then takes into his home. In this outing, person or persons unknown are killing prostitutes in Covent Garden. The Bow Street Runners (the forerunners of the modern-day Bobbys) arrive just after the murder and quickly become frustrated with the lack of witnesses and suspects. As the story progresses, suspects abound, but in the end, it is Jeremy who catches the murderer.

This series continues to excel in several key areas. Alexander spins tales with enough twists to satisfy even the most able among us at solving the mystery. He is so skillful a storyteller that the reader is transported to the squalor and filth of 1770s London. No fancy houses and servants for this series. Alexander's stories are about the every-day lives of people in the lower echelons of society. While Sir John remains, for the most part, just as we met him in Blind Justice, the first book in the series, Jeremy has been developed over the course of the series so that the reader comes to like the teenager for who he is. Alexander's history never overshadows his characters or story, but the reader always has a sense of the place and time.

An excellent series that continues to get better with each entry.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Mr.Alexander!!!!!, August 28, 2001

By 

Brian Siegel (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Person or Persons Unknown (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

This is the 4th book in the Sir John series and upholds the outstanding writing and vivid details of daily life in England of the 1700's. I always look fwd to reading another episode in the adventures of Sir John Fielding and his young assistant Jeremy Proctor.The murder investigations they perform are well thought out and hold your interest. I can atribute many nights of reading until the early hours to this series. Keep them coming Mr.Alexander.