Customer Reviews

The Price of Murder

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bruce Alexander (AKA Bruce Cook)died this month. His books have brought me so much enjoyment, I feel like I've lost a good friend. Reading this last book will be bitter-sweet to say the least.

Even though I didn't think that the last few Sir John Fielding mystery novels have been as good as the first four mysteries in the series ("Blind Justice," "Murder in Grub Street," Watery Grave" & "Person or Persons Unknown"), I will admit that this latest installment in the series was an enjoyable read -- especially if you enjoy books that are full of historical detail and that are character driven.

The discovery of a body of a little six year old girl (Maggie Plummer) pulled from the Thames introduces Sir John and his trusted assistant, Jeremy Proctor to a new kind of criminal horror: the sexual abuse of children. Both Sir John and Jeremy are determined to discover and apprehend those responsible for the Maggie's death -- from the mother who sold her, to the people who brokered the deal, to the monster responsible for violating and murdering Maggie. But their mission is confounded with the mysterious disappearance of the Maggie's mother and the murder of a the Plummer's nosy neighbour. What did the neighbour know? Was she somehow involved in the selling and murder of Maggie? The murderer seems constantly to be one step ahead of Sir John and Jeremy, but both are determined to see justice done, no matter the cost...

The problem with "The Price of Murder" was that in spite of the promising plot premise, there was actually very little of it. The focus of the novel was more on the mysterious disappearance of a serving maid, horse racing and Jeremy's relationship with Clarissa (a series regular), and whether or not they would be able to marry soon. The search for the probable child selling ring in the underbelly of London never really materialized, to my disappointment, nor were there any surprising plot twists and turns (essential to a good mystery novel) or red herring suspects. However Bruce Alexander did a wonderful job of bringing seventeenth century England to life, especially that of the horse racing circuit. And I did enjoy the subplot dealing with the missing servant and how Sir John and Jeremy resolved that matter.

On the whole, I do think that if you're a fan of the series then "The Price of Murder" should prove to be enjoyable reading (though you might want to get your copy from the library); but if you're new to this series and are looking for a gripping read, try the first few books in this series instead.

Sadly, Bruce Alexander passed on shortly after the release of this book, but has left us one more book after this. What this book may have lacked in suspense and plot twists, it more than made up for interesting, fully-developed characters and providing a picture of the period and, being a huge fan of Dick Francis, the racing world turning that time. I've always thought of his books as somewhat elegant reads. I do highly recommend this series for those who love elegant writing and period history.

I have been reading the Bruce Alexander mysteries from the beginning. I will be forever grateful to the friend who put me on to them. Those of us who like this kind of thing enjoy the history and historical background which appears to be very accurate. More important, however, are the characters. They are interesting and have acquired real personalities. The plot is finely woven. I find myself reading Bruce Alexander when I really ought to be doing other things. Look out, he's addictive.

The novel opens on a shocking, dark and deeply tragic note with a waterman's unsettling discovery of five year old Maggie Plummer's naked body floating in the Thames. That she has been brutally sexually molested outrages and appals the brilliant, blind magistrate, Sir John Fielding, who institutes an immediate, urgent investigation with the assistance of his protégé, Jeremy Proctor, and Jeremy's fiancée, Clarissa Roundtree. Jeremy and Clarissa, the intrepid and stalwart Constable Patley and Maggie's uncle, the celebrated jockey Deuteronomy Plummer (who is heart-broken at his niece's death), determine that Maggie's mother, a gin-soaked doxy from Seven Dials, sold her daughter and promptly disappeared to parts unknown. Subsequent investigation reveals that Maggie's mother, thinking she was giving up her daughter to a better life through adoption to a wealthy family, had been tricked into selling her into prostitution and slavery. The plot thickens as key witnesses are murdered and the evidence begins to point to London's upper class.

The Price of Murder is a delicious, eminently readable potpourri of styles - first person narration of the tale by Jeremy Proctor in the style of Conan Doyle's Watson; a finely crafted,immensely satisfying mystery plot reminiscent of Agatha Christie's efforts; and a darker, earthier, much more candid representation of Georgian England's working and criminal class that might have been penned by the likes of Anne Perry. I personally would have preferred a deeper exploration into the criminal class and a story that probed prostitution, slavery and trafficking in children as opposed to the less controversial exploration of the horse-racing class in England which the reader was given. That particular disappointment was perhaps a little more profound than it otherwise might have been had Alexander not whetted my appetite so strongly with such a cruel, hard opening to his story!

The sub-plot of the disappearance of Clarissa's erstwhile friend, Elizabeth Hooker, effectively wove in and out of the main narrative and was used to provide a very cute, clever ending which it would be quite unfair to disclose. You'll have to read the story yourself for that! The atmosphere and ambience that many other writers of historical fiction would have chosen to provide through the use of extensive descriptive passages or exposition of surrounding historical facts and details was, in a word, absent! Nevertheless, the reader is granted a pleasing feel for the period by Proctor's first person narrative that provided period appropriate conversations, motives, characteristics and actions, for example, appropriate to the stimuli that would have driven a resident of 18th century Georgian England.

Equal parts historical fiction, police procedural and mystery with just the tiniest dash of "Upstairs, Downstairs" tossed in for good measure, The Price of Murder is a thoroughly enjoyable, light, fast-paced read. You won't regret taking a copy to the cottage or the beach!

I've read the entire Sir John series and am a strong admirer. I think Alexander is highly talented in his abilities to bring to life the gritty, dirty,and often violent streets of old London. I find Sir John to be a terrific character - with the gift of "seeing" into the hearts of men better than most blessed with perfect vision.

After the misstep that was "An Experiment in Treason", this is a return to the safe grounds on which the Sir John Fielding series established its success. A young female murder victim is found floating in the Thames. Another young woman goes missing. And the 18th century English racing scene takes a key role. Jeremy Proctor, befitting his approach to manhood, takes a greater responsibility than ever in sorting out the pieces. Tried and true grounds for Alexander, and he covers it well. It's not an exemplary effort, but it is a worthy complement to the first books in the series.

But that's not to say that the work is without flaws. The resolution of a false accusation is left hanging. The death of the perpetrator is far-fetched. And charade by which Lady Katherine is informed of the pending nuptials is truly unworthy of the author. This was the last book in the series that Alexander completed before his death. Perhaps he was in an understandable rush to complete. But someone should have stepped in to smooth the rough edges.

This is my first Sir John Fielding book. Perhaps if I had developed a relationship with Sir John and the other characters I would have found more in this book.

The plot, as a mystery, is only fair. The resolution of the plot is slghtly less than fair. The historical setting is good, but the reader does learn enough new things about the period to make it exceptional. London in the 18th century certainly has a lot to offer. The most unique part of this book is its descriptions of the nascent racing industry in England which was interesting.

The narrator character is somewhere between a budding genius and a naive waif. Maybe that is an honest interpretation of one's self when one is younger. I found his tone/manner annoying - it sounded as if he was narrating a PBS special. What surprised me (not for good or for bad) was that Sir John Fielding - the lead of the series - was a secondary figure.

The book did move well, however, and the characters were likeable. The dialogue was good and often had a trace of humor.

Based upon some of the reviews that said this is the worst of the series, I may pick up another. Without that peroration, however, I doubt I would. This was not a bad book, just mediocre. I wanted to like it more due to the setting and the early likeability of the characters.

The blind judge has remarkable insight. You'd swear he could see. Murder and mayhem does not win in his court. Seventeen hundreds London is easy to imagine when Bruce Alexander is at the helm. I feel like I'm standing on the corner waiting for the hackney to take me to the Magdalene Home for Penitent Prostitutes to help reform the girls. It all comes to life in this book and you can enjoy a bit of history.

One of the problems with reading a 'series' is that at some point it seems that the author ends up going through the paces for no other reason than that he has a deadline to meet. This story which begins with the finding of the body of an eight year old girl floating in the Thames would normally lead to a fascinating story of child-selling and pederasty.

But although we do find out what happens to the child, mixed into the story is the 'disappearance' of an old friend of Clarissa's, the horse-race at Newmarket, the death of Sir John's clerk Mr.Marsden, the impending marriage of Mr. Donnelly and Molley, and some other stuff. It's not that the book isn't interesting, it's that it just plods along until it comes to the expected conclusion. Too many of the characters die or are murdered conveniently, and things fall into place so well for Jeremy and Clarissa that they are not believable.

Knowing that this is the penultimate book in the series would be disheartening if you didn't know that the next book is considered to be one of the series best and a great rap-up to the series.

Zeb Kantrowitz