Smuggler's Moon (Sir John Fielding Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Bruce Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sir John Fielding Mysteries | Publication Date: October 25, 2001

Blind eighteenth-century London judge Sir John Fielding returns in the eighth novel of Bruce Alexander's critically acclaimed mystery series.

Packed with rich historical detail, colorful characters, and gripping plotlines, this series has been hailed as "a joy to read" (The Wall Street Journal) and "a rich, rewarding trip for everyone" (The New York Times). In Smuggler's Moon, Sir John faces a most unlikely criminal.

Off the water that separates England from France, it is a well-known fact that illegal cargo trade thrives in the moonlight. Yet, authorities are strangely lax in their efforts to catch the criminals. At the behest of the Lord Chief Justice, Sir John and Jeremy travel to the seaside town of Deal to investigate a suspect magistrate just as the smugglers turn murderous. What Sir John and Jeremy find in Deal is most alarming-the booty on Smuggler's Beach is not the only thing to fall into the wrong hands. So, it seems, might the law.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sir John Fielding, the blind magistrate of Bow Street Court, returns for another rousing period crime adventure, as told by 17-year-old orphan Jeremy Proctor, from the pseudonymous Alexander (Blind Justice; Watery Grave; etc.). In 1772, Jeremy is learning the law from Sir John, for whom he is companion and attendant, but he has little time for study when the Lord Chief Justice sends Sir John to the town of Deal in Kent to investigate the conduct of the magistrate there. Fifteen-year-old Clarissa Roundtree, another stray welcomed into the Fielding household as Lady Fielding's assistant, accompanies them to Kent. Lying a short distance from the French coast, Deal prospers from "owling," the local term for smuggling. Soon after their arrival, the local magistrate is murdered, while smugglers boldly continue their activities. Sir John, as acting magistrate, plans an ingenious land-and-sea trap to ensnare the smuggling gang and sever their supply and distribution lines. At the swashbuckling climax, under the bright light of a "smuggler's moon," Jeremy proves himself a hero as part of the boarding party engaging in an on-deck saber fight with the villains. As for Clarissa, who once aspired to write romance novels, she conceives of the first murder mystery in the wake of the action. As usual, the author deftly captures the flavor of the period without overdoing the archaic language. This is an exciting novel sure to please established fans and those who appreciate classic yarns in the tradition of Treasure Island.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Sir John Fielding, a blind, 18th-century London judge, and his orphan accomplice, Jeremy, visit the smuggler's haven of Deal in order to check on a supposedly crooked magistrate. The pair find murder and more in this lively eighth addition to a popular series.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (October 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399147748
• ISBN-13: 978-0399147746
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good read, but somewhat unfulfilling, January 23, 2002

By 

Danny Ross (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smuggler's Moon (Sir John Fielding Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I found this latest Sir John Fielding episode a little disappointing, with nary a twist nor surprise to throw or tantalize the unsuspecting reader. A fine story, to be sure, with the usual excellent descriptive narrative, but very predictable and somewhat unrewarding. Having read and savoured all the previous episodes in this series, I found my main interest in this book directed towards learning the latest about each of the characters within. They have become very familiar to me, almost like family, and I was pleased to catch up with them and their lives.
At one stage in the book, the story-teller, Jeremy Procter, asks his mentor Sir John Fielding when he first suspected he had discovered the prime perpetrator of the crime and his answer was "Almost from the very first".
Unfortunately, I think the majority of readers would answer the same (maybe minus the "almost").

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Smuggler's Moon, May 31, 2003

By 

A. Correia (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smuggler's Moon (Sir John Fielding Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Really truly love or maybe I should have said loved this series. The adding of the charectar of Clarissa has turned me
off somewhat of the series. Why Alexander tinkered with what was a great series is a bit of a mystery to me in
itself. Maybe his editor felt like the series needed a Nancy Drew touch. It doesn't. Use to couldn't wait for the
next book in the series as they are so wonderfully written and would rate all the past books a five star. Oh, I will get the next book but not with the same excitement and anticipation as I had in the past.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Welcome Visit from Sir John Fielding!, October 19, 2006

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smuggler's Moon (Sir John Fielding) (Paperback)

SMUGGLER'S MOON transplants the blind Bow Street magistrate from his beloved London to the coastal town of Deal where smuggling is rampant. The smugglers soon turn murderous and Sir John and his right-hand man, Jeremy Proctor, lead the battle to eradicate the evil-doers.

I haven't been reading the Sir John Fielding novels in order; this dates from 2001. While I didn't give it a five-star rating - it doesn't take a genius to guess who the villain is - I enjoyed the book nevertheless. There's enough twists and turns and rousing action to keep the reader's attention. Then too, the late Bruce Alexander had a wonderful eye for period detail and a corresponding ear for dialogue. There is a charming quaintness to the world evoked in the Fielding books - the language, manners, the sights, sounds and smells, etc.

If you're a Sir John Fielding fan, you'll enjoy this book. And like me, you'll probably finish the book with the hope that the next adventure returns him to his Bow Street haunts.