Customer Reviews

Watery grave

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Perhaps the most attractive feature of Alexander's previous works - Blind Justice and Murder in Grubb Street - is their uncompromising historical accuracy. As a lawyer (Queen's Counsel), I can attest to the validity of Alexander's depiction of the administration of justice in 18th Century England. One can quibble with some of his characterizations: for example, his portrayal of Lord Chief Justice Mansfield hardly fits with the image of the jurist who declared that a slave becomes a free man as soon as he sets foot on English soil. And his use of modern Americanisms - such as "hung" rather than "hanged" as the past participle of the verb "to hang" when referring to execution by hanging - tends to grate when applied to the supposed dialogue of 18th Century Londoners. But, by and large, Alexander manages well, both to capture the atmosphere of the era, and also to satisfy even the most pedantic critic of his historicism. Shadowy Grave is therefore slightly disappointing. Speaking also as a former naval officer, I found that Alexander's mastery of the atmosphere in London's streets of the 18th Century does not, unfortunately, extend to a mastery of the atmosphere aboard ships of the Royal Navy of that time. And, by transferring the court-room dramatics from a civil court to a naval court martial, Alexander has exposed some weaknesses in his knowledge of authentic naval procedures and traditions. Still, fans of Alexander's previous works will enjoy Watery Grave. If the plot is, at times, a little far-fetched, it is still plausible and makes for an exciting narrative. It is to be hoped that Alexander will continue this exceptionally good series, although preferably keeping his feet on dry land and sticking to the historical subjects which he knows best and evokes so effectively.

Watery Grave is the continued story (the third installment) of the story of Jeremy Proctor and his mentor Sir John Fielding. One does not have to read the second book (I hadn't) to understand the events.

Alexander's writing and plotting have improved and become more ambitious in the interim. Watery Grave involves a murder (perhaps) committed on board a ship during a storm; the subsequent investigation turns up a rat's nest of corruption and pits land- and sea-based legal jurisdictions against one another. We also learn how Fielding lost his sight. I wanted to see more of what happened on the ship, and I felt that the end of the novel was quite disappointing. What should be devastating courtroom scenes are skipped over, given little impact, and largely told rather than shown. Careful readers will also find at least one minor continuity error. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining book featuring some interesting characters, particularly the perceptive Fielding.

After having written this review I noted that another reviewer thought there were historical errors. I don't know enough about the period to judge whether that's correct or not, but if so it should be counted as a serious flaw in the book.

I love a good mystery. A mystery set in England is even better. A mystery set in England in the 1700s is a ten-strike! Have you read any of Bruce Alexander's books in the Sir John Fielding series? Starting with "Watery Grave", the reader follows the career of Sir John Fielding, a blind judge. Based on a historical character, Sir John actually lived in the 1700s and was the first judge to develop a regular constabulary -- the legendary Bow Street Runners. His brother, Henry Fielding, wrote the classic "Tom Jones". The narrator is a young boy, Jeremy Proctor, who becomes Sir John's ward and protege. We see London through the eyes of this child -- as he grows into manhood.

Bruce Alexander's language is rich and evocative of the times. The mysteries are anything but derivative and often solved in completely surprising ways. Courts handled crimes so differently in the 18th century -- and most people lived in squalid conditions which Alexander captures honestly. These books are not "chick lit" -- in fact, men may enjoy them even more than women! I'd suggest you start with the first book in the series and work your way along so you can get the most of the character development and big picture. Enjoy!

Alexander's skills are formidable, and this third book in the Sir John Fielding series is proof of that. Alexander knows his period (Georgian England), and he writes of it like he is a part of it. His characters are also coming along nicely. This book delves a little into life on shipboard in the late 1700's. Although the book doesn't actually take us to sea, we see the life almost vicariously through the eyes of a ship's crew. And it isn't pretty. When these ships left "Jolly Old" they did not return for two or three years, and lots happened both on and off the ship that the people back home never dreamed of. I love the way Alexander writes about this colourful period in history, and can't wait to read more.

In 1767 off the shore of Cape of Good Hope, the crew of British naval frigate HMS Adventure encountered what, to them, must have seemed the typhoon of the century. At the height of the powerful storm, despite Lieutenant William Landon's futile rescue attempt, Captain Josiah Markham is swept off the poop deck and overboard to his death. Fully seven months later, when the Adventure returns to London, Landon is astonished to find himself accused of murder by acting Captain James Hartsell and facing execution by hanging if he is found guilty at a court martial. When Vice-Admiral Robert Redmond, who happens to be Landon's uncle, is ordered by the British navy to preside over the court martial, he asks his friend of long acquaintance, blind magistrate Sir John Fielding to turn his formidable intellect to the investigation and to help clear his nephew's name. With the assistance of his protégé, a wide-eyed but quickly maturing 14 year old Jeremy Proctor, and his step-son, Thomas Durham, freshly returned from his two year assignment aboard the Adventure, Fielding investigates the alleged murder.

As Fielding, Proctor and Durham search for clues and witnesses in the haunts of the seamen on shore leave from the Adventure - the dimly lit brothels and filthy bars and gaming establishments that dot the seedy docks in the Tower Wharf district along side the Thames - they run into a string of reluctant witnesses, inconsistent stories of the events on the night of the storm, subsequent murders and the tortuous workings of a maritime and naval justice system apparently intent on bringing in a pre-ordained verdict of "guilty" against the accused.

Despite being an easy-reading lightweight historical mystery set in Georgian England, "Watery Grave" is definitely not a cozy mystery in the style of Agatha Christie or Susan Wittig Albert. A graphic and gritty portrayal of the rough side of 18th century London, "Watery Grave" will treat its readers to extraordinary characterization and atmospheric embellishment that brings people, time and place to life with a sparkling vitality and a sense of realism that can hardly be rivaled - the slums, the prisons, the docks, pubs, outdoor markets, upstairs, downstairs, courts, gaming houses, bordellos, street walkers, pickpockets, scamps, cut purses and thieves. Despite being a primarily land-locked investigation, the story also provides us with a colourful but up close, down and dirty examination of brutal ship board life for the seamen in the British navy of the day.

And that ending ... what can one say? Entirely unexpected but, frankly, the icing on the cake as far as the depiction of the reality of the day is concerned!

"Watery Grave", preceded by "Blind Justice" and "Murder in Grub Street" is the third entry in Alexander's highly successful Sir John Fielding series. While it does stand alone as a satisfactory mystery, readers will derive the most enjoyment if they dig into the series from the start so they can revel in Alexander's wonderful multi-story character development as well as the mystery. Up next, "Person or Persons Unknown".

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

"Watery Grave", the third in Bruce Alexander's series of Georgian-era mystery novels, shows the writer's and characters' progress. The captain of a naval ship goes overboard in a storm, and it is the job of protagonist, blind magistrate Sir John Fielding to discover whether it is murder or misadventure. After the cardboard plotting of his first book, and the overly-convenient plot twists of the second, "Watery Grave" shows that the author is capable of more complicated plotting and characterization. The conflict between naval and civil justice is developed, and the underlying theme of homosexuality provides a dark motive.

While it is true that, as some critics point out, Patrick O'Brien's British nautical series, set a few decades after this series, is far superior in characterization, dialogue, and historical research, perhaps that sets the standard too high. This series is not brilliant or deeply-researched, it is simply a string of fun, readable whodunits. The interest is provided by the Fielding and his young assistant, Jeremy Proctor, and by the historical color of 18th century London. The greatest flaw in these books, I believe, is not the thin historical research, but the weakness of the courtroom scenes. After spending chapters exposing lies and hunting down witnesses, readers should rightfully expect better and more dramatic trial scenes. It's far from perfect, but it's pretty enjoyable all the same.

Unlike "Blind Justice," there is no major surprise or triumph in detection. But interesting characters and a bittersweet, thought-provoking ending make this one of the better entries in the Sir John Fielding series.

This is book #3 in the late Bruce Alexander(Cook)'s excellent series of 11 tales featuring the "Blind Beak", Sir John Fielding, Magistrate presiding at #4 Bow Street and cofounder with his brother Henry (a father of the English Novel) of the Bow Street Runners, London's first police force. The story is related by Jeremy Proctor, an orphan taken under Sir John's wing, who is looking back 30 years to his early experiences.

The ailing Captain of a ship is washed overboard and drowned during a fierce storm and a well regarded midshipman is held to blame by the man who becomes acting captain. Was the midshipman trying to save the Captain or did he push him over? His accuser, whose villainy becomes increasingly evident as the story unfolds, becomes suspect of involvement in murders of crewmen who may have known too much about the drowning for their own good. As the murders occur within Sir John's jurisdiction, he pursues an investigation which comes up against His Majesty's Navy, as the Admiralty gathers round to protect its own. The midshipman is sentenced at Court Martial to be hanged and a race against time ensues to impeach his accuser before the sentence is carried out.

Alexander's ability to draw the reader into the time and place of London in the late 18th century and weave together several fascinating threads within which his characters develop, some of which continue through the entire series, leaves the reader with the satisfaction of having read a well crafted book.

This book has Sir John settled in with his second wife whose social activities include running the Magdalene Home for Penitent Prostitutes -- who seem, in these books, to constitute a significant portion of those women of London reduced to poverty -- and her son Tom Dunham, a crewman aboard the fated ship by virtue of being given the option by Sir John to go to sea or serve time for theft done to help his impoverished mother. All of the authors characters and their environs come to life as they contribute to various aspects of this adventure.

I fully enjoyed this and all other books in this series (I'm starting book # 6, having read the first 5) and recommend them without reservation.

The book itself was delivered in timely fashion in the condition described by the vendor.

The author continues to intrigue us with his writing. He is a master and once i started reading it, I could not put it down. Very though times during the 1800's.

Another book in Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding series of 18th century murder mysteries, This story concerns his step-son, Tom, who's a sailor on a British frigate. The ship's captain died in a storm, and one of his lieutenants is accused of murdering him. Sir John is called in to advise the Admiral in charge of the court martial on points of law and becomes involved in investigating the crime. Clues and witnesses don't agree with the First Lieutenent's eyewitness account and Sir John (with his ward, Jeremy's help) has to dig deep to uncover the truth, all without any help from the accused. It seems all the Royal Navy's interested in is hanging the defendant so as to get along with business as usual.