It was so great to take a break from reading traditional regency/victorian romance novels and renew my relationship with Captain Lacey and the gang. In this most recent story, although we get quite a bit of Lacey's interesting wife, Donata, his daughter, Gabriella, and our favorite supporting character, Lucius Grenville, there wasn't much about Marianne Simmons, Lacey's former neighbor and erstwhile actress - now Grenville's paramour.
In this story, Lacey is called upon by Peter Thompson of the Thames River Police to solve a 15 year old case involving the murder of a young woman whose bones were pulled from the water ten years previously. Mr. Thompson just can't seem to forget the case and rather than stash it away in the permanent unsolved mystery files, he wants Lacey to take a crack at it.
Lacey's all too willing to try and solve the mystery - in fact, he can't seem to help himself. He's a righteous man in his own way so, he must do what he must do. Donata's pregnant with Lacey's baby even as she enjoys getting ready for Gabriella's come-out ball. Grenville can't keep his bored self from helping Lacey in his quest and of course, anyone would welcome Grenville's assistance. After all, he's cool under pressure, always knows how to behave, has the well deserved reputation of being quite the "man about town" including all the savoir faire, wealth and countenance one could desire... Well, let's just say that he could quite steal the show away from Lacey with a just a bit of the author's help. However, Ms. Gardner gives us just enough of Grenville to make us appreciate him, but Lacey remains our man.
Eventually, the story leads the reader into the world of the Jewish community, for it seems that's where our victim was from. It's obvious she was well loved by her father and sister with each of them expressing their pain in different ways when they finally understand she wasn't just missing - no, she's been dead all these years. Her husband, Bennett, has moved on - in fact, he's had two more wives since her passing, apparently both had money. So, he immediately becomes the primary suspect.
We have our crime lord, James Denis, who continues to keep watch on Captain Lacey, now considering him "one of his own" - whatever that means. At any rate, we're accustomed to him continually keeping a hand in any matters affecting Lacey and Lacey's world. True to form, although Lacey hates to involve Denis in his life, he does continue to call upon him for the occasional favor which serves to sink Lacey and all that's dear to him more and more under obligation to Mr. Denis.
There's a very mysterious doctor, another person who James Dennis can call at will, who assists Lacey and Brewster, the man who acts as Lacey's erstwhile bodyguard/minder/whatever on behalf of Denis and with whom Lacey now has a kind of almost friendship. But, the huge mystery of the book and one that remains unsolved, most likely to come around at a future date is the identity of the "stranger" who is hellbent on doing damage to the members of Lacey's family who is suspected of being the same person who has been writing threatening letters to Lacey's family. This mystery is an intriguing juicy tidbit placed before the readers for another book at a future date.
It's been a lazy day for me here in good old California with the beginning of autumn upon us - a really good day to relax and read a Captain Lacey Mystery. I truly enjoy the manner in which these books are written. The solution is slowly revealed even as we get to enjoy the deepening romantic love between Lacey and Donata, the steady male to male relationship in its infant stages between Lacey and Donata's young son, Peter and of course Lacey's deep love for his daughter, Gabriella, along with his often regretful feelings for being separated from her during all those years.
Great series. I look forward to more of Captain Lacey
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I really enjoyed the book, and hope to read more. I am from England. So anything English is OK with me.
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Top reviews from other countries
gimmielinda
Lacey takes on a very interesting 'cold case'.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 4, 2016
Buster
Fast Paced and readable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 28, 2015I. Tattersall
Very entertaining.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 28, 2016Mr B G Townsend
Excellent series evocative of the period.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 25, 2018GBJ
Another good read in this series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 4, 2018
