Having enjoyed the first book in the Gower Street Detective Series, I decided to dip my toe back into Victorian London and spend some more time with incredibly rude and uncivil detective, Sidney Grice, and his long-suffering ward, March Middleton. The Curse of the House of Foskett, by M.R.C. Kasasian begins with Sideny's reputation in tatters after leading an innocent man to the gallows in his previous case. No one wants to hire him and he is not taking it well. A new case is just what he needs, so when a gentleman comes calling to hire Sidney to investigate the Final Death Society, and promptly drops dead during the meeting, he couldn't be happier! Even better, it turns out that the man has been murdered. Sidney and March delve into this society where a distinguished group of people have clubbed together with the intention that the last one left alive inherits all the money. However, it seems one member of the Society isn't willing to wait for nature to take its course, for when Sydney and March try to speak to the various members, they discover that they too have been murdered, and in such a way as to implicate Sydney in the deadly deed. Despite the increasingly grisly nature of each crime, this book is full of laughs and clever touches. However, the incredibly un-PC statements made by Sydney did sometimes grate with me, and I wondered why on earth March puts up with them. But it becomes apparent that she is more than a match for him, and is a perfect foil for the socially inept man who has taken her in. During the course of the novel, we also find out more about March's past, which really helps round her out. There were also hints that Sydney does have a heart somewhere beneath his bluster and apparent coldness, which could help to make him a more sympathetic character. The action rolls along at great pace, and this is an entertaining read - but it might be a while before I can face Sydney and his acerbic tongue once again.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 416 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.99.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, MP3-CD, ebook.
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