I love mysteries - Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie,Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and up through today's J.D. Robb best sellers. This book takes readers back to a time familiar to fans of Holmes and Watson, with the death taking place in May, 1901. When an unassuming barrister finds the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep, he is shocked and dismayed - not only because Lord Dunning is dead, but because his feet are bare. Why would such a prominent man be murdered within the Inner Temple and then left in his evening dress with no shoes or socks? The condition of the body is almost as surprising as the murder itself.
A helpful diagram shows the layout of the buildings which comprise the Inner Temple, an area that is an "independent enclave...free from the jurisdiction of the Mayor and Corporation of London." As such, the police must have permission to enter, so the poor barrister, Gabriel Ward, is ordered by the head of the Inner Temple to investigate the death himself and avoid a scandal. Poor Ward wants nothing more than to get back to his legal cases and research; visiting the family of the deceased and questioning his peers is not something he will enjoy at all. As usually happens in a murder mystery, the more people he talks to, the more possible motives he discovers.
Whether he was killed because of professional rivalries and jealousies, family squabbles, or darker secrets, Ward must get to the bottom of the mystery so that he can go back to settling who is the rightful owner of the story Millie the Temple Church Mouse, the case that had him so distracted the morning he stumbled upon the body. At least his sleuthing skills may be useful in solving that mystery, too?
If you enjoy mysteries set in Victorian England and involving multiple persons of interest and motives galore, then you should feel right at home following Gabriel Ward through the steps of his investigation. I look forward to the next book in the series.
My internet connection has been down quite a few days, so just saw this now. This sounds right in my wheelhouse and I've ordered it! Thank you. I'm looking forward to the release of the next one in the series!
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