The Woman in The Water (Charles Finch)

This chilling new mystery in the USA Today bestselling series by Charles Finch takes readers back to Charles Lenox's very first case and the ruthless serial killer who would set him on the course to become one of London's most brilliant detectives.

London, 1850: A young Charles Lenox struggles to make a name for himself as a detective...without a single case. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime—and promising to kill again—Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself.

The writer's first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islets in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer's sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse.

In the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, this newest mystery in the Charles Lenox series pits the young detective against a maniacal murderer who would give Professor Moriarty a run for his money.

I received a review copy of this book from the library, the publisher.

Review

Charles Finch is that somewhat rare and highly-prized bird, a mystery author whose literary craftsmanship shines on every page. His plots are intricate and usually confounding; only rarely can I untangle even part of the solution without being told. His prose is precise and perceptive, slightly formal, cool but never cold; its flavor is Victorian without the floridness sometimes associated with writers of that era. It’s a perfect match for Finch’s detective, Charles Lenox, a gentleman and the second son of a baronet: reserved, sensitive to nuance, highly observant, and possessed of both compassion and a deep-seated sense of justice, as well as a deep loyalty to his family and friends.

The Woman in The Water is the 11th Finch has written about his detective, but chronologically it falls first. Here, Lenox is barely 23, still trying to establish himself in the career he is inventing for himself, and at the same time attempting to get Scotland Yard to treat him seriously. Too much of a gentleman to consider actually entering the Force (as his literary “cousin,” Roderick Alleyn, does in Ngaio Marsh’s mysteries set in the 1930s-60s), Lenox doesn’t draw back from the unpleasant aspects of detection, but is highly uncomfortable with the idea of making money from it.

All the major characters of the “later” mysteries appear in this novel, from Lenox’s indispensible valet, assistant, and friend, Graham, to his childhood friend Lady Jane (here called Elizabeth at the behest of her new husband’s family.) We meet Charles’s brother Edmund and both his parents, along with Inspectors Field and Exeter. There’s a short encounter with Dr. Thomas McConnell, a good friend in the main part of the series but here a new acquaintance. Even the older Charles’s young apprentice, Lord John Dallington, makes a very brief appearance—at the tender age of four.

These glimpses and more than glimpses of familiar characters are a delight, of course, but The Woman in the Water is first and foremost a mystery—and what a mystery! Two unidentified women, killed a month apart, their bodies found on the banks of the Thames, but with little else to link them except a letter sent by the killer to one of London’s many newspapers. There is almost nothing to go on, but piece by piece, small flash of insight by blinding revelation, Charles digs away at the few clues they have, coming at last to a most surprising conclusion.

If you enjoy matching wits with the best crime writers, you’ll find in The Woman in the Water a puzzle to sink your teeth into. I can almost guarantee you will not solve it on your own, not because Finch withholds clues (he is scrupulously fair with those) but because the mystery and its solution are convoluted, precisely crafted, and fiendishly difficult to figure out. If you like accuracy in your historical mystery, you’ll find that here as well; as far as I can tell, Finch gets both the larger picture and the small details right, and has a well-honed sense of the English class structure and social behaviors and expectations. And if you are a fan of Lord Peter Wimsey and/or Roderick Alleyn, I can assure you that Charles Lenox is cut from much the same cloth, though without Wimsey’s silly-ass mask and penchant for both quotes and witty banter.

If you want to start with The Woman in the Water, be aware that the main part of the series begins 15 years later, in 1865. On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for starting with the first book, A Beautiful Blue Death (review), and reading at least some of the subsequent books before turning to this prequel. While it’s not strictly necessary, I think my enjoyment of The Woman in the Water was heightened by my familiarity with the recurring characters, and the opportunity to see what they were like in their younger years. Either way, you won’t be disappointed; I’ve yet to read a Charles Finch book that didn’t impress me with its perfect craftsmanship and excellent prose.

*****

Addendum: Don’t let the #0.1 numbering mislead you. The Woman in the Water is a full-length novel, the first in a proposed trilogy that serves as a prequel to the Charles Lenox series.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge (March 2018)

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