A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Equal parts Sherlock Holmes and P.G. Wodehouse, Charles Finch's debut mystery A Beautiful Blue Death introduces a wonderfully appealing gentleman detective in Victorian London who investigates crime as a diversion from his life of leisure.

Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, likes nothing more than to relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist the chance to unravel a mystery.

Prudence Smith, one of Jane's former servants, is dead of an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The grand house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prue had dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by the motive for the girl's death.

When another body turns up during the London season's most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities. Was it jealousy that killed Prudence Smith? Or was it something else entirely? And can Lenox find the answer before the killer strikes again--this time, disturbingly close to home?

*BONUS CONTENT: This edition of A Beautiful Blue Death includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guide

Charles Finch, novelist of the Charles Lenox mysteries, notably The Lady in the Sea (February 2018), is a USA Today bestselling author. The Last Enchantments, his first contemporary novel, is also available from St. Martin's Press. Martin's Press is a publishing house based in New York. The National Book Critics Circle awarded Finch the 2017 Nona Balakian Citation Prize for excellence in reviewing. His thoughts and criticism have appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Slate, and the Washington Post. He currently resides in Los Angeles.