The Vanishing Man
A Charles Lenox Mystery
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4.6 • 11 Ratings
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
“Fiction readers who crush on blue-blooded British detectives will fall hard for Victorian-era sleuth Charles Lenox." —The Washington Post
From the critically acclaimed and USA Today bestselling author Charles Finch comes The Vanishing Man, a prequel to his Charles Lenox Victorian series, in which the theft of an antique painting sends Detective Lenox on a hunt for a criminal mastermind.
London, 1853: Having earned some renown by solving a case that baffled Scotland Yard, young Charles Lenox is called upon by the Duke of Dorset, one of England’s most revered noblemen, for help. A painting of the Duke’s great-grandfather has been stolen from his private study. But the Duke’s concern is not for his ancestor’s portrait; hiding in plain sight nearby is another painting of infinitely more value, one that holds the key to one of the country’s most famous and best-kept secrets.
Dorset believes the thieves took the wrong painting and may return when they realize their error—and when his fears result in murder, Lenox must act quickly to unravel the mystery behind both paintings before tragedy can strike again. As the Dorset family closes ranks to protect its reputation, Lenox uncovers a dark secret that could expose them to unimaginable scandal—and reveals the existence of an artifact, priceless beyond measure, for which the family is willing to risk anything to keep hidden.
In this intricately plotted prequel to the Charles Lenox mysteries, the young detective risks his potential career—and his reputation in high society—as he hunts for a criminal mastermind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An intriguing plot redeems in part Finch's otherwise disappointing 12th Charles Lenox mystery (after 2018's The Woman in the Water), the middle of a prequel trilogy. In 1853, Lenox, who has set himself up as a private investigator, is retained by the Duke of Dorset to look into the theft of a painting from his London home. Oddly, the duke, who declares that the artwork is of little consequence to him, wants Lenox just to identify the thief. The detective is even more startled to learn that the burglar made off with a family portrait while leaving behind something much more valuable, what the aristocrat claims to be "the only existing oil painting from life of the writer William Shakespeare." A kidnapping and a murder follow, both of which may be related to a rumored lost Shakespeare play. Some interludes, including the Wodehousian banter between Lenox and his valet, Graham, fall flat, and the characterization isn't up to the standard of earlier entries in the series. Hopefully, Finch will return to form next time. 75,000-copy announced first printing.)
