Tuesday, February 19, 2019

The Vanishing Man

Title: The Vanishing Man
Author: Charles Finch
Published: February 19th 2019 by Minotaur Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Charles Lenox Mysteries Prequel 2

Why oh why does Charles Finch have to drag out his stories? I understand the occasional need for a history lesson, but the screeching halt that the reader is brought to when there is a sudden need to over-describe a person or a room is tedious. Just tell the story, keep the humor, and let the reader mentally draw a person or room.

In the second prequel to his ongoing Charles Lenox series, the main character has decided that since his brother has retained the family title, he is free to make his own choices, and with that, he will continue his hand at being a private investigator. His prior cases gained him a bit of notoriety and with that, the Duke of Dorset has called on him to investigate the theft of an incidental portrait that was taken from his study. What is curious is that the thief left behind a painting of greater value, that of the writer William Shakespeare. Turns out that the thief might have known what he was doing after all since it is the combination of the two painting that leads to clues of a missing manuscript.

As the reader wanders the meandering path with side stories and wayward humor, eventually the point of the matter is reached and Charles Lenox, with the help of a new character, discovers the whereabouts of the missing document and leave the Duke with an even greater decision to make.

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