Summons to Murder is the 9th Charles Dickens investigation by J.C. Briggs. Released 22nd Dec 2021 by Sapere Books, it's 386 pages (print edition) and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the rest of the series) is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This is a engagingly well written and plotted historical mystery series with three dimensional characters and a commendable Dickens vibe in the situations, settings, and characterizations. I've enjoyed these historical mysteries set in the middle of the 19th
century in London and environs. Fictional sleuth Dickens is clever, loyal,
dogged, and practical and his friendship and cooperative investigation
with superintendent Sam Jones makes for engaging and entertaining
reading. The plots are always convoluted and well engineered, full of
twists and surprises. The story itself is written around a framework of
real historical events and people and so well entwined that it's not
always apparent where reality shades over into fiction. Each of the
mysteries works well as a standalone with a self contained mystery, plotline, denouement, and resolution.
Four stars.
Overall, it's a good read and a quality example of the historical-person-as-amateur-sleuth sub-genre. With 9 books extant in the series, and a 10th due out in 4th quarter 2022, it'll be a good choice for a long weekend's binge.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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