Last Nocturne

December 1, 2017
London-based inquiry agents James Batchelor and Matthew Grand (The Angel, 2016) return in another keep-'em-guessing adventure set in the late 1870s. Matthew's sister is getting married in Maine, and Matthew asks James to go with him to the wedding. James is ready for a break, but what he thought would be a pleasant visit turns into a nightmare when, the night before the wedding, a maid is found dead, her head bashed in. The nearest police are in far-away Boston, so James and Matthew, as experienced detectives, decide they must carry out at least a preliminary investigation. But the situation goes from bad to worse when another murder takes place, the killer employing the same grisly method. The complex plot is gripping and more than a little chillingthough with agreeable flashes of subtle humor. Welshman Trow is a veteran of the historical-mystery genre, and he knows to mix period details and distinctive characters in just the right proportions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)