The Grenadillo Box

November 10, 2003
Connoisseurs of fine furniture will welcome British antiques expert Gleeson's fiction debut, set in 18th-century England, though mystery buffs may feel it falls short of the high standard for historicals set, say, by Bruce Alexander in his John Fielding series. While supervising the installation of Lord Montfort's library, Nathaniel Hopson, an assistant to legendary cabinet-maker Thomas Chippendale, finds himself in the midst of a murder inquiry when he literally stumbles across the peer's corpse, mutilated by a gunshot wound and still being fed upon by leeches. Despite efforts by Montfort's heirs to make the death appear to be a suicide, Hopson's keen artisan's eye notices anomalies in the physical evidence that lead him to dissent. His desire to extricate himself from the official investigation and return to his normal life is forestalled when he encounters another corpse on the Montfort estate, one with a personal connection that transforms his idle curiosity into a personal mission of vengeance. While Gleeson does a respectable job of recreating Georgian England, her characters and story line fail to match her descriptive skills. Still, there's no reason to think that she can't improve on the fundamentals should she decide to make this into a series. Agent, Christopher Little. (Jan. 6)

Forecast:
As a former employee of Sotheby's in London and the author of
The Arcanum (about the invention of European porcelain), Gleeson is well positioned to promote this novel to cultured readers who might not ordinarily pick up a category mystery.

December 1, 2003
Nathaniel Hopson is less than thrilled to be ordered to Cambridgeshire to oversee the installation of Lord Montfort's new library. However, he has no choice if he wishes to retain his favored position as journeyman to London's premier cabinetmaker, Thomas Chippendale. So in spite of his objections, he finds himself at Lord Montfort's estate on New Year's Eve, installing cabinetry designed and built by his best friend and fellow journeyman, the mysteriously absent John Partridge. To make matters worse, Nathaniel discovers Montfort's body in the library and, the next day, Partridge's corpse frozen in the garden's ornamental pond. Plunged unwillingly into the ensuing investigation, Nathaniel follows confusing clues and conflicting stories from the bleak fens of Cambridgeshire to the bedrooms and ballrooms of London. Not surprisingly, as Gleeson is the author of the nonfiction The Arcanum and Millionaire, her portrait of Georgian England is masterly and the mystery-enhanced by her unique and unlikely sleuth-enthrallingly complex. The relationship between Hopson and Partridge could have been better developed, but this novel is sure to please patrons of all libraries.-Cynthia Johnson, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2003
This debut novel from a former employee of Sotheby's London hits all the right history-mystery notes. Gleeson blends historical detail with riveting crime drama without committing the twin sins of this genre: going overboard on period detail or on procedure. Her success may be related to her choice of hero. Nathanial Hopson is an apprentice to the famed cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. This position, which often involves executing his master's designs in the homes of the wealthy and titled, allows Hopson access to all kinds of goings-on, both upstairs and downstairs. This device also allows Gleeson to give readers insights into both eighteenth-century social tensions and the wonders of antique furniture. The mystery starts with Hopson, assigned to make a Chippendale bookcase at the estate of Lord Montfort, discovering Montfort's dead body in the library, his hand clutching an elaborately carved box fashioned from grenadillo wood, his neck covered with leeches. The murder of the designer of the box, an apprentice friend of Hopson's, follows. The second murder convinces Hopson that his own life may be in danger, prompting him to sail into a full-scale investigation of both crimes. Suspects abound in the murder of Lord Montfort--an abusive husband, cruel father, and a man beset by gaming debts--but the death of the apprentice poses more of a mystery, one that can only be solved by Hopson discovering what force placed the box of the title in the murdered lord's hand. Absolutely absorbing. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)