The Sweet Smell of Decay

February 28, 2011
Set in 1664, Lawrence's promising first in a new series introduces Harry Lytle, a former clerk serving in the Tower of London. Lytle receives a letter from his estranged father, who reveals that Lytle has a cousin, Anne Giles, who's been brutally murdered. Aided by butcher David Dowling, who once served as a constable, Lytle sets out to identify the person who gouged out his cousin's eyes, causing her to bleed to death, then left her corpse tied to the pulpit of St. Bride's church. The authorities are eager to pin the crime on an old woman who's been labeled a witch, but Lytle and Dowling insist on looking further for the truth. Susanna Gregory and Andrew Pepper fans will find a lot to like in this historical thriller with its convincing Restoration England setting.