The Sign of the Gallows

February 1, 2021
Set in late-seventeenth-century London, Calkins' latest entry in her Lucy Campion series features the intrepid heroine once again chasing a murderer. Lucy is an apprentice to a printer, but, in addition to her printing skills, she's also inclined to try her hand at amateur sleuthing. When her path to market takes her to a crossroads near a notorious "hanging tree," she sees two men fleeing the scene and then finds another man hanging from the tree. She is unable to lift him down and so sets off to find Constable Duncan, on the way encountering Adam Hargrave, the magistrate's son. As she relates her story, Duncan and Hargrave are at first disbelieving, but, after finding the body, they agree to investigate, with Lucy's help, of course. Instead of a straightforward murder, the trio uncovers a baffling case that is awash with stolen identities, revenge, unrequited love, infidelity, secret codes, intrigue, danger, and violence. A crisply written, cleverly plotted, and nicely detailed historical mystery, with a lively heroine and a satisfying ending.

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