Murder in St. Giles by Ashley Gardner

First Sentence:  I entered the house on South Audley Street one early April morning to hear my wife shouting.

      

Brewster, bodyguard to Captain Lacey, has found his brother-in-law, Jack Finch, murdered.  Afraid of being accused himself, he applies to Lacey for his help in finding the true killer.  However, Lacey has problems on his own in the form of his wife’s relatives showing up demanding that her young son, heir to the title and estate of her late husband, be turned over to them.  Donata fears for her son’s life knowing how easily “accidents” can happen.

      

What a terrible time when a woman, by law, is not considered related to her own child.  Upon the husband’s death, the child becomes the property of the husband’s nearest male relative, unless the wife was designated as guardian by the husband.  Still, that could be fought in court and favour given to the man.  Gardner uses Lacey’s attitude toward his daughter as an example of the period and society’s repression of females—“Most gentlemen would ignore a girl child except for an inquiry from afar about her well-being.  Later, the girl would require a dowry so she could be married off into another family who would take over the care of her. I had no intention of ignoring Anne or regarding her as inconvenient.  She was a light in my life…”  

      

The two threads; the protection of Lacey’s stepson Peter and the search for Finch’s killer work well together.  This was a time when the definition of justice was highly subjective—“I bang up those who might have done a crime because they so often have done it.  Once they’re in Newgate, I know they’re safely stashed while I collect the evidence to convict. … Course, those I arrest are never entirely innocent…. If I can get them on the crime in question, well and good.  …They’re paying for something else as bad they done in the past.  I’ve never thrown a true innocent to the wolves.”  Still, as Gardner points out, and as one well knows from the news today, it’s not just the poor who are criminals—“I’d learned in my brief years in London that Mayfair was only civilized in its veneer.  The beautiful mansions that rose along Piccadilly and the streets leading to the stately squares held plenty of corruption and men capable of violence.”

      

Brewster and his wife, Emily, are such vibrant characters and an excellent contrast to Lacey and Donata.  One can’t help but love Emily Brewster.  She may not have wealth or title, but she commands respect from those around her.  The relationship between Lacey and Brewster is one that has been built throughout the series but is easily understood by new readers.  Lacey’s concern for the mangy dog is delightful, as is Gardner’s subtle humor—“Oro was already a remarkable beast.  He’d made me bring him home and now decide to keep him.”  There is a strong cast of other secondary characters, as well, that contribute to the story.  One, in particular, provides an excellent surprise at the end. 

      

The relationship between Lacey and Donata is a wonderful one and honestly put.  It reflects the differences in their positions, and the strength of their feelings—“Donata touched my coat, her fingers over my heart. ‘But you must take care.  If you get yourself run through or shot then…Well, I shall be very cross with you’.” One of the real attributes of the book, and the series, is how well developed are the characters and how one does see the characters grow and change. 

      

Ashley is very good with plot details.  Just when one thinks a thread has been dropped, she not only picks it up again but does so in a way which adds to the suspense of the story.  She also has a talent for putting forth different scenarios as to what might have happened, thus allowing one to participate in the speculation toward solving the mystery.  There is a rescue which is so very well done.

     
“Murder in St. Giles” is a well-done historical mystery—do read the Author’s Note—conveying the life, manners, and people of the period while containing very good suspense and excellent characters.

MURDER IN ST. GILES (Hist Mys-Cpt. Gabriel Lacy-London-1819/Regency) – VG

      Gardner, Ashley – 13^th in series

      JA/AG Publishing – April, 2018