Dark waters

It's 1741, and George II is on the throne, Walpole has a shaky hold on being prime minister, and the tiny town of Preston, England, is in the midst of an exciting election for Parliament. There are public speeches, pub brawls, and mob action. In the midst of it all, the owner of a popular pub (because it's located next to a ferry crossing) is found drowned in the river. Shortly thereafter, a wealthy farmer visiting town collapses and dies. Both cases are tended to by the town coroner, Titus Cragg, whose wife was the niece of the drowned publican. Cragg is technically confined to his official role, but, prodded by his great friend, the young, brilliant, pre-Sherlock Holmesian Dr. Luke Fidelis, Cragg tries his hand at sleuthing. While this is a riveting mystery, and Cragg and Fidelis are fun to follow, the great strength of the series (beginning with A Dark Anatomy, 2012) is Blake's adept hand at animating history. And his use of one of Aesop's fables as a motif is wonderfully apt.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2010 Booklist

A contested election in 1741 Preston, England, propels Blake's particularly clever second historical featuring the investigative team of coroner Titus Cragg and Dr. Luke Fidelis (after 2012's A Dark Anatomy). The drowning death of Antony Egan, an inn landlord related to Cragg by marriage, appears to be accidental, until an eel fisherman's testimony raises questions about the wind direction on the river that day. If the fisherman is correct, then Egan's hat, found on a bush overhanging the water, could not have been blown there. Cragg speculates that the hotly fought battle between Tories and Whigs could be behind the murder, after finding a list dropped by a shady political operative with Egan's name crossed out. Another suspicious death, that of farmer John Allcroft, who was, like Egan, an intended Tory voter, reinforces Cragg's theory. Even experienced mystery readers will be surprised by the logical solution-and gratified at how much effort the author put into carefully constructing the plot. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Politics, religion and murder in Georgian England. When Titus Cragg, lawyer and coroner, and his friend Dr. Luke Fidelis (A Dark Anatomy, 2012) are called to the scene of an apparent drowning, they little know that this is just the first in a series of dead bodies coming their way. Innkeeper Antony Egan, the uncle of Titus' wife, was a drunk, so it comes as no surprise that he apparently slipped into the river and drowned, leaving the inn to his two daughters. Meanwhile, the Lancashire town of Preston is in turmoil over a hotly contested parliamentary election. Followers of the Whigs, who currently hold power, and the Tories, who favor the deposed Stuarts, are willing to do almost anything to get their men elected. Only a small fraction of the locals, and no Catholics, are allowed to vote. So when a wealthy farmer suddenly dies at an inn and Luke proves that he was poisoned, Titus begins to wonder if someone is killing off likely voters. Rumors are spreading that the farmer died of a plaguelike disease; the election may be disrupted if people flee. A serving maid who was turned away from Egan's inn for loose behavior served the poisoned dish to the farmer, but Titus finds more likely suspects in a political agent and his mysterious aide. Several attempts on his life prove that his investigations have touched a nerve. Titus and Luke's second case is a fine mystery, awash in period detail, with enough suspects to make things interesting.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.