A review by eserafina42
Murder by Ghostlight by J.C. Briggs
3.0
Murder by Ghostlight is the third entry in a mystery series featuring Charles Dickens. While in Manchester, performing with his troupe of amateur actors, he finds himself under arrest for murder when one of the actors is found dead on stage with Dickens standing over him holding a gun. When he is able to convince the police of his innocence, he joins with Inspector Hardacre of Manchester and his London friend Superintendent Sam Jones to find the murderer, especially as the same man has also killed a young actress for whom he had felt a fatherly protectiveness. A sprawling plotline ensues, encompassing visits to the grim slums of Manchester, Dickens’ personal and charitable interests, mistaken identity, and of course additional murders.
I enjoyed this book and the author has obviously done extensive research into Dickens’ life and activities, including a brief historical note at the end detailing the genesis of the idea for this particular plot. The characters are well drawn and sympathetic, and I could particularly identify with the author himself as he was sitting in jail wondering if he would be able to clear his name and thinking of his past experiences, although even with Dickens’ imaginative reconstruction I still didn’t feel like I had a sufficient understanding of the murderer,.The poverty and desperation, particularly in Manchester, which so particularly engaged the historical Dickens, was particularly well drawn. It was also a plus that I didn’t feel lost coming in on the third book, even though there were a few brief mentions of the previous case. Despite it being a little slow paced for my taste, with possibly a few too many coincidences, I will still consider looking up the other books in the series.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and the author has obviously done extensive research into Dickens’ life and activities, including a brief historical note at the end detailing the genesis of the idea for this particular plot. The characters are well drawn and sympathetic, and I could particularly identify with the author himself as he was sitting in jail wondering if he would be able to clear his name and thinking of his past experiences, although even with Dickens’ imaginative reconstruction I still didn’t feel like I had a sufficient understanding of the murderer,.The poverty and desperation, particularly in Manchester, which so particularly engaged the historical Dickens, was particularly well drawn. It was also a plus that I didn’t feel lost coming in on the third book, even though there were a few brief mentions of the previous case. Despite it being a little slow paced for my taste, with possibly a few too many coincidences, I will still consider looking up the other books in the series.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.