Publishers Weekly
★ 04/27/2020
Hart (City of Ink and two other mysteries featuring 18th-century Chinese librarian Li Du) establishes herself as a versatile talent with this exceptional standalone set in 1703 London. Botanist Cecily Kay has left her diplomat husband behind in Smyrna to spend time in the home of Sir Barnaby Mayne, a legendary collector, who believes his holdings “contain no less than the future course of all knowledge toward the secrets God left for man to discover.” Kay hopes to use Mayne’s collection of plants to help her classify the flora she collected in Smyrna. She’s delighted to find that Mayne’s other guests include a childhood friend, Meacan Barlow, an artist who’s been retained to illustrate a new catalogue of the nobleman’s possessions. Both women’s plans are disrupted when Mayne is found stabbed to death in his study, with the bloody knife in the hands of another member of the household, who confesses to the murder before fleeing. The astute Kay doubts the confession’s truthfulness, but her pursuit of answers puts her in danger. The author has a gift for vivid similes (randomly displayed objects are “like guests at a poorly planned party who cannot find a common topic of conversation”). Hart is bound to become a household name for readers who love clever and fair whodunits. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Gernert Co. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"Ms. Hart, the author of a trio of novels involving an exiled librarian in 18th-century China, proves adept at depicting this “realm of the collectors . . . a shadowy place full of illusions,” tainted by greed and fraud and now homicide. She puts her cast of obsessives and dilettantes in the context of a larger England where Queen Anne is on the throne and “there were enough new laws, new wars, and new books to sustain any argument.” — The Wall Street Journal
“The author of three mysteries set in 18th-century China brings her talented raconteur’s voice to 1703 London.” — The Washington Post, Five New Thrillers & Mysteries That Are Perfect for the Beach
“[A] delightful whodunit.” — Christian Science Monitor, One of the ten best books of the month
“[Hart] should win over readers who like to mix their cozies with their quirkies.” — LitHub, Five Books You May Have Missed This Month
“This is a note-perfect whodunit . . . High society and the secret societies within make a terrific backdrop for a story that often hinges on the ways women are presumed unimportant, thus allowing them to explore and find evidence while going undetected.” —BookPage
“Hart is bound to become a household name for readers who love clever and fair whodunits.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Highly recommended for historical fiction readers looking for a peek into a fascinating closed society. It is an equally solid choice for historical mystery readers who want to see women with intelligence and agency navigate a time and place not meant for them, but where they thrive nonetheless which solving a delightfully twisty murder.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Hart’s juicy character portraits and graceful prose make for a delightful period whodunit.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A must-read series debut for fans of Tasha Alexander’s and Deanna Raybourn’s historical whodunits.” — Booklist
“This gripping series opener set in the fascinating cutthroat world of obsessive collectors features a talented woman searching for a purpose in life other than marriage.” —Stop, You’re Killing Me!
“Elsa Hart’s novels are not just on my must-read list but my must-buy list, as her historical mysteries always keep me hooked from engaging start to satisfying finish. Engrossing characters and lush setting, enshrouded within a murder mystery brimming with compelling curiosities, make this a stunning read. Highly recommended.” — Historical Novels Society
“A delightfully enigmatic murder in an interesting setting.” — The Daily Nerd
“The mystery itself was well-done. We had several clues and a few suspects. There are some moments of danger for the women and a twist that I rather enjoyed. This London is dark and dreary and dangerous, but it’s also a small town.” — Carol’s Notebook
“I adored it . . . Hart utilized every part of the time period and drew out the creepiness of objects within Sir Barnaby’s collection to create an additional character. One that crept right out of the pages as both formidable and perilous.” — Novel Lives
Library Journal
★ 06/01/2020
Hart moves from the closed world of the early 18th-century China of her "Li Du" novels to the shuttered and locked cabinets of eccentric Barnaby Mayne in early 18th-century London, and the quirky minds of the tight-knit circle of obsessive collectors, among whom Mayne was somewhat of an elder statesman until his untimely demise. While the mystery lies in not just whodunit but why and how it was done, the fascination in this atmospheric story lies with its two offbeat detectives, illustrator-turned-spy Meacan Barlow and her childhood friend, plant collector Cecily Kay. Both women exist on the fringes of the exclusively male world of competitive, combative collectors—which provides them with the knowledge and opportunity to figure out who murdered Mayne before an innocent man goes to the gallows. VERDICT This glimpse into the intimate circles that will eventually spawn the great museums is highly recommended for historical fiction readers looking for a peek into a fascinating closed society. It is an equally solid choice for historical mystery readers who want to see women with intelligence and agency navigate a time and place not meant for them, but where they thrive nonetheless while solving a delightfully twisty murder. [See Prepub Alert, 11/18/19.]—Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA
JULY 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Barrie Kreinik's skill with accents and dialects comes in handy in her narration of this historical mystery, which takes place in London at the turn of the eighteenth century. Hart provides a window onto a time when wealthy men wore wigs and pursued a passion for collecting oddities from across the globe. Into this very traditional world appear two very nontraditional women, Cecily Kay, an unhappily married woman with a special interest in botany, and her childhood friend, Meacan Barlow, an illustrator. The two team up to solve the murder of Sir Barnaby Mayne. While Kreinik cleverly differentiates the many male and female characters through accents and tone, listeners will have to follow closely to keep track of their comings and goings. E.Q. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-03-15
Intellectual curiosity serves an aspiring botanist well when she investigates the baffling murder of a mentor.
London, 1703. In response to her letter of inquiry, Lady Cecily Kay receives an invitation to visit the fashionable residence of Sir Barnaby Mayne in Bloomsbury Square. Not only does Mayne have an impressive collection of books, jewels, and artifacts from all over the world, but his cabinets of flora, which Cecily will have a week to examine, are equally notable. The residence itself is meticulously organized—Serpent Room, Bird Room, Beast Room, etc. When they go looking for Mayne in his study, Cecily and a handful of other guests discover the corpse of their ill-tempered host along with a frenzied Walter Dinley, one of the other guests, who declares that he killed Mayne after a quarrel. The case seems open-and-shut, but Cecily, who’s not so sure, secretly examines the murder scene and begins questioning the household staff. The arrival of the imperious Lady Mayne, who seems unmoved by her husband’s death, adds a twist: She won’t inherit her husband’s priceless collection. Instead, it will go to his courtly, amiable friend Giles Inwood. The sudden return of guest Otto Helm, who had left before dinner and the murder, makes Cecily even more suspicious, especially when he claims to have been assaulted and robbed. The solution is complex, but Cecily is determined to find it in this series debut from the author of the trio of Li Du mysteries.
Hart’s juicy character portraits and graceful prose make for a delightful period whodunit.
