Professional and personal issues occupy British private detective Charles Lenox in Charles Finch's stylish The Hidden City, set in 1879.
As he heals from being stabbed during a recent investigation in the U.S., Lenox is drawn into a cold case involving Mrs. Huggins, his beloved former housekeeper. She relates that the previous owner of her home, a chemist with a nasty reputation, was murdered seven years earlier, and she fears the killer has returned. A stranger has been sleeping on her front stairs, and scratches at her keyhole indicate that someone attempted to break into her house. The case takes Lenox to London's backstreets, brothels, and drug dens, where opiates are dispensed.
Meanwhile, Lenox and his wife, Lady Jane, open their home to Angela, the daughter of his recently deceased cousin Jasper, who lived in India. Accompanying Angela without advance notice is Sari, an Indian girl who was taken in by Jasper; she and Angela grew up together. Lenox and Lady Jane don't hesitate to welcome both girls, though they are concerned that society may not be accepting of brown-skinned Sari. Lenox also worries about Lady Jane's safety when she joins a women's suffrage protest and threatening notes arrive afterward.
Finch (The Woman in the Water) alternates between Lenox's work and home life. Rather than link the two through a series of coincidences, Finch's purposeful separation of the business and the personal makes for a stronger story, which thoughtfully explores issues as he moves through different parts of society.
The Hidden City, Finch's 15th installment in his Charles Lenox series, moves at a brisk clip, led by an intelligent, compassionate detective. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer