Rating: 
Summary: Engaging 18th Century Characters for the Modern Sensibility
Review: This fifth of the series of Sir John Fielding mysteries was my first. One reads historical fiction hoping for period authenticity as well as a good tale. This is a fair tale with engaging continuing characters. I have some familiarity with late 18th century London, enough, at least, to find the happenings plausible, but I lack the expertise for astute criticism on this head. I can speak to its authenticity of style.Patrick O'Brian this is not. Authenticity of style has been compromised in favor of accesibility. Most readers will probably find this all to the good. I was a little disappointed. A friendlier reviewer calls the language "stilted", but excuses this in the name of authenticity. A more sympathetic view of 18th century style would deem it formal but elegant, complex but clear. Clear, the writing is, but it lacks the authentic density. The character Sir John Fielding's brother is the novelist Henry Fielding, and one must turn to Henry for the real thing. This is the 18th century in translation, and it is a mediocre translation at that. I, like another reviewer, wearied of the locution "Then did he...". While this, and a few other rhetorical devices are authentic enough, those that appear are overused, and become stereotypical after a short time. Then too, there are the occasional disturbing lapses into anachronism of attitude and phraseology which equivocate unpleasantly back to our own time. What rescues the book for me is the appeal of the characters themselves. Sir John Fielding and his retinue are good-hearted, but hard-edged. They deploy politesse as necessary, but retain their independence of mind. The evince intelligence and fundamental worth - refreshing antidotes to the modern degeneracy. All this is enough to induce me to read at least one more of the series.
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