The Price of Murder (Sir John Fielding)

Rating:
Summary: Historical mysteries don?t get better than this
Review: A young child, no bigger than eight, is fished out of the Thames River in London of 1774. When Sir John Fielding of 4 Bow Street, the magistrates of London and Winchester hears of this, he sends his protégée Jeremy Proctor to investigate. A month ago Alice Plummer reported her daughter was stolen and Sir John thinks that the child in the water was Margaret Plummer. When Jeremy arrives on the docks, he learns that the child was naked and there is evidence of sexual intercourse.

The autopsy reveals that the child was indeed brutally molested and smothered to death. When Jeremy tries to find the mother, a neighbor says that she disappeared with a large sum of money after giving her child to a man that said he would place her with wealthy parents who couldn't have a child. When Jeremy and Alice's brother Deuteronomy, a famous jockey, manage to locate Alice in Newmarket she is honestly horrified to find out what happened to her child. She manages to give the authorities the slip and take justice into her own hands but Sir John and Jeremy are determined to find the man who actually killed the child and bring him to justice.

Historical mysteries don't get better than THE PRICE OF MURDER. The story is told in the first person narrative from Jeremy's perspective years after the events of this novel have taken place. His asides to the audience are thoroughly entertaining and make the readers feel as if they are part of the tale. Depending on how one feels about animals, justice was not meted out totally by a human agent.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Not a Review, A Sad Good-bye
Review: Bruce Alexander (AKA Bruce Cook)died this month. His books have brought me so much enjoyment, I feel like I've lost a good friend. Reading this last book will be bitter-sweet to say the least.

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable but lacks suspense
Review: Even though I didn't think that the last few Sir John Fielding mystery novels have been as good as the first four mysteries in the series ("Blind Justice," "Murder in Grub Street," Watery Grave" & "Person or Persons Unknown"), I will admit that this latest installment in the series was an enjoyable read -- especially if you enjoy books that are full of historical detail and that are character driven.

The discovery of a body of a little six year old girl (Maggie Plummer) pulled from the Thames introduces Sir John and his trusted assistant, Jeremy Proctor to a new kind of criminal horror: the sexual abuse of children. Both Sir John and Jeremy are determined to discover and apprehend those responsible for the Maggie's death -- from the mother who sold her, to the people who brokered the deal, to the monster responsible for violating and murdering Maggie. But their mission is confounded with the mysterious disappearance of the Maggie's mother and the murder of a the Plummer's nosy neighbour. What did the neighbour know? Was she somehow involved in the selling and murder of Maggie? The murderer seems constantly to be one step ahead of Sir John and Jeremy, but both are determined to see justice done, no matter the cost...

The problem with "The Price of Murder" was that in spite of the promising plot premise, there was actually very little of it. The focus of the novel was more on the mysterious disappearance of a serving maid, horse racing and Jeremy's relationship with Clarissa (a series regular), and whether or not they would be able to marry soon. The search for the probable child selling ring in the underbelly of London never really materialized, to my disappointment, nor were there any surprising plot twists and turns (essential to a good mystery novel) or red herring suspects. However Bruce Alexander did a wonderful job of bringing seventeenth century England to life, especially that of the horse racing circuit. And I did enjoy the subplot dealing with the missing servant and how Sir John and Jeremy resolved that matter.

On the whole, I do think that if you're a fan of the series then "The Price of Murder" should prove to be enjoyable reading (though you might want to get your copy from the library); but if you're new to this series and are looking for a gripping read, try the first few books in this series instead.

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable but lacks suspense
Review: Even though I didn't think that the last few Sir John Fielding mystery novels have been as good as the first four mysteries in the series ("Blind Justice," "Murder in Grub Street," Watery Grave" & "Person or Persons Unknown"), I will admit that this latest installment in the series was an enjoyable read -- especially if you enjoy books that are full of historical detail and that are character driven.

The discovery of a body of a little six year old girl (Maggie Plummer) pulled from the Thames introduces Sir John and his trusted assistant, Jeremy Proctor to a new kind of criminal horror: the sexual abuse of children. Both Sir John and Jeremy are determined to discover and apprehend those responsible for the Maggie's death -- from the mother who sold her, to the people who brokered the deal, to the monster responsible for violating and murdering Maggie. But their mission is confounded with the mysterious disappearance of the Maggie's mother and the murder of a the Plummer's nosy neighbour. What did the neighbour know? Was she somehow involved in the selling and murder of Maggie? The murderer seems constantly to be one step ahead of Sir John and Jeremy, but both are determined to see justice done, no matter the cost...

The problem with "The Price of Murder" was that in spite of the promising plot premise, there was actually very little of it. The focus of the novel was more on the mysterious disappearance of a serving maid, horse racing and Jeremy's relationship with Clarissa (a series regular), and whether or not they would be able to marry soon. The search for the probable child selling ring in the underbelly of London never really materialized, to my disappointment, nor were there any surprising plot twists and turns (essential to a good mystery novel) or red herring suspects. However Bruce Alexander did a wonderful job of bringing seventeenth century England to life, especially that of the horse racing circuit. And I did enjoy the subplot dealing with the missing servant and how Sir John and Jeremy resolved that matter.

On the whole, I do think that if you're a fan of the series then "The Price of Murder" should prove to be enjoyable reading (though you might want to get your copy from the library); but if you're new to this series and are looking for a gripping read, try the first few books in this series instead.

Rating:
Summary: another great addition to the series
Review: I have been reading the Bruce Alexander mysteries from the beginning. I will be forever grateful to the friend who put me on to them. Those of us who like this kind of thing enjoy the history and historical background which appears to be very accurate. More important, however, are the characters. They are interesting and have acquired real personalities. The plot is finely woven. I find myself reading Bruce Alexander when I really ought to be doing other things. Look out, he's addictive.

Rating:
Summary: So So
Review: This is my first Sir John Fielding book. Perhaps if I had developed a relationship with Sir John and the other characters I would have found more in this book.

The plot, as a mystery, is only fair. The resolution of the plot is slghtly less than fair. The historical setting is good, but the reader does learn enough new things about the period to make it exceptional. London in the 18th century certainly has a lot to offer. The most unique part of this book is its descriptions of the nascent racing industry in England which was interesting.

The narrator character is somewhere between a budding genius and a naive waif. Maybe that is an honest interpretation of one's self when one is younger. I found his tone/manner annoying - it sounded as if he was narrating a PBS special. What surprised me (not for good or for bad) was that Sir John Fielding - the lead of the series - was a secondary figure.

The book did move well, however, and the characters were likeable. The dialogue was good and often had a trace of humor.

Based upon some of the reviews that said this is the worst of the series, I may pick up another. Without that peroration, however, I doubt I would. This was not a bad book, just mediocre. I wanted to like it more due to the setting and the early likeability of the characters.