Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Nov 2015
304 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Blending Charles Finch's trademark wit, elegance, and depth of research, this new mystery, equal parts Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, may be the finest in the series.
It's London in 1876, and the whole city is abuzz with the enigmatic disappearance of a famous foreign pianist. Lenox has an eye on the matter - as a partner in a now-thriving detective agency, he's a natural choice to investigate. Just when he's tempted to turn his focus to it entirely, however, his grieving brother asks him to come down to Sussex, and Lenox leaves the metropolis behind for the quieter country life of his boyhood. Or so he thinks. In fact, something strange is afoot in Markethouse: small thefts, books, blankets, animals, and more alarmingly a break-in at the house of a local insurance agent.
As he and his brother to investigate this small accumulation of mysteries, Lenox realizes that something very strange and serious indeed may be happening, more than just local mischief. Soon, he's racing to solve two cases at once, one in London and one in the country, before either turns deadly.
"Well-defined characters enhance the intriguing plot lines." - Publishers Weekly
Reviews of previous books in the series:
"Starred Review. Superb ... Boasting one of Finch's tightest and trickiest plots, this installment further establishes Lenox as a worthy heir to the aristocratic mantle of Lord Peter Wimsey." - Publishers Weekly on A Death in the Small Hours
"The sixth in Finch's steadily improving series develops the congenial continuing characters further while providing quite a decent mystery." - Kirkus on A Death in the Small Hours
"Charles Lenox [is] the gentleman sleuth in this beguiling series
Finch's descriptions of life at sea are so fascinating it's a shame Lenox must bring this case to an end." - Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
"The murder mystery that Finch weaves keeps readers guessing as Lenox must figure out how - and why - the killings are accomplished ... an intriguing read on several levels." - Mary Foster, The Associated Press
"Much of the fun comes from watching Finch channel Patrick O'Brian (Master and Commander) as his landlubber hero finds his sea legs. You'll feel the spray in your face and worry, like the lovely Lady Jane back in England, that Lenox makes it safely home for book six - and the arrival of a new member of the family." -McClurg, USA Today
This information about Home by Nightfall shown above was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Charles Finch is the USA Today bestselling author of the Charles Lenox mysteries, including the most recent, The Woman in the Water (February 2018). His first contemporary novel, The Last Enchantments, is also available from St. Martin's Press. Finch received the 2017 Nona Balakian Citation Award, for excellence in reviewing, from the National Book Critics Circle. His reviews and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and elsewhere. He lives in Chicago with his family.
Charles Lenox series order (as of 2015)
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