An Extravagant Death

A Charles Lenox Mystery

By: Charles Finch

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

"Peppered with fascinating local history, this is a riveting listen for mystery and history lovers alike." (AudioFile Magazine)

In what promises to be a breakout in Charles Finch's best-selling series, Charles Lenox travels to the New York and Newport of the dawning Gilded Age to investigate the death of a beautiful socialite.

London, 1878. With faith in Scotland Yard shattered after a damning corruption investigation, Charles Lenox's detective agency is rapidly expanding. The gentleman sleuth has all the work he can handle, two children, and an intriguing new murder case.

But when Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli offers him the opportunity to undertake a diplomatic mission for the Queen, Lenox welcomes the chance to satisfy an unfulfilled yearning: to travel to America. Arriving in New York, he begins to receive introductions into both its old Knickerbocker society and its new robber baron splendor. Then, a shock: the death of the season's most beautiful debutante, who appears to have thrown herself from a cliff. Or was it a suicide? Lenox’s reputation has preceded him to the States, and he is summoned to a magnificent Newport mansion to investigate the mysterious death. What ensues is a fiendish game of cat and mouse.

Witty, complex, and tender, An Extravagant Death is Charles Finch's triumphant return to the main storyline of his beloved Charles Lenox series - a devilish mystery, a social drama, and an unforgettable first trip for an Englishman coming to America.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2021 Charles Finch (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Fantastic!!

Every book in this series excellent. May like one more than another but all simply excellent. Hate the latest installment not due out until Spring ‘25!

Another great book

this one takes us to the uber wealthy in NY, I loved this new adventure

Charles Lenox series still fantastic

This novel as I was sure it would be, was phenomenally written. It only adds to the amazing development of the Lenox series. Finch is able to write prequels as well as continue the series in such a way to keep readers interested. He also continually gives info on historical customs of the time, which are fascinating.

loved it!

Charles Finch always writes baffling mysteries and I love these characters. This one is really good.

performance exceptional

love how Langdon does Lennox. It was great. listened twice. it was interesting to hear perception of Newport circa 1790

Actor much improved

My first impression is that Langton’s American accents, which were so ridiculous in the previous volume as to be distracting, are much improved in this one. They are not true to the era of American accents but are at least regionally identifiable. His study has paid off, though the American pronunciation of a Thames Street in Newport has been overlooked.

The story is complex and is the only one in this series that I have not guessed. As in the other volumes, Finch does a good job of weaving in interesting historical facts—in this book perhaps more subtly than in others. While I particularly enjoyed some of the feminist themes in this book (and that have been emerging over the past several books) the female characters continue to be a bit one-note and dominated by physical description, even when the set up is so masterfully crafted as to give me great hope of their potential, they’re always pale and pointless in contrast to the vibrant and interesting male characters. It’s hard to be as emotionally invested in Jane as one is in Edmund or Graham, or even the Irish valet, for example.

There is notably less humour in this book than in others in the series, but I think that must be attributable to the focus on the cultural differences between an Englishman and an American. As a result, I found myself less emotionally involved in the outcome, which is interesting in itself. The humour must endear me to characters in the previous novels in this series.

One of the aspects of Finch’s writing that I particularly enjoy is that he doesn’t wrap it all up on the reveal but instead takes a few chapters to contextualize the events. In this particular novel that is handled less deftly and both the beginning and the end feel a bit disjointed for the flashbacks and expository visits, but my loyalty to the series is not daunted just feels like maybe he didnt take as much time to stitch it together or had a lesser editorial team on this one.

Newport geography was a bit off, from the standpoint of where hills and sea are and what views one would have seen in this era, given the level of construction and maturity of the fine gardens, but that’s not particularly relevant to the plot. I look forward to returning to London or wherever the next adventures of Charles Lennox may lead.

As always, SUPER!!

Charles Lenox is my favorite detective writer. I wait with great anticipation for the next adventure! Wonderful character portrayal!!

Another winner!

I loved book this just as much as the others in the series! Great read!

Another Successful Lenox Mystery

Charles Lenox holds a place in my heart along with Walt Longmire and Armand Gamache, each so uniquely different than the other but sharing the most admirable qualities of kindness, compassion and integrity.

I held off listening to An Extravagant Death until I had my first vaccination as a guard against COVID. It seemed appropriate that if I became ill at least I would have the comfort of another of Charles Finch’s wonderful tales of Charles Lenox and his extraordinary investigative skills.

It is no surprise that An Extravagant Death is filled with very interesting history, clearly Finch spent long hours of research to accomplish a well written mystery that not only entertains but educates the reader of times long past. I am glad he ventured to the USA. I rarely write reviews and dislike the synthesized versions so refrain from details about the plot. Suffice it to know that it will be well worth the time invested to enjoy this Finch’s latest in this wonderful series. I just wish Lenox was not aging so rapidly!

London Brit In Connecticut

Lovely story, charming narration!Complex plot and absorbing details about an early detective and Robber Baron opulence from a Brit’s viewpoint.