The Hidden City

A Charles Lenox Mystery

By: Charles Finch

Narrated by: James Langton

Against the vividly drawn backdrop of Victorian London, amateur sleuth Charles Lenox must unlock a mystery concealed in the architecture of the city itself, in this new novel from acclaimed author Charles Finch.

It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. When Lenox finds a similar mark at the site of another murder, he begins to piece together a hidden pattern which leads him into the corridors of Parliament, the slums of East London, and ultimately the very heart of the British upper class.

At the same time, Lenox must contend with the complexities of his personal life: a surprising tension with his steadfast wife, Lady Jane, over her public support of the early movement for women's suffrage; the arrival of Angela Lenox, a mysterious young cousin from India, with an unexpected companion; the dizzying ascent of his brother, Sir Edmund Lenox, to one of the highest political posts in the land; the growing family of his young partners in detection, Polly and Dallington; and the return of the problems that have long bedeviled one of his closest friends, the dashing Scottish physician Thomas McConnell.

Featuring a beloved cast of characters, a top-notch puzzle, and Finch's trademark humor and richness of historical detail, The Hidden City is a novel by a master at the top of his form.

“James Langton, longtime narrator of the series, is simply perfect as the dedicated, gentlemanly Lenox. Langton voices all the secondary characters with equal precision and care.”—AudioFile

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

Good story in a good series.

I like the feeling that I am in the time and place of some of my favorite characters. I love following them and watching their adventures.

Theme of character.

Another superb work by Mr. Finch. The story is multilayered and rich. The narration is simply perfect. Descriptions subtle but utterly evocative. I love the characters and feel I know them even better after this entry in the series.

Excellent series

One of the better English ‘toff’ amateur to pro sleuths. Characters, times, relationships well constructed. Story stays fresh.

Each Book Gets Even Better

Every time a new book comes out in this Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman detective series, I am delighted and surprised that it is even better than the last book. I hadn’t thought that was possible. The Hidden City has clever plots, endearing characters with very human relationships, humor, and such lyrical language that the reader is immersed in Victorian England. You don’t just see it, you feel it. A twice excellent read: once for the story and again for the appreciation of the language.

Well worth the wait! I hope more novels follow soon!

I am a devotee of Charles Finch's historical mystery series Charles Lennox Mysteries, having listened to all the previous novels. This was the fifteenth episode. I think it was one of his finest, a complex case set amid the family of the protagonist and his extensive social circle. If you like historical fiction set in the late Victorian period, populated with intelligent characters and an engaging plot, then you will enjoy this series. If you are already a fan, you have a treat in store.