Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Hidden City: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch

  

I was delighted to receive an advance review copy of the fifteenth historical mystery about Charles Lenox. To be published by Minotaur in early November, The Hidden City by Charles Finch is as complex as its predecessors, combining changes in the Lenox family circle with a perplexing problem.

Lenox is still recovering from serious injuries incurred during his last investigation and has yet to feel completely up to par. On the orders of his new doctor, he is visiting a gym twice a week where he undergoes a lengthy regimen of stretching and strengthening exercises in what is a forerunner of what we know today as physical therapy.

Despite not feeling his best, two letters demand his immediate attention. One is about the will of Lenox’s favorite cousin Jasper. He died in India, where he lived for years, leaving a daughter of about 20 years. Angela’s only remaining family is in England, and Charles Lenox and Lady Jane arrange for her to live with them. He and Jane know nothing about their new cousin, Jasper had become a recluse and poor correspondent, but they are eager to do what they can to smooth her way. Jane in particular is looking forward to introducing her to society. Her own daughters are many years away from making their debut and she is excited about having someone now to accompany through the social whirl of London’s upper classes.

The other letter is from his former housekeeper. When he first moved into rooms in London, Lenox’s mother hired Mrs. Elizabeth Huggins to keep his house and him in order. Mrs. Huggins has returned from the country to London and is living alone in an old house where a murder took place some years previously. Someone has begun sleeping on her front porch and Mrs. Huggins is afraid that whoever it is will try to break in. Lenox can’t have the old lady who has been so good to him worried or threatened, so he sets staff from his detective agency to watch the building. The neighbors are convinced that the intruder is the man suspected of the unsolved killing, returned from years abroad.

In a particularly fascinating thread, Lenox notices some sort of mark carved into the foundation of the house. He finds the same symbol on another long-standing building and launches into a tour of one of the oldest sections in London, looking for more structures with the emblem and allowing Finch to describe the glorious architecture of many old buildings.

Surprises at home and on the job keep Lenox fully occupied in another very good entry in a fine historical mystery series. Finch faithfully adheres to the social conventions and scientific knowledge of the time and creates a compelling world of credible, likeable characters. I can count on this series for an engaging read, no matter which Lenox book I open.

Readers familiar with Lenox, Lady Jane, and their circle will be delighted with this new adventure. New readers should begin with one of the earlier titles. Recommended.

Booklist starred review.

·         Publisher: ‎Minotaur Books

·         Publication date: ‎November 4, 2025

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎288 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1250767164

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1250767165

  

Amazon Associate Purchase Link:  https://amzn.to/49fodNh

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.