Lesa's Book Critiques: by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Midnight in the House of Commons: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the newest book in one of my favorite series via NetGalley. Charles Finch writes a wonderful historical series set in Victorian London, nicely balancing credible characters with a clear portrayal of a transitional time in English history. Midnight in the House of Commons, the 16^th case of Charles Lenox, a member of the aristocracy turned amateur sleuth who now owns a detective agency, is set for release by Minotaur in a couple of weeks on 3 November 2026. I am happy to report it is up to the standard of its predecessors, maybe even a little better.

Charles juggles multiple cases, including a shocking murder in the House of Commons, where a womanizing conservative MP is found poisoned. The death has far-reaching political consequences, as a hard-fought bill for relief of the poor is tied in the House. With the loss of the dead member’s vote, the bill will pass. One of the members known to favor the bill could not confirm an alibi and is charged with the murder, even though a number of people had cause to object to the victim’s personal life.

In addition, Sari, one of the new members of the Lenox household introduced in the last book, has incurred a romantic disappointment. The man she hoped to marry has older relatives who object to her dark skin and she is devastated. Angela, on the other hand, Lenox’s cousin and ward, is blooming happily with an appropriate engagement and her study of government economics. The visitor to the Lenox menage in this book is a cousin on Jane’s side of the family, an odd young man whom the Lenox daughters tease unmercifully. And Lenox is approached by another young lady whose fiancé has disappeared with no explanation, and Lenox searches for him while he tries to sort out Sari’s romance.

The English social structure is examined closely here, how various placements on the invisible ladder affect life in particular for women, most clearly demonstrated by the two young ladies who were not considered good enough for their prospective husbands. The hotly contested bill for poor relief is a window into the wide gap between the wealthy and the destitute, highlighted by the novels of Charles Dickens. Then there is Laura Runcible, a newly wed matron with great social ambitions, anxious to capture the Lenox couple as guests in her home, as their status would enhance her own.

All in all, this is a lively story with multiple plot threads and a considerable number of characters. Followers of the series will enjoy it immensely. Readers new to the Lenox saga will find enough back story to understand the narrative but will miss the finer detail that has built up over the course of 16 books. An excellent addition to a reliably good mystery series.

·         Publisher: ‎Minotaur Books

·         Publication date: ‎November 3, 2026

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎272 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1250433940

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1250433947

  

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link:  https://link.amazon/B0b6DFvyu

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026

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

Lesa's Book Critiques: Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Fear the Reaper: A McKenzie Novel by David Housewright

 

Fear the Reaper by David Housewright (Minotaur, June 2026) is the newest of the Rushmore McKenzie series. McKenzie is an unofficial private investigator who does favors for friends and friends of his friends. His circle of friends is ever-widening and they bring him some original problems which he cannot resist trying to solve, often with the assistance of his childhood best friend, Bobby Dunston who is a career cop.

Mac and his wife Nina are visiting Bobby’s parents in their vacation home in upstate Wisconsin. Mac and Bobby Dunston started as neighbors in St. Paul and became inseparable from an early age. When Mac was 12 his mother died and Patty Dunston stepped into the role, making the two men even closer. Patty is a huge fan of a small winery near their Wisconsin home and the group of five visit one Friday afternoon, where the popular place is nearly full. Bobby is the first to see the man who enters the crowded room carrying an AR-15, and he and Mac tackle him before he can fire a shot.

Unfortunately Wisconsin is an open-carry state. Since he was stopped before he actually injured someone, he was not breaking a law and the police could not press charges. The sheriff was uneasy though. The security camera footage showed the prospective gunman looking around the room, as if searching for a specific target. He of course is not admitting to anything, so she asks Mac to find out who the intended victim was to try to stop another attempt that might succeed. This unenviable assignment required Mac to look into the lives of each person at the winery that afternoon and find out if someone might benefit from their death. He had no authority to interview anyone or to examine records but that never stops Mac. Of course his questions upset a few people, revealing as they did some details better left private.

Housewright excels at creating believable characters and here he sketches a handful of them in sharp outline with a quick snapshot of their lives. While relationship trouble seemed inevitable for a number of the people present that Friday from some of the things Mac learned, murder was a bit of a stretch for most of them.

Mac’s deep attachment to his friends and family is a nice change from the alienated anti-hero so common now. He’s genuinely a nice person, and the people he meets in the course of his investigations recognize it. The solutions start with Mac’s knowledge of human nature and, if not clearly clued, they align with the facts as presented.

After 23 books, a mediocre read might be expected but I didn’t find it here. Another innovative plot with familiar characters, devious misdirection, and more than competent writing. I have no idea why readers do not rave about these books. They are one of the best long-running series still in print. Anyone looking for a new series to binge should look at this one. Recommended!

 

• Publisher: ‎Minotaur Books
• Publication date: ‎June 23, 2026
• Language: ‎English
• Print length: ‎320 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎125036048X
• ISBN-13: ‎978-1250360489

 

  

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xzOrnn

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026

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

Lesa's Book Critiques: Storm Warning by James Byrne

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Storm Warning by James Byrne