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First Time in Paperback

Summary

A final gift from Bruce Alexander: a book in his acclaimed mystery series about blind eighteenth-century London judge Sir John Fielding.

Beloved by legions of fans, and a staple of best-of-the-year book lists, the Fielding mysteries thrill readers with a pitch-perfect fusion of vivid characterizations, evocative atmosphere, and riveting plot-lines. And now, for all those fans, here is one more.

In Rules of Engagement, Sir John and Jeremy are confronted with a series of bizarre deaths on the streets of Georgian London, in a mystery that tests even Sir John's legendary skills of deduction. When Lord Lammermoore, a close personal friend of the Lord Chief Justice, plunges to his death from the heights of Westminster Bridge in front of a dozen witnesses, suicide is ruled as the most likely cause of death. But Lammermoor's fatal leap coincides with the arrival of Dr. Goldsworthy, a student of the famous Dr. Anton Mesmer and his research in animal magnetism. Sir John's suspicions grow when it is discovered that Goldsworthy's patron in London is none other than the beautiful and austere Lady Lammermoor. Meanwhile, Jeremy's sleuthing uncovers a web of intrigue within the Lammermoor family, and the deeper he investigates, the more suspects he discovers who stand to gain from Lammermoor's death. Filled with Alexander's richly textured depictions of eighteenth-century London, and with a vibrant cast of characters "as vivid and sharp-witted as a Hogarth sketch" (The Seattle Times), Rules of Engagement is the brilliant conclusion to a splendid series.

Bruce Alexander was the pseudonym for Bruce Cook, a well-known author of numerous works of both fiction and nonfiction. When Alexander died in late 2003, he had completed most of Rules of Engagement, leaving behind notes on how the remainder of the story was to unfold. The novel was been completed by Bruce's wife, Judith Alexander, and John Shannon. Shannon himself is the author of four novels, as well as six books in the highly praised Jack Liffey mystery series, most recently Terminal Island.