"A compelling mystery from Diana Gabaldon"

Lord John Grey is a highly thought of Major in His Majesty's Army. One day while he is awaiting a comrade in arms in London's Beefsteak Club, he sees something which startles him. This thing he sees is a private thing, which has him worried about how it will affect his family. He is in a dilemma of trying to figure out what to do about this, so confides in a friend, who helps him think of ways to resolve the matter.

However, his personal matters are put on hold when he is tasked by his King with a far more important duty, solving the murder of a fellow soldier, who quite possibly was a traitor and spy. As he begins to investigate this mystery, he finds there are some rather unusual circumstances which start to tie the two mysteries together. He begins to track down a mysterious woman in a green velvet dress who may provide many of the answers he seeks. Who is she and why is she connected to both mysteries?

Ms. Gabaldon has written yet another intriguing story, which will keep the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. Fans of her Outlander series will be happy to see Lord John, one of the most favored secondary characters of her series starring in his own book, which shows the potential to be a series in and of itself. This mystery will take one from the very uppermost echelons of society to the "darkest" side of London night life in the 1750s.

All of the characters are incredibly well-developed, in trademark Gabaldon style. The readers find out not just the most surficial personality traits, but their deepest secrets as well, by getting inside the minds of the players. However, maybe it was just this reviewer's other responsibilities interfering, but there were so many characters that she had difficulty keeping track of them all and what roles they played in the saga. Several times it was necessary to flip back through previous pages to try to find someone and why they are involved in the events playing out.

Another trademark of Ms. Gabaldon's writing is her vast mastering of vocabulary, keeping things from getting mundane and boring in their repetitiveness. However, sometimes her use of 'five dollar' words is distracting, especially when the reader's own mastery of language is not as extensive, causing one to either have to stop reading to look up terms used, or just keep reading, hoping to be able to still grasp the details being described and actions being played out.

In spite of those couple of concerns mentioned, this was an impressive story, keeping one engrossed, eager to find out the solution to both mysteries being investigated. There were enough plot twists to keep one guessing, and even a time or two stumping Lord John as well. The ending is surprising, not what was expected, but appealing nonetheless.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Posted November 14, 2003

Summary

Adored bestselling author Diana Gabaldon brings us the first book in a new trilogy featuring many of the characters from her wildly popular Outlander series.

In her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, Diana Gabaldon introduced millions of readers to a dazzling world of history and adventure -- a world of vibrant settings and utterly unforgettable characters. Now one of these characters, Major Lord John Grey, opens the door to his own part of this world -- eighteenth-century London, a seething anthill of nobility and rabble peopled by soldiers and spies, whores and dukes. Great Britain is battling France for supremacy on three continents -- and life is good for a soldier.

The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London's Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty's Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor.

Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society -- and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London's night- world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything -- ornothing.

The early days of the Seven Years War come brilliantly to life in this historical mystery by an author whose unique and compelling storytelling has engrossed millions of readers worldwide.