After four other books, readers will know what to expect by now. Nobody reads these books for a good laugh, but the atmosphere of Regency London warts and all comes to convincing life within these pages. As usual, the whodunit part of the plot is a page-turner, with red herrings here and there and plenty of action. Also part of the plot and taking center stage some of the time is Lacey's own shadowy past and the effects of it upon his present predicaments. We get to reacquaint ourselves with the growing cast of well-defined characters, including Denis and Pomeroy, and learn a little more about them. It is compelling reading, although I often think that Lacey is not the best choice of narrator, as he spends so much of the narrative feeling sorry for himself. A third-person viewpoint would have been my choice, but I am only reading the story. Fans of Anne Perry ought to enjoy these for their convoluted plots and descriptions of high and low London life.