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Campbell Lawless has an
unusual census to collect -- he has been made Inspector of
Vice and must collect information on all the brothels, prostitutes
and anything else sin related. Lord Palmerston himself is
keen for this to happen, and Lawless is given the post because
his superior is sure he will do a good job. Or can there be
another reason? As he goes about his work, he becomes interested
in a violinist called Felix Sonnabend, who is running a charity
for fallen women. But all this poking about in dark places
brings the attention of some important men who are not keen
on what is being brought to light…
Set in 1863, four years after Lawless and the Devil in Euston
Square (also reviewed on this site), this is the second in
the series. If you have not read the first book, you will
miss rather a lot as this is very much a consecutive series.
Just like the first book, if you want to find out what life
was like in the seamier parts of London back then this is
a good place to start. Told in the first person, Lawless gives
a gritty and well researched account of a prostitute’s
life and contrasts this with peoples’ pride in being
the hub of a vast empire. This is a time of great change when
new inventions and discoveries were being made, hence the
desire – at least in part – to clean up London.
There is plenty in this book, as well as tangible descriptions,
as the author excels at portraying the various characters
and at creating the mystery at the book’s heart. This
is not a quick read, and at times there is more description
than plot. Sutton has created a novel with a literary feel
that was also present in the first one, and the quotations
from Baudelaire and Mayhew enhance this. I can imagine this
series appealing to a wider range of readers than just histmyst
fans. It’s something of a class act, and that bit different
to the vast number of detective stories set in foggy Victorian
London.
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