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The Night Caller
Esther and Jack Enright Mystery – Book II
BY David Field

Sapere Books
10 May 2018/ ASIN: B07BR648C2
Mystery/Historical

Reviewed by  Rachel A Hyde

London 1891: Fresh from their Ripper investigations in the first book (The Gaslight Stalker) Esther and Jack are planning to get married. Esther plans to sell her house so they can buy one together, and the new owners let it to a trade union. This is not an ordinary union, but one for working women run by Helen Trenchard. Soon Jack and Percy are on the case of a pest who is stealing ladies’ underwear (sometimes when they are wearing it) and delivering threatening messages. Esther becomes involved when Helen confesses that she has also been a victim…

This is the second in the series about Jewish seamstress and amateur detective Esther Jacobs and her Scotland Yard detective fiancé Jack Enright. The first introduced the characters and gave us an interesting twist on the Ripper case, now the pair is on the trail of a pervert into ladies’ underwear but with connections to the world of women’s trade unions. Despite being written by a man this series has a feminist slant, with the continuing theme of working women in a man’s world and the determined figure of Esther. At times she can come over as being rather bossy and outspoken, particularly for her time and she certainly stands up to all the men she encounters. Jack and Percy are amiable foils and the case takes some entertaining turns before its conclusion. This is a very readable series with a fairly cozy tone that is sure to appeal to readers of historical mysteries.

Reviewed 2018
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