Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
Charles Finch is an aquired taste. Charles Lennox is a detective in Victorian England and Mr. Finch has done his homework.
The atmosphere is authentic and the lack of what we know in the 21st century to help solve mysteries makes the detecting
fascinating.

The vanishing Man is a second prequel to the series about Charles Lennox. Endeavor before Morse. As another reader wrote:
"Just sit back and enjoy the ride" It is fun and well written.

This series keeps getting better and better! This book is the second prequel in the series. Charles Lennox, second son, has decided to make solving crime his profession, much to societies dismay. The Victorian setting, a cast of well drawn characters and complex plots makes this mystery series a cut above the rest. I suggest reading at least a few of the series to become familiar with the characters and Charles, but it is not an absolute necessity. Just sit back and enjoy the ride as Charles tries to find out why paintings are disappearing from the Duke of Dorset country home. You wont be disappointed!

I love Charles Finch’s books. They draw you in and you really don’t want to leave the world he has created for Lenox. Extremely entertaining storytelling.

I absolutely love the vanishing man. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this book honestly was amazing. I have recommenced it to my entire family and several of my friends. Honestly could not have asked for a better plot.

Charles is back to sleuth with his wit always present. This is a true detective novel with many clues and is well written. It is a great mystery to try and solve, but not before Charles does.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Charles Finch writes mysteries that I find myself recommending to all of my reading friends. They are NOT cozy mysteries but they are not filled with rage and gore either. Charles Lenox is a man of substance in the British 1850's era, when a man of his station did not work. But Charles uses his very active mind to observe and solve many cases that the police have stumbled on. This case is unusual in the fact that he must find an art thief before he steals again then finds himself investigating a murder. The story lines have multiple people who all expect something from Lenox so he must work even harder to get the job done.

Moving very slow at first but building with detailed scenery and thorough characterization, this historical mystery fiction proved to be quite the page turner. Great for the cozy mystery reader who'd like to transition into a more detailed mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Here is my review:

It is 1853 in London and Charles Lenox is just beginning his career as a detective. He has had some success in a few small matters and has made a friend at Scotland Yard, although his friends still think him crazy and make light of his career choice.

Then he is contacted by the Duke of Dorset, a VERY IMPORTANT MAN, who has heard of his exploits and wishes to consult with him. This could be the making of his career or the total downfall of his place in society. And, over the course of the book, it is a little of both.

The Duke's stolen portrait is the loose thread at the beginning of a long yarn and it is a good one. We see some of the insights Lenox is just beginning to develop and see how he is working to teach himself all he will need to succeed in his chosen profession. We also get a glimpse of London society in the early days of Queen Victoria.

A good read that will keep you entertained throughout the book.

I loved this book and this time frame. The characters seem like old friends and I wish I could go on adventures with them. The Duke of Dorset is in trouble and calls on his friend, Charles to help him out. It starts as trying to solve a break into saving his friend when he is accused of murder.

Lenox is from the aristocracy. His forays into detective work have not found favour with the high and mighty and he has in fact suffered direct snubs as well as even invitations given and then withdrawn for social events. Lenox feels that his family also suffers the indignity of having one of their own doing a job as it were as this is beyond the pale for members of their kind, but on the contrary his father and mother are proud of his achievements and understand his feelings that he wants to use his analytical mind and seek logical conclusions for problems that he tries to solve.

In this story in the 1850s, the Duke of Dorset seeks his help in finding a lost painting. The painting itself does not amount to much - one of the ancestors - but Lenox soon finds that there is much more than the missing painting that meets the eye and the Duke has not been very honest in seeking Lenox's help. Unraveling a mystery painting, plus in the meantime trying to find one of the lost works of Shakespeare amidst red herrings thrown their way Lenox and his faithful valet Graham, even more capable than Lenox try to solve the mystery.

Methodical and systematic, the story will appeal to a logical mind and it did to me!

Charles Lenox, the second son of a baronet is still suffering under the loss of his father 18 months earlier. During the summer holidays, he's 'honoured' (or plagued) with the prolonged visit of a very mischievous young cousin called Lancelot. In the meantime, he's also trying to establish himself as a private detective, independent from the police. It's a job occupation and description he invented himself 3 years earlier. He's very serious about this endeavour, that's called a hobby by some and even spends 8 hours every week interviewing 'patients' of the infamous Bedlam asylum. Lady Jane, his best friend and neighbour is trying her hand as a match-maker and introduces him to her friend Effie Somers.
Charles Lenox is called in by the duke of Dorset, one of the most powerful men in Victorian England, because of a painting that's gone missing from his study. Even though it's a portrait of one of the duke's ancestors, the painting is not very valuable as there are plenty of portraits left. The worrying factor is another painting that isn't stolen but may well be the real target of the thief. One the same wall hangs an obscure little painting of William Shakespeare painted from life. A priceless painting, as it's the only one in existence and only 3 people knew of its existence, being the duke himself, the queen and the surveyor of the queen's pictures as it's considered a national treasure. But before Lenox can start his inquiries, the duke gets kidnapped in broad daylight in the middle of London and a ransom is demanded. So now, Scotland Yard are involved as well, though Lenox doesn't reveal anything about the stolen painting. It doesn't take long before Lenox discovers that the duke was behind this 'kidnapping' himself. When he calls out the duke's ruse, he gets very angry and even goes as far insult Lenox in public and slanders his reputation. Suddenly he becomes a pariah in society. Despite this ungrateful attitude, Lenox keeps the secret about the kidnapping and about the paintings. This isn't the end of the story because eventually, the duke does something no duke ever does, he apologises and tells Lenox that the painting contains a clue about the whereabouts of an unknown work by Shakespeare. In order to find both painting and play, Lenox enlists the help of a peculiar quirky old sailor Thadeus Bonden, who's got an impressive talent to "find" things

I'm completely new to this series and Lady Jane and Charles Lenox are both neighbours and very dear friends. He's a happy bachelor (platonically in love with lady Jane) and she's married to a husband that serves in the colonies and is now on his way back home. As it happens Lenox does like the husband very much as well and they've become friends during his leave. But I don't understand how they can be such loyal close friends in that strict society without causing suspicions and evil gossip.
An interesting bit of info is that on page 13, there is an oversight of the hierarchy of the English nobility. I don't know if it's common knowledge for British people but I'm not even aware of the Belgium titles and their ranking, so this was a very welcome intermission. Not that you can't read the book without knowing this, but it adds to the "couleur locale" and overall enjoyment.
One of the things I really enjoy in historical novels is fresh knowledgable titbits about the habits and customs of our ancestors. Now, Victorian times aren't really that far in our past but some of the etiquette rules sound very strange to modern ears. At a certain point, 3 men and a duchess are together in a carriage and the 3 gentlemen are all squeezed together on 1 side of the carriage, not because of rank or hierarchy but because no man who wasn't a relative could sit next to a woman in a carriage. Although I've got a vague suspicion that this politeness may also be influenced by the volume of women's dress in those days.
I also didn't know that in London the mail was delivered 7 times a day! And delivered the same day it's posted as well, something they can't do nowadays anymore. In Belgium, they're even talking about limiting the snail mail to every other day. When I was a child (I'm 53 now) the mail was still delivered once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Progress isn't always an improvement!
There's also a few references or predictions of things that will happen in the future; They're quite funny, but it's not that hard to write accurate predictions about the future in retrospect.
The story starts rather slow and the tempo never really accelerates. But it is a nice and pleasant mystery but not really a thriller. I'm hesitant to use the term 'cosy' because I really despise that terminology and that what is often implied by it. So it's not at all soppy or silly and the historical facts that are sparingly served make the story all the more interesting and authentic. There's also quite a lot of things happening all along with this investigation, so it is certainly not devoid of action, but all of it at a leisurely pace. It's certainly caught my attention to read more books in this series.
I thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this book but this review is my own honest and unbiased opinion

The book is set in London in the Victorian era, Charles Lenox is a gentleman and amateur sleuth.
It was my first book from Charles Finch, and I liked it. I am sure I am going to read other installments of this series because almost all the characters are well described and “real” and I want to know more about Charles Lenox investigation (and hopefully I will meet again Lancelot!)

The story was a little too slow for my liking and the mystery was really engrossing. I liked the description of the Victorian atmosphere and the explanation of the titles and ranks of the Nobility.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another terrific read by Charles Finch this one a prequel.I enjoy all the books in the series.Characters that come alive storylines that always engage a series to follow recommend.#netgalley#St.Martinsbooks

The Vanishing Man is part of a three-book prequel series and is second in the run (named 0.2, in the order).

Charles Lenox, the lead character in the series, is a gentleman detective who can move about freely in the upper strata of Victorian Era London society. This story centers around a mystery at the very highest level of society with the Duke of Dorset, a smart, arrogant, yet remarkably human character. For those who already love Charles Lenox, it’s a neat glimpse into the early years of his time in London, and a look at some of the characters that remain throughout the series. For those who haven't met Charles Lenox yet, this book could stand easily on its own — no backstory required.

The tale of The Vanishing Man makes some slightly odd runs out from the core that I think could just as easily have been snipped from the narrative. Still, it’s a lovely book, and I am digging this mini-prequel series from Charles Finch.

I am sad to say that this was my very first Charles Lenox book! I absolutely loved it. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy in the mail, and it was the perfect mood for being snowed in this weekend without power! I loved all the characters, the depth of the mystery, and the beautifully powerful imagery of early London. It was a wonderful winter read, so much fun!

I cannot believe I didn’t know about this series! The premise sounded interesting and I figured since it was a prequel, I wouldn’t be missing much. I’m so glad I read this! For 2020, I’ll be working my way through the rest of the series because this seems to be a very thoughtfully written mystery series with well fleshed out characters and interesting dilemmas. Here’s hoping I’m not wrong!

The Vanishing Man is the second of three prequels to the Charles Lenox mystery series by Charles Finch. Lenox is asked by the Duke of Dorset to look into a painting of his great grandfather that has disappeared. However, it turns out that the portrait that hung next to the stolen one is invaluable. Did the thief take the wrong portrait? This intricate plot leads back to a mystery from 200 years earlier. It also takes a stunning turn which could lead the Duke's family into huge scandal.

From the first page I had trouble putting this book down. It is well written, the characters are complex and interesting. This was my first book of the Charles Lenox Mysteries, and I will be reading the rest of them. Quite enjoyable! Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to give my honest review on #TheVanishingMan

This was the first book I have read by Charles Finch and I was sufficiently interested to want to continue with the series. Although this particular story is the second of three prequels to the Charles Lenox, I did not feel I was missing background information. The characters of Charles Lennox and Lady Jane Grey are interesting and the young Lancelot provided some comic relief. The mystery involving the theft of a portrait was intriguing and I certainly didn't suspect the thief until near the end of the story.

This is my second book in this series which is part of the prequel to the Charles Lenox series. I really enjoyed this book because it has a little different mystery than most whodunit's. The book has a few different narratives, the story of the Duke of Dorset which is the primary mystery, the relationship between Charles and his brother and friends including Lady Jane and the humorous inclusion of his cousin Lancelot. And in between when you don't expect it are little bits of history that teach you something, like the origins of the words bedlam and tips. I read this in two days and didn't skip any pages or even paragraphs (something I frequently do when a book isn't holding my interest).

Engrossing page-turner!
I absolutely enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the series too. Charles Lenox and his butler Graham form quite a pair. The mystery behind the missing painting and the 'family secret' is sure to keep one hooked on to the story until the end.
Well-portrayed characters and excellent storytelling, I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.