DNF. This is the second time I’ve tried this author’s series and it’s really not for me. The plots are complex but hang together even more on coincidence than usual for a mystery. But what really kills it for me is the casual misogyny and racism just sprinkled through the books. Every woman is shrill, foolish, clutching, greedy, obnoxious, sexually fascinated by the main character. Every non-European character is described in the broadest possible strokes, falling fully into racist descriptions and character traits.

Having read many, many mysteries from the Golden Age of fiction I can say with authority that even when those books fall prey to generalized racism and misogyny there are OFTEN individual characters who are more than just their cookie-cutter stereotypes. It’s not that characters can’t or don’t exhibit cultural attitudes that would be frowned upon today, because I understand that. It’s the sloppy, unexamined characterization and as a result the poor writing that this kind of generalization represents which ruins the books for me.

I’ll go back to other historical fiction writers who use a more subtle, thoughtful and layered approach to the varieties of humanity.

In its favor: interesting time period and many possible suspects. Fast-moving, complex plot.