A Case of Fear and Favor

How lucky we are to have crime fiction that is as rich in history as it is full of riveting prime suspects. At the center of this narrative is Sir Gabriel Ward KC, longtime denizen of the Inner Temple, “that cloistered little area of London in which the lawyers live.” While Ward’s evenings are rarely spent in the Temple’s library—his own office suffices—the sudden discovery of the librarian’s corpse, spread out on his desk, and the disappearance of a priceless medieval manuscript are enough to set Ward on edge. Add two suspects, Jitendra Shah, an Indian law student; and Lesley Roberts, the shocking assistant librarian, who happens to be a woman, rare in librarianship at the time. Can both be responsible? In addition, of all things, Gabriel has decided to take on the representation of a sweetshop in distress while London prepares for the coronation of Edward VII. Miraculously, several narrative threads come together to resolve a most vexing, and pleasurable, story.—Brian Kenney