As mid-century dawned in Victorian England, Charles Dickens had already reached the summit of literary fame. Author of The Pickwick Papers (1837), Oliver Twist (1838), A Christmas Carol (1843), and several other novels easily recognizable today, he could hardly walk the streets of London without encountering fans along the way. It would seem then that Dickens would be ill-equipped in 1849 to undertake a murder investigation in collaboration with the police. But mystery novelist J. C. Briggs nonetheless contrives to craft a story around that proposition. Dickens engages in what seems almost full-time on the case all the while he is writing what may be his best-loved novel of all, David Copperfield (1849-50). It’s less than convincing. But the story still hangs together. It makes for a respectable novel of suspense. And the atmospherics—the sights, sounds, and smells of Victorian London, high and low—add depth to the book. As historical fiction, it works.
Dickens is involved from the start
The story is simple. Dickens has tapped funds from a well-known philanthropist to open a “home for wayward girls.” These are young women in their teens or early twenties who have “strayed” by scandalously engaging in sex. Not necessarily “going all the way,” you understand, but showing an eagerness to do so. Patience Brooke is one of those young women. She’s a little older and better educated than the others, and the matron of Urania Cottage has adopted her as her assistant.
Then one evening someone has persuaded Patience to step outside the home onto the front porch and slashed her throat from end to end. As the sponsor of Urania Cottage, Dickens feels responsible to join his friend, Superintendent Jones of the Metropolitan Police’s Bow Street station in identifying and bringing the killer to justice. But that proves to a tall order, with innumerable twists, turns, and complications along the way.
The Murder of Patience Brooke (Charles Dickens Investigations #1) by J. C. Briggs (2018) 294 pages ★★★☆☆
A murderer and a victim, both elusive
Still, complications aside, The Murder of Patience Brooke is essentially a simple tale. Throughout the book, Dickens and Jones remain on the trail of a single suspect after a short time eliminating several others. However, the suspect proves elusive. Determining his identity is difficult, indeed. And Patience Brooke herself is little better when it becomes clear that “Brooke” is not her real name. The hunt for the past histories of the two brings to light the ugly reality of England’s grossly unequal class system—and reminds Charles Dickens of a chapter in his life he had long wanted to forget. The Murder of Patience Brooke is a reasonably good introductory guide to the social realities of Victorian England. If you find the era unfamiliar, it’s well worth reading.
About the author
J. C. (Jean) Briggs taught English for many years in schools in England and Hong Kong. As she writes in her author website, “The first book in the series [of Charles Dickens Investigation]), The Murder of Patience Brooke, was inspired by Dickens’s home for fallen women which he set up in 1847 with Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts, the banking heiress and philanthropist.” There is now a total of 11 books in the series.
For related reading
For other mystery stories in which famous people figure as investigators, see Famous people as detectives in fact and fiction.
You might also enjoy my posts:
- 26 mysteries to keep you reading at night
- Top 10 mystery and thriller series
- 30 outstanding detective series from around the world
- Top 20 suspenseful detective novels
- Top 10 historical mysteries and thrillers
And you can always find my most popular reviews, and the most recent ones, on the Home Page.
