Death in the Peerless Pool

John Rawlings #5

by Deryn Lake

John Rawlings, London’s most colourful apothecary and occasional sleuth, is relaxing at the popular swimming baths, the Peerless Pool, when his peace is shattered by the alarming discovery of a drowned woman. The victim is identified as Hannah Rankin, an assistant at the nearby St Luke’s asylum for the insane. Assigned to the case by John Fielding, London’s famous blind magistrate, Rawlings doesn’t realise that he’s scratching the surface of something far more complex than an isolated murder. At St Luke’s, Rawlings discovers a vital clue to Hannah’s hidden past which leads to a strange case concerning a child’s mysterious disappearance. Was Hannah involved? And why do his investigations lead him again and again to a house of sinister secrets in Bath? Praise for Deryn ‘Deryn Lake deserves to be much better known’ - Shots Deryn Lake is the author of the John Rawlings Mysteries, Nick Lawrence novels, and a number of historical fiction and historical romances. She was born in Essex and began writing at an early age, before eventually turning her hand to writing novels as a profession. She currently resides in Sussex.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Fiction, Murder Mystery

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Deryn Lake is a well-known historical novelist who joined the popular ranks of historical detective writers with her gripping John Rawlings Mysteries, Death in the Dark Walk, Death at the Devil's Tavern, Death on the Romney Marsh, Death in the Peerless Pool and Death at Apothecaries' Hall.

Deryn also writes popular historical romances including the acclaimed The King's Women, Sutton Place and Pour the Dark Wine.

Deryn Lake lives near Hastings, East Sussex

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read 6 or more of these Rawlings books and so I returned yet again. This kept me engaged but I didn't always like the direction the story was taking. I return because I am interested in the era that includes Sir John Fielding. I have enjoyed other series that include him, but this book only gives him slight attention.

Kindle Unlimited

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

DEATH IN THE PEERLESS POOL (Mystery/Historical-John Rawlings-England-1758) – VG
Lake, Deryn (aka Dinah Limpitt) – 5th in series
Hodder & Stoughton, 1999, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 0340718587
First Sentence: ‘Last one in is an oaf, called Samuel cheerfully, and breaking into a sprint dived into the Peerless Pool, sending up a vast spout of water which cascaded back on to the tranquil surface with the bright abandon of a royal firework.
*** On a hot summer day in London, Apothecary John Rawlins and his friend, Summers, join others for a swim in Peerless Pool. To their shock, they find the body of a woman who had been severely beaten, chained, weighted down and tossed into the pool to drown. Sir John Fielding, head of the Bow Street Runners, asks for Rawlins help to find the killer. What they don’t expect is for the trail to take him to a lunatic asylum, among the beau monde of Bath, and on the trail of someone who has been stealing children.
*** I so enjoyed Bruce Alexander’s series and was saddened when it ended with his passing. Now I have found Deryn Lake and John Rawlins, a character inspired by the real-life detective to invented carbonated water in England. Lake’s attention to period detail is meticulous and yet, sadly, the plot is very current. The author plays a bit with the reader in that several of the characters know of an important clue but the reader is given time to either remember it, go back and find it or wait; fortunately, not to long, for it to be revealed. The story is not action driven, but involves you with the plot, period and the characters. I really want to start this series at the beginning. Highly recommended.

[Voirrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again we accompany John Rawlings around Georgian London, where a warm day of pleasure leads to the discovery of a body, and involves him, again, in an investigation for The Blind Beak.

The story that unfolds is quite horrific, there are twists and turn where sometimes the reader is ahead of John, and sometimes his discoveries surprise this reader anyway!

We visit Georgian Bath (some of which is more or less unchanged still) and, again, consider how much small London was, and how much further away from it other towns were due to the time it took to reach them.

And depth to the story is there in John's continued on/off relationship with Coralie Clive, his relationship with his father and with friends, and the difficulties his apprentice is having with the (rather typical teenager in some ways!) niece of the Blind Beak.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intricately plotted and in Deryn Lake's distinctive style this fifth John Rawlings mystery is as compelling and gripping as its illustrious predecessors.
I was immediately drawn into the every day life of Georgian London and Bath with all the fascinating details that always add such depth to Deryn Lake's historical novels. This time she looks behind the glitz and glamour of the well-heeled to unveil a dark and distasteful crime, but handles a particularly chilling subject matter with measured integrity.
The characters are irresistible. John Rawlings is every bit as clever as Sherlock Holmes, Maigret and Poirot and far more charming. Despite having to look into one of the most depraved crimes he has yet been assigned by the Blind Beak he finds time for romance and seduction.
There are several other characters in this novel I know I will never forget - Jack, Orlando, Petronelle and Gregg - who all added to the emotional rollercoaster as the author led the plot through numerous clever twists and turns.
The denouement is really quite remarkable!

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the books in this series that I've read. This one was much darker involving kidnapping, child sexual abuse and revenge. The novels take place in 18th. Century England and although our main character, John Rawlings, is based in London, some of the story shifts to Bath. Rawlings is based on a real person who happened to live during that period. The author has created fictional stories around that person. I enjoy the descriptions of life in that period, both of the poor and the wealthy. Needless to say, life was a desperate affair for the poor and crime was rampant. Although they had the Bow Street Runners, policing was primitive. As a bit of a History buff, this type of novel never fails to fascinate me.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samuel Swann, the goldsmith friend of John Rawlings, was showing off his dubious fishing skills when he inevitably (as is always the case with this lovable gauche) hooked his own wig into the water. It is in pursuit and diving down for his sinking wig that Swann suddenly swum back up pale and shaken upon encountering neither wig nor fish but a weighted down dead body. Tracing the corpse's identity would bring Rawlings face~to~face with a kidnapping ring that procure beautiful children to be debauched by perverted aristocrats and when they were done with them, callously throw their victims out into the streets to fend for themselves as yet to be further victimized by other lawless elements.

[Mbsuther · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Peerless Pool

This is the 5th in the series. In the first four, even though Rawlings was the primary, there was more than a bit of the secondary characters to also work through. In the last two, the focus has been more on Rawlings and he deductive skills. The storylines have been good, so that is fine. Even though the storyline dealt with a very sordid subject, it was not too overdone. We also got to see Rawlings struggle with the question, "What is justice?". Well done, but want more of the secondary characters involved. A 4.5 out of 5 rating.

[Sheila Soprovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lake uses two names for a number of his characters (ex. Apothecary and Rawlings are the same person). Once you figure out who's who, the story rolls along well. It is fairly easy to figure out connections and the guilty party(s), so it is more of a journey along with Rawling as he solves the case. The descriptions of English society and interactions make me glad to live in this time period (mostly).

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good mystery in this series. John Rawlings and his friend Samuel discover a dead woman at the bottom of a local swimming area, and John ends up investigating on behalf of Sir John Fielding. John also meets a couple whose grandson was kidnapped years ago and stumbles upon a possible child abduction ring. It's a good story and the historical detail is wonderful.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1758. While visiting the Peerless Pool, and fishing with his friend Samuel Swann, they discover a body, obviously murdered. John Rawlings is asked to investigate by John Fielding, London’s magistrate. One strand of the investigation leads to Bath and the exposure of terrible secrets.
An interesting and entertaining mystery

[Sonya Vassos]

It was interesting. I am very interested with the culture and living conditions of that time period. A lot of research must go into the story and this is what holds my attention as well as I like all the characters.

[Martina Sartor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottimo bilanciamento fra accurata ricostruzione storica e intreccio giallo.

[Haydn Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another success!

An expose of a sordid trade in children with all the various characters that John Rawlings attracts in his work for Bow Street!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book. I love this series.

[Kurry Swigert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous five. The plot was more convoluted and "darker".

[Kim Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be rather convoluted but still rather an enjoyable mystery. Although, I did guess quite a few things along the way. Some of those guesses were based on things said by certain people so I feel somewhat justified in being a little smug ha ha, in that I guessed these way before anyone in the book did! But then I suppose if they had, we'd have had a short story instead of a full length book.