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The Victorian Detectives #8
Fame & Fortune
London, 1867. When the body of a man is discovered hanging from a Thames bridge, Detectives Greig and Cully, two of Scotland Yard's finest crime-solvers, are called in to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his death. Their inquiry will lead them into a world of extortion, robbery and human trafficking, and at its centre, the Black brothers, Munro and Herbert, London's most evil and ruthless individuals, who will stop at nothing to keep their position at the top of London's criminal underworld.
The eighth outing for the Victorian Detectives entices the reader once more along the shadowy gas-lit streets of a city peopled with endearing and eccentric characters, where vice and virtue rub shoulders, and rich and poor find themselves unexpectedly thrust into the limelight.
"If you haven't read any of these books, I recommend you start now." ~ Rosie's Book Review
"I love the unique style that Carol Hedges bestows on her writing and the vivid descriptions of the time are fabulous." ~ Amazon reviewer
The eighth outing for the Victorian Detectives entices the reader once more along the shadowy gas-lit streets of a city peopled with endearing and eccentric characters, where vice and virtue rub shoulders, and rich and poor find themselves unexpectedly thrust into the limelight.
"If you haven't read any of these books, I recommend you start now." ~ Rosie's Book Review
"I love the unique style that Carol Hedges bestows on her writing and the vivid descriptions of the time are fabulous." ~ Amazon reviewer
- GenresMystery
242 pages, Paperback
Published August 21, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 29, 2020
Fame & Fortune is the eighth outing for DS Jack Cully, DI Lachlan Greig and DI Leo Stride, otherwise known as the Victorian Detectives. Carol Hedges immerses us once again in a London peopled with the sad and the bad, the rich and the poor, and the evocatively described back alleys, slums and more fashionable thoroughfares they inhabit.
When a body is found hanging from the scaffolding on a bridge, Detective Inspector Greig doesn’t agree with the presumption of suicide by the attending constable. It didn’t add up in Greig’s eyes but the ineptitude of the constable regarding the scene of the crime, as Greig believed that’s what it was, didn’t help.
Then we have Gerald Daubney, a collector of antiquities who has been robbed of his priceless netsuke collection and, it seems, his manservant has also disappeared.
In a shabby, cobbled passageway in Bloomsbury we find ten year old Izzy Harding, scraping a living of sorts and existing off very little, painting furniture for dolls’ houses, one of the many children working at the long tables. Her second job washing dishes in a diner at least comes with food, such as it is.
The indomitable Miss Lucy Landseer makes another appearance when she comes to the aid, not only of novelist, Mrs Riva Hemmyng-Stratton, but also a lady in an intolerable position, in a situation that would perhaps make a good plot for one of her books.
The villainous Black brothers, Herbert and Munro, encompass all that is bad and whose shady dealings have serious and continuing repercussions throughout the city.
I enjoy these books immensely and Carol Hedges’ writing and plotting never fails to draw me in, with witty and engaging prose. Characters are extremely well drawn, giving an immediate visual image and the existing cast continue to develop. And as always, London features as a character in its own right with atmospheric descriptions and the distinct social divide between all levels of society.
When a body is found hanging from the scaffolding on a bridge, Detective Inspector Greig doesn’t agree with the presumption of suicide by the attending constable. It didn’t add up in Greig’s eyes but the ineptitude of the constable regarding the scene of the crime, as Greig believed that’s what it was, didn’t help.
Then we have Gerald Daubney, a collector of antiquities who has been robbed of his priceless netsuke collection and, it seems, his manservant has also disappeared.
In a shabby, cobbled passageway in Bloomsbury we find ten year old Izzy Harding, scraping a living of sorts and existing off very little, painting furniture for dolls’ houses, one of the many children working at the long tables. Her second job washing dishes in a diner at least comes with food, such as it is.
The indomitable Miss Lucy Landseer makes another appearance when she comes to the aid, not only of novelist, Mrs Riva Hemmyng-Stratton, but also a lady in an intolerable position, in a situation that would perhaps make a good plot for one of her books.
The villainous Black brothers, Herbert and Munro, encompass all that is bad and whose shady dealings have serious and continuing repercussions throughout the city.
I enjoy these books immensely and Carol Hedges’ writing and plotting never fails to draw me in, with witty and engaging prose. Characters are extremely well drawn, giving an immediate visual image and the existing cast continue to develop. And as always, London features as a character in its own right with atmospheric descriptions and the distinct social divide between all levels of society.
August 20, 2020
Once more I have explored the sordid streets of mid-Victorian London to follow the investigations of the determined team of police detectives, Stride, Cully and Greig. Carol Hedges has taken me into grand homes, crowded slums and insalubrious pubs, down by the docks. I have seen poor Izzy Harding spend all day painting tiny dolls’ furniture with little or no food, sat near to Riva Hemming-Stratton over tea while she turns her observation of other people into imaginative stories and I have suffered with the lonely Gerald Daubney as he mourns the loss of his netsuke Edo cat. And the struggle of intelligent women to gain an education is shown by Maria Barklem, a vicar’s daughter soon to be made homeless because of the death of her parents.
Meanwhile in Russell Square two evil brothers, Herbert and Munro Black, exploit young girls dreams to lead them into prostitution across the sea. Their tentacles of crime reach out across the city but somehow the police force must find evidence and witnesses to bring them to justice.
This is a much darker tale than Ms Hedges earlier novels, with more sad lives unfulfilled but characters from past books such as Lucy Landseer appear, providing solutions, and help at least some of the victims. And through it all is a tiny grain of goodness in enough characters, such as Inspector Lachlan Greig, to give us hope.
Meanwhile in Russell Square two evil brothers, Herbert and Munro Black, exploit young girls dreams to lead them into prostitution across the sea. Their tentacles of crime reach out across the city but somehow the police force must find evidence and witnesses to bring them to justice.
This is a much darker tale than Ms Hedges earlier novels, with more sad lives unfulfilled but characters from past books such as Lucy Landseer appear, providing solutions, and help at least some of the victims. And through it all is a tiny grain of goodness in enough characters, such as Inspector Lachlan Greig, to give us hope.
September 19, 2020
This is another brilliant addition to the Victorian Detectives series. There is nobody who can depict life in Victorian London quite like Carol Hedges. Her descriptions are quite masterly and to be read and savoured. As ever there are several intertwining plot strands which drive the story along. There is another challenging crime for Stride and Cully to solve helped by the dependable and hard working Lachlan Greig.
A man is found hanging in suspicious circumstances also there's the theft of a rare Japanese Netsuke collection. Their investigations lead them to the notorious and dangerous Munro brothers who run their crime domain with cruelty and fear. We meet again the clever and sharp witted Lucy Lanseer who saves the career of an author and rescues the wife of an aristocrat from confinement. Wonderful stuff! As ever she shines a light into the darkness of Victorian London and to the social injustices that were prevalent, and sadly still prevalent today.
It's a terrific tale and can be read as a stand alone but it does help to read the others in the series. I didn't want to to end though I was glad to see justice being done.
A man is found hanging in suspicious circumstances also there's the theft of a rare Japanese Netsuke collection. Their investigations lead them to the notorious and dangerous Munro brothers who run their crime domain with cruelty and fear. We meet again the clever and sharp witted Lucy Lanseer who saves the career of an author and rescues the wife of an aristocrat from confinement. Wonderful stuff! As ever she shines a light into the darkness of Victorian London and to the social injustices that were prevalent, and sadly still prevalent today.
It's a terrific tale and can be read as a stand alone but it does help to read the others in the series. I didn't want to to end though I was glad to see justice being done.
March 1, 2022
Carol Hedges has done it again! In this 8th novel in the Victorian Detectives series, Stride, Cully and Greig must solve the murder of an eccentric collector's manservant. While they follow clues around a familiar part of town and a house with an evil history, the eccentric goes slowly mad. Meanwhile, in other parts of the city, a baker navigates the aftermath of losing her parents and a small girl learns the value of the wrong kind of mother's love. And to add a little splash of sensation, an author is accused of libel and is assisted in her battle by another young author who has ambitions of becoming a detective.
While some of these storylines weave through each other and some trail off to their own ends, they all revolve around the contradicting themes of fame and infamy, fortune and misfortune. Victorian London is painted in the realistic tones of treachery, opportunism and strife and we see that no matter how wealthy of safe one might feel, there is always the possibility of something coming along to upend your world and leave you in an unfamiliar place. How you get out of it, that is the true test of your mettle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and while I was very sad to see how some tales ended, I was equally thrilled to see the outcome of other threads. I look forward to reading the next one, Desire and Deceit.
While some of these storylines weave through each other and some trail off to their own ends, they all revolve around the contradicting themes of fame and infamy, fortune and misfortune. Victorian London is painted in the realistic tones of treachery, opportunism and strife and we see that no matter how wealthy of safe one might feel, there is always the possibility of something coming along to upend your world and leave you in an unfamiliar place. How you get out of it, that is the true test of your mettle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and while I was very sad to see how some tales ended, I was equally thrilled to see the outcome of other threads. I look forward to reading the next one, Desire and Deceit.
January 9, 2025
The most enjoyable book I have read this year. There are the usual characters Greig, Cully and Stride but then numerous others each who have their own story dotted throughout. Pozzy who gathers information, Izzy Harding who has few possessions, Lucy Landseer - wannabe investigator and the boy Brixton amongst others. This is a heartwarming tale that has murder, theft and trafficking in 1867. A satisfyingly intriguing story with a warm heart.
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February 15, 2021Enjoyed it
I have enjoyed the Victorian Detective series very much and Fame & Fortune is another enjoyable entry into the series. The characters are well done and the mysteries are very interesting. I especially like the various different sub plots that ultimately come together to wrap up the case. I look forward to the next one!
I have enjoyed the Victorian Detective series very much and Fame & Fortune is another enjoyable entry into the series. The characters are well done and the mysteries are very interesting. I especially like the various different sub plots that ultimately come together to wrap up the case. I look forward to the next one!
April 4, 2021
A theft and a death to solve.
Easy five stars for a Stride, Greig and Cully investigation. Superb characterisation and sense of period as in all novels. Side stories involving an author sued for defamation and a young girl barely surviving add society interest.
Easy five stars for a Stride, Greig and Cully investigation. Superb characterisation and sense of period as in all novels. Side stories involving an author sued for defamation and a young girl barely surviving add society interest.
November 27, 2020
Praise for Carole Hedges!
Another enjoyable story! Carol's stories are up there along with Ann Perry, a fellow master of Victorian murder mysteries !!
Another enjoyable story! Carol's stories are up there along with Ann Perry, a fellow master of Victorian murder mysteries !!
February 9, 2025
You won't want t put it down
Every books so far in the series has been a delight, I will be sad to finish the last one.
Every books so far in the series has been a delight, I will be sad to finish the last one.
September 1, 2026
Quirky, interesting and a damned good read
This is a wonderful story of interconnecting lives around a central mystery, which is nicely wrapped up. Some have happy endings, some ambiguous endings and one vaguely hopeful ending, but none of them are unrealistic and all are satisfying. It's like watching a really good historical series on the BBC, with great attention paid to historical accuracy to the point of making you feel a part of their lives. Try it if you love Victorian historical novels, you won't be disapointed.
This is a wonderful story of interconnecting lives around a central mystery, which is nicely wrapped up. Some have happy endings, some ambiguous endings and one vaguely hopeful ending, but none of them are unrealistic and all are satisfying. It's like watching a really good historical series on the BBC, with great attention paid to historical accuracy to the point of making you feel a part of their lives. Try it if you love Victorian historical novels, you won't be disapointed.
July 27, 2021
Best book for a long time . Well written , lovely characters
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews