A Thousand Ships

 A Thousand Ships- Natalie Haynes

HarperCollins

Release Date: January 26, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: This is the women’s war, just as much as it is the men’s. They have waited long enough for their turn . . .

This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .

In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.

From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war. 

A woman’s epic, powerfully imbued with new life, A Thousand Ships puts the women, girls and goddesses at the center of the Western world’s great tale ever told.

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For those who have been enjoying the resurgence of retold classics and myths from the women's point of view (The Witch's Heart) especially Madeline Miller's Circe, Natalie Haynes' A Thousand Ships should be an absolute must read. Here is a retelling of the end of the Trojan War where the goddess of epic poetry Calliope has decided she is tired of the bards always telling and retelling the bravery of men.  After all, this war affected women as much as men. 

 And so A Thousand Ships is the story of the women: the ones waiting at home for their men to return, the ones waiting on the beaches of Troy to see whose slaves they will be, as well as flickering back in time to hear the stories of women like Briseis- whose removal from Achilles' tent to Agammemnon's caused Achilles to refuse to fight for most of Homer's Iliad. Penelope's story is told as letters to her husband Odysseus throughout the book and we get her absolutely brilliant personality and wit in her thoughts of the bard's tales of Odysseus' adventures. She is by far my favorite person in the entire book.

I loved how Calliope forces her (unnamed) blind bard to see the tragedy of the war instead of the epic manly greatness he thought he wanted to write about. Calliope points out that the casualties of war don't end on the battlefield and that the deaths or tragedies of the women might hurt more exactly because they rarely get to fight back. Her argument that the women are people and should be memorialized just as much as the men is enhanced by including stories of little known women. Creusa, wife of Aeneas and Laodamia, devoted wife of Greek king Protesilaus have their stories told just the same as the Amazon Penthesilea or Hector's wife Andromache. It's an interesting debate that I think would be divided by gender lines (although maybe here I'm being unfair?): are women who don't literally fight in a war heroes as well? Few of the men we meet in this book are honorable, decent or what I would consider 'heroic' while the women suffer by tending the injured, dealing with famine and plague, fear and captivity, etc. Even Odysseus, who I generally consider the most decent among the Greeks, comes in for his share of questioning by Penelope here.

There is one last question that Haynes asks that has never been asked before (as far as I know): where did the golden apple that started all of this come from? Until I read A Thousand Ships it wasn't a question I had asked, but here a larger and wider story unfolds behind the beauty contest and Paris' judgement that might change the way you look at the entire war and make it truly epic in an entirely different way. 

No owls were harmed (or traded) in the course of this book 

Lighting in a Mirror

 Lightning in a Mirror (Fogg Lake 3)- Jayne Ann Krentz

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: January 18, 2022

Stars: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Olivia LeClair's experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the nasty encounter with the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt—long believed dead—sits down at her table and tells her she's the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab.

This is not what Olivia had in mind when she signed up for the Four Event Success Guaranteed package offered by the dating agency.  She doesn't have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the mysterious Foundation and Victor Arganbright, the director, is adamant that she assist Harlan. There's just one problem—no one knows Harlan's real agenda. His father once ran the Foundation like a mob organization, and Harlan was destined to be his heir.  There's a real possibility Harlan has returned to claim his inheritance. 
 
For now, however, it's a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, the one thing friend and foe have in common is that everyone is convinced she is the key. Her unique psychic talent is required to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex.
 
Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project's most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

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Jayne Ann Krentz wraps up her Fogg Lake Trilogy (The Vanishing, All the Colors of the Night) with a thriller in Lightning in a Mirror. Harlan Rancourt is a powerful talent who passes as nondescript while hunting the monsters of the psychic world. Having disappeared for five years, he's back to help shut down the mysterious Vortex labs- but he's convinced he needs Olivia LeCLair to do that. Private investigator and aura reader, Olivia isn't sure what to make of Harlan, but he's promised to help find her mother's killer so she's willing to help. A series of kidnapping attempts makes it personal. Clearly many people believe Olivia is the key to to secret Vortex labs, even though Olivia herself doesn't. In a race against time Harlan and Olivia must work together to stop a dangerous psychic secret and the people who want to control it before innocent people die.

Olivia is a classic modern woman- tough enough to handle being bait for a serial killer, trying to find the efficient way to weed out the dating losers, and thinking a cat may be the better option when she meets Harlan. He's a bit of a challenge, a bit of a pain in the neck, and a bit clueless in social situations- but exactly the right guy to have at your side when people try to kidnap you or kill you. When he doesn't bother giving her the 'everything will be ok' line after an explosion, she thinks he might have potential. A forthright heroine, a strong-when-working-slightly-unsure-otherwise hero, many spinning plots within plots to get to the center of the conspiracy- this is a plot and character Krentz ties together well and will satisfy all.

Lightning in a Mirror is fast paced and action packed, with plenty of Krentz's dry wit and one liners. Readers new to her books won't need to have read the rest of the series, although it does help. Long time readers will be glad to get a few Easter eggs dropped along the way, particularly at the end as Harlan convinces Victor and Lucas of the Foundation that they should work more with other secretive psychic organizations out there, like a certain Jones & Jones agency . . .

The Siren of Sussex

 The Siren of Sussex- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: January 11, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

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The Siren of Sussex begins a new series where a set of friends more at home on horseback than the ballroom will (hopefully) meet their matches. Evelyn Maltravers begins the series, and the plan, by coming to London for a Season in order to find a husband who will in turn support her family. Ever since her older sister ran off with a neighbor the family fortunes have been falling and now Evie has to marry to save the rest of her sisters. It's a tale as old as time in Victorian England, the difference being Evie knows she's nothing special in the ballroom so she plans to make her big splash where she does shine: on horseback. But to really set her apart she needs fabulous riding habits and that sends her to Ahmad Malik, half-Indian, half-English, and all genius when it comes to designing women's clothes. There's a spark between them from the beginning, but plenty of hurdles to overcome before love can win the day.

The Siren of Sussex may be my new favorite of Mimi Matthews' books- books which have always impressed me with excellent writing, detailed descriptions and enjoyable characters. Matthews takes all of this to a new level in Siren with characters willing to look outside of the box to solve their problems, face problems together, change plans as they go, and more. One of the things that always bothers me in books is when characters start the book with a PLAN-whether for their entire life or a set goal- and don't admit that this PLAN can change when they change over the course of the story (until the end of the book at least- I do like a happy ending). Evie starts off with a plan: make her debut on horseback and find someone to marry and support her younger sisters. But when she realizes it's Ahmad she loves, she is completely willing to change plans right away. Then it becomes about how she and Ahmad can be together. Matthews does a good job of not shying away from racism or classism. Evie goes from being a Sussex innocent to discovering how Britain treats India and her people in an excellent scene at Hatchards Books. She also glimpses the lives of seamstresses in sweatshops, the poor living at the docks, and many other worlds that a country gentlewoman would often not be exposed to.  Her instinct is always to help, to stand by her man, to work with him towards the greater good. 

Ahmad's only goal is to have his own dressmaking shop and that goal is nearly in reach. He has to deal with sexual harassment (and more) from some of his wealthy clients who think he can't say 'no' because of his position. He always feels like he's living on the outside- not truly English, not truly Indian. Evie becomes his muse because he can't admit he loves her, then he wants to do the honorable thing and stay away to not ruin her plans. He's a wonderfully complicated, caring, thoughtful man and easy to see why Evie falls for him.  Since Matthews believes in happy endings for her main characters, the challenge is how will they overcome the obstacles in front of them and make things work? It's as complicated as real life, but I found it to have quite the perfect ending.

I can't finish this review without singing the praise to one of the great characters in The Siren of Sussex: fashion. For those of you who don't know, Mimi Matthews has written a nonfiction book, A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty. Her research into 1861-2 women's fashions comes through each page here- beautiful and detailed without being overdone, much like Ahmad's designs themselves.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Untold Story

 The Untold Story (Invisible Library Series)- Genevieve Cogman

Ace 

Release Date: December 28, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Irene is trying to learn the truth about Alberich-and the possibility that he's her father. But when the Library orders her to kill him, and then Alberich himself offers to sign a truce, she has to discover why he originally betrayed the Library.

With her allies endangered and her strongest loyalties under threat, she'll have to trace his past across multiple worlds and into the depths of mythology and folklore, to find the truth at the heart of the Library, and why the Library was first created. 

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In the aftermath of The Dark Archive Irene is both shaken and angry. It turns out rogue Librarian Alberich, who has tried to kill Irene and her friends numerous times (and has successfully killed other Librarians plenty of times) may actually be Irene's biological father. It naturally leads to questions like: who knew this? and why did no one tell Irene? Questions she very much wants the answers to. But she isn't given time to wonder about them. Worlds are disappearing, Alberich has agreed to sign a truce, Fae are starting to worry that the Library is Up-To-Something. And Irene, Kai, Vale, and Catherine are starting to gather evidence that suggests that some of the myths dragons ignore and Alberich's conspiracy theories lead to the very heart of why the Library was created-and who created it.

The Untold Story is a fast paced thriller adventure story that feels like it has more in common with the original Invisible Library than several other books in the series. While the first book remains my all time favorite, Untold Story may have become my second favorite in the series. It's hard to write about the story without giving away spoilers- but this book rocked!

Throughout the series we've seen Irene go from book thief to reluctant diplomat and here she gets to be her best (and worst) self. That may be the theme of Untold Story overall in fact: when are we willing to do bad things with good intentions or good things with questionable intentions. a version of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"? Irene has struggled with this moral dilemma for a while now and has a harder time with it when she has to worry that maybe, as Alberich's daughter, she would have a predisposition for questionable actions. And she still has a tendency to take on too much guilt over choices that aren't hers- when Catherine, Vale, and Kai choose to help her they are doing it because of friendship, or because they believe it is the right thing to do, not because she's tricked them into helping her. Sadly, no one ever points out that Irene's feelings make her her own person and not her father's daughter. 

Vale, Kai, and Catherine each get some good action here. Catherine in particular gets a great, if short, "Librarian rant" towards the end that will have you cheering. It's something you can easily imagine a younger Irene saying, and something probably most of us who were drawn originally to this series on hearing the phrase "magical Library" will love. It definitely made her a hero for me. Vale gets to come through with true Sherlockian flair several times and this was the first book in the series where I was happy with Kai and Irene as lovers.

The only spoilers I will grant the reader are these: just when you start to panic that the book can't possibly be long enough to solve everything, Genevieve Cogman pulls off another brilliant solution and prevents us from a dreaded cliff-hanger ending. And you will close this book with a happy sigh and a grin, a book hang-over, and a need to re-read the series from the start to look for clues that the brilliant Cogman has apparently been laying for us all along to build up to this excellent Untold Story.

I do definitely recommend reading, if not the entire series, at least The Dark Archive before reading The Untold Story to be up to date on Alberich. But really, read the series. In order. Its fantasy world building genius.

The Churchill Sisters

 The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters- Rachel Trethewey 

St. Martin's Press

Release Date: December  7, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis:  Bright, attractive and well-connected, in any other family the Churchill girls – Diana, Sarah, Marigold and Mary – would have shone. But they were not in another family, they were Churchills, and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it. From their father – ‘the greatest Englishman’ – to their brother, golden boy Randolph, to their eccentric and exciting cousins, the Mitford Girls, they were surrounded by a clan of larger-than-life characters which often saw them overlooked. While Marigold died too young to achieve her potential, the other daughters lived lives full of passion, drama and tragedy.

Diana, intense and diffident; Sarah, glamorous and stubborn; Mary, dependable yet determined – each so different but each imbued with a sense of responsibility toward each other and their country. Far from being cosseted debutantes, these women were eyewitnesses at some of the most important events in world history, at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam. Yet this is not a story set on the battlefields or in Parliament; it is an intimate saga that sheds light on the complex dynamics of family set against the backdrop of a tumultuous century.

Drawing on previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives, The Churchill Sisters brings Winston’s daughters out of the shadows and tells their remarkable stories for the first time

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The Churchill Sisters is the first book I've read devoted solely to the daughters of Winston Churchill, where they are the focus instead of mentioned on the sides, as in Lynne Olson's fabulous books Citizens of London and Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile. Diana, Sarah, and Mary Churchill each lived in a world where women were, at least initially, considered second to men- and as a man of his era Winston thought this way too.  It was exposure to strong women like his wife Clementine and his daughters that made Winston change his mind. But also in the Churchill house, Winston came first always. Everyone believed his career and his work came first. This, combined with being the children of a great man and being children in a time when their class rarely were raised by their parents, and the childhood the younger generation of Churchills had was quite different from one we would recognize today. Their mother, Clementine, was like many others of her generation and class and was distant from her children, especially when they were young, which all of them came to regret later in life.  

I was a little disappointed with the first half of the book, as it didn't tell me anything particularly new. Anyone who has read The Splendid and the Vile or Citizens of London will know most of the early stories of the girls, particularly the war years as they came into their own helping in the war effort. Author Tretheway lingers a bit on each daughter's psychological need to live up to their parent's expectations but beyond that I didn't learn anything new. The second half, post World War II, however, I found more interesting because that was uncharted territory for me. The tragic stories of Diana and Sarah- each trying to find fulfillment in their own ways and never quite reaching their goals or happiness- were heartbreaking. Sarah and Mary taking turns being the one the others leaned on as the others fell apart, the mental illnesses and emotional collapses each sister experienced but tried to keep from their parents . . . the Churchills seems to be a family ahead of their time in accepting the idea of mental illness and treating it as an illness, one to be handled by doctors and not ignored with a 'stiff upper lip', which I was impressed by. 

Each daughter tried to live up to the father their worshipped as a hero and wanted to have look proudly on them, each wanted to make their mother's life a bit easier in caring for that father. Yet they also wanted to be their own person, and went in separate ways to discover who they were and what they might do with their lives. Although constrained at times by the society they grew up in and by the shadow of their father, they each faced life's challenges head on- whether that became constructive or destructive. 

While the writing wasn't always top level and was occasionally repetitive, I would certainly recommend The Churchill Sisters to anyone interested in women's lives over the course of the twentieth century, history buffs, and, of course, Churchill fans. A good new addition to the library, using archives newly opened to researchers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Guild Boss

 Guild Boss (Harmony #15)- Jayne Castle

Berkley 

Release Date: November 16, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Living in this new, alien world doesn’t stop the settlers from trying to re-create what they’ve left behind. Case in point—weddings are still the highlight of any social calendar. But it’s the after-party that turns disastrous for Lucy Bell. Kidnapped and drugged as she leaves the party, she manages to escape—only to find herself lost in the mysterious, alien underground maze of glowing green tunnels beneath Illusion Town. She’s been surviving on determination and cold pizza, scavenged for her by a special dust bunny, when help finally shows up.  

Gabriel Jones is the Ghost Hunter sent to rescue her, but escaping the underground ruins isn’t the end of her troubles—it’s only the beginning. With no rational reason for her abduction, and her sole witness gone on another assignment for the Guild, whispers start circulating that Lucy made it all up. Soon her life unravels until she has nothing left but her pride. The last thing she expects is for Gabriel Jones to come back to town for her. 
 
The Lucy that Gabriel finds is not the same woman he rescued, the one who looked at him as if he were her hero. This Lucy is sharp, angry, and more than a little cynical—instead of awe, she treats him with extreme caution. But a killer is still hunting her, and there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to heroes. Despite her wariness, Gabriel is also the one person who believes Lucy—after all, he was there. He’s determined to help clear her reputation, no matter what it takes. And as the new Guild Boss, his word is law, even in the lawlessness of Illusion Town.

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When Gabriel Jones rescues Lucy Bell from the alien catacombs, immediately leaves for another Guild assignment, then returns to Illusion Town two months later hoping she'll be thrilled to see him, he learns a very important lesson: don't wait two months and expect the lady to be thrilled to see you, even if you did save her life. No one believes Lucy's story about being drugged and kidnapped, including Gabriel at first. But as strange events and dead bodies begin to pile up, Lucy's story looks a lot more believable. The only problem becomes- the kidnappers failed the first time, and will now have to try again.

Jayne Castle fans rejoice! Readers get to return to Harmony, and here Illusion Town- Harmony's answer to Las Vegas. The thrills are real, the laws are flexible, and anything can be had for a price. Except things might be changing, because now Illusion Town has its own Guild- with a Jones as Guild Boss. Long time Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle fans know exactly what that means: powerfully psychic and intelligent men and women who are more than up to some strange challenges. And Gabriel Jones (a descendent of my personal favorite Amanda Quick hero from Second Sight) more than lives up to his family reputation. Dry sense of humor, interesting psychic profile, and more than willing to partner with a dust bunny to see a mission through. As the new Guild Boss starting a new Guild poor Gabriel suffers terribly for the sake of public relations and image, but at least he as Lucy and PR whiz Aiden on his side to remind him to smile as they pile on the torment. 

Lucy is more than a match for Gabriel. Despite everyone telling her she's crazy, she has never doubted that she knows the truth of what happened to her, even if she doesn't know why. She hangs on to her pride and professionalism even when she's driving a tour bus. She's not looking for a handout or a rescue, but she's not too proud to turn down a job even when she's not sure what she wants from Gabriel on a personal level. I loved how Gabriel was so openly in awe of her talent and supported her ever every step of the way. They fit together perfectly. And who can not love Otis? Another adorable dust bunny, Otis has an addiction to cheese and olive pizza and a bit of a diva complex when it comes to direction for what he sees as not good reason- which is pretty funny. Apparently dust bunnies might love having their pictures taken, but are not destined to be stars of the silver screen. Or would it be amber screen on Harmony?

A fun romp through Illusion Town, Jayne Castle fans won't be disappointed with Guild Boss. Full of Castle's trademark dry humor, crackling chemistry, and dust bunny fun, Guild Boss was entertaining from start to finish. Plenty of "Easter eggs" for long time readers of Krentz/Quick/Castle books, newer readers won't feel too left out- but should definitely end the book feeling like they have whole new worlds they want to explore before the next new release!

Down A Dark River

 Down A Dark River - Karen Odden

Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: November 9, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: London, 1878. One April morning, a small boat bearing a young woman’s corpse floats down the murky waters of the Thames. When the victim is identified as Rose Albert, daughter of a prominent judge, the Scotland Yard director gives the case to Michael Corravan, one of the only Senior Inspectors remaining after a corruption scandal the previous autumn left the division in ruins. Reluctantly, Corravan abandons his ongoing case, a search for the missing wife of a shipping magnate, handing it over to his young colleague, Mr. Stiles.

An Irish former bare-knuckles boxer and dockworker from London’s seedy East End, Corravan has good street sense and an inspector’s knack for digging up clues. But he’s confounded when, a week later, a second woman is found dead in a rowboat, and then a third. The dead women seem to have no connection whatsoever. Meanwhile, Mr. Stiles makes an alarming discovery: the shipping magnate’s missing wife, Mrs. Beckford, may not have fled her house because she was insane, as her husband claims, and Mr. Beckford may not be the successful man of business that he appears to be.
 
Slowly, it becomes clear that the river murders and the case of Mrs. Beckford may be linked through some terrible act of injustice in the past—for which someone has vowed a brutal vengeance. Now, with the newspapers once again trumpeting the Yard’s failures, Corravan must dredge up the truth—before London devolves into a state of panic and before the killer claims another innocent victim.

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In Karen Odden's newest historical mystery, Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan must discover the murderer of a young woman who is placed in a small rowboat on the Thames. Overworked, Corravan gives the case of a missing woman to his colleague Stiles. But as more women are murdered the men discover that the missing woman and the dead girls have more in common than meets the eye. And it may be that secrets hidden in the posh Mayfair residences instead of seedy riverside docks hide the clues to solve the cases and save other innocent lives.

Unlike Odden's other books (A Trace of Deceit, A Dangerous Duet, A Lady in the Smoke) Down a Dark River features not a young woman trying to solve a mystery, but a Scotland Yard inspector.  Michael Corravan is hampered by the fact that he's Irish at a time when the English don't like the Irish, he's from Whitechapel when he's investigating the murder of upperclass women, and still prominent in the public mind is the trial of four Scotland Yard detectives for taking bribes, the Yard has been reorganized and its credit with the public is at an all-time low. Corravan wants to find the killer but his stubborn push for answers isn't getting him anything but enemies and political red tape from higher ups at the Yard. 

I loved Corravan even when I was frustrated with him. He is a complex, flawed, but basically decent man, wrestling with how to best solve cases and help others. He values his small circle of friends and family, although he doesn't always know how to show it. As his lover, author Belinda Gale puts it, Michael likes being the knight solving everyone's problems, but he doesn't like being seen as human, with all the messy emotions that come with it. He's as prickly as a porcupine, never wants to ask help of anyone, and is slow to trust. As Dark River progresses we see Corravan try to change his approach to life and maybe that's what leads to the questions he (and the reader) have to ask themselves at the end. What is justice? How are justice and revenge different? Can it be found through the law courts and police procedures or only on the streets? Are there some people so self-centered (or evil) that they can't be touched by either? Are there some crimes that can never be balanced?

In Dark River Corravan's view of himself and the secondary characters evolves over the course of the book and the reader gets a more nuanced view of people as the book progresses. His relations with others develops over the course of the book too- I especially liked how his relationship with his supervisor Vincent and junior Stiles changed over the course of the book. One character the reader sees clearly from the beginning is London- and the Thames. Karen Odden has a special talent for making her locations as much of a living, breathing character as any flesh and blood character in her books and from the slimy docks at the Thames to the glittery streets of Mayfair, she succeeds brilliantly again here.    

Down a Dark River is timely in many ways, without seeming to preach to the reader or put modern views into Victorian character's mouths. Corravan has to struggle with power throughout the book: who has it, who uses it, and what do they use it for. It appears in different places and different ways, asking Corravan and the reader to look at ever situation and person through multiple angles before reaching conclusions. Powerful men he meets try to prevent him from pursuing his investigations, while he meets women with no formal political or social power trying to do incredible acts of kindness and life changing work.  In many ways this is Corravan's wake up call to see that the people he thinks of as powerless are not the only ones without a voice, and makes him wonder how that lack of power would effect him, as well as those around him. Hopefully we will get to see more of Michael Corravan in the future, and he will hang on to the lessons he learned the hard way here, as they certainly make him a better, more compassionate detective and man. Something Victorian England needed every bit as much as we do today. 

Possible Trigger Warnings: Discussions of rape and violence