A Pretender's Murder - (Eric Peterkin) by Christopher Huang (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The year is 1925. A labyrinth of roads and rails spirals out from the bones of a nearly forgotten settlement. Londinium. Once the far-flung edge of the vast Roman Empire, it is now the seat of a greater one.

Few have given more for the Empire than Colonel Hadrian Russell. Robbed of his four sons by the Great War, he now holds court as the acting president of the Britannia, a prestigious soldiers-only club in London. But when the Colonel is shot and thrown out the club's front window, it seems the shadows of the Great War may extend further than previously thought.

Lieutenant Eric Peterkin, newly installed secretary at the Britannia, finds himself thrust into the role of detective after Scotland Yard points fingers at friends he knows are innocent. But is the true murderer an unknown spy? Or a recently resurfaced friend of the Colonel's dead sons? Or is it one of the Colonel's four widowed daughters-in-law, who by all appearances paid him complete devotion?

Accusations from personal betrayal to wartime espionage mount among the suspects as Eric's investigation draws him back to scenes and sites of a war he's sought to leave behind. From the greening fields of Flanders and the springtime streets of Paris to the sterile wards of a Swiss sanatorium, and back to the Britannia itself, Eric finds that even myths leave behind bones.

Review Quotes

"Huang's impressive debut will delight fans of golden age detective fiction... plotting, characters, and atmosphere are all top-notch." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Huang surrounds his engaging lead character with a meaty supporting cast, many of whom quickly become suspects with tantalizing motives. The mystery itself is clever and should keep even the most experienced whodunit finders guessings. We hope [this] will be only the first of many Eric Peterkin adventures." --Booklist

"A mystery that recalls the best of Golden Age detective fiction. With fresh characters and unique twists, Huang has created a whodunit with just the right mix of old and new." --Andy Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter

"With a steady hand and a sharp eye, Christopher Huang brings a lost world gloriously back to life, skewers it, and uses it to spin an irresistible tale. A Gentleman's Murder offers a rare treat for modern fans of the Golden Age." --Catriona McPherson, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Lefty winning author of the Dandy Gilver series

"Dorothy Sayers is alive and well and writing under the name of Christopher Huang. A Gentleman's Murder echoes the traditional mysteries in the best sense: no car chases or explosions, just great characters and a feel for time and place." --Rhys Bowen, New York Times-bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and two-time winner of the Agatha Award

"Settings and atmosphere captured perfectly from nearly a century ago, complex characters, and a compelling mystery--Christopher Huang's A Gentleman's Murder is a must read for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry." --Daryl Maxwell, Los Angeles Public Library

"A dazzlingly atmospheric debut that transports you to 1920s London. A Gentleman's Murder is a meticulous mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and please fans of both Agatha Christie and Gillian Flynn." --Sarah Nivala, Book Soup

"A locked room traditional mystery that does justice to its inspirations, even as it aids in the genres continuing evolution." --CrimeReads

"In A Gentleman's Murder, we have gentlemen murdering gentleman in a war-exhausted England trying to rebuild itself into something new." --Carolyn Haley, New York Journal of Books

"For fans of mysteries who would like an updated Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." --Liberty Hardy, Book Riot

"Christopher Huang's debut novel, A Gentleman's Murder, is set in post-First World War England, but incorporates themes--race, the psychic toll of war--seldom acknowledged in classic mysteries of that era." --Ian McGillis, The Montreal Gazette