Rendezvous with Death by Sally Spencer

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: England, 1898

First Sentence: The fog had begun of descend just before nightfall, and within minutes it had covered the whole of the area north of the river.

This novel is the first in Spencer's Inspector Blackstone series which currently runs to twelve books.

Sally Spencer is the pen name of English author Alan Rustage.

This novel was a fantastic read.  I just could not put it down.  The pages flew by, and I finished the book in a day. (Which is pretty fast for me!)

Since this is the first book in the series, the author had to introduce us to our main character, Sam Blackstone.  So, sprinkled throughout the novel are tantalizing references to Blackstone's backstory.  But for the most part, the author told us what we needed to know, and got on with the plot.

Inspector Blackstone is a dedicated officer of Scotland Yard.  Normally, his cases are easy to solve.  Just a few questions, and a couple of threats, and the culprit is easily identified.

Now, Blackstone is presented with a different type of murder.  The victim is a member of an aristocratic family more concerned with protecting the family name than identifying the murderer.  Every step of the way it seems that Blackstone's investigation is impeded by the social norms concerning those who live at the top of British society.

Queen Victoria's grand sixtieth Jubilee forms the back drop of the novel.  Could it be that Blackstone's case might have repercussions reaching to the pinnacle of British aristocracy, the Queen herself?

In Blackstone, the author has created a great character.  I liked him, and I liked this novel.

And I intend to read the entire series.

Five Stars!