Review: Sins of the flesh...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 20, 2012
This fourth outing for Charles Murray of Letho is just as enjoyable as the rest. This time we see Murray settled at his estate in Fife, giving Lexie Conyngham an opportunity to show us another aspect of Scottish life at the beginning of the 19th century. As always, her descriptive writing is excellent and the society she depicts seems completely authentic.When an unknown woman is found dying, Murray and Blair, who is visiting from Edinburgh, set out to discover who she was and what has brought her to Letho. Meantime a pregnant housemaid has disappeared and two young ladies have arrived in Letho, stirring the curiosity of the inhabitants in general while the pretty, lively, younger sister stirs the emotions of the young men in particular. Scandal abounds in this book and Conyngham shows us how the sins of the flesh were seen by society and dealt with by the Church.Murray continues to be a likeable character though in this case most of the detection is done by his eccentric friend Blair. As always, Conyngham takes us below stairs as well as above and the servants are as important to the plot as the upper-classes. Enjoyable, light crime in a well-depicted historical setting - recommended.