A Fascinating Time for Murder

This was a quick, interesting read that centered around a young chambermaid in service to a London magistrate during the chaos of the Restoration period. The mystery was enjoyably twisty, but was occasionally overshadowed by either Lucy's personal storyline or the background events of the time period which Calkins highlighted. It was a bit like reading two distinct stories developing side by side - a murder mystery and a work of historical fiction with romantic elements. While I was interested in both, they were not blended as well as they could have been. I find that authors tend to learn from what awkwardness might appear in their first works and improve in successive efforts, so I have high hopes for the further exploits of Lucy Campion.

The historical detail that Calkins wove throughout the story was immaculate - barring the inconsistencies she herself pointed out as deliberate in the Historical Note at the end - and served to create an easily visualized London caught up in the social and political change which the return of Charles II ignited. It was a really fascinating era during which to set a murder mystery! Lucy, our main character, is ideally placed in English society for this particular time period because the blurring of social lines will be all the more apparently illustrated by her ascension from lowly chambermaid to whatever role she is able to rise to. It took me a moment to digest the seemingly cheesy fairytale ending of the story and realize that although it seems fanciful that a girl born into the servant class could come to be something of an equal in her master's household and go so far as to entertain thoughts of marriage to a magistrate's son and employment amongst educated men, it was not entirely impossible that such a case could have occurred. I wouldn't go so far as to say Lucy could have had all of this, but the personal barriers that were all but erased when servants tended their masters during the ravages of the plague did in fact lead to certain societal barriers collapsing as well. Such occurred to a lesser extent during the outbreak of the Black Death in the Middle Ages. So, could a girl like Lucy Campion have lived and experienced these self-same new opportunities? Yes ... but again, I think Calkins was a little overenthusiastic in making it seem as though every single obstacle had been obliterated.

This story had difficulty with the duality of its genre, but all in all it was a great read. I look forward to reading more books starring Lucy and following her rising star. Bravo!

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 WATCH OUT FOR FROM THE CHARRED REMAINS, BOOK #2 IN THE LUCY CAMPION MYSTERY SERIES

Available April 22nd!