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Benjamin January #21
Murder in the Trembling Lands
Masked balls, duels and murder: musician, sleuth and free man of color Benjamin January is caught up in a shocking crime in this gripping nineteenth-century mystery set in New Orleans.
February, 1841. It’s Carnival season in New Orleans. Free man of color Benjamin January – a surgeon turned piano player, with a talent for attracting trouble – is playing at an opulent masked ball when, little to his surprise, a quarrel breaks out between two guests, and his services are requested at a duel. Young planter Bastien Damoreau has accused a recent arrival to town of passing himself off as white – an insult not to be borne.
The duel results in the stranger’s death. But when January examines the body, he’s disturbed to realise that young Damoreau couldn’t possibly be the killer, as the dead man was shot from behind . . .
January knows it’s murder, but this is white people’s business, and calling attention to himself is not a risk he can afford to take. So when Detective Abishag Shaw asks if he’ll investigate, he declines – a decision he will later come to regret.
Murder in the Trembling Lands by NYT-bestselling author Barbara Hambly is the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed historical mystery series featuring “winning character” Benjamin January, who “nimbly mov[es] through parts of history we should all know better” (The New York Times)
February, 1841. It’s Carnival season in New Orleans. Free man of color Benjamin January – a surgeon turned piano player, with a talent for attracting trouble – is playing at an opulent masked ball when, little to his surprise, a quarrel breaks out between two guests, and his services are requested at a duel. Young planter Bastien Damoreau has accused a recent arrival to town of passing himself off as white – an insult not to be borne.
The duel results in the stranger’s death. But when January examines the body, he’s disturbed to realise that young Damoreau couldn’t possibly be the killer, as the dead man was shot from behind . . .
January knows it’s murder, but this is white people’s business, and calling attention to himself is not a risk he can afford to take. So when Detective Abishag Shaw asks if he’ll investigate, he declines – a decision he will later come to regret.
Murder in the Trembling Lands by NYT-bestselling author Barbara Hambly is the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed historical mystery series featuring “winning character” Benjamin January, who “nimbly mov[es] through parts of history we should all know better” (The New York Times)
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
20 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,587 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 2, 2025
Ben January is adept at walking the fine lines that a free man of color in 1840s New Orleans must, but the Carnival season of 1841 tests him sorely. When he is approached by “not my cousin” (read white half-brother) Michie Janvier to help the surviving daughter of a plantation owner reclaim the property they lost in 1814, Ben can’t avoid it. The search brings great danger to Ben’s family but also leads him to re-examine his own part in the battles of that year. Hambly knows her history, and Ben’s adventures illuminate the period, but the real pleasure here is the continuing development of Ben’s family and friends throughout the series. Watching Ben unravel the mystery through deceptions, deliberate misdirection, and violent opposition drives the narrative splendidly. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
November 28, 2025
I’m from California, so for me, “trembling lands” has an entirely different meaning…
Oddly enough, although I am a big fan of historical mysteries, especially those set in unusual times or places, I haven’t previously read any of Barbara Hambly’s Benjamin January series, set in 1830s New Orleans. Recently, however, I received a review copy of the latest title, Murder in the Trembling Lands, and now I don’t know why it took me so long to get started.
January is, as the title of the first book in the series proclaims, a free man of color, but that doesn’t mean his life is easy. Many people depend on him, so although he is a surgeon and a musician, there’s never enough money. Hambly does a fine job of portraying the society of the time in New Orleans, with its unbalanced, almost unbelievably bizarre, relationships between whites and blacks. So although January is acknowledged by (most of) the family of his mother’s former “protector”, that acceptance doesn’t run very deep, and he still must navigate a very narrow path of acceptability, or face financial ruin.
All of which explains why January feels he has to accept a commission from the privileged and rather naïve son of that former protector to figure out what really happened during a long-ago battle at a plantation upriver, in the trembling lands. (Which, I was amused to find out, are NOT areas that are prone to earthquakes, but rather lands on the borders of the bayous that flood readily and are muddy and unsuitable for crops.) And his investigation seems to be entwined with the mysterious death of one of the parties to a duel that January had been the doctor for. Or is it? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Although the two mysteries were the basis of most of the action, I was more intrigued by some of the aspects of January’s everyday life. The idea that he has to worry about unscrupulous slavers who would be happy to abduct and sell him into slavery, free man or not, was abhorrent, but felt all too real, especially when he tried to plan his travel to avoid situations where he would be vulnerable. And the contrast between January’s sharp intelligence and the subservient manners he has to assume around whites was also striking – and also wrong. But both are likely accurate descriptions of the time and place...
All-in-all, I very much enjoyed both the “historical” and the “mystery” parts of Murder in the Trembling Lands, and now, sadly, I have to add the twenty previous books in the series to my “to be read” list. Which doesn’t have room for even one more book, but what can you do? And finally, my thanks go to Severn House and NetGalley for my review copy.
Oddly enough, although I am a big fan of historical mysteries, especially those set in unusual times or places, I haven’t previously read any of Barbara Hambly’s Benjamin January series, set in 1830s New Orleans. Recently, however, I received a review copy of the latest title, Murder in the Trembling Lands, and now I don’t know why it took me so long to get started.
January is, as the title of the first book in the series proclaims, a free man of color, but that doesn’t mean his life is easy. Many people depend on him, so although he is a surgeon and a musician, there’s never enough money. Hambly does a fine job of portraying the society of the time in New Orleans, with its unbalanced, almost unbelievably bizarre, relationships between whites and blacks. So although January is acknowledged by (most of) the family of his mother’s former “protector”, that acceptance doesn’t run very deep, and he still must navigate a very narrow path of acceptability, or face financial ruin.
All of which explains why January feels he has to accept a commission from the privileged and rather naïve son of that former protector to figure out what really happened during a long-ago battle at a plantation upriver, in the trembling lands. (Which, I was amused to find out, are NOT areas that are prone to earthquakes, but rather lands on the borders of the bayous that flood readily and are muddy and unsuitable for crops.) And his investigation seems to be entwined with the mysterious death of one of the parties to a duel that January had been the doctor for. Or is it? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Although the two mysteries were the basis of most of the action, I was more intrigued by some of the aspects of January’s everyday life. The idea that he has to worry about unscrupulous slavers who would be happy to abduct and sell him into slavery, free man or not, was abhorrent, but felt all too real, especially when he tried to plan his travel to avoid situations where he would be vulnerable. And the contrast between January’s sharp intelligence and the subservient manners he has to assume around whites was also striking – and also wrong. But both are likely accurate descriptions of the time and place...
All-in-all, I very much enjoyed both the “historical” and the “mystery” parts of Murder in the Trembling Lands, and now, sadly, I have to add the twenty previous books in the series to my “to be read” list. Which doesn’t have room for even one more book, but what can you do? And finally, my thanks go to Severn House and NetGalley for my review copy.
May 17, 2025
Book Review: Murder in the Trembling Lands by Barbara Hambly
A Masterful Blend of History and Mystery
Barbara Hambly’s Murder in the Trembling Lands is the latest installment in her acclaimed Benjamin January historical mystery series, delivering another richly atmospheric and meticulously researched tale. Set in New Orleans during the vibrant chaos of Carnival season in 1841, the novel follows Benjamin January—a free Black man, surgeon, and gifted pianist—as he navigates a web of intrigue, racial tensions, and murder. Hambly’s signature attention to historical detail shines, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and social complexities of antebellum Louisiana. The mystery itself is taut and layered, but the novel’s true strength lies in its exploration of identity, justice, and survival in a society rife with prejudice.
Key Strengths
-Historical Authenticity: Hambly’s portrayal of 19th-century New Orleans is vivid and unflinching, from the opulence of Creole society to the brutality of systemic racism.
-Complex Protagonist: Benjamin January remains one of historical fiction’s most compelling heroes—intelligent, resilient, and deeply human.
-Social Commentary: The novel deftly weaves its mystery with themes of race, class, and power, offering more than just a whodunit.
Potential Considerations
-Series Familiarity: New readers might benefit from starting earlier in the series to fully appreciate Benjamin’s backstory.
-Pacing: The meticulous historical detail, while enriching, occasionally slows the plot’s momentum.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
-Historical Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – A time machine to the gaslit streets of old New Orleans.
-Characterization: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – January’s quiet brilliance steals every scene.
-Plot & Suspense: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A slow burn with a satisfying, twist-laden payoff.
-Thematic Resonance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – As much a social novel as a mystery.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – Like a perfectly aged bourbon—complex, smoky, and impossible to put down.
Ideal Audience
-Fans of historical mysteries à la C.S. Harris or Anne Perry, craving depth alongside drama.
-Readers interested in antebellum America’s racial and cultural tensions.
-Anyone who loves protagonists who outwit oppression with wit and grace.
Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbara Hambly for the advance copy. Murder in the Trembling Lands is a testament to Hambly’s enduring skill—a mystery that entertains, educates, and lingers long after the final page.
Note: Review based on an ARC; minor refinements may appear in the final edition.
A Masterful Blend of History and Mystery
Barbara Hambly’s Murder in the Trembling Lands is the latest installment in her acclaimed Benjamin January historical mystery series, delivering another richly atmospheric and meticulously researched tale. Set in New Orleans during the vibrant chaos of Carnival season in 1841, the novel follows Benjamin January—a free Black man, surgeon, and gifted pianist—as he navigates a web of intrigue, racial tensions, and murder. Hambly’s signature attention to historical detail shines, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and social complexities of antebellum Louisiana. The mystery itself is taut and layered, but the novel’s true strength lies in its exploration of identity, justice, and survival in a society rife with prejudice.
Key Strengths
-Historical Authenticity: Hambly’s portrayal of 19th-century New Orleans is vivid and unflinching, from the opulence of Creole society to the brutality of systemic racism.
-Complex Protagonist: Benjamin January remains one of historical fiction’s most compelling heroes—intelligent, resilient, and deeply human.
-Social Commentary: The novel deftly weaves its mystery with themes of race, class, and power, offering more than just a whodunit.
Potential Considerations
-Series Familiarity: New readers might benefit from starting earlier in the series to fully appreciate Benjamin’s backstory.
-Pacing: The meticulous historical detail, while enriching, occasionally slows the plot’s momentum.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
-Historical Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – A time machine to the gaslit streets of old New Orleans.
-Characterization: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – January’s quiet brilliance steals every scene.
-Plot & Suspense: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A slow burn with a satisfying, twist-laden payoff.
-Thematic Resonance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – As much a social novel as a mystery.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – Like a perfectly aged bourbon—complex, smoky, and impossible to put down.
Ideal Audience
-Fans of historical mysteries à la C.S. Harris or Anne Perry, craving depth alongside drama.
-Readers interested in antebellum America’s racial and cultural tensions.
-Anyone who loves protagonists who outwit oppression with wit and grace.
Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbara Hambly for the advance copy. Murder in the Trembling Lands is a testament to Hambly’s enduring skill—a mystery that entertains, educates, and lingers long after the final page.
Note: Review based on an ARC; minor refinements may appear in the final edition.
July 25, 2025
Firstly, don’t let the fact that this is the twenty-first book in the series put you off. While there is an overarching story of Ben’s life across the series, each book explores a particular murder mystery involving Ben and as such, doesn’t leave you floundering.
Ben January is now settled with a wife and children and is well known within New Orleans as a gifted musician and physician. Rose, his wife, has established a school that specialises in teaching black children who otherwise wouldn’t receive a decent education. That said, it’s a constant struggle, especially as times are hard. Some parents can no longer afford the school fees.
So when Ben’s white half-brother offers him a large sum of money to help investigate what he claims is a terrible injustice committed some twenty-six years ago, when war came to New Orleans, Ben isn’t in a position to refuse. That said, he finds digging into this portion of the past raises some painful memories – and we learn of the events that led up to Ben’s decision to leave New Orleans for France when he was a young man.
What stands out for me every time I dive into one of Hambly’s Ben January books is the vividness of the worldbuilding. I can effortlessly visualise the street scenes, smell the scent of burnt sugar, raw sewerage, cooking, spices and the thick heavy smell of the river. And when Ben visits the ruined plantations, where the soil has been exhausted by intensive cultivation of sugar cane and half flooded in the major storm of 1831 – I am immersed in the vegetation, the feel of the mud and wildlife. The trembling lands of the title alludes to the marshland, where islets of firm ground give way to marsh where a man can sink up to his chest in plant-thickened ooze which quickly entangles him.
The characters are just as vividly depicted. I find such immersion into this harsh, corrupt society of long ago to be spellbinding – and I always surface with a huge surge of thankfulness that I’m in the here and now. This particular adventure is poignant and the betrayal of the free men of colour who chose to fight off the invaders by reneging on the promise of awarding every enlisted man 160 acres of land was what finally drove Ben January to seek his fortune in France, until the death of his wife brought him back to the land of his birth. Ben and his comrades weren’t even allowed to take part in the Victory March on the grounds that slaves watching men of colour marching with weapons might put ideas in their heads.
I’m aware that I might have given the impression that this book is a rant about the evident injustices within the society. It isn’t. It’s all about the story of a man who finds himself needing to unearth a twenty-six-year-old mystery and is every bit as suspenseful and exciting as thrashing around in swampland while being chased by men with guns can be. But that doesn’t stop Hambly skilfully threading the historical facts around the story so that I put this one down feeling sad and angry on behalf of people long dead. And very much wishing such injustices weren’t still going on. While I obtained an arc of Murder in the Trembling Lands from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
Ben January is now settled with a wife and children and is well known within New Orleans as a gifted musician and physician. Rose, his wife, has established a school that specialises in teaching black children who otherwise wouldn’t receive a decent education. That said, it’s a constant struggle, especially as times are hard. Some parents can no longer afford the school fees.
So when Ben’s white half-brother offers him a large sum of money to help investigate what he claims is a terrible injustice committed some twenty-six years ago, when war came to New Orleans, Ben isn’t in a position to refuse. That said, he finds digging into this portion of the past raises some painful memories – and we learn of the events that led up to Ben’s decision to leave New Orleans for France when he was a young man.
What stands out for me every time I dive into one of Hambly’s Ben January books is the vividness of the worldbuilding. I can effortlessly visualise the street scenes, smell the scent of burnt sugar, raw sewerage, cooking, spices and the thick heavy smell of the river. And when Ben visits the ruined plantations, where the soil has been exhausted by intensive cultivation of sugar cane and half flooded in the major storm of 1831 – I am immersed in the vegetation, the feel of the mud and wildlife. The trembling lands of the title alludes to the marshland, where islets of firm ground give way to marsh where a man can sink up to his chest in plant-thickened ooze which quickly entangles him.
The characters are just as vividly depicted. I find such immersion into this harsh, corrupt society of long ago to be spellbinding – and I always surface with a huge surge of thankfulness that I’m in the here and now. This particular adventure is poignant and the betrayal of the free men of colour who chose to fight off the invaders by reneging on the promise of awarding every enlisted man 160 acres of land was what finally drove Ben January to seek his fortune in France, until the death of his wife brought him back to the land of his birth. Ben and his comrades weren’t even allowed to take part in the Victory March on the grounds that slaves watching men of colour marching with weapons might put ideas in their heads.
I’m aware that I might have given the impression that this book is a rant about the evident injustices within the society. It isn’t. It’s all about the story of a man who finds himself needing to unearth a twenty-six-year-old mystery and is every bit as suspenseful and exciting as thrashing around in swampland while being chased by men with guns can be. But that doesn’t stop Hambly skilfully threading the historical facts around the story so that I put this one down feeling sad and angry on behalf of people long dead. And very much wishing such injustices weren’t still going on. While I obtained an arc of Murder in the Trembling Lands from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
August 17, 2025
It's always a treat to return to the New Orleans of Barbara Hambly's surgeon/musician/detective Benjamin January, whose adventures I've been reading since his first appearance in 1997's A Free Man of Color. In the 21st entry in this series, set in 1841 with substantial flashbacks to 1816, Hambly presents Benjamin January with two intersecting mysteries: the first, undertaken at the request of the son of his mother's one-time protector, involves the rightful ownership of a plantation and the truth of what occurred there during the Battle of Chalmette a quarter-century previously; the second involves a Frenchman newly arrived in the city who is inexplicably provoked into a fatal duel.
Hambly constructs a clever plot with plenty of deceptions and misapprehensions in the past as well as in the present, and she's equally good at unspooling the story for the reader as Benjamin proceeds with his detective work at his own peril. The final sequence, with its flurry of revelations as Benjamin dodges hired killers in a Mardi Gras parade, is genuinely suspenseful. Readers will also most likely learn a great deal they didn't know about a particularly volatile moment in Louisiana (and American) history.
Reading a new Benjamin January mystery is like visiting an old friend. Benjamin's relationship with his wife Rose is as engaging as ever, and it's likewise a pleasure to see the series' regular supporting characters who cross Benjamin's path and aid his investigations in their respective ways, from the infinitely erudite fiddler Hannibal Sefton to Ben's prideful, sharp-tongued mother with her encyclopedic command of New Orleans gossip. Best of all, Hambly has lost none of her knack for bringing 19th-century New Orleans vividly to life, nor her eagle eye for the subtleties of the complex relationships between its Black and white populations and their very different but inextricably intertwined histories (which certainly do not lack contemporary resonance).
Fans of Benjamin January will want to read this well-executed continuation of his adventures. The ending suggests it will not be the last.
With thanks to Severn House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are very definitely my own.
Hambly constructs a clever plot with plenty of deceptions and misapprehensions in the past as well as in the present, and she's equally good at unspooling the story for the reader as Benjamin proceeds with his detective work at his own peril. The final sequence, with its flurry of revelations as Benjamin dodges hired killers in a Mardi Gras parade, is genuinely suspenseful. Readers will also most likely learn a great deal they didn't know about a particularly volatile moment in Louisiana (and American) history.
Reading a new Benjamin January mystery is like visiting an old friend. Benjamin's relationship with his wife Rose is as engaging as ever, and it's likewise a pleasure to see the series' regular supporting characters who cross Benjamin's path and aid his investigations in their respective ways, from the infinitely erudite fiddler Hannibal Sefton to Ben's prideful, sharp-tongued mother with her encyclopedic command of New Orleans gossip. Best of all, Hambly has lost none of her knack for bringing 19th-century New Orleans vividly to life, nor her eagle eye for the subtleties of the complex relationships between its Black and white populations and their very different but inextricably intertwined histories (which certainly do not lack contemporary resonance).
Fans of Benjamin January will want to read this well-executed continuation of his adventures. The ending suggests it will not be the last.
With thanks to Severn House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are very definitely my own.
July 1, 2025
Barbara Hambly writes a wonderful and critically acclaimed historical mystery series set in antebellum New Orleans starring Benjamin January, a surgeon, a musician, reluctant detective and free Black man. Hambly is able put in her stories historical details, atmosphere, great characters and the social nuances of a complex society that is New Orleans in the 1840s: French, Spanish, Americans, enslaved people, poor, rich, whites, free Blacks and where white plantation owners have families with Black mistresses that attend parties together where their white wives are in the same building.
Benjamin January for all his accomplishments and intelligence, it is a struggle to make sure he and his family have enough money to feed and house all those dependent on them. And he daily has to walk a fine line of the racial hostilities and the possibility of slavers kidnapping him into slavery once more. Things get complicated when his half-brother, the white one related to the other side of the family, asks for his help in reclaiming an inheritance an old neighbor is looking for. Knowing his brother is helpless for a woman in distress, Benjamin reluctantly helps because the money is too good. Unfortunately, some people seem determined to make sure this doesn't happen. Benjamin and his family soon find themselves in danger and it all links back to a murder that happened during a duel Benjamin attended. Benjamin will need all his wits and luck to come out of this alive.
This is an excellent series and this installment stands up to the rest of them. It isn't necessarily an easy book to read but if you want rich historical detail and a seemingly realistic portrayal of social interactions and racial hierarchy with a good story this is a series and book to delve into.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Benjamin January for all his accomplishments and intelligence, it is a struggle to make sure he and his family have enough money to feed and house all those dependent on them. And he daily has to walk a fine line of the racial hostilities and the possibility of slavers kidnapping him into slavery once more. Things get complicated when his half-brother, the white one related to the other side of the family, asks for his help in reclaiming an inheritance an old neighbor is looking for. Knowing his brother is helpless for a woman in distress, Benjamin reluctantly helps because the money is too good. Unfortunately, some people seem determined to make sure this doesn't happen. Benjamin and his family soon find themselves in danger and it all links back to a murder that happened during a duel Benjamin attended. Benjamin will need all his wits and luck to come out of this alive.
This is an excellent series and this installment stands up to the rest of them. It isn't necessarily an easy book to read but if you want rich historical detail and a seemingly realistic portrayal of social interactions and racial hierarchy with a good story this is a series and book to delve into.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2025
I began reading this series long ago when it began in 1997, and now this book, #21 in 2025. The series begins in 1833 and it is now Mardi Gras time in 1841. The story takes place back and forth to 1814, when blacks are promised 160 acres if they fight against the British in the Battle of New Orleans.
If you are new to this series it is important to.understand the culture of New Orleans at the time, as the mystery surrounding this plot is of historical significance.
Benjamin January is a free black man in New Orleans. He was born a slave, his father being a dark African and his mother a mixed, lighter woman. when she is bought by Mr. Janvier to be his mistress,, he buys 7 year old Benjamin also. He brings them to New Orleans , frees them and pays for Benjamin's education. At this time, many rich men in New Orleans had black mistresses who they housed and had children by. Their wives turned a blind eye. Benjamin knew his white half brother, Dagobert.
Now, in 1841, Dagobert comes to Benjamin for help. Thus starts a very convoluted story about the Spanish government trying to pay to help defeat the Americans in the battle of New Orleans so the British would win.
The mystery is, where is the money in 1841 and who was the traitor who brokered the deal.
What I love about this series is how Hambly immerses us in the life of New Orleans. Since this takes place during Mardi Gras, the pageantry and excesses are fascinating. Benjamin is always the smartest man in the room, and his thoughts about the stupidity of others is humorous while horrible things are happening.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I was so happy to find that the series continues after over 30 years.
If you are new to this series it is important to.understand the culture of New Orleans at the time, as the mystery surrounding this plot is of historical significance.
Benjamin January is a free black man in New Orleans. He was born a slave, his father being a dark African and his mother a mixed, lighter woman. when she is bought by Mr. Janvier to be his mistress,, he buys 7 year old Benjamin also. He brings them to New Orleans , frees them and pays for Benjamin's education. At this time, many rich men in New Orleans had black mistresses who they housed and had children by. Their wives turned a blind eye. Benjamin knew his white half brother, Dagobert.
Now, in 1841, Dagobert comes to Benjamin for help. Thus starts a very convoluted story about the Spanish government trying to pay to help defeat the Americans in the battle of New Orleans so the British would win.
The mystery is, where is the money in 1841 and who was the traitor who brokered the deal.
What I love about this series is how Hambly immerses us in the life of New Orleans. Since this takes place during Mardi Gras, the pageantry and excesses are fascinating. Benjamin is always the smartest man in the room, and his thoughts about the stupidity of others is humorous while horrible things are happening.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I was so happy to find that the series continues after over 30 years.
September 18, 2025
One of the many great features of this historical mystery series is the author’s talent for coming up with “only in antebellum Louisiana” situations. In this novel, Benjamin January is asked by Dagobert Janvier—preposterous by name, preposterous by nature—Benjamin’s mother’s protector’s legitimate son (got that?) to help him find some missing Spanish gold lost during the War of 1812 which will re-establish his long-lost sweetheart’s sister’s claim to her family’s plantation and finances to support her in the manner to which she is accustomed.
You might think that Benjamin has better things to do, and you’d be right. He’s both a doctor and a musician, and in Mardi Gras season, his days and nights are pretty full what with patching up unsuccessful duelists and playing for costume balls. But due to some unfortunate circumstances, he needs the money. Thus, he becomes embroiled in his not-even-half-brother’s case. Dangers abound: clandestine trips to the lonely bayou, Mardi Gras parade shootings, and even a slave jail.
Will Benjamin make it out alive? Does this gold even exist? And will Dagobert emerge unscathed, a sadder but wiser man? (Don’t we wish!) And what is the case’s connection with Louisiana pirate Jean Lafitte, whose name I have not heard since eighth grade Louisiana History?
I always appreciate a visit to the vividly imagined, deeply researched world of Benjamin January. You can have your King cake and eat it too: living history with your murder mystery!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book.
You might think that Benjamin has better things to do, and you’d be right. He’s both a doctor and a musician, and in Mardi Gras season, his days and nights are pretty full what with patching up unsuccessful duelists and playing for costume balls. But due to some unfortunate circumstances, he needs the money. Thus, he becomes embroiled in his not-even-half-brother’s case. Dangers abound: clandestine trips to the lonely bayou, Mardi Gras parade shootings, and even a slave jail.
Will Benjamin make it out alive? Does this gold even exist? And will Dagobert emerge unscathed, a sadder but wiser man? (Don’t we wish!) And what is the case’s connection with Louisiana pirate Jean Lafitte, whose name I have not heard since eighth grade Louisiana History?
I always appreciate a visit to the vividly imagined, deeply researched world of Benjamin January. You can have your King cake and eat it too: living history with your murder mystery!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book.
August 26, 2025
3.5-4 out of 5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
It's 1841 in this latest book in Hambly's Benjamin January series, and he gets involved in investigating the circumstances around the mysterious death of a former resident of New Orleans, whose daughter has attracted the attention's of Ben's half-brother - the heir to his father's plantation. The characters and story move between the events surrounding the battle of New Orleans 25 years earlier, and the frantic party-going of Carnival season in the present day.
There's a lot of time spent going back and forth between the city and the trembling lands of the title - the marshes and bayous surrounding the city, to try and determine the fate of a lost treasure. All of this journeying takes up a lot of narrative time, which for me might have been better spent with the characters?
Hambly's portrait of freemen in a slave-owning culture, and the amazing cultural diversity of mid-19th century New Orleans is always fascinating.
Highly recommend this series for fans of well-written and compelling historical mysteries.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
It's 1841 in this latest book in Hambly's Benjamin January series, and he gets involved in investigating the circumstances around the mysterious death of a former resident of New Orleans, whose daughter has attracted the attention's of Ben's half-brother - the heir to his father's plantation. The characters and story move between the events surrounding the battle of New Orleans 25 years earlier, and the frantic party-going of Carnival season in the present day.
There's a lot of time spent going back and forth between the city and the trembling lands of the title - the marshes and bayous surrounding the city, to try and determine the fate of a lost treasure. All of this journeying takes up a lot of narrative time, which for me might have been better spent with the characters?
Hambly's portrait of freemen in a slave-owning culture, and the amazing cultural diversity of mid-19th century New Orleans is always fascinating.
Highly recommend this series for fans of well-written and compelling historical mysteries.
September 17, 2025
1841. New Orleans. At first, I thought I might have read this before, as the book begin similarly to a previous book in the series, with Ben playing the piano at a party where an accusation leads to a duel, where Ben serves as a doctor. Suddenly the scene changes. It's Carnival time in New Orleans, but a money shortage means the celebrations aren't as big. Ben takes every job he can to support his household, so when Dagobert Janvier, the son of his mother's former protector, asks for help, he agrees. Little does he know what he is agreeing to, though. Interspersed are his memories of the Battle of New Orleans, when he was twenty-one, and serving in the American army for the promise of land. A promise that was never kept. Interesting and convoluted mystery.
July 21, 2025
A charitable heart
… gets Ben in all sorts of trouble. When his stepfather’s son asks him to help out with a damsel in distress during Carnival, they get pulled into a huge mess that only Ben can find a way out of. Great story, some interesting history, and some fascinating notes on costumes!
… gets Ben in all sorts of trouble. When his stepfather’s son asks him to help out with a damsel in distress during Carnival, they get pulled into a huge mess that only Ben can find a way out of. Great story, some interesting history, and some fascinating notes on costumes!
July 28, 2025
Romance and intrigue
Very exciting tale of hidden treasure, old romance, and political intrigue. The action was fast-paced and the mystery was layered and complex. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!
Very exciting tale of hidden treasure, old romance, and political intrigue. The action was fast-paced and the mystery was layered and complex. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!
Want to read
August 6, 2025O
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