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Charles Dickens & Superintendent Sam Jones #1
The Murder of Patience Brooke
An intriguing detective series featuring Charles Dickens! Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Victorian crime mysteries, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield…
A brutal murder in Victorian London forces a famous writer to solve the mystery…
London, 1849
Charles Dickens has set up Urania Cottage as a sanctuary for fallen women.
But he is shocked when the matron’s assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood.
Desperate to protect the reputation of the Home and to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands.
With the help of his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, and a description of the suspect as ‘a man with a crooked face’, Dickens's search takes him deep into the filthy slums of Victorian London.
Can Dickens save his reputation? Will he find out the secrets of Patience Brooke’s troubled past?
Or will the killer strike again …?
The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first urban mystery in J. C. Briggs' literary historical series, the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.
The Charles Dickens Investigations Series:
BOOK ONE: The Murder of Patience Brooke
BOOK TWO: Death at Hungerford Stairs
BOOK THREE: Murder by Ghostlight
BOOK FOUR: The Quickening and the Dead
A brutal murder in Victorian London forces a famous writer to solve the mystery…
London, 1849
Charles Dickens has set up Urania Cottage as a sanctuary for fallen women.
But he is shocked when the matron’s assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood.
Desperate to protect the reputation of the Home and to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands.
With the help of his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, and a description of the suspect as ‘a man with a crooked face’, Dickens's search takes him deep into the filthy slums of Victorian London.
Can Dickens save his reputation? Will he find out the secrets of Patience Brooke’s troubled past?
Or will the killer strike again …?
The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first urban mystery in J. C. Briggs' literary historical series, the Charles Dickens investigations, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London.
The Charles Dickens Investigations Series:
BOOK ONE: The Murder of Patience Brooke
BOOK TWO: Death at Hungerford Stairs
BOOK THREE: Murder by Ghostlight
BOOK FOUR: The Quickening and the Dead
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
587 people are currently reading
741 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Briggs
18 books59 followersJean Briggs taught English for many years in schools in Cheshire, Hong Kong and Lancashire. She now lives in a cottage in Cumbria, a non-metropolitan county in North West England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 19, 2020
This is a very well researched historical mystery which includes Charles Dickens as its main character. A lot is known about Dickens' life and much of this book is based on fact. He did indeed found Urania House for 'fallen women' and as a child he did work in a blacking factory under awful conditions while his family lived in debtor's prison. He knew about the social issues of the time and of course he wrote about them extensively.
In The Murder of Patience Brooke one of the girls at Urania House is found murdered and Dickens helps his friend, Superintendent Sam Jones, investigate the case. The author creates the atmosphere of old London beautifully. A dark foggy night in the back alleys of the poorer parts of the city must have been truly scary. Many of the characters are drawn in such a way that they could be inspirations for Dickens when he writes his books.
I thought the whole thing was done extremely well and enjoyed it very much. I will certainly be looking out for the next book.
In The Murder of Patience Brooke one of the girls at Urania House is found murdered and Dickens helps his friend, Superintendent Sam Jones, investigate the case. The author creates the atmosphere of old London beautifully. A dark foggy night in the back alleys of the poorer parts of the city must have been truly scary. Many of the characters are drawn in such a way that they could be inspirations for Dickens when he writes his books.
I thought the whole thing was done extremely well and enjoyed it very much. I will certainly be looking out for the next book.
December 28, 2018
The Murder of Patience Brooke, the first novel in J. C. Briggs's Charles Dickens Investigations series, is part historical fiction, part murder mystery set in bustling Victorian London. Originally released in 2012 it sets up for the two more books to come both featuring Charles Dickens as an intrepid and highly observant investigator as he teams up with Superintendent Jones from Bow Street police. You can tell that Briggs loves Dickens and has extensively researched both the man and the time period in which he lived lending an air of authenticity to the story from the very beginning.
Dickens's fascination with people, crime and murder serve him well here as he chases the case through to its conclusion like a pit-bull nip-nip-nipping at the heels of the perpetrator. For a fan of classic crime novelists such as Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle whose focus is on the mystery and much less on profanity and graphic violence, this will most likely be thoroughly enjoyable. The writing flows well, the characters are intriguing and the Victorian setting is perfect. It's grim, foggy and has plenty of dingy, dimly-lit alleys for criminals to disappear down, letting the dark envelop them. The ideal cosy, historical crime novel for the chilly winter evenings.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for an ARC.
October 22, 2025
An average murder mystery, although the perpetrator is identified very early on so it’s more of a cat and mouse tale. If you love Charles Dickens, you may enjoy this for the novelty of having him as a central character rather than the creator. It’s certainly well researched in terms of its descriptions of London at the time but, as often happens, the author’s keenness to share his knowledge is too apparent. He certainly paints a vivid picture of the city, its people and its atmosphere at the time, however.
The plot itself is ok. For me, it stretched credibility and the ending was predictable and overly dramatic. This is the first of a series but I can’t imagine that I’ll want to read any more. Only just 3 stars and no more for me.
The plot itself is ok. For me, it stretched credibility and the ending was predictable and overly dramatic. This is the first of a series but I can’t imagine that I’ll want to read any more. Only just 3 stars and no more for me.
January 11, 2019
I would like to thank Sapere Books for a review copy of The Murder of Patience Brooke, the first novel to feature author Charles Dickens as a detective in 1849 London.
When assistant housekeeper Patience Brooke is found tied to the railings of Urania House with her throat cut the housekeeper sends immediately for Charles Dickens who is the founder of Urania House, a home for fallen women. Together with Superintendent Jones of Bow Street he is determined to bring Patience’s killer to justice.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Murder of Patience Brooke which has a good mystery to it and a writing style that invites the reader in and doesn’t let go. The plot is quite compulsive as Dickens and Jones first try to unravel the mystery of Patience’s past then find a suspicious pedlar who has been seen in the area and work out where he fits in. Given the era the novel is set in their search for suspects is not particularly sophisticated but equally it is far from the Information Age so any results are hard won, using shoe leather and conversation. I like slipping back in time to a more cerebral type of detecting.
I must admit that Charles Dickens is a closed book to me, never having read any of his work or taken an interest in his life. I think this puts me at a slight disadvantage when reading this novel as the references to his work are lost on me but they are not obscure enough to be baffling and are fairly well explained. I have no means of telling how close the fictional Charles Dickens is to the reality but I found him a very interesting character, very modern and left wing in his thinking, like wanting to help the poor but very patriarchal when dealing with his wife, whom he keeps in the dark and despises to a certain extent. It’s fascinating that for an observant man he can’t see this dichotomy.
The novel is quite wordy with plenty of descriptions of living conditions in London at the time. It is fairly yucky and makes clear what a miserable existence the poor had. I assume that it isn’t far from Dickens’ own descriptions as I have read much the same in other novels. Where the novel varies from Victorian fiction is in its themes and language. There is much more sex (as a theme and topic of discussion, not the act) than would have been deemed acceptable at the time. Personally I always find it strange to find such open discussion in a historical novel. I’m not against it or believe it didn’t happen it just seems out of keeping.
The Murder of Patience Brooke is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When assistant housekeeper Patience Brooke is found tied to the railings of Urania House with her throat cut the housekeeper sends immediately for Charles Dickens who is the founder of Urania House, a home for fallen women. Together with Superintendent Jones of Bow Street he is determined to bring Patience’s killer to justice.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Murder of Patience Brooke which has a good mystery to it and a writing style that invites the reader in and doesn’t let go. The plot is quite compulsive as Dickens and Jones first try to unravel the mystery of Patience’s past then find a suspicious pedlar who has been seen in the area and work out where he fits in. Given the era the novel is set in their search for suspects is not particularly sophisticated but equally it is far from the Information Age so any results are hard won, using shoe leather and conversation. I like slipping back in time to a more cerebral type of detecting.
I must admit that Charles Dickens is a closed book to me, never having read any of his work or taken an interest in his life. I think this puts me at a slight disadvantage when reading this novel as the references to his work are lost on me but they are not obscure enough to be baffling and are fairly well explained. I have no means of telling how close the fictional Charles Dickens is to the reality but I found him a very interesting character, very modern and left wing in his thinking, like wanting to help the poor but very patriarchal when dealing with his wife, whom he keeps in the dark and despises to a certain extent. It’s fascinating that for an observant man he can’t see this dichotomy.
The novel is quite wordy with plenty of descriptions of living conditions in London at the time. It is fairly yucky and makes clear what a miserable existence the poor had. I assume that it isn’t far from Dickens’ own descriptions as I have read much the same in other novels. Where the novel varies from Victorian fiction is in its themes and language. There is much more sex (as a theme and topic of discussion, not the act) than would have been deemed acceptable at the time. Personally I always find it strange to find such open discussion in a historical novel. I’m not against it or believe it didn’t happen it just seems out of keeping.
The Murder of Patience Brooke is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
January 5, 2023
This is the first in a series featuring Charles Dickens and Superintendent Sam Jones. It is 1849 and a young woman working at Urania House for 'fallen women,' founded by Dickens, is found murdered. The opening scene, where her body is discovered was very well done, as Mrs Georgiana Morson, the matron, sends for Dickens, who arrives with his friend, Superintendent Jones.
Obviously, the author has excellent historical knowledge, as well as a strong sympathy for Dickens. She has the ability to run a biographical account alongside the mystery, so that gives the story depth. She also has many fictional characters who could easily step into a Dickens novel. I wasn't as engrossed by the mystery, but I enjoyed the historical and biographical aspects and I certainly liked it enough to read on.
Obviously, the author has excellent historical knowledge, as well as a strong sympathy for Dickens. She has the ability to run a biographical account alongside the mystery, so that gives the story depth. She also has many fictional characters who could easily step into a Dickens novel. I wasn't as engrossed by the mystery, but I enjoyed the historical and biographical aspects and I certainly liked it enough to read on.
November 25, 2019
This is the first in a 5 part series with Charles Dickens as a detective, but it wasn't my cup of tea. The author clearly knows a lot about Mr Dickens and the Victorian era, and there's a lot of historical fact mixed with the fiction, but I felt the story meandered on and on for far too long.
Although it's well researched I found parts of the story extremely wearing, such as the detailing of almost every move that Dickens made, sometimes alone and sometimes with his policeman ally Superintendent Sam Jones, in search of the murderer. This resulted in what was just a list of London streets with various historical details, such as who had lived in a certain house, thrown in to the mix. Despite the wealth of detail about Dickens life and works and his work on righting wrongs in Victorian society, I thought the story didn't capture the atmosphere of this era at all.
However, I'm clearly in the minority as this book has garnered many 4 and 5 star reviews.
Although it's well researched I found parts of the story extremely wearing, such as the detailing of almost every move that Dickens made, sometimes alone and sometimes with his policeman ally Superintendent Sam Jones, in search of the murderer. This resulted in what was just a list of London streets with various historical details, such as who had lived in a certain house, thrown in to the mix. Despite the wealth of detail about Dickens life and works and his work on righting wrongs in Victorian society, I thought the story didn't capture the atmosphere of this era at all.
However, I'm clearly in the minority as this book has garnered many 4 and 5 star reviews.
January 3, 2024
Author J C Briggs captures the ambience of fog-bound Victorian London admirably in this very readable thriller. In addition she mixes fact with fiction and in doing so, paints an excellent portrait of Charles Dickens, who very much comes alive on the pages.
The plot centres around Dickens' Home for Fallen Women, or Uranian Cottage, where one of the inhabitants is discovered brutally murdered. Dickens calls in his friend Superintendent Jones and between them they begin investigating.
But the reason for the murder, and more importantly, the perpetrator of the crime are both a mystery and the more they dig, the more confused the whole plot becomes. They eventually get a break and by a process of impressive deduction they narrow the murderer down to one man. But why has he committed the murder?
And where is he? Before they are able to find him there are other murders so the investigation takes on a more sinister turn. The clues begin to mount up for the duo, and for the reader to try to spot, and, after much heartache, they get on the track of the killer. An exciting climax emerges and a startling ending transpires.
Dickens and Jones end up asleep on the train journey back to the capital where both will resume their everyday life, Dickens as the inimitable writer that he was and Jones back at Bow Street, ... that is until the next case emerges!
The plot centres around Dickens' Home for Fallen Women, or Uranian Cottage, where one of the inhabitants is discovered brutally murdered. Dickens calls in his friend Superintendent Jones and between them they begin investigating.
But the reason for the murder, and more importantly, the perpetrator of the crime are both a mystery and the more they dig, the more confused the whole plot becomes. They eventually get a break and by a process of impressive deduction they narrow the murderer down to one man. But why has he committed the murder?
And where is he? Before they are able to find him there are other murders so the investigation takes on a more sinister turn. The clues begin to mount up for the duo, and for the reader to try to spot, and, after much heartache, they get on the track of the killer. An exciting climax emerges and a startling ending transpires.
Dickens and Jones end up asleep on the train journey back to the capital where both will resume their everyday life, Dickens as the inimitable writer that he was and Jones back at Bow Street, ... that is until the next case emerges!
December 28, 2018
‘Mr Dickens, you must come immediately. Patience Brooke is dead this night.’
Set in Victorian London in 1849, the discovery of Patience Brooke’s body hanging outside Urania Cottage has Mrs Georgiana Morson, matron of the cottage, writing to Charles Dickens. She asks him to attend, and to bring his friend Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street as well. Patience Brooke was Mrs Morson’s assistant at Urania Cottage, established by Charles Dickens and Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts as a sanctuary for fallen woman. A murder of one of the Cottage’s inhabitants could undermine the good work being done there. Charles Dickens is desperate to protect the reputation of Urania Cottage and to prevent a scandal from spreading.
A description of a ‘man with a crooked face’ and a fragment of a song overheard seem to be the only clues.
‘Thrown on the wide world, doom’d to wander and roam,
Bereft of my parents, bereft of my home.’
Little was known about Patience Brooke’s past. Initially Superintendent Jones and Charles Dickens keep the murder from the public, telling those that they interview that Patience Brooke is missing.
Their search for the killer takes them into many unsavoury parts of Victorian London and involves several interesting well-crafted characters. The London fog has its own part to play in the story.
Having started with a perfectly plausible reason for Charles Dickens’s involvement in the murder investigation, Ms Briggs has him reflecting on his life and books he has written. We see aspects of his domestic life, his concerns for his family and gathering observations for new works. At the same time, he and Superintendent Jones are following possible leads which have them travelling around London in search of the killer. Identifying the killer is one step, locating the killer is another.
I really enjoyed this novel, which is the first in a series. I enjoyed the descriptions of Victorian London, the portrayal of Charles Dickens as both man and author almost as much as the murder mystery itself. I’m looking forward to the next novel.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Set in Victorian London in 1849, the discovery of Patience Brooke’s body hanging outside Urania Cottage has Mrs Georgiana Morson, matron of the cottage, writing to Charles Dickens. She asks him to attend, and to bring his friend Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street as well. Patience Brooke was Mrs Morson’s assistant at Urania Cottage, established by Charles Dickens and Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts as a sanctuary for fallen woman. A murder of one of the Cottage’s inhabitants could undermine the good work being done there. Charles Dickens is desperate to protect the reputation of Urania Cottage and to prevent a scandal from spreading.
A description of a ‘man with a crooked face’ and a fragment of a song overheard seem to be the only clues.
‘Thrown on the wide world, doom’d to wander and roam,
Bereft of my parents, bereft of my home.’
Little was known about Patience Brooke’s past. Initially Superintendent Jones and Charles Dickens keep the murder from the public, telling those that they interview that Patience Brooke is missing.
Their search for the killer takes them into many unsavoury parts of Victorian London and involves several interesting well-crafted characters. The London fog has its own part to play in the story.
Having started with a perfectly plausible reason for Charles Dickens’s involvement in the murder investigation, Ms Briggs has him reflecting on his life and books he has written. We see aspects of his domestic life, his concerns for his family and gathering observations for new works. At the same time, he and Superintendent Jones are following possible leads which have them travelling around London in search of the killer. Identifying the killer is one step, locating the killer is another.
I really enjoyed this novel, which is the first in a series. I enjoyed the descriptions of Victorian London, the portrayal of Charles Dickens as both man and author almost as much as the murder mystery itself. I’m looking forward to the next novel.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 9, 2024
Troszkę za wolna fabuła, ale tylko miejscami. Nienajgorszy kryminał, gdzie śledztwo prowadzi Charles Dickens.
May 20, 2017
Published in 2014, J.C. Briggs' The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first instalment of the Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones saga, a series of books in which Dickens is reimagined as a detective-like figure. Briggs makes good use of her knowledge of Dickens' social consciousness -and not-so-secret fondness for detective anecdotes- to craft a mystery-driven narrative; a story in which past and present merge and put Dickens' sanity to the test.
TMoPB is a relatively light, well-structured read. I personally found the narrative a little slow-paced at times, but my interest was rekindled towards the last quarter of the novel. The only aspect I'd take issue with is Briggs's sensationalisation of Dickens's marriage - the references to Dickens detachment from Catherine are completely out of place and, in my opinion, do more harm than good in terms of narrative coherence. Other than that, TMoPB is a highly recommendable novel if you're into fictional recreations of literary authors AND Sherlockian mysteries. It doesn't get any more intertextual than this.
TMoPB is a relatively light, well-structured read. I personally found the narrative a little slow-paced at times, but my interest was rekindled towards the last quarter of the novel. The only aspect I'd take issue with is Briggs's sensationalisation of Dickens's marriage - the references to Dickens detachment from Catherine are completely out of place and, in my opinion, do more harm than good in terms of narrative coherence. Other than that, TMoPB is a highly recommendable novel if you're into fictional recreations of literary authors AND Sherlockian mysteries. It doesn't get any more intertextual than this.
March 1, 2020
The Murder of Patience Brooke, the first novel in J. C. Briggs's Charles Dickens Investigations series, is part historical fiction, part Victorian murder mystery. In this series, Charles Dickens poses an a highly observant investigator who teams up with Superintendent Jones from Bow Street police. He is the benefactor of a home that gives young women who have been in jail, lived on the streets or in workhouses, a second chance. When a young lady who works at the home as a tutor, companion, housekeeper, Patience Brooke is killed, Charles is adamant that he and Jones will find the murderer. As other murders occur during their investigation, they race against time to capture their man.
I enjoyed this Victorian Mystery, starring Charles Dickens. I enjoyed the name dropping from his stories as well as places and events that are in his books. Once Dickens and Jones were able to discover Patience's past, they easily identified the culprit, it was proof, motive and actually finding him that took up the rest of the story. I liked the characters of Dickens and Jones. Given the time, they are both forward thinkers, supporters of women and orphans. The plot is well written and had me racing through this book. I liked that it was old fashion detecting and investigating that solved this mystery. There was very little graphic violence and swearing which I appreciated, but there is some discussion of child abuse. As the story came to a final climax, there was some excitement and a chase which does not end well for the killer. The story ends with Dickens and Jones heading back to London to resume their normal life, until the next murder.
I listened to the audiobook of The Murder of Patience Brooke narrated by Antony Ferguson. I do like that a book with predominantly male characters, is narrated by a male. His voices for Dickens and Jones were relatively similar, but I was still able to tell them apart. His pacing, emotions, and accents are well done and I enjoyed the story very much. I will continue to listen to this series narrated by the voice over actor.
I enjoyed this Victorian Mystery, starring Charles Dickens. I enjoyed the name dropping from his stories as well as places and events that are in his books. Once Dickens and Jones were able to discover Patience's past, they easily identified the culprit, it was proof, motive and actually finding him that took up the rest of the story. I liked the characters of Dickens and Jones. Given the time, they are both forward thinkers, supporters of women and orphans. The plot is well written and had me racing through this book. I liked that it was old fashion detecting and investigating that solved this mystery. There was very little graphic violence and swearing which I appreciated, but there is some discussion of child abuse. As the story came to a final climax, there was some excitement and a chase which does not end well for the killer. The story ends with Dickens and Jones heading back to London to resume their normal life, until the next murder.
I listened to the audiobook of The Murder of Patience Brooke narrated by Antony Ferguson. I do like that a book with predominantly male characters, is narrated by a male. His voices for Dickens and Jones were relatively similar, but I was still able to tell them apart. His pacing, emotions, and accents are well done and I enjoyed the story very much. I will continue to listen to this series narrated by the voice over actor.
April 17, 2024
A nicely written, detailed, believable, atmospheric historical mystery where Charles Dickens solves the mystery together with Superintendent Sam Jones. Loved the historical detail. Only issue for me was the fact that into 60% - 65% of the story, the identity of the murderer was revealed. The rest of the story then became more of a quest to find proof. This is different to what happens in most stories and therefore less satisfying but it brought in a very realistic touch to the story. I can truly believe that this story actually happened and Dickens got involved in its solving just as it is written. Which is why I am giving it 4 stars and look forward to reading more books from this series.
October 15, 2025
Such an odd little book: Published in 2014 and read as if it was written/published in 1894. There are almost a dozen in the Charles Dickens Investigations series of books, yet this was the first I had heard of them (from a book challenge with my online book club, The Book Girls’ Guide). A pedophile serial killer. Thoroughly and satisfyingly researched. If there is one thing my Book Club knows about me is my harsh judgment of historical fiction that doesn’t respect the history they’ve purloined. This is what good historical fiction can be.
December 23, 2018
One of my favourite authors is Charles Dickens and I love anything written by him, so when I got the chance to read this, I simply devoured it. It’s everything I could hope for in a Victorian mystery. It is somewhat slow paced, especially at the beginning, but it’s worth staying with. It is well written and enjoyable, especially for a cold and wet winter’s day.
Charles Dickens has set up a home, Urania Cottage, for fallen women (with the help of wealthy Miss Coutts, who has financed the home) and the lovely Mrs Morson who is resident matron.
In November 1869 Mrs Morson discovers the murdered body of Patience Brooke, who helps out at Urania Cottage and has secrets of her own.
Charles Dickens and his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, work together to uncover the murderer and get justice for Patience.
I liked the fact that Charles Dickens was writing his books and reflecting on others that he had written. A very nice touch indeed.
A very promising start to what will be a great series with Mr Dickens himself.
With many thanks to Sapere Books via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Charles Dickens has set up a home, Urania Cottage, for fallen women (with the help of wealthy Miss Coutts, who has financed the home) and the lovely Mrs Morson who is resident matron.
In November 1869 Mrs Morson discovers the murdered body of Patience Brooke, who helps out at Urania Cottage and has secrets of her own.
Charles Dickens and his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, work together to uncover the murderer and get justice for Patience.
I liked the fact that Charles Dickens was writing his books and reflecting on others that he had written. A very nice touch indeed.
A very promising start to what will be a great series with Mr Dickens himself.
With many thanks to Sapere Books via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
November 25, 2019
THE MURDER OF PATIENCE BROOKE & DEATH AT HUNGERFORD STAIRS
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. Dickens and Jones are a great partnership and Jean Brigg's plots twist and turn like the maze of dank alleys in the rookery of St Giles. The author also has a light and lively touch when it comes to depicting her secondary characters; a couple of well-placed descriptive words and we can see them easily. She's also extremely talented at evoking the dangerous, fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London. In the second book I was also fascinated - and shocked - to learn about the roaring mid-19th century trade in kidnapped dogs. Great historical research in this series. Thoroughly recommended.
March 15, 2021
Wonderful echo of Dickensian London. I had goose bumps and tears at various points - it was so atmospheric.
A really good read on many levels.
A really good read on many levels.
January 15, 2019
First sentence: Thrown on the wide world, doom'd to wander and roam, Bereft of my parents, bereft of my home.
Premise/plot: The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first in a new mystery series starring Charles Dickens. Dickens is working with police detective, Sam Jones. The case is personal--the murder victim, Patience Brooke, lived at Urania Cottage, a sanctuary for fallen women that Charles Dickens helps support. Not that Patience Brooke was a fallen woman, she was a woman of many, many secrets but much learning.
This one is set in Victorian London in 1849. (When Charles Dickens IS NOT on the case following leads, he is at work on a new novel, David Copperfield.)
My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. J.C. Briggs does two things well in this one: world building and characterization.
The setting is wonderful--gritty but wonderful. It really showcases the plight of the poor--and seemingly invisible--and the plight of women. Dickens advocates for both. Briggs' Dickens advocates for both in this fictional novel, and Dickens' fiction speaks for itself in my opinion.
But the setting would not be enough to carry the story if it didn't feel peopled. Briggs does a FANTASTIC job with her characters. Not just with the main characters, Charles and Sam, but with ALL the characters. And yes, I do mean ALL. It doesn't matter if we spend a hundred pages with a character or just half a page--all feel fleshed out and human. Briggs had me caring.
I also have to say that I enjoyed the writing. That almost goes without saying since you can't have characterization without writing. But. It is worth mentioning. The story was well-paced and compelling. And compelling not because it was a plot-driven thriller--those have their place perhaps--but because you CARED about the characters and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.
Premise/plot: The Murder of Patience Brooke is the first in a new mystery series starring Charles Dickens. Dickens is working with police detective, Sam Jones. The case is personal--the murder victim, Patience Brooke, lived at Urania Cottage, a sanctuary for fallen women that Charles Dickens helps support. Not that Patience Brooke was a fallen woman, she was a woman of many, many secrets but much learning.
This one is set in Victorian London in 1849. (When Charles Dickens IS NOT on the case following leads, he is at work on a new novel, David Copperfield.)
My thoughts: I loved, loved, LOVED this one. J.C. Briggs does two things well in this one: world building and characterization.
The setting is wonderful--gritty but wonderful. It really showcases the plight of the poor--and seemingly invisible--and the plight of women. Dickens advocates for both. Briggs' Dickens advocates for both in this fictional novel, and Dickens' fiction speaks for itself in my opinion.
But the setting would not be enough to carry the story if it didn't feel peopled. Briggs does a FANTASTIC job with her characters. Not just with the main characters, Charles and Sam, but with ALL the characters. And yes, I do mean ALL. It doesn't matter if we spend a hundred pages with a character or just half a page--all feel fleshed out and human. Briggs had me caring.
I also have to say that I enjoyed the writing. That almost goes without saying since you can't have characterization without writing. But. It is worth mentioning. The story was well-paced and compelling. And compelling not because it was a plot-driven thriller--those have their place perhaps--but because you CARED about the characters and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.
October 20, 2021
The first in the series of Detective Sam Jones and Charles Dickens.
London 1849 was a city of contrasts. You had the well to do leading a life of comfort and ease, and then you got the horrendous alleys and slums where every villain and vice existed. Literally hell holes. J C Briggs brings London to life in his stories. Almost unimaginable but obviously very much part of the life of the city the two sides lived together almost seamlessly.
In this story a young, quiet, well behaved woman living at a Home of Refuge found brutally murdered and her body displayed in a deliberately wanton manner brings Detective Sam Jones and Charles Dickens to investigate and find out how this happened. Clues are scarce and by piecing a few random bits of information a net is thrown to find the young man - a toff, moneyed and fearless and bring him to book.
It was not going to be easy - the suspect is shrewd, knows how to play the game, knows how to play on his connections and this is a time when Detectives and people like Dickens were looked down upon. Dickens himself of very humble origins has climbed out of the poverty he was born into and has always a fear that he will be dragged back into that morass.
The story apart from trying and solving the mystery murder of this young woman is also a piece of history detailed and descriptive of how the city of London was and how it was evolving. It also was descriptive of the social changes that were happening and what was going to come. The development of industry, railways and the education of women were all just coming into being and the story has glimpses of all this.
An absolute page turner for all lovers of vintage crime detection, for those who like to read about social change and those who like stories like the ones of Sherlock Holmes and that vintage.
A download from Amazon this was a fabulous find.
London 1849 was a city of contrasts. You had the well to do leading a life of comfort and ease, and then you got the horrendous alleys and slums where every villain and vice existed. Literally hell holes. J C Briggs brings London to life in his stories. Almost unimaginable but obviously very much part of the life of the city the two sides lived together almost seamlessly.
In this story a young, quiet, well behaved woman living at a Home of Refuge found brutally murdered and her body displayed in a deliberately wanton manner brings Detective Sam Jones and Charles Dickens to investigate and find out how this happened. Clues are scarce and by piecing a few random bits of information a net is thrown to find the young man - a toff, moneyed and fearless and bring him to book.
It was not going to be easy - the suspect is shrewd, knows how to play the game, knows how to play on his connections and this is a time when Detectives and people like Dickens were looked down upon. Dickens himself of very humble origins has climbed out of the poverty he was born into and has always a fear that he will be dragged back into that morass.
The story apart from trying and solving the mystery murder of this young woman is also a piece of history detailed and descriptive of how the city of London was and how it was evolving. It also was descriptive of the social changes that were happening and what was going to come. The development of industry, railways and the education of women were all just coming into being and the story has glimpses of all this.
An absolute page turner for all lovers of vintage crime detection, for those who like to read about social change and those who like stories like the ones of Sherlock Holmes and that vintage.
A download from Amazon this was a fabulous find.
February 10, 2020
This was a fantastic audiobook, and the first in a new favourite series! I loved Charles Dickens investigating murder on the streets of London with his friend Superintendent Jones. I loved the way the Superintendent asked Dickens opinion about different people they questioned as Dickens ‘saw things’ that he didn’t.
The descriptions of Victorian London are so vivid that at times, that felt like I was listening to a Dickens novel! Also the characters were so well drawn that I felt the same way about them.
The murder that they were investigating was grisly, made harder at times because of the London fog that crept in, stopping them from tailing suspects and finding murder weapons. Everything was done by foot or horse-drawn cabs, and of course this was before the telephone had been invented, so no quick calls to fetch more policeman to the scene of the crime.
J.C. Briggs obviously knows a lot about Charles Dickens, as she was constantly referring to his personal life and his published works.
Antony Ferguson was brilliant at portraying Dickens, Superintendent Jones and a whole host of characters throughout the story. He really did bring Victorian London to life with the different accents of the young and old, rich and poor, the good and bad characters that filled this story.
If you enjoyed historical crime fiction and Dickens, I highly recommend you start reading or listening to this series.
Thanks so much to Hope Roy at Tantor Media for my digital copy.
The descriptions of Victorian London are so vivid that at times, that felt like I was listening to a Dickens novel! Also the characters were so well drawn that I felt the same way about them.
The murder that they were investigating was grisly, made harder at times because of the London fog that crept in, stopping them from tailing suspects and finding murder weapons. Everything was done by foot or horse-drawn cabs, and of course this was before the telephone had been invented, so no quick calls to fetch more policeman to the scene of the crime.
J.C. Briggs obviously knows a lot about Charles Dickens, as she was constantly referring to his personal life and his published works.
Antony Ferguson was brilliant at portraying Dickens, Superintendent Jones and a whole host of characters throughout the story. He really did bring Victorian London to life with the different accents of the young and old, rich and poor, the good and bad characters that filled this story.
If you enjoyed historical crime fiction and Dickens, I highly recommend you start reading or listening to this series.
Thanks so much to Hope Roy at Tantor Media for my digital copy.
January 8, 2019
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It took a little while to get into this book as it has a bit of a slow start but once it gets going you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. The Dickensian London we are familiar with from Dicken's own novels is well evoked. The characters are also well developed and wouldn't feel out of place in one of Dicken's novels. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the Dickens and the Superintendent Jones. I also really enjoyed the references made in the book to Dicken's novels as I am a big fan of these. At times the description can become bogged down in describing London's geography and its many streets however it does give the book a sense of place. I would very much like to read the next book in the series.
January 15, 2019
A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens is my favorite book. When this popped up on NetGalley I thought for sure this was right up my alley. The plot revolves around a murdered woman and Charles Dickens as an investigator. While on face value that sounds pretty interesting right? It was in reality just fine. Not bad, not good, just fine. While the author certainly knows her way around a Charles Dickens book, she somehow fails to draw you into this mystery. There seemed to be a lot of narrative revolving around street names in central London that drove me a little crazy. I don't care what street your on, talk about the murder! If you truly love Victorian literature, you'll probably love this as well. I just couldn't get into it. Thanks to NetGalley for providing and ARC for review.
August 23, 2019
“The Murder of Patience Brooke”. In 1846, Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts established Urania Cottage which was a house for fallen women and girls. Shortly thereafter, the matron, Mrs Georgina Morston, found a corpse hanging from the railing, showing that she was brutally murdered. Little is known about the corpse, Patience Brooke. Mrs Morston called Charles Dickens and his friend Superintendent James for assistance. We stepped into Victoria England with all the great characters and fog of gaslight mystery. What I liked best is that each character that was questioned brought up one of the Dickens books that they liked and wanted to talk about. Can’t wait until I read the second in the series.
January 8, 2024
I am truly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I generally avoid historical written in modern times, because so often authors aren't true to the time period and take enormous liberties in their settings, story lines, and characters. It is common for them to assign modern values and perspectives to historical figures, and I find this especially troubling when it is done to an actual person who lived in the distant past. I am impressed by the amount of research the author must have done before writing this book, and how congruent the characters' thoughts, perspectives and actions were with the way that people thought in England in the mid 1800s. Even the character of Charles Dickens was believable, fallible, compelling, and very interesting.
June 21, 2024
There's a lot to unpack in this book. Set against the background of real events and places, such as the women's home founded by Charles Dickens, the book begins with a gruesome murder. One of the home's residents is found with her throat slashed.
Dickens, and his friend Police Sergeant Jones, are soon hot on the trail of the culprit. We see the vast differences between London's social strata and how they live ... from the poorest of the poor to the wealthiest of titled folk.
Sometimes, I found myself confused by what was happening in the text and I would have to re-read. And, frankly, I was not as satisfied with the ending as I'd hoped to be. Still, it was a decent read.
Dickens, and his friend Police Sergeant Jones, are soon hot on the trail of the culprit. We see the vast differences between London's social strata and how they live ... from the poorest of the poor to the wealthiest of titled folk.
Sometimes, I found myself confused by what was happening in the text and I would have to re-read. And, frankly, I was not as satisfied with the ending as I'd hoped to be. Still, it was a decent read.
October 29, 2019
Atmospheric murder mystery set in Victorian London with Charles Dickens helping the police to solve the case. Plenty of interesting details about the era and Dickens life in particular. A good start to a promising series.
June 13, 2019
Great story. Really enjoyed THE STORY. Now, when it comes to characters, I sincerely hope that Mr. Charles Dickens attitude and demeanor are something from the author's imagination, otherwise Mr. Dickens is a real prig (and I am being kind because I would not like to memorialize my true feelings about this man in print).
He has a great deal of compassion for everyone except his wife. He doesn't feel that they are suited. They seem to do alright in bed. He admires other men's wives (ones who don't have the responsibility of raising 8 kids). But what would he know about that, he is never home to do more than occasionally interact with them. He thinks, after having a conversation with one of the other wives he admires, I could never have a conversation like this with my wife. Has he ever bothered to try? She is tired and not feeling well so much of the time. Has he ever wondered what it would be like to give birth to 8 children within 13 years? Even his sister-in-law admonishes him and tells him that he should try to spend a little time with her (other than in bed). He isn't even bothered about coming home for dinner, preferring to eat out among or with friends or their families. He seems rarely to be home. Of course we know he was home at least 8 times.
Yes, I liked the story, but dislike Mr. Charles Dickens immensely. It is questionable whether I will read another of this series. Depends if I can keep my ire down while reading about Mr. Dickens overwhelming sympathy with down trodden people, but, not his wife, who, although she lives comfortably, I would consider lonely, forlorn and downtrodden.
He has a great deal of compassion for everyone except his wife. He doesn't feel that they are suited. They seem to do alright in bed. He admires other men's wives (ones who don't have the responsibility of raising 8 kids). But what would he know about that, he is never home to do more than occasionally interact with them. He thinks, after having a conversation with one of the other wives he admires, I could never have a conversation like this with my wife. Has he ever bothered to try? She is tired and not feeling well so much of the time. Has he ever wondered what it would be like to give birth to 8 children within 13 years? Even his sister-in-law admonishes him and tells him that he should try to spend a little time with her (other than in bed). He isn't even bothered about coming home for dinner, preferring to eat out among or with friends or their families. He seems rarely to be home. Of course we know he was home at least 8 times.
Yes, I liked the story, but dislike Mr. Charles Dickens immensely. It is questionable whether I will read another of this series. Depends if I can keep my ire down while reading about Mr. Dickens overwhelming sympathy with down trodden people, but, not his wife, who, although she lives comfortably, I would consider lonely, forlorn and downtrodden.
April 10, 2019
meh, I didn't hate it but I probably won't continue the series.
the characters are blah, even Charles Dickens and the personalities seem as real as thinking about them existing 100+ years ago (i.e. not at all). It's hard enough to think about your parents as kids. This story seems as unrealistic as that. HAHA I hope I am making myself clear but I'm probably not.
Dickens is the proprietor of a "home for wayward girls" and one girl, Patience Brooke, finds her way to the Home and then up and gets herself killed. The gall! The mess!
Anyway, Dickens takes it upon himself to find out who/what/why.
He collects a bunch of Dickensian characters to help him sort it out and blah blah blah it ends.
You know what? 2 stars is probably too many but I'll leave it.
the characters are blah, even Charles Dickens and the personalities seem as real as thinking about them existing 100+ years ago (i.e. not at all). It's hard enough to think about your parents as kids. This story seems as unrealistic as that. HAHA I hope I am making myself clear but I'm probably not.
Dickens is the proprietor of a "home for wayward girls" and one girl, Patience Brooke, finds her way to the Home and then up and gets herself killed. The gall! The mess!
Anyway, Dickens takes it upon himself to find out who/what/why.
He collects a bunch of Dickensian characters to help him sort it out and blah blah blah it ends.
You know what? 2 stars is probably too many but I'll leave it.
January 17, 2019
Not a very interesting book. Infantile, very simplistic, too sacarine for my taste, even the villains look incomplete in their characters. The good people are good, the bad people are not so bad and the prostitutes all have a tender heart. That is not the Victorian times I have studied about and the Charles Dickens I have read about is not this Charles Dickens. A nice book, just that. Maybe for somebody who has just discovered the pleasure of reading, but not for a experienced reader.
March 29, 2021
I have to admit I was not able to finish this book, I found the description of characters extremely long winded and the narrative so abstract and laborious it made me loose interest in the poor murdered woman. The scene setting and story line felt contrived - not so much an unfortunate murder as a whole household set up to be the backdrop to a murder
I feel terrible giving a book a rating when I didn’t complete it, but I can say that this book is absolutely not for me.
I feel terrible giving a book a rating when I didn’t complete it, but I can say that this book is absolutely not for me.
February 16, 2021
This book is a mess...the story goes found and round but never goes forward...what a waste of time!! Even
The location sites have been copied and reused...they used Dickens name to bring more polish to the story..it didn't work!..this book is a waste of time!!!
The location sites have been copied and reused...they used Dickens name to bring more polish to the story..it didn't work!..this book is a waste of time!!!
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