THE VANISHING MAN

An aspiring private detective takes a case that could make or
break his reputation.

London, 1853. Upper-class sleuth Charles Lenox is called to
Dorset House by the duke’s private secretary, who reminds Lenox that absolute
discretion will be required. The 15th Duke of Dorset, one of the most powerful
noblemen in Great Britain, wants to know who stole a painting of his ancestor
from his study, though he cares little about the actual painting. Lenox notices
that one of the paintings still left on the wall is totally unlike all the
other portraits: It’s much smaller, with a more humble subject. Only three people—one
of them being Queen Victoria—know it’s the only existing oil portrait painted
from life of William Shakespeare. The duke says this unbelievably valuable
painting was the thief’s real target. To help him locate the missing painting,
Lenox enlists the services of Thaddeus Bonden, a man who has a reputation for
being able to find anything. When the duke is apparently kidnapped, Lenox
deduces that Dorset faked the kidnapping to set a trap for the thief. Dorset,
whose arrogance knows no bounds, is furious to be found out and insults Lenox
in front of their peers at their exclusive club, White’s, badly damaging the
younger man’s reputation. Soon thereafter Lenox forces Dorset, who still needs
his services, to call upon him and tell him the truth. Dorset agrees to show
Lenox papers about a mysterious treasure that can supposedly be located by
following clues hidden in the Shakespeare portrait. Before they can succeed,
however, the duke is arrested and taken to the Tower of London for killing his
longtime manservant, Craig, who was attempting to steal the Shakespeare
portrait. Fortunately, his imprisonment does nothing to slow their plans down,
for the duke is treated more as an honored guest than a felon. When Bonden
discovers the whereabouts of the missing painting of Dorset’s ancestor, its
surprising location helps Lenox puzzle out the shocking truth.

The second prequel to Finch’s Victorian series (The Woman in
the Water, 2018, etc.), rich in period minutiae, unveils the frightening
power of the uppermost classes.