Fire (John Grey Mystery, 4)
The harsh smell, pealing bells, and pounding on the door of his chambers in Lincoln’s Inn awakens John Grey. It is September 2, 1666, and it is the first day of the Great Fire of London. On his way to meet with his employer, Lord Arlington, Grey turns a corner and nearly stumbles over two men, one covered in smut, a scarf across his face, who backs quickly into the shadows, turns, and runs away. The other lies dead, a large musket wound in his back. But when Arlington later sends men to investigate, the body is gone, leading him to order Grey to launch inquiries – one into the identity of the dead man and his assailant, the other into the possible causes of the fire and who is responsible.
Fire is the fourth in the John Grey Historical Mystery Series. Carefully researched, Fire recounts the work of the Clerkenwell firefighters and the ill-fated “Beast” fire engine and probes possible causes of the fire – the negligence of the baker Thomas Farynor, the insistent if implausible confession of Robert Hubert, and the suspicious actions of the New River Company director John Graunt.
The plot casts suspicions widely, even among Grey’s close acquaintances, and includes plenty of adventure, from precarious movements over cesspits to attacks on land and over the river as well as a kidnapping. Characters are finely drawn and likable, including the spirited and forthright Lady Pole and clever clerk Will Atkins. A sparkling blend of history, chicanery, and mirth.
