Lord John and the Private Matter
Ratings42
Average rating3.4
SPECIAL FOR THIS EDITION: The Return of Jamie & Claire -- a sneak preview of the next Outlander novel! Plus the short story Lord John and the Hell-fire Club. Adored bestselling author Diana Gabaldon brings us the first book in a new trilogy featuring many of the characters from her wildly popular Outlander series. In her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, Diana Gabaldon introduced millions of readers to a dazzling world of history and adventure -- a world of vibrant settings and utterly unforgettable characters. Now one of these characters, Major Lord John Grey, opens the door to his own part of this world -- eighteenth-century London, a seething anthill of nobility and rabble peopled by soldiers and spies, whores and dukes. Great Britain is battling France for supremacy on three continents -- and life is good for a soldier. The year is 1757. On a clear morning in mid-June, Lord John Grey emerges from London’ s Beefsteak Club, his mind in turmoil. A nobleman and a high-ranking officer in His Majesty’s Army, Grey has just witnessed something shocking. But his efforts to avoid a scandal that might destroy his family are interrupted by something still more urgent: the Crown appoints him to investigate the brutal murder of a comrade in arms, who may have been a traitor. Obliged to pursue two inquiries at once, Major Grey finds himself ensnared in a web of treachery and betrayal that touches every stratum of English society -- and threatens all he holds dear. From the bawdy houses of London’ s night-world to the stately drawing rooms of the nobility, and from the blood of a murdered corpse to the thundering seas ruled by the majestic fleet of the East India Company, Lord John pursues the elusive trails of a vanishing footman and a woman in green velvet, who may hold the key to everything -- or nothing. The early days of the Seven Years War come brilliantly to life in this historical mystery by an author whose unique and compelling storytelling has engrossed millions of readers worldwide.
Series
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3 primary books8 released books#1 in Lord John Grey
Lord John Grey is a 8-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 1998 with contributions by Diana Gabaldon and Jeff Woodman.
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This is a book you'll want to read after the 3rd Outlander novel (though I waited until after the 4th) as events take place during Jamie Fraser's time at Helwater. While Fraser is mentioned a few times in the novel (as John is still infatuated with him) it's far enough removed from the Outlander series as to not be repetitive, but still reflects back on past events.
John takes us through the worlds of English military, London's seedier (and not only of brothels, but the less spoken of molly-walks as well) side, and on a great mystery worthy of a Holmes novel all with his brand of charm and wit.
Lord John Grey and mid-1700's London are infinitely more interesting than being inside Claire Randall-Fraser's head, wherever it may be at the time, all the time. He's definitely a person I'd want to know personally.
Oh, this was quite a fun read. Basically it is a tale of murder and espionage. A couple of bodies turn up in mysterious circumstances, and they seem to be related to some important missing military documents. Lord John Grey gets on the case. Crime investigation was certainly different back then (CSI and Chicago PD this ain't), but Lord John proves to be a capable investigator – resourceful and quite relentless. The clues lead here and there and some folks aren't what they seem. But in the end ... but that would be telling (you'll have to read the book!).
What sets this story apart for me is the details of the life of both high and low folk in London of the early 1700s. Diana Gabaldon obviously did a lot of research. The glimpses of life in brothels and of the mollies of London were enlightening. Also, I was happily surprised by the low-key humor that crops up here and there. Lord John is an attractive character, and he is obviously a favorite of Gabaldon.
Good book. A solid four stars.
The first half of the book was rather dull, and it took a lot for me to keep going. But I trust in the author as I love her Outlander books and the second alf if the book was much better. I think the first part was just way to out there for me and I really didn't care about the characters at all. The second half I still didn't care about the characters but I wanted to know how the story ended.
