Lord John and the Private Matter

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.

It was fine but I skimmed through most of it. Where was Jamie? Claire? OK I knew Claire wouldn't be in it but I couldn't get too interested in this story.

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.

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.