The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

As a mystery story, this book is wonderful. As an introduction to the origins of the modern detective, this book could be better. The setting in the beginning of the book is vivid, setting the reader right in the town and house where the murder occurred. The major players in the story are also well defined, though since this is history and not fiction, there are few pretenses and red herrings. The book is full of side stories about background on characters and detective fiction, most of which I could have done without.