The Pickwick Murders

Redmond’s fourth “Dickens of a Crime” title (after A Christmas Carol Murder) starts with Charles Dickens as the main character, but his fiancée Kate Hogarth eventually takes the limelight when Charles is locked up in Newgate Prison as he awaits trial for murder. Kate’s news of her fiancé’s incarceration is followed by a mysterious letter full of literary clues; she hopes by solving them she can gain information that will prove Charles’s innocence. The mystery is interspersed with Charles’s accounts from jail, including visits from Kate and her father, when Charles shares his theories of who is framing him. Kate’s resolve to free Charles pushes against societal restraints and she comes into her own, challenging those in her way. The time period is 1836 and the vocabulary and historical settings—including limitations on women—reflect Redmond’s view of the era. There are a few references to events in previous series installments, including possible spoilers, but new readers will be able to follow the current tale. The inclusion of real historical figures (playwright Joanna Baillie; the wife of Lord Byron) is amusing.