This book is not as good as Finlay's previous Arrowood novels. The story revolves around a group of Africans brought to England to perform in a freak show. When Finlay places Arrowood if the show as a woman , to me, this was not believable. The pace was plodding at best, however, the description of Victorian England and how the lower classes lived, was much better than the story's plot. ( )

Mick Finlay's Arrowood historical mystery series is one of my favorites—and I read a lot of historical mysteries. The series appeals to me for several reasons:

• It focuses on the lives of ordinary Londoners in the late 19th Century, people who are constantly having to borrow or cadge to get a meal, who live in crowded rooms, and who don't have the luxury of taking a break from their daily labors.

• The characters are complex. They have long histories with one another and ample points of conflict. In some cases the conflict is managed via an affectionate embracing of one another's failings. In other cases, the conflict is ongoing and painful.

• Finlay makes a point of building his mysteries around specific topics—in this case, the treatment of "Africans" in the British Empire, both in Africa and in England—shedding light on material that is genuinely interesting and often omitted from histories that focus on the upper classes, political maneuvering, and military conflicts.

• Arrowood, the central character in the series, has a deep-seated resentment of Sherlock Holmes, who he sees as a lackey for the upper classes, while Arrowood's identity is tied up in being a hero of the working class. I *love* the Holmes mysteries, but seeing Holmes treated as something other than a universal savior is actually a bit of a treat.

Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders focuses on a quartet of "Zulus" attempting to break an exploitative contract with the operator of several "freaks and wonders" shows. Their experiences in their homeland, part of what we now call South Africa, give ample testimony to the brutality and racism underlying the dubious accomplishments of the British Empire. They've experienced what will ultimately become the apartheid system, with separate laws and rights for Africans and Europeans. The plot grows more complicated with the arrival of a Black constable from Natal, claiming two of the four are affiliated with half-resistance, half-criminal operation and are responsible for robbing and murdering the son of a wealthy British resident of the Natal.

If you enjoy working-class, historically informed mysteries, you'll love Arrowood. If you haven't met him yet, seek out this title—or another in the series—soon.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. ( )