annieb123's Review of Absence of Mercy

by S M Goodwin

A string of grisly murders in Pre-Civil War New York propels an unlikely pair of detectives into a deadly tinderbox in S. M. Goodwin's debut novel, a sure hit for fans of Will Thomas and C. S. Harris.

Jasper Lightner is a decorated Crimean War hero and the most admired inspector in London's Metropolitan Police. Along with a chest full of medals, he's got a head injury that's left large chunks of his memory missing. But Jasper's biggest problem is his father, the Duke of Kersey, who, enraged by a series of front-page newspaper stories extolling Jasper's exploits, decides he's had enough of the embarrassment and uses his political connections to keep his son out of the headlines--and off the police force.

Jasper is sent packing to New York City on a year-long assignment to train detectives, and discovers a police department hovering on the brink of armed conflict. Assigned to investigate the murder of philanthropist and reformer Stephen Finch, Jasper joins forces with a man who might be even more of an outsider than he is: Hieronymus Law, a detective who had investigated two almost identical killings--and who is rumored to have taken money to help frame an innocent woman for murder.

Law is bent on restoring his good name. But can Jasper trust Hy enough to bring him into the investigation? As the city devolves into madness and law enforcement falls into the hands of dangerous gangs, this unlikely team has no choice but to work together to pursue an adversary more sinister than either has faced alone.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Absence of Mercy is the first book in a new historical mystery series by S.M. Goodwin. Released 10th Nov 2020 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an intricately crafted and well engineered mystery wrapped around an accurate historical framework. The characters are well established with realistic and believable internal motivations and agendas. The setting, pre-civil war New York is gritty and believable, with palpable desperation side by side with almost unimaginable wealth and privilege. The author is skilled enough that it's sometimes difficult to distinguish where history ends and the fiction begins.

There are a number of potentially distressing themes included in the narrative including child prostitution, slavery, rampant sexism, abuse (and murder) of vulnerable people, drug abuse, rape, graphic depictions of war, and a few others. They are used in context, but I found it tough going in some places.

The writing itself is very good and the author can certainly tell a compelling story. I would recommend this ones to readers of the historical mystery genre. I think that fans of C. S. Harris (and I am one such) will find a lot to enjoy here. Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Absence of Mercy

by S M Goodwin

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jan 19, 2021

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