THE VANISHING MAN Charles Lenox Series, Book 0.5

James Langton offers a splendid narration of this second prequel to the Charles Lenox series. Part of a proposed trilogy, this middle story is set in 1853. Charles Finch's Victorian detective, Lenox, is called upon to find out who stole a painting of the Duke of Dorset's great-grandfather. Untroubled by the loss of the ancestral portrait, the Duke owns the only existing portrait of William Shakespeare painted from life, and Dorset fears the thief will return once he discovers he stole the wrong painting. Langton excels at upper-class accents, delivering all the insouciance and flair of the privileged. His characterizations of the more humble are also spot-on. He makes the thefts, kidnapping, and murder a delicious puzzle for the struggling young detective and for listeners, as well. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2019]