Book Review: ‘The Vanishing Man’ Is The Next Thrilling Charles Lenox Prequel

The year is 1853 and Charles Lenox amateur Private Investigator is looking for his next case. At the moment he’s having to deal with his young cousin Lancelot, who is staying with him for a few weeks. He is a handful of a child and driving Charles crazy. When he gets a summons from the Duke of Dorset, he suddenly finds himself on a new case. Someone has stolen one his paintings from his home office and the Duke wants it back. The painting itself isn’t valuable although the one next to it is that is still on the wall.

Lenox and his trusty employee Graham are soon on the case and Lenox doesn’t have much to go on. He starts his investigation but feels he isn’t being told the whole truth. The Duke soon sets up a plan to try and catch whoever took the painting himself and ends up shooting a man and being sent to the Tower Of London. He soon tells Charles everything and this missing painting holds the clue to something a lot bigger. It could be a lost play from Shakespeare himself.

The painting is soon found in a place that no one would expect and it points to a shocking suspect and a plan that has been in play for a while that if it comes out could cause quite the scandal for the Duke and Royal Family.

Also on a side note Lady Jane his next door neighbor is still trying to find Charles a wife and marry him off. This is always a fun side-plot.

The second prequel in the series is just as good as the first one last year and as good as the series as any other book in the series. Charles Lenox and his cast of characters are great and I look forward each year to see what they will be up to. No time like the present to jump and in and join the fun.

You can pick up the book in stores Tuesday, February 19th from Minotaur Books.