ARC Review: The Hidden City by Charles Finch

The Hidden City
Author: Charles Finch
Series: Charles Lenox (Book 15)
Publication: Minotaur (November 4, 2025)

Description: Against the vividly drawn backdrop of Victorian London, amateur sleuth Charles Lenox must unlock a mystery concealed in the architecture of the city itself, in this new novel from acclaimed author Charles Finch.

It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. When Lenox finds a similar mark at the site of another murder, he begins to piece together a hidden pattern which leads him into the corridors of Parliament, the slums of East London, and ultimately the very heart of the British upper class.

At the same time, Lenox must contend with the complexities of his personal life: a surprising tension with his steadfast wife, Lady Jane, over her public support of the early movement for women's suffrage; the arrival of Angela Lenox, a mysterious young cousin from India, with an unexpected companion; the dizzying ascent of his brother, Sir Edmund Lenox, to one of the highest political posts in the land; the growing family of his young partners in detection, Polly and Dallington; and the return of the problems that have long bedeviled one of his closest friends, the dashing Scottish physician Thomas McConnell.

Featuring a beloved cast of characters, a top-notch puzzle, and Finch's trademark humor and richness of historical detail, The Hidden City is a novel by a master at the top of his form

My Thoughts: This fifteenth book in the Charles Lenox series takes place in 1879. Charles is recovering from being stabbed during his previous case and the recovery isn't going as well as he had hoped. He's in constant pain which has had a bad effect on his mood. He's been ignoring his responsibilities at his detective agency. 

However, a letter from the woman who was his housekeeper when he first set up his detective agency gets him involved in a mystery again. Someone seems to be scaring her and trying to break into her flat. Charles learns that the previous resident was a man who was murdered in the same building where his former housekeeper lives. The pharmacist was universally disliked in the neighborhood but the potential suspects in his murder all have iron clad alibis. 

Charles is also involved in meeting and caring for the daughter of his cousin who passed away in India. He's surprised when he goes to meet her ship to find that she has brought along her Indian best friend. She had switched her First Class ticket for Third Class so that they could both come. Her arrival brings back good memories of times with her father and some regrets that he hadn't seen him for many years. 

Charles is also having some conflicts with his wife who has begun protesting and marching for Women's Suffrage. Charles is worried for her since protestors are not well treated. 

I enjoyed this story which is the first in the series that I have read. I liked the setting which I felt was well-described. I thought Charles was an interesting character. I liked his empathy and his curiosity.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.