Janet Gleeson: The Grendadillo Box

By PHILIPPA JAMIESON

Lord Montfort, in the library, with the pistol. Imagine a game of Cluedo, only much more intricate, in which the clues keep pointing to new conclusions.

The Grenadillo Box is just this: a clever and absorbing historical murder mystery set in 18th-century England. Several of the characters are based on real people, including cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale and his offsider, craftsman Nathaniel Hopson, the protagonist of the story.

Hopson is sent to work in the country home of Lord Montfort. During a New Year's Day dinner a gunshot heralds the murder (or is it suicide?) of Montfort in his library, and the next day Hopson finds the body of a friend in the estate grounds. His powers of observation and his determination to find his friend's killer lead him to unravel the secrets of the Montfort family, and discover the connections between the two deaths.

The grenadillo box is a curious object found in the hand of the dead Lord Montfort, made of rare grenadillo wood, which Hopson identifies with the help of forthright timber merchant Miss Goodchild. It holds a key to the mystery in a secret compartment. The more Hopson uncovers, the more he believes himself and Miss Goodchild, who becomes the object of his affections, to be in danger.

With this debut novel, Janet Gleeson (who has three non-fiction titles already under her belt, including The Arcanum) demonstrates her abilities as a storyteller. Her writing is flowing and precise. She has done her homework, depicting the period in vivid detail. The lusty young Hopson is sympathetically portrayed, albeit with his fair share of flaws. At nearly 430 pages, the book does sag in places, especially when Hopson is drawn off on convoluted tangents. Some of the events I found implausible and some too peripheral to warrant inclusion.

More of an intellectual puzzle than a suspense story, this is an enjoyable read overall, with plenty of food for thought, and the loose ends are satisfyingly gathered together at the finish.

Bantam Press

$45.00