Product Description

This is the second Sir John Fielding mystery. On the day he was due to begin his apprenticeship with a printer, Ezekiel Cribb and his whole family are massacred. Fielding once more uses his assistant Jeremy's sharp eyes to help him reveal the real killer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #661350 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
More 18th-century adventure for blind magistrate Sir John Fielding. Here, the judge's sidekick, the 13-year-old orphaned Jeremy Proctor, has been apprenticed to a well-known printer in Grub Street, Ezekiel Crabb, but the night before Jeremy is to join the Crabb household, everyone in the family is brutally murdered - everyone, that is, except a mysterious guest, a poet named John Clayton, who sits dazed in an attic room, covered in blood but unable to explain himself. Sir John holds firm in his intentions to investigate the sensational case, ignoring cries for the immediate trial and hanging of Clayton, who seems to all but Sir John the obvious killer. But how did one man manage to kill six people in barbarous fashion without rousing the entire household or the neighbors? The lack of other circumstantial evidence also makes Sir John suspicious of the seemingly neat solution presented by Clayton. Meanwhile, as Sir John and Jeremy delve deeper, they encounter a somewhat sinister Christian brotherhood that seems to have connections to other people involved in the case, despite their protestations of innocence. The judge may be blind, but as ever he has a keen ear for prevarication and falsehood, as well as an inquiring mind and relentless passion for getting at the truth. Sir John's second bout of detection (Blind Justice, 1994) is a nifty piece of Georgian work: an intriguing puzzle plus a lively, vivid portrait of everyday life in 1769 London. (Kirkus Reviews)

About the Author
Bruce Alexander is the pseudonym of a well known author.

Customer Reviews

Purely Addictive!
What to say of this book? Only that it is one of the most enchanting and thrilling stories I have ever come across. Last summer I was in Turkey, and half way through my holiday I realised that I had nothing to read. Desperate for some kind of literature to keep me company before bed, I snuck into my mother's room and found a book by Bruce Alexander, called Blind Justice. Thus began an obsession that lasted almost two weeks. So intrigued was I by this story that I would not, could not, go anywhere without it! When I finally finished it, I was amazed. Never in my life had I read a mystery so cunning.

But it was only a few months ago that I was presented with the sequel, Murder in Grub Street. This story is again that of Jeremy Proctor, although he has here been deemed Sir John's official assistant. He narrowly escapes a brutal massacre and is asked once more to aid the compassionate and wise magistrate in the solving of the mystery and the freeing of an innocent man. Embroiled in yet another formidable murder, Jeremy takes on the role of the clever (if not unlikely) detective. As the hero, he is stunning. Though only a child, he has a nose for crime and an admirable sense of justice. A historical narrative with an intricate plot and unforgettable characters, it is simply phenomenal! The eighteenth century style of writing is highly effective and extremely convincing. It isn't at all pompous, as would be expected, but we are given a taste of rather enjoyable prose from this time period.

I highly recommend this book to anyone in search of a satisfying thriller. And don't be put off by the nationality of the author. Although American, Alexander takes the reader on a realistic tour of eighteenth century London, which most English readers will be able to relate to. But be warned, readers will not be able to tear themselves away from these pages. In a word, it is addictive.

Entertaining Book Even Though the Murder Took a Back Seat
Tomorrow, thirteen-year-old Jeremy Proctor is set to begin his apprenticeship at a printer's on Grub Street. But his last night living with Sir John Fielding is interrupted by a tragedy. The family Jeremy was to work for is brutally murdered. When a deranged poet is found with a bloody axe in his hand, it appears to be an open and shut case.

Sir John isn't convinced, however. With Jeremy's help, he begins looking into the matter. Can he find the truth?

I really did intend to get back to this series sooner (I read the first book two years ago). But when I sat down to read it, I was soon back in the world of 1760's London. There is just enough of a character introduction to bring us up to speed without slowing things down. The characters were well drawn and I loved spending more time with them, especially the complex Jeremy.

Unfortunately, the plot was poorly developed. The murder actually was more a sub-plot here, taking a back seat to other things happening in the neighborhood. Even worse, the solution was telegraphed early right down to the motive for the brutal murder.

On the plus side, there is a discussion on Christian prophecy that I found amusing. (And, no, this isn't a Christian novel, although the discussion does play a part in the story.)

The characters made the time spent reading the book worth while. However, the plot could have been so much better.

not as good as the first
The first story was an interesting and involved story and really caught my attention, this one seems to have lost it's way somewhat. It's still good but there was no real suspense involved, most of the mystery was the motives of the parties involved rather than discovering the who. Which somehow made it less satisfying, the characters seemed to be trying to fit the evidence to the killers rather than finding who it was.

Still this story of the further adventures of John Fielding and his protégé Jeremy Proctor and his narrow escape from a masacre is interesting. While a red herring in the form of the disjointed poet Ezekiel Crabb exists he was unconvincing to me, I understood Fielding's urge to clear his name and there was a certain tension when you wondered would he or would the real killer get away.

I like this series and look forward to reading more, it's actually not a bad book but compared to the first one it is somehow lacking.