Absence of Mercy (A Lightner and Law Mystery #1) (2024)

ABSENCE OF MERCY by S.M. Goodwin is the first book in the Lightner and Law historical mystery / police procedural series. This is the first book that I have read by this author. The main characters are Detective Inspector Jasper Lightner who is the second son of a duke and Hieronymus Law, a New York detective. While the first three chapters take place in England, the rest of the book is set in New York.

This novel takes place in 1857 and New York is very unsettled when Jasper arrives on a year-long assignment to train police detectives in modern (for the times) criminal investigative techniques. Instead, there is conflict everywhere and many that do not want him there. He is assigned to investigate the murder of reformer and philanthropist Stephen Finch. What follows is a complex plot with a lot of characters. The author does a great job of showing a dark and gritty New York City in turmoil. Jasper is a likeable, but flawed protagonist. Is partnering with Hy a mistake? Who can be trusted? Who is the real murderer? Themes include murder, relationships and arranged marriages, infidelity, poverty, racism, prostitution, child abuse, corruption, assaults, false imprisonment, PTSD and much more.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is not your typical historical mystery. Pay close attention to the details as they matter. Which of the secondary characters will show up in future books in the series? I can’t wait to find out what is next for Jasper and Hy. I recommend this to those that like dark and gritty historical mysteries and historical police procedurals.

Crooked Lane Books and S. M. Goodwin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Outstanding Narration
First off I’m going to praise the narration of this phenomenal audio book. Robert Degas has amazing talent and is an expert at accents. He flawlessly and seamlessly voiced multiple characters’ dialogue switching from Welsh, Irish, New York, New England, Cajun, Southern, British upper class and lower class, adding in a stutter for the main character, sometimes all within the same chapter. I was fairly dazzled by him and highly recommend listening to this one if you can.
For the book itself, it was very well done. Goodwin’s background as a prosecuting attorney and as a history professor culminated in this brilliantly complex and intricate murder mystery set in pre-civil war New York. The lead characters, detectives Jasper Lightner and Hieronymus Law were flawed and interesting in their own rights, as their pasts were integrated into the telling of this serial murder mystery/ conspiracy plot.
It had a Sherlock Holmes feel yet dark and gritty. If you enjoy police procedurals and dark and disturbing glimpses into humanity, this is a good read for you. Add to that a history lesson about the politics just before the civil war in the USA and your brain will explode with happiness.
The ending was complex and though you may see some of it coming, the twists and turns were very satisfying. I felt sympathy for the victims as well as the perpetrators, which is not an easy feat, as more often than not in mystery the villain is written as unredeemable and vile, in this they were complicated and real.
I’m excited to read the next one and hope there will be more to come in this series and by this author. She writes under several pen names and can be read in romance as S.M. Laviolette and Minerva Spencer.

This is a gritty historical mystery that transports the reader to New York, circa 1857. The city is rife with corruption & poverty (not to mention a lack of sanitation) & the Civil War is just around the corner.

Among recent arrivals is Englishman Jasper Lightner, the disgraced second son of the Duke of Kersey. At least that’s how his dear old Dad would describe him. Jasper fought in the Crimean War & came home with a chest full of medals & a weakness for opium. A severe head injury left him plagued by memory loss, nightmares & a persistent stutter. Instead of resuming his life of privilege, Jasper took a job consulting with the Met & solved some of their toughest cases. The resulting publicity (plus the fact he has an actual job) horrified his snobbish father & he was given an ultimatum. Give it up & adopt a “proper” lifestyle or hop the pond to work with the New York P.D. Out of sight (out of the headlines) & out of mind.

Jasper is a progressive investigator who employs the latest scientific techniques. The police force in NYC is well known for its corruption & political reformers decided to create a new force based on London’s famous Met. They’re aware of Jasper’s exploits & invited him to teach his methods to their detective squad. The timing couldn’t be better & after calling his father’s bluff, he packs his bags, grabs Paisley the butler & heads to America.

On his first day, it takes him about 4 minutes to realize no one wants him there. They couldn’t give a hoot about his experience or title & only speak to mock his stutter. Which is a tad inconvenient as he’s already been handed his first murder case. A prominent businessman had the nerve to be killed behind a brothel. So if he could solve it quick like, that would be grand.

Turns out the only detective that can help is in jail himself. And so Jasper meets Hieronymus Law, an Irishman with a dodgy past. They couldn’t be more different but each will gain a grudging respect before the investigation is over.

I won’t get into the story line. It’s complex & features a set of grisly murders set against the backdrop of all the issues a budding democratic society deals with. It was a time of rapid growth due to floods of immigrants leaving Europe & the UK looking for (but seldom finding) a better life. Jasper comes from a country built on tradition & hierarchy & it provides a stark contrast to the culture of this former colony. Some of the characters proudly tell Jasper America has no class system but don’t kid yourself….it’s alive & well as the chasm between rich & poor.

Jasper & Law end up in unsavoury parts of the city & descriptions of how women in particular survived are not pretty. Many of the female characters are prostitutes & the author doesn’t shy away from describing their desperate & dangerous lives. It’s clear both MC’s have led interesting lives but there are no big info dumps. Instead, we gradually learn of their backgrounds as they get to know each other.

This is a edgy, fast paced & intricate story set in turbulent times. It’s marketed as being for fans of C.S. Harris & Will Thomas & in terms of the period setting, I agree. However, just a heads-up for readers of those excellent series: this is a much grittier version of the time with profanity & sexual content. Perhaps a more realistic picture? Anyhoo, it didn’t detract from the story & I look forward to following these compelling MC’s on their next case.

3.5 stars

Before starting to read it may be interesting to look at the period. The story takes place in New York, in spring and summer of 1957. That is about the period depicted in the movie “gangs of New York” and 4 years before the American civil war started. Emotions around slavery were riling up already as runaway slaves (freedman) were rumoured to take jobs of white people. On top of that, they could be picked up and brought back to their owners even in those states without slavery. In New York City, there was a power struggle between the newly founded Metropolitan police run by the State and municipal forces run by the mayor.

The book starts with the murder of a rich businessman by 2 women, one is almost still a child, and the other one is older. That’s information the reader has, long before the detective fins out the real truth. Keep this in mind while reading.
Lord Jasper Lightner has become an embarrassment to his father since his success as a police inspector is widely covered in the newspapers. He gets the choice, accepts a promotion into a titular position with nothing to do or go to New York, and become the instructor in new scientific detecting techniques for the newly founded modern police force. He only sets foot on shore when he’s asked to help investigate the murder of an influential, rich reformer. His body is found in the rubbish alley behind a brothel. Apparently this crime bears resemblances with 2 previous murders for whom a woman arrested. His new captain won’t have anything to do with this English aristocrat, he’s very hostile and even bears a grudge against his father the duke on who’s land he used to be a tenant. He gives the investigation of the murder in Jasper’s hands but refuses to give him other detectives as help. He has to do with the help of a young patrolman who’s hardly more than a boy as well as enlisting the help of a former detective that fell out of grace and was incarcerated in the Tombs (the worst imaginable prison at the time).

The characters in this story are delightful. Lord Jasper Lightner is a veteran of the Crimean war that ended a year earlier. He studies in Paris under the founder of the Sûreté and makes a name for himself as an excellent detective in London. He suffers from amnesia after being wounded at Balaclava and wrestles with a stutter since he was a child, another thing his father the duke despises. There’s no love lost between them, more hate. He’s a moral and honourable man but not made from wood and has his own vices (women and opium) that he keeps hidden for the world.
Paisley, Jasper’s valet is a real character of his own. He’s haughtier than his boss and prim and proper at every hour and all occasions. In this story I get the impression that a valet is more than a servant, he’s a confident and personal assistant. He’s very attached to Lightner.
Hieronymus Law turns out to be a far better detective and friend than one would have expected. Jasper frees him from prison and he could easily have absconded, but his pride makes him stand by the aristocrat. In the end, they appreciate each other and even become friends.
I also have a weak spot for Mrs Dunbarton. Her honesty and directness, as well as her genuine care for the poor, make her stand out. I had my suspicions about her but hoped also that she might get together with Lightner. I thought they’re well suited.

The hypocritical attitude towards sex at that time is a major theme in this book. How can they raise ‘women of standing’ with the ideas that they must be prudish and loyal wives and child-bearers that ignore the extramarital affairs of their spouses, while boys and men, certainly those with money, think that they can have (literally) any female anytime and everywhere?
There is a strong social angle in this book. It focuses on practises that poor people were driven to do that we can hardly imagine ourselves now; stripping dead bodies not only of valuables but also of shoes, socks and clothes, selling of children were the ‘lucky ones’ ended up on orphan trains (and we know what some of them endured), deadly abortions, judgemental nuns. It might come as a shock to some readers but our past is very dark and dirty at times. This is a time when children as young as 12 could be bought and sold to work as full-time prostitutes and nobody would think twice about it.
Every modern-day human would not even survive a day on the streets of five points, I think. Not because of the violence but because of the stench from waste and excrement t that was riddled with bacteria and germs. There’s a lot of attention on depicting this side of the city.
This is a great historical murder mystery, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also a critical social and political portrait of an era and highlights some dirty aspects that most historians rather avoid. The historical accuracy is very strong. The people in power at Tammany Hall, The chief of police and mayor are all real people and there can be more. Also, the acclaimed slave riot of 1841 and the police riot have really taken place. Of course, I didn’t check each and every detail, but I’m convinced Mr Goodwin did a great deal of homework and must be congratulated with this fantastic book. There is an opening for a sequel, so I hope that this is the first in a longer series. I’m impressed.
I thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC they provided me with; this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

I really enjoyed the book and recommend it to others. I thought I had it figured out but the plot has several twists and turns. Others have written great reviews. I am looking forward to book 2 in the series. The description of the conditions in New York right before the Civil War are fascinating. I rate the book 4.5 I had a minor quibble with the ending but have already requested book 2 to be ordered for my library.

A good first book in a new historical mystery series set in New York City in 1857. The hero is an English Lord who stammers and has some memory issues after the disaster of the Crimean War. The plot is pretty unbelievable, but the characters are mostly interesting and the mystery is a good one. Lots of prostitution, bad cops, sexual references, foul language. Rupert Degas does a fine job of the audio narration, although his NY accents all tend to sound like gangsters.

With regards to the debut of Absence of Mercy, S.M. Goodwin’s background as a college history professor and a criminal prosecutor helped immeasurably. The story was a well-crafted, interesting fiction and non-fiction mix with likable MCs. Minus some gruesome moments, but necessary to the plot, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this literary puzzle in 1857 New York City.

Jasper Lightner had many titles. At the age of 34, he was the second son of the Duke of Kersey so many unsuspecting people referred to him as ‘my lord’. He preferred a different designation. He was a lifelong stammerer but had long ago learned to accept his speech impediment. He studied medicine before buying a commission and serving in the Crimean War. During the combat and battles, he was known as Lord Major. But the love of his job as the much-admired Detective Inspector with London’s Metropolitan Police, was what he preferred to be called.

It also earned his father’s rage.

They never got along so when Jasper circumvented the Duke’s current plans, he was forced to make a choice. Leave London’s police force and remain under his sire’s thumb or accept a year-long assignment training detectives in NYC. He chose the latter.

~~~~~
A real-life incident was the backdrop to this historical mystery/thriller. I was captivated by Jasper, an internally complex character, and the Americans he met; some good and some very, very bad. Even the stiff-rumped Paisley, Lightner’s valet and go-to man, kept my interest.

Goodwin provided both shock and thought-provoking moments. It was literary entertainment while giving its readers a peek at corrupt America. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I wanted Lightner and his side-kick, Detective Hieronyus Law, to put an end to all of the sinister mayhem.

So from an unknown beginning to a finish with a twist, such are the things worthy journeys and reading experiences embrace. It is easy to see why the launch of Lightner and Law has so many fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful ARC in exchange for an honest review.

S.M. Goodwin's debut novel, Absence of Mercy, is a fast-paced historical mystery, introducing a pair of detectives I hope will be around for years to come: British Lord Jasper Lightner and New York City policeman Hironymous Law. The novel opens in Lightner's London, but the action quickly shifts to pre-Civil War, Tammany-ruled New York City.

As a younger son in a noble family, Lightner has faced one challenge after another in his life: mockery from his father and tutors because of his stutter; physical and mental injuries as a result of surviving the "charge of the Light Brigade," and opium habit that accompanies those injuries. Before he bought a military commission, Lightner studied medicine in France, where he was also introduced to Eugene Vidoq's newly developed criminology techniques. Readers aren't told the details, but Lightner was apparently recruited into the Secret Service after serving in the military, then moved on to a position training London police in criminological investigation. Lightner's noble father is not at all pleased to have a son doing something as embarrassing as actually working—and for the police, no less. To prevent more family embarrassment, his father arranges to have him shipped to New York City for a year to train officers there.

Law was orphaned young, then raised by his grandmother until her death. After a period living on the streets, he was raised in an orphanage from age seven onward. He's a police detective with an uneven record—which, in the New York of his time, means he's not willing to sacrifice high-quality investigation for the political convenience of higher-ups. When readers first meet him, Law is being kept in total darkness and near-starvation in "the Tombs," New York's worst prison, on charges of corruption and assaulting a superior officer.

This unlikely pair soon find themselves investigating what is either a string of serial killings or a set of copy-cat murders. The victims are wealthy men of questionable ethics—so lots of players are heavily invested in preventing effective investigation. At the same time, New York is in the midst of a power struggle between city and state police forces, both of which seem hostile to any scientific approach to detective work. And this is also the era when the Dred Scott decision has left all Blacks in the city—free and runaways—at risk of being captured and sold in the south.

That's a great set-up—and Absence of Mercy fully lives up to the promise of its set-up. The characters are complicated and presented with nuance. Multiple plot threads are twisted together into a dangerous, difficult snarl. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you are going to want to snap up a copy of Absence of Mercy. Like me, you'll also be hoping for many more Lightner and Law novels to come.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

Absence of Mercy is a stellar debut, and a most welcome additional to the historical mystery genre. Lord Jasper Lightner is a Crimean war hero who suffered a grievous head injury in that conflict, one that left gaping holes in his memory--but not in his formidable intellect. He puts that intellect to excellent use as an inspector for the London Metropolitan Police, which puts him on a collision course with his abusive snob of a father, the Duke of Kersey. Under pressure from the duke, Jasper's superiors ship him off to New York City, ostensibly to teach modern investigative methods to the New York police. Pitched headlong into the gritty and sometimes lethal politics of Tammany Hall, a corrupt police service resisting reform, and a city seething with social tensions prior to the Civil War, it's clear Jasper has been set up to fail. But with assistance from Hieronymous Law, an Irish-American, working class copper and an honest man in a corrupt department, Lightner takes on a case involving the bizarre murders of high-profile, powerful men. From the dining rooms of New York's elite to the most dangerous streets of the city, Lightner and Law doggedly pursue justice. Absence of Mercy is fast-paced, suspenseful read with a complex hero who engages the reader's sympathy. Although beset by many personal demons, Lightner is a man of unshakeable integrity, which, in a city as corrupt as New York, puts him in mortal danger. The city itself comes alive as a character in its own right, with a careful attention to evocative detail. The pacing is swift, the plot complex but riveting, and the secondary characters well drawn. At the core of the novel is the working relationship between LIghtner and Law, two very different men who, underneath it all, are kindred spirits. Absence of Mercy is a terrific mystery that will surely appeal to fans of Anne Perry. As a devoted reader of the genre, I look forward to more Lightner and Law, and the very talented S.M. Goodwin.

Absence of Mercy pulled me into the story immediately. It brings to life NYC, just a few years before the Civil War, when the Municipal Police and the new Metropolitan police are spoiling for a battle to decide who would hold power over this city. Enter Jaspar Lightner, the second son of a duke, Crimean war hero, and detective inspector on London’s Metropolitan police force. Jasper is sent to New York to train detectives in investigation techniques and finds himself in the middle of their battle while investigating a grisly murder. S M Goodwin has created compelling characters, placed them in a volatile setting, and gave them a mystery to solve that’s full of twists and reversals. This one’s a real page-turner!

Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review
The wounded war hero in “Absence of Mercy”, by S.M. Goodwin (Crooked Lane Books), is fascinating dreamy, an English beautiful man with a delightful stammer and memory loss from a brain injury sustained in the Crimean War. The contrast and balance between the beauty and charm and the damage/”defects” is riveting.
In the beginning, Jasper Lightner’s issues are wonderfully portrayed: his defective memory, the migraines, the constant stammer, to which the hero seems well adapted and never embarrassed, facing the situation with humor.
Jasper and Law’s relationship is interesting, but I hope the American will lose his subservience towards the English lord in the next installments.
It’s interesting that the hero’s aristocratic background is both so ingrained in the character and such a strong perception by others.
I liked the historical setting, the characters, and the mystery, although I felt there was too much dialogue to explain the plot twists.
The plot seemed a bit convoluted sometimes, and the resolution took way too long.
Still, this hero, annoyingly perfect, beautiful, kind, and damaged, with his layers of complexity, makes me wish for a love interest strong enough to be his match. And I hope he will not turn to be a “stranger to romantic love”.

I’m amazed, actually I correct myself, I’m not, for I grown to expect great work from this Author (who writes under Minerva Spencer), so I’ll say I’m Thrilled to read the first historical murder mystery by S. M. Goodwin. I started reading last evening and could not put the book down, skipped dinner too:) and was eager to write my review. But I had to Step back to collect my thoughts. I enjoyed every aspect of this brilliant book that I needed to savor it before penning down my thoughts. Here goes.....

The introductory scene is one of the best I have read in a while in the murder mystery genre. It’s while the crime is in progress.

Set in 1857, the story shifts from London to bustling New York, where corruption is rampant in a growing nation, where abolitionists fear for their lives and very young females getting off the boat end up leading perilous lives, where rising wealth and mismanaged business dealings, corrupt power and worse immoral men all coexist and all these vices become a character in the book. Now for the actual protagonists in the book, the suave 2nd son of a British Duke, Inspector Lord Jasper Lightner, who left the medical learning 6 months before completion, is a Crimean war veteran with a brain injury which has wiped out parts of his memory, an acolyte of the french criminalist Vidocq (the founder of modern crime detection), a guy with stutter, a good looking bloke, a rich one at that, (after a large bequeath from an aunt Sarah) and of course the bane of his father, the Duke of Kersey! Lord Jasper grows on the reader as he reveals more of himself, through the writers pen, one can’t help but want more of him (just as all the women in the book).

He arrives at NYC (to train the Metropolitan police force on modern criminal investigative techniques), with his masterful valet Paisley, and walks right into the middle of the third murder of a prominent business man, Mr Alard Janssen. Previously, Two rich guys are murdered (case closed) but the modus operandi is similar, garrote and stab wounds with a pound of flesh. The reader is then drawn into the full drama of a bustling city of power struggles, crime, scapegoats, brothels, (the murdered men have a same propensity), widows, and through all this plot twists, Lord Lightner, finds a compatriot in Mr Hieronymus Law, (the condemned detective who worked on the previous two cases). Together they try to piece the puzzle of the crimes which invariably leads to higher authorities involved; who threaten those Who threaten their existence (Like even timing a heart attack)

The author weaves characters, incidents, emotions, and some inanimate objects/places become characters of their own. There are no loose ends and it’s a not a hastily written book, no skipping pages, else the reader will miss out the both the nuances of the character and incident.

The Tombs scene of Hy Law who, in the throes of agony while shackled in solitary confinement for 8 weeks as he slips into delirium and hallucinates....is a brilliant intro, and a peek into the dead family of Hy Law.

There are a few female characters who play a role in moving/filling the intricate crime drama but Hetty Dunburton, the very petite widow of the late (murdered) Henry Dunburton is the lead female protagonist. A direct, brittle but honest woman who genuinely cares for the welfare of downtrodden young girls. She runs many schools/charities for the underprivileged young women aptly called New Beginning School for Young Ladies, and leads the crusade to solve the crime of the husbands! There is romantic tangle with Lord Lightener who begins to enjoy the rapier wit of Hetty. More murders, the final one of Stephen Finch, setting the pace for the final denouement.

It’s not the usual who done it!! You got to relive the era. I went back and read about the Surete, and the author keeps the narrative true to the era, using the right verbatim/language.

And of the many memorable characters in the book, be it the much maligned lanky detective Hieronymus Law (with a conscience), Hetty Dunburton, Emma Sedley, Lorie, Blanche, Lizzy Horgan, Mary, young Amy, the confessed accused dead murderer Caitlyn Grady, the brute policeman Ryan, Lord Jasper Lightner’s valet Paisley, is a force to reckon. (He would not let his lordship’s Cave baggage be transported in a rickety shabby cab and rides along with them, albeit with much disdain, such is his care and loyalty to his master). Cate, Hetty’s butler is another memorable character, even young street urchin John (another with a stutter:)) pitches in his worth.

Without giving out the final who-done-it and WHY; I hope some of these minor characters will show up in future books in the series!

SM Goodwin is an author to reckon with and YES I’m fan of HERs, having read all of her published historical books. Her characters don’t fade after one read, and her writing does not mock the intellect of the reader. She writes narratives which are compelling and characters who are fierce, flawed, damaged, beautiful, shades of gray, complex, and utterly brilliant.

Cheers to rocking start to Lightner and Law series🥃

Absence of Mercy (A Lightner and Law Mystery) by S. M. Goodwin
This is an engaging and exciting who done it! A fast pace historical mystery with grit, intrigue, dirty coppers, (dead) rich men praying on young girls, and suspects galore. The complex plot twist you in knots and keeps you guessing, so stay alert or you’ll miss something in all that’s happening.
I loved the brilliant and witty created characters, including their authentic language and great historical world building.
I really liked Jasper and I loved the small awakening when he realized he actually felt enjoyment and anticipation to see the widow again which was out of character for him.
I wish their short affair would have burned up some pages towards the end because, then I would have been even more emotionally charged and connected than I already was, and without making the story a romance. I look forward to the next book!
Happy Reading♥️
Content Note: Adult 21+ including some adult language.
This book refers to and mentions dark material (brothels, prostitution, sex trafficking, rape of minors, murders, etc.) however, the author doesn’t go into explicit descriptive details of the heinous acts. She sent the best detectives to find and expose the despicable evil that surfaced in the streets of New York City in 1857.

London Detective Inspector Jasper Lightner is "offered" a position in New York City to modernize the structure of their police department. Afflicted with stuttering, he also has memory loss of his life before his injury from the Crimea War. Murder, prostitution, rape, abuse, secret societies, politics and a lot of animosity become a tangled weave that challenges the detective's ability to find the truth. Set in 1857, this is a prelude to a nation that will be divided by war.
An inkling of Sherlock Holmes crossed my mind, but Lightner is more charming and has a fascinating way of protecting himself. I look forward to reading more books with Detective Inspector Lightner, a most interesting character.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This is the first book by this author, although she writes under another name so she is not new to writing. I found it a lovely change from the historical romances that I usually read. I found the story gripping and was pleased I didn’t guess the murderer from the beginning although I did have some suspicions. I did at times find the politics a little hard to follow but for me, that was not a real problem. This was a gritty sad story about how difficult and raw life was being set in the lower end of New York City, in and around brothels. Saying that you have to expect bad language but there was no sex. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to hopefully many more. I received this book as an ARC and freely give my review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read and review this book. This is a good debut mystery that takes place Pre-Civil War in New York. Two detectives, Jasper Lightner and Hieronymus Law, pair up to solve a string of grisly murders. This story was well written and contained a lot of action.
Just a warning-this story does contain the f_____ word quite a bit, and one of the main settings is a brothel. I didn't really like the use of the f____ word so much. That is just my own personal preference. Other then that, it was a good mystery.

For those that like Minerva Spencer's writing, you might give her a try under this pen name. It was well crafted and the mystery was compelling. I liked both of the main characters, flaws and all. Although Law is still a bit a mystery, hopefully to be drawn out with the series. If you like the Sebastian St. Cyr and the Captain Lacey series, you might give this book a try. Also this isn't a romance, this is all pure mystery and procedural and I am looking forward to the next book.

4.5 stars
Audio-own-Chirp audio ($2.99 awesome deal)
Narrator: Rupert Degas
NYC April 1857
MC: Jasper Lightner, from England, 2nd son of a Duke 34 years old
Hieronymus (Hy) Law, detective, NYC police. (in his 20s)

I loved this mystery by a new to me author. Took a chance when offered at ridiculous price on Chirp and so glad I did. The narrator was great...only reason I said 4.5 is that I rounded down for the women's voices. They all sounded quite old, but since this book is mainly men, it's not a big deal.

Unique premise I thought...second son of a Duke, had fought in the Crimean War and after his return, worked with the police in England helping to solve crimes. This work enraged and embarrassed his father. He devises a plan he thinks will put a stop to Jasper's unseemly endeavors and uses his influence and issues an ultimatum....accept a position as a type of diplomat or go to NYC for a year to help the New York City Police Department, which is in disarray. The Duke is sure that Jasper will not go to New York but you get the feeling that Jasper enjoys annoying his bossy father..and off he goes to New York. Thus begins the story.

Jasper definitely stands out in NYC. A wealthy man, without the help of his father, he is tall, good looking, distinguished, well-mannered and suffers from a life-long stutter. It is not constant, but obvious regardless. Because of his looks, manner and the stutter, he is often under-estimated. One would do so at their peril. Trained in some type of martial arts, Jasper can take care of himself and uses those skills when needed.

Hy Law is the NYC detective that becomes Jasper's assistant of sorts. Other characters round out the story and like similar books of this nature, I came to enjoy the characters and their interactions probably more than the mystery itself.

I've already read (listened to the 2nd book, Crooked in His Ways, and am hoping there is a third one soon. Highly recommend to lovers of historical mysteries.

This is a difficult book to review. First off, in the prologue, the repeated references to “she’s just a girl” were distasteful. Yes, I know he was murdered and that kicked off the story but it just wasn’t my cup of tea on how to start a story.

Jasper, the second son of a duke, comes to train detectives in New York and ends up trying to solve a murder mystery that is solidly written and has lots of plots twists. The book was gritty and while that doesn’t bother me, I felt sone of the language was forced. I’m not particularly offended by it, but it felt like it was trying too hard.

So let’s get to the characters: they were pretty well developed. That being said, let’s talk about Jasper’s stutter. Totally awesome that it was included. Seriously. With a speech therapy background, I love that it’s included. But stuttering isn’t just repetitive syllables, it’s also prolonging words and just having blocks where you just can’t say anything, usually with some sort of physical struggle. So I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a realistic picture but I also understand it’s probably incredibly difficult to write.

I know it sounds like I didn’t like the book, and I didn’t love it, but the characters have potential and the mystery aspect was was plotted out.

What a glorious historical fiction murder mystery. I loved the main character, Detective Inspector Jasper Lightner, who in 1857 is sent from London to New York to train detectives. He finds a huge mess. Not only do most of the detectives not know what they're doing, but the political dynamics put Jasper in immediate danger. Not everyone wants him there, and they certainly don't want him getting mixed up the the current murders of society gentlemen. I loved wading through the muck (literal and figurative) with Jasper, and the twist at the end was completely unexpected. An exciting read!

Absence of Mercy
A Lightner and Law Mystery Series #1
S.M. Goodwin
https://www.facebook.com/smgoodwin/
Release date 11/10/2020
Publisher Crooked Lane Books

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯

A string of grisly murders in Pre-Civil War New York propels an unlikely pair of detectives into a deadly tinderbox in S. M. Goodwin's debut novel, a sure hit for fans of Will Thomas and C. S. Harris.

Jasper Lightner is a decorated Crimean War hero and the most admired inspector in London's Metropolitan Police. Along with a chest full of medals, he's got a head injury that's left large chunks of his memory missing. But Jasper's biggest problem is his father, the Duke of Kersey, who, enraged by a series of front-page newspaper stories extolling Jasper's exploits, decides he's had enough of the embarrassment and uses his political connections to keep his son out of the headlines--and off the police force.

Jasper is sent packing to New York City on a year-long assignment to train detectives, and discovers a police department hovering on the brink of armed conflict. Assigned to investigate the murder of philanthropist and reformer Stephen Finch, Jasper joins forces with a man who might be even more of an outsider than he is: Hieronymus Law, a detective who had investigated two almost identical killings--and who is rumored to have taken money to help frame an innocent woman for murder.

Law is bent on restoring his good name. But can Jasper trust Hy enough to bring him into the investigation? As the city devolves into madness and law enforcement falls into the hands of dangerous gangs, this unlikely team has no choice but to work together to pursue an adversary more sinister than either has faced alone.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

When all the traps will close on him, which path will he decides for ...

It has been a while since I have read a true mystery (I mean one with no romance as the main leading plot-line), but as I follow the author under her other aliases and love her very unusual approach in the historical romance genre, I could not pass this one too.
And right, I just loved to renew with her incredible talent with words, how she paints vivid scenes and flesh and blood characters. How with just ink and paint she creates a 3D world, bringing it to life in my mind.
Lord Jasper Lightner has tried to forge his path out the London’s society, but as the spare of a duke, he is impeded in his pursuit of justice by his father’s interferences.
After a honorable career as a soldier, he came back from war a hero and with shrapnel in his skull as souvenir. And while his brain and memories work on their own accord, as he can’t even recoil the man he was prior to his injury, it does not deter him from entering the London police forces. Until his father threw a new stone on his path.
I just loved him, he never falls in the many traps or tricks set for him. All the while being always the perfect English gentleman, keeping his emotions closed and using his clever mind to outflank the cunning hoaxes thrown on his path.
Yet he is far from perfect, battling his own demons, but he plays the same game as the others with him, just with a higher hand. After all he learned under the best tutelage thanks to his obnoxious and heartless father how to be sneaky and shrewd, but he is such and more, highly clever and educated, yet he needs for justice and answers can come with a cost.
While the story is mainly told from Lightner’s point of view, I loved Law’s part, he is as much damaged as Lightner but in a different. But his youth and upbringing make him a good challenger next too Lightner, good but in need of guidance to canalise his thoughts and energy.

And last, Paisley, Lightner’s valet is quite a figure too, more royalty than a king, he is like a mother hen but with an iron hand with the velvet glove.

In all, this tale has a taste of P.D. James, and I just adored it, with her two unlikely and mismatched detectives roaming the lowest streets of NY city and its ragged populace. They together explore the darkest sides of the human nature, its basest aspects and the shrewdness of some evil beings.
And while Lightner could be compared to Holmes, the likenesses stop with his lording upbringing and his addiction as Lightner has his very unique personality, a ability to make enemies everywhere he goes but also an empathy Holmes always lacked, he cares for people. Plus Law is no Watson.
5 stars.

I now can’t wait to know where the author will lead them next.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Crooked Lane Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

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Brilliant debut novel involving a British peer with battle injuries, PTSD, and an opium habit who goes to New York to train detectives. Be prepared to use a dictionary as the book is peppered with obscure slang and references to things common at the time but unknown now. A disturbing murder mystery is both solved and irrelevant to the outcomes of those incorrectly identified as killers. It is a gritty and vivid novel of a city before the civil war, filled with foreigners and graft by its public officials and warring factions who battle outhitting there differences in the street. This is a rich and detailed analysis of rich vs. poor, compelling in its detail and unique, flawed characters. Can’t wait for future books by this author.

Excellent!
I've really enjoyed the writing, the wit, the characters that are smart and flawed and human and fair.
I'm looking forward to the next one!!!

I liked the main characters and the intricate plot. Good writing. Take notes to keep track of characters and what "side" they're on in the police force conflict. I look forward to the next book in the series. One quibble: I'm not sure New Yorkers of the period would know of or think to say my lord, but I don't really know.

Jasper Lightner is a decorated Crimean War hero and the most admired inspector in London's Metropolitan Police. Along with a chest full of medals, he's got a head injury that's left large chunks of his memory missing. But Jasper's biggest problem is his father, the Duke of Kersey. Jasper is sent to New York City on a year-long assignment to train detectives, and discovers a police department hovering on the brink of armed conflict. Assigned to investigate the murder of philanthropist and reformer Stephen Finch, Jasper joins forces with a man who might be even more of an outsider than he is: Hieronymus Law, a detective who had investigated two almost identical killings--and who is rumoured to have taken money to help frame an innocent woman for murder. Hy is bent on restoring his good name. But can Jasper trust Hy enough to bring him into the investigation? As the city devolves into madness and law enforcement falls into the hands of dangerous gangs, this unlikely team has no choice but to work together to pursue an adversary more sinister than either has faced alone.
WOW! this is the author’s debut historical murder mystery & boy is it good. Strong, complex characters, a story that is fast paced & engrossing. There were twists & turns & some revelations had me gobsmacked as I certainly didn’t see some coming. I was totally drawn in from start to finish. I really liked Jasper who was a veritable terrier & I loved how the partnership with Hy developed. My favourite character was Paisley who was an absolute gem. I look forward to more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

1857 Lord Jasper Lightner, hero of the Crimean war, and Detective Inspector of the London Metropolitan Police has embarrassed his father for the last time, so he is sent to New York City to train detectives. Arriving just as the dead body of a Alard Janssen has been discovered, murdered. He meets disgraced detective Hieronymus Law and they partner up to investigate a series of murders but with no motive, and no hint of a suspect.
An entertaining well-written Victorian murder mystery with two likeable but flawed main characters. A very good start to a new series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this historical mystery. I will say (for those who might mind) this is darker than many historicals and since a lot of it is set in the Five Points area of NY and within brothels, the language is a lot coarser.

Lord Jasper Lightner, wounded hero of the Crimean war is instantly likeable. He's highly intelligent and wants to bring the newer policing techniques being employed in France thanks to Vicdoq to London but his father, who dislikes him anyhow, is too embarrassed and he finds himself with a choice, quit or go to NYC to teach them. He shocks them all by taking the latter option.

Jasper finds himself with a two-pronged welcome. For one, NYC is in the middle of ripping down one corrupt police department and trying to rebuild a fairer better one (timely!) so they aren't pleased to see him, especially since he is a lord and the police is populated by poor Irish/Welsh members. On the other hand, he is handsome and it's all the rage for American blue bloods to find a British royal to marry.

Hy Law has been scapegoated for the wrongful arrest of a prostitute and her suicide and is the horrible Tomb when Jasper springs him, mostly interested in what Law knows about the two dead wealthy men now that the police files are missing and the prostitute who supposedly killed them is dead and couldn't possibly be responsible for the third dead businessman killed in an identical and grisly manner.

Jasper and Hy have no support - in fact are hounded by the police - as they try to find out who might be killing these businessmen who by the end you might find yourself rooting for whoever killed them. As mentioned above the action is mostly in NYC's infamous Five Points which was mired in corrupt politics, vicious gangs, brothels and poverty. A lot of social justice ideas are woven into this, the plights of free Blacks (and what happens to Whites who help them avoid slave takers), poverty, women and misogyny, even trans rights.

Hy and Jasper are fascinating characters from two contrasting upbringings (Jasper rich with everything he could have wanted except love and Hy a poor orphan raised by vicious nuns) We know more about Jasper and there is a bit of inconsistency in him. He stutters badly (and he uses that to get people to underestimate him because this is definitely a time period where a stutter was seen as indicating low intelligence) and he has memory issues which I thought were on going but maybe not. He received a traumatic brain injury after being shot in the head in the war and much of his past is gone but if he had ongoing issues (which I thought he did in England but maybe I misread that) He has issues with opium and there are other habits of his that might not be good but we don't know them yet, at least not fully.

The mystery was very well done and I loved Hy and Jasper's partnership. I'll be looking forward to more of this.

Absence of Mercy by S. M. Goodwin
A Lightner & Law Mystery #1

Splendid Story ~ I was hooked and could not put it down! This may be a debut novel but a stellar one for sure! With a sympathetic hero, wonderful supporting characters, history, a bit of romance, excellent plotting & writing, well, it was a riveting read!

What I liked:
* Lord Jasper Lightner: detective, war veteran, traumatic brain and other injuries from the war, son of a duke, likeable, observant, unflappable, multilingual, skilled fighter, and very human – I really like him.
* Detective Hieronymus Law: detective, falsely accused, interesting, intelligent, a man I want to know more about.
* The writing, plot, historical aspects
* Paisley: Jasper’s valet but also much more…he is a force to be reckoned with. Looking forward to hearing more about him in the future
* John: a young boy with a stammer that I hope will grow into more within the book
* Jasper’s ability to understand the best way to interact with others – no matter who they might be
* The twists and turns
* Feeling as if I was “in the story” with all senses engaged
* The canes…each one different and equally deadly…in the right hands
* Character development of main and supporting characters
* The way all the threads of the story were drawn tightly together to conclude the story
* That I thought, felt, and wondered about “what if” I had been various characters in the story
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Jasper’s father – an unlikable man…though his wife didn’t seem much better
* The “powers that be” within New York
* The corruption of police and politicians
* being reminded of the rough life so many endure…wealthy and poor alike

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

4.5 stars!

Pre-Civil-War New York City - one of my favorite settings for novels and this one was right up my alley. Absence of Mercy is a captivating historical mystery, featuring an English lord/detective inspector, Jasper Lightner, who is sent to New York City in 1857 to help train detectives. But NYC is in the midst of a police crisis (true story) - the Municipal Police is being replaced by the Metropolitan Police and no love is lost between the two groups. Settings range from the glorious mansions of the upper crust to the miserable hovels of the lower classes, especially the notorious Five Points neighborhood. Lightner had been wounded seriously in the Crimean War (made famous in the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade) and he stutters (unrelated to his injuries). He also has a taste for opium, which helps with the headaches caused by his head wound. He teams up with an out-of-favor NYC detective, ironically named Law. They make an interesting pair indeed, as they investigate a series of murders of rich and powerful men. I was surprised that this is Goodwin’s debut novel because it’s done so well. I bounced between the e-book and the audiobook. The narrator of the audiobook, Rupert Degas, did a splendid job with all the different accents and voices. I am really looking forward to whatever S.M. Goodwin writes next and I hope it will be another story featuring Lightner and Law!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

An excellent historical mystery, gripping and gritty.
The plot is complex and tightly knitted, the characters are fleshed out and interesting, the historical background is well researched and vivid.
I loved the solid mystery that kept me guessing and the descriptions of the life in New York in the middle XIX century.
I hope it's the first in a series and there will be another one out soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine