Preston, England in 1741 is holding their first election in twenty years and the entire town is preparing for the festivities and the troubles that come with it, but no one was expecting there to be a murder. Antony Egan is a drunk so when he drowns no one initially suspects that it is anything other than an accident. Then a well-to-do farmer from out of town is poisoned. Titus Cragg, coroner, and his good friend Dr. Luke Fidelis find a connection between the two dead men and must wonder if Egan's drowning was indeed an accident after all. The election is heating up and Cragg and Fidelis must put rumors of a conspiracy to rest before the town erupts in violence, but what if there is a conspiracy to rig the election?

DARK WATERS by Robin Blake steps into the past in the second novel featuring Titus Cragg and Dr. Luke Fidelis. Filled with rich historical detail and a surprising twist to this mystery, DARK WATERS will please fans of the genre. There is a formality to the prose that feels natural to Titus Cragg's character. While it is told in a conversational style in first person narrative, there is a distance between Cragg and the reader. He hardly ever strays into internal reflection. Instead, he recounts the activities around him in detail and uses those small details to express his opinion. It's a technique I enjoy as it keeps the focus on the mystery and the actions of the characters rather than their internal struggle.

It's the actions and clues found by Cragg and Fidelis that take center stage in DARK WATERS. Cragg is intelligent, curious, and with a profound desire to seek justice, but he's straight-laced and methodical. Dr. Luke Fidelis offsets Cragg's slower approach wonderfully, providing the brilliant character with striking insight into physical clues through scientific deduction. They truly work as a team with Fidelis seeing the clue and Cragg understanding the importance of that clue in relation to other pieces of the puzzle. The myriad cast of secondary characters provide distractions, clues, conflict, and support, making Preston feel like a very familiar town rather than one set in the distant past.

DARK WATERS by Robin Blake is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery that will not disappoint with its rich historical setting, a surprising twist-end, and the unique voice of Titus Cragg.

Book Summary

Preston, 1741. The drowning of drunken publican Antony Egan is no surprise—even if it comes as an unpleasant shock to coroner Titus Cragg, whose wife was the old man’s niece. But he does his duty to the letter, and the inquest’s verdict is accidental death. Meanwhile the town is agog with rumour and faction, as the General Election is only a week away and the two local seats are to be contested by four rival candidates. But Cragg’s close friend, Dr. Luke Fidelis, finds evidence to cast doubt on the events leading to Egan’s demise.

Soon suspicions are further roused when a well-to-do farmer collapses and it appears he was in town on political business. Is there a conspiracy afoot? The Mayor and Council have their own way of imposing order, but Cragg is determined not to be swayed by their pressure. With the help of Fidelis’s scientific ingenuity the true criminals are brought to light.