Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January historical mystery series is a favorite of mine. Given that The Nubian's Curse is the twentieth volume in the series, it must be a favorite of a good many others. The series is set in the mid 18th Century, primarily in New Orleans. January is a free man of color with a wide range of life experiences. He was born a slave, then was purchased by his mother when she became a placee (a sort of mistress/concubine) of a wealthy white man. He's a gifted musician; he's also studied medicine. He's lived in both slave-holding and free states; he's also lived in France.

The range of January's life experiences is what gives this series its power. January has lived in enough places that he understands the ways the rules of race differ by location. In the U.S., he's always at risk of being captured as a runaway slave and sold "down the river," despite being a free man. In New Orleans, he's generally a respected figure. His social opportunities are limited because of his race, but he is friends with an interesting mix of individuals, Black and white, wealthy and poor. In Paris, he had the freedom to interact with whites in ways that would have placed him at risk of violence in the U.S.

The Nubian's Curse is a two time-period novel. The mystery at its heart began in Paris with the murder of a white scientist and showman. That man's business partner, Arithmus, a Black man born in Africa who has exceptional memory and numerical skills is presumed to be guilty of the crime. When one of January's friends from Paris, a white woman, arrives in New Orleans and explains that Arithmus is in the U.S. living on a plantation to which she must travel, January winds up traveling with her and with the wealthy, recently-orphaned young woman who she is escorting to the guardian named in her father's will. Of course, January isn't "just" travelling with her. He's joined by a white friend, a fiddler, a former (and perhaps current) reprobate and acts as this man's servant.

The mystery here is complex and involves several more important threads that I haven't included in this summary. Past and present overlap.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, particularly those that examine uncomfortable periods in U.S. history, you'll be deeply satisfied with The Nubian's Curse or any other of Hambly's Benjamin January novels. Hambly handles this series with a deftness that makes it possible to begin with any volume in the series without feeling ungrounded. The Nubian's Curse is being released in January 2024 and is worth keeping an eye out for. In the meanwhile, if you come across a different Benjamin January mystery, read and enjoy.

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