I was asked to read this book and provide a review by the publisher. When Ir received I was a bit dismayed to see that it was the second in a series, and I hadn't read the first one. I did get this second in the series and the third from that publisher, so all was not lost. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This particular book was set in London very early in the 20 century. The main character is retired Sheriff John Le Brun, formerly of Georgia, United States. John has recently retired after solving a very difficult case back in Georgia (the first book in the series), and has come to England with his friend to be a tourist and take in some theatre and music shows. When he first arrives and is at an English club (The Sceptred Isle Club) for dinner with his friend, they hear numerous shots coming from a downstairs poker room. So begins John's foray into solving an English crime. Four men have been shot in a locked private poker room. The crime is violent and the motive behind it is very obscure, but John uses his very considerable deduction skills to unravel a deep and very dark mystery. I absolutely love John Le Brun! He's a stellar protagonist, and his crime fighting skills are incedibly diverse and thorough. He appears to be self-effacing and laid back, but his prodigious mind is always working behind his unflappable exterior. The only disappointment I had with the book is that the latter part of the book (about the last 15%) dealt with the aftermath of Le Brun solving the crime. We already knew who the killers were, and why they did it. I felt that the book could have ended sooner than it did. But that won't stop me from looking forward to reading the next book in the series that is waiting for me on my iPad. Thank you to the publisher for introducing me to this wonderful series. I will now have to read the first book and the other books in the series. I highly recommend this series. ( )