A clever historical thriller, THE DARWIN AFFAIR opens on the streets of London as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are proceeding in a carriage toward the christening of a new public bath. All appears normal when shots ring out. Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field --- on whom Charles Dickens, of the day, fashioned his detective Bucket --- immediately runs after the fleeing culprit. As he rounds a corner, he discovers a dead man. The policeman correctly interprets the scene, but others do not, believing the worst. Instantly, Field is at the heart of the first of many misunderstandings with his boss.

The days ahead for Field continue to confound. His detecting skills, uncanny and acute, lead him to unpopular conclusions. He’s supposed to be protecting the royal family, although Albert actually insists it’s the queen who Field is charged with protecting, but getting them to listen to a mere policeman frustrates the inspector into almost resigning. While Victoria believes that her life is frequently the target of some disgruntled would-be assassin, she and Albert seem not to take Field’s warnings to heart. Thus his assignment grows to feel impossible.

"[Mason] writes with authenticity and knows precisely how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats. Oh, and just when you believe he’s about to wrap it up, get comfortable, because he has a whole lot more action in store."

London, back in the Victorian Era, was a dark and dangerous place, especially for young people. Children were not particularly valued. Easily snatched, they could be put into the service of individuals with dodgy ideas. Such is what happens to Tom Ginty, a 14-year-old butcher’s apprentice. Field vows to find Tom and bring him home, but the person who holds the boy, dubbed the Chorister, has extraordinarily evil intent and a nearly supernatural gift with blades of all kinds. This cruel man, knowing when to reward his minions, enlists --- or steals --- misfits to help him in his mischief. Believe me, no one should ever cross him.

Teeming with criminal activity, London suffers more assassination attempts than you might think --- even more so when current events trigger passions. Recently, Charles Darwin published ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, and it has caused an incredible reaction. To some, it is blasphemous; to others, outrageous. Some see it as so serious that they believe Darwin must be stopped. This sort of talk cannot be tolerated. Worse, a rumor has circulated that Albert will propose Darwin for knighthood, giving the man’s theories further credibility. Field suspects that a conspiracy may be afoot. Whatever is going on, the Chorister is probably a part of it, and wherever he goes --- as elusive as he seems --- bodies with parts missing are left in his wake.

The maniac at the heart of THE DARWIN AFFAIR is unlike any in literature before him, and is an incredibly fearful figure. While readers cheer for Inspector Field, a true-life detective and friend of Charles Dickens, they will inadvertently learn a smattering of history --- and enjoy every second of it. Author Tim Mason makes it fun. He writes with authenticity and knows precisely how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats. Oh, and just when you believe he’s about to wrap it up, get comfortable, because he has a whole lot more action in store.