I received this book for free. I voluntarily left this review and all opinions contained herein are my own.
This is the first book in the John Pickett Mysteries series. It is more of a novella which provides the background of John Pickett, starting when he was about 14 years old. John is caught stealing. Despite the urging of the police officer, the magistrate see something in John and gets John an apprenticeship which will last until he is 21 years of age. Through the apprenticeship, John meets his employer’s daughter Sophy [who teases and entices John mercilessly]. John is very intelligent, can read [which is unusual for a street urchin] and is quick to learn. John becomes involved in the mystery of a stolen necklace, which catches the eye of the same policeman who had arrested John for theft.
Sheri Cobb South’s writing skill transports you to the 1800’s and then pulls you in with the interesting empathetic characters she has created. I did not want the story to end. There is some wonderful wit and some clever turns of phrase in her writing. I really enjoy historical mysteries and I have found a new favorite.
The narrator, Joel Froomkin, is perfect for this series. He does accents and really adds a great atmosphere and richness to his narration. He really enhances the written word.