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Bruce Alexander: Sir Henry Fielding and Blind Justice Donna Bradshaw Smith Mystery novels set in London during the Georgian period often center around the latter half of the nineteenth century during the heyday of the Bow Street Runners, the police force created by Henry and John Fielding. Many writers have employed Sir John Fielding-the blind, brilliant, compassionate magistrate at Bow Street Court from 1754 to 1780-as a secondary character in their novels. Now Sir John is the star detective. Bruce Alexander, an American author, has written four novels featuring Sir John Fielding and his thirteen-year-old orphan sidekick, Jeremy Proctor: Blind Justice (1994), Murder in Grub Street (1995), Watery Grave (1996), and Person or Persons Unknown (1997). Critics highly praise this historical mystery series. In a review of Blind Justice, New York Times Book Review stated that "Alexander works in a vigorous style that captures with gusto the lusty spirit of the era." Booklist's reviewer remarked, "The novel offers much to treasure: wonderful use of language, a rich cast of characters, and an intoxicating evocation of time and place." Bruce Alexander is the pseudonym for the noted writer Bruce Cook. He began his career by working in various editorial and public relations posts in Chicago. In addition, he has worked as a freelance writer, a book review editor for the Los Angeles Daily News, and a movie critic. As Bruce Cook he has written a wide range of nonfiction and fiction books. His nonfiction works include a study of the Beat Generation, biographies, and a country music and travel guide. His fiction books include a "hard-boiled" mystery series about a Chicano detective, Antonio "Chico" Cervantes, set in California. Now, with his Sir John Fielding series, Alexander joins the ranks of authors who write historical mysteries. Historical accuracy is a key factor in any historical fiction. It is easy for an author to deal with the general public's beliefs and perceptions of an era, rather than doing some investigation to see if the setting is historically correct. Bruce Alexander has researched his subject well. This historical accuracy, along with the social relevance of the plots and the social conscience of the characters, demonstrates that these entries add a mature element to the historical mystery genre. In the tradition of a Watson retelling the cases of his friend, Jeremy Proctor retells the cases in which he assisted Sir John Fielding. The series begins in 1768, a time when London was considered the most lawless city in 175 176 The Detective as Historian Europe. In Blind Justice we learn the story of how Jeremy and Sir John become a team. New to London, Jeremy immediately becomes involved with an independent "thief-taker." These villains would decoy unwary and ignorant wretches to commit a felony, whereupon they promptly captured them and claimed their reward. True to history, a trumped-up charge is made against Jeremy and he is taken to Bow Street Court so that the thief-taker can collect his reward. Sir John ferrets out the truth and rescues Jeremy from a hanging offense. He takes the penniless orphan into his household as a ward of the court. In the midst of trying to find Jeremy a printer's apprenticeship , Sir John must investigate the death of wealthy Lord Richard Goodhope , who was discovered shot through the head, gun at his feet, behind the locked door of his library. Jeremy becomes Sir John's "eyes" to inspect the crime scene and to observe people's nonverbal reactions. Though the initial finding is suicide, Jeremy notices a clue that points to murder. As the investigation continues, we learn of Goodhope's dissolute life, including extramarital affairs and gambling forays. In the novels, the reader is informed that these are Jeremy's memoirs, written during the 1790s when he is a lawyer in his forties. Thus, it is after Sir John's death that he decides to share his memories of Sir John's investigative abilities and his "prodigious qualities of character" (Blind Justice 1). Alexander's style of writing a historical detective story as a memoir provides a double perspective on events. Jeremy is able to not only look back on Sir John's cases as an adult, but it also allows him to reflect upon his experiences as a teenager. He shares his childhood assumptions and admits to his lack of knowledge (even of sex) as a young man. Jeremy plays the role of the sidekick in...

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