The Nightingale Affair - by Tim Mason

About the Book

"Inspector Charles Field hunts a serial killer targeting Florence Nightingale's nurses in Crimea and women in London"--

Book Synopsis

In this twisty Victorian detective thriller from the author of The Darwin Affair, Inspector Charles Field hunts a serial killer with a sinister signature targeting Florence Nightingale's nurses in Crimea and women in London.

Who is stalking Florence Nightingale and her nurses? Is it the legendary Beast of the Crimean, or someone closer to home? In 1855, Britain and France are fighting to keep the Russians from snatching the Crimean Peninsula from the Ottoman Empire, and Nightingale, a wealthy young society woman, has made it her mission to improve the wretched conditions in the British military hospitals in Turkey--despite fierce objections from the male doctors around her. When young women start turning up dead, their mouths sewn shut with embroidered fabric roses, Inspector Charles Field (the real-life inspiration for Charles Dickens's Inspector Bucket in Bleak House) is sent from England to find the killer among the doctors, military men, journalists, and others swarming Turkey's famous Barrack Hospital. Here Field meets both the famous Nightingale as well as Nurse Jane Rolly, the woman who will become his wife, and as he races to protect them, the prime suspect takes his own life.

Case closed. Or is it?

Twelve years later, back in London, amid the turmoil surrounding the expansion of voting rights, women again start turning up dead, their mouths covered by that telltale embroidered rose. Did Field suspect the wrong man before, or is he dealing with a deviant copycat? Either way, he must race against time to stop the killer before more bodies are discovered, and before his own family gets pulled into danger. Populated by real figures of the day, from Benjamin Disraeli to novelist Wilkie Collins to, of course, Florence Nightingale herself, and steeped in historical details of 1860s London, The Nightingale Affair plays out against a backdrop of a rapidly changing society. Most of all, it is a pure reading delight, offering shocks, unforgettably vivid scenes, and surprising twists.

Review Quotes

"This is a fast-paced, compelling novel with historical fact and fiction expertly interwoven. The historical characters never overpower the story, nor does the fiction detract from fact."--Historical Novels Review

"In Field (introduced in The Darwin Affair, 2019), readers will find a detective whose humility, unflinching observations, and pragmatic take on rules are bound to charm. Mason's second Field thriller is a deep, gritty dive into Victorian London that's perfect for fans of Alex Grecian's Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series and Caleb Carr's The Alienist."--Booklist

"Inspector Charles Field makes a welcome return in Mason's stellar second historical whodunit... The action alternates between past and present, each switch masterfully heightening the tension. Mason's superb plotting and well-drawn lead bode well for future installments."--Publishers Weekly

"Richness of incident, absorbing details and a breathtaking finale elevate The Nightingale Affair to the top rank of historical shockers."--The Wall Street Journal

"Because Mason places the killer and his excuses openly among his protagonists, and the threats to Field and his family are menacing and time-linked, The Nightingale Affair is at least as much of a thriller (think: ticking clock) as it is a historical novel. Yet the portrait of Nightingale both in her prime and as an aging yet still effective advocate is strong and memorable, giving the book its lively flavor that hints at all the shifts in women's rights and health care about to unfold. Don't expect an extraordinary police investigation here; read the book instead for the colorful storytelling around this classic "change agent" and her insistence on respect, honor, and care."

--The New York Journal of Books

"The book's first part, set mainly in Crimea, is compelling, in part because Nightingale herself is a fascinating character... It does boast a blockbuster ending in subterranean London, rich historical detail, and a cast of real characters, from Benjamin Disraeli to Dickens himself. A killer who once stalked Florence Nightingale's nurses seems to be resurrected in this satisfying thriller."

--Kirkus Reviews

"The book's language and tone are firmly grounded in the time and place... While it all too accurately portrays the misogyny of the era, this mystery will keep readers captivated and will be popular with admirers of Victorian detective novels."--Library Journal

"The Nightingale Affair is the best kind of historical thriller -- beautifully written, expertly plotted, and brimming with vivid characters and detail. Tim Mason made a brilliant debut with The Darwin Affair, and this one is even better."--Daniel Stashower, author of American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America's Jack the Ripper.

"Time-travel through the gilded halls and sinister streets of Victorian London and onward to the horrors of the Crimean War as a determined detective tracks a ruthless killer. Political intrigue, a backdrop of social upheaval, and a cast of nineteenth-century luminaries make this stylish, cleverly plotted thriller a must-read for fans of historical fiction."--Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream

About the Author

Tim Mason is a playwright whose work has been produced in New York City, throughout the United States, and around the world. Among the awards he has received are a Kennedy Center Award, the Hollywood Drama-Logue Award, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Rockefeller Foundation grant. In addition to his dramatic plays, he wrote the book for Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, which had two seasons on Broadway and tours nationally every year. He is the author of the young adult novel The Last Synapsid. The Darwin Affair was his first adult novel.