Kirjahaku

In Murder by the Waters, the fourth book in Robert Lee Hall's hilarious mystery series, crafty old Franklin and his sidekick, Nick Handy, find themselves awash in intrigue and murder in Bath, England's famous spa, where a seemingly innocent girl hides a terrible plot. "A glowingly alive evocation of the era's Sin City, a nicely mystifying puzzle, and Nick's charming narration - all make for the best of this series so far." - Kirkus Reviews

More than ten years ago, Robert Lee Hall made a startling discovery. Within a secret compartment of an old armoire once owned by his great aunt, he found a yellowing manuscript describing a series of mysterious criminal cases. What made these stories so unusual was that they were solved by the renowned scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, while he was a resident of London to plead the case of the American colonies before the British crown. Written by Hall's ancestor, Nick Handy, who happened to be Franklin's assistant throughout these adventures, Hall transcribed the tales and presented them in the order of their occurrence. In Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case, the first mystery in Hall's series, the great Doctor Franklin meets the young orphan Nick Handy in the print shop of an old friend. When his friend is suddenly murdered, it is up to Franklin and Nick to prove who was responsible for the grisly deed. Turning detective, Franklin pursues the strange case along the dark byways of London and into its grand houses, uncovering a theft ring, a profitable trade in slaves and prostitutes, and strong reasons to believe that Nick is in grave danger. Employing his keen sense of scientific observation and his inventor's creative mind, the doctor is able to solve a case that the constables had thought would be impossible to break.

In the second case recorded by Benjamin Franklin's young charge and assistant Nick Handy, the great Doctor Franklin is confronted with a shocking event. While attending a mummers' play at the home of a popular merchant Roddy Fairbrass on Christmas Eve 1757, their host suddenly collapses and dies. Although the bereaved family denies it, Franklin is convinced that he has witnessed a murder. Franklin had been to the Fairbrass home one time before to investigate the report of a ghost and now believes that there must be some sinister connection between the two events. Determined to uncover the truth, the intrepid inventor and statesman, accompanied by Nick, unravels a tangled plot of intrigue and scandal while matching wits with some of London's most notorious criminal minds.