Darwin and
the edge of the Empire
Amateur
naturalist Chad Hobbes—the atheist son of a preacher—has come to the colony of
British Columbia to learn a bit about life before he settles down to a life as
a lawyer. Unfortunately for Chad, he’s just missed the Gold Rush, which means
that nobody in Vancouver or nearby Victoria really needs a lawyer. But what
they do need is a policeman. The wilderness settlement has several police
officers but none with Hobbes’ particular set of skills. The idea of being a
“peeler” appeals to Hobbes and he’s soon thrust into the heart of a murder
mystery that has racial and colonial implications.
Hobbes is
fascinated by his duties and dutifully records everything he observes in a
leather-bound journal his mother gave him before he left home. There’s plenty
to observe. Elections are pending and one of the questions is whether B.C. will
become part of America. Passions run high on both sides of the question but not
as high as when an American “alienist” is found dead and the most likely
suspect is a medicine man.
Sean
Haldane’s novel transcends genre here with its literate (but never ponderously
literary) style and the sharp observations on everything from class to
vegetation. (Hobbes is fascinated by the quality of blue in the sky, so
different from the English sky back home.)
Fans of
historical mysteries are in for a treat with this book.
