The Hidden Man, Blake - B

                                               This a novel in a delightful series set in the 1740's in a mythical English village about a days ride east of Liverpool. The two key characters are the coroner, Titus Cragg, who narrates the stories and the local physician Luke Fidelis, who is his gruff buddy and fellow scientific thinker.  The two men try to apply some sensible early modern crime scene analysis to the grizzly deaths they come across.  The fun in the series is the background information and depth provided on various 18th century topics. In this one, the prime focus is on the slave trade that emanated from Liverpool. Ships with modest knick-knacks of the early industrial era sailed to Africa, obtained slaves for the 'middle passage' to the Caribbean and come home on the third leg with sugar, coffee, molasses, rum and other commodities in high demand in England. The profits were often 10 times the amount spent to outfit the venture. The author is a noted biographer.