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Color of Death takes Sir John Fielding into the underground network of West Indian-born servants in 1770s London, where a string of high-end jewel thefts has been pinned on a group of Black servants for reasons that say more about the constabulary than about the crime. Bruce Alexander is handling a politically loaded historical moment, and he does it with the calm research that his series rewards.
The investigation is shared between Sir John (working through informers in the city) and Jeremy (sent undercover in a position that puts him close to the targeted households). Alexander writes both threads with care. Sir John's frustration with Bow Street prejudices is rendered without preachiness. The reveal lands in a place that complicates rather than simplifies the racial politics the book has been tracking.
Four stars. One of the strongest entries in a consistently good series.
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