Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch

Children of the Shadows
by Erica Vetsch

ISBN-13: 9780825447150
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Released: October 10, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing--and even if they are noticed, who will care? Detective Daniel Swann and his colleagues investigate the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, complicated inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he's still a Bow Street runner on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.

But the tangle of expectation and the dynamics of power cannot be easily ignored, even if there are children in danger. When Daniel's past threatens to overwhelm his future, he will need a miracle and the help of his friends to both apprehend the villain and unravel his tangled family web. And it may be that his new responsibilities demand that he leave the children of the shadows to their terrible fate--or lose everything.


My Review:
Children of the Shadows is a Christian mystery set in 1816 in England. This is the 3nd book in the series, and it didn't spoil the previous mysteries. However, you at least need to read the previous book to understand the romance as Juliette and Daniel were told they must stay apart for various reasons. The little time they had together was usually spent kissing. I was sad that Juliette had little to do in this story except fret about her future.

Daniel, his police partner, and his apprentice investigated the disappearing street children. They tracked down clues or had others look for certain information for them. All of the obvious clues pointed toward someone they didn't believe could be guilty. I did wonder why Daniel wasn't suspicious of the behavior of one of the culprits (who was the one I guessed). There was a very subtle clue pointing at the other culprit, but I didn't catch it at the time. Some historical details were woven into the story, but other details verged on fantasy.

The Christian element was mainly how the main characters felt that the street children were valuable and deserved help. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.