In the fashion of a Jane Eyre with the brooding Rochester, and yet not quite, or perhaps reminiscent of the duty and chivalry of the tales of King Arthur and his legendary Round Table— but again, shades of similarity— only shades: this is the beginning of explaining the type of story author Jane Jakeman has penned in her book, LET THERE BE BLOOD. To appreciate the full character of the story, and of its protagonist, Lord Ambrose, requires a reading of the book in full.

Lord Ambrose is freshly home to England from Greece, the place of his mother’s birth and nearly his own death from volunteering there to help the Greeks fight the Turks. Lord Ambrose has seen much suffering and death on the battlefield and sustained significant wounds himself, the scars of which remain vivid, both physically and psychologically. He is content to make a hermit of himself and his manservant, Belos, at Malfine, the family homestead. Instead, duty calls in the form of an apprehended man who the villagers are not only accusing of double murder, but also are prepared to immediately execute the suspect. Lord Ambrose, as the titled person of the area, must take responsibility for initial action, which he does with prompt dispatch.

A local well-known farmer and his son have been shot to death in their home, and the locals are ready to put to death a gypsy man found near the scene with a few personal belongings from the house. Lord Ambrose intervenes in the execution and finds himself more than a little interested in the murders, despite the fact he could have easily allowed the crowd their way with the gypsy and been done with the whole affair. A sense of justice propels Ambrose to find the truth of the matter, whether it is the gypsy as the killer, or someone else.

What is difficult to capture in this review are the subtle changes in Lord Ambrose as the plot develops. While never an unlikable fellow, Ambrose’s character blooms with life and integrity as he follows his instincts and interacts with those around him. It is a true art to develop a character as Ms. Jakeman has done in this book, as well as crafting a fine mystery story. No one element overshadows another. Well done, Ms. Jakeman—a definite must-read for mystery lovers.