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The Esther & Jack Enright Mysteries #5
The Posing Playwright: Oscar Wilde's trial is the scandal of the century...
It was the trial of the century that shocked England to its core…
London, 1895
The whole of England is agog with the revelation that one of its favourite playwrights, Oscar Wilde has been accused of homosexuality and has brought a court action against his accuser in the hope of retrieving his good character.
When disturbing information is brought to light regarding the famous names that are likely to be dropped in open court and the dark crimes they may have committed, Detective Inspector Percy Enright and his nephew Detective Sergeant Jack Enright are ordered to suppress the scandal.
But when a leading peer goes missing, the caseload at Scotland Yard is stretched to the limit…
With two intermingled investigations and a fresh eye needed to spot the connections between them, Jack’s wife Esther, bored to distraction by domestic duties, finds herself involved once again…
Together they embark on another investigation into the seedier elements of late Victorian society. The Enrights are hopeful that this time they won’t be put in any personal danger.
But one can never be entirely certain… ..
THE POSING PLAYWRIGHT is the fifth crime thriller in an exciting new historical series, the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.
ESTHER & JACK ENRIGHT MYSTERY SERIES
BOOK ONE: The Gaslight Stalker
BOOK TWO: The Night Caller
BOOK THREE: The Prodigal Sister
BOOK FOUR: The Slum Reaper
BOOK FIVE: The Posing Playwright
BOOK SIX: The Mercy Killings
London, 1895
The whole of England is agog with the revelation that one of its favourite playwrights, Oscar Wilde has been accused of homosexuality and has brought a court action against his accuser in the hope of retrieving his good character.
When disturbing information is brought to light regarding the famous names that are likely to be dropped in open court and the dark crimes they may have committed, Detective Inspector Percy Enright and his nephew Detective Sergeant Jack Enright are ordered to suppress the scandal.
But when a leading peer goes missing, the caseload at Scotland Yard is stretched to the limit…
With two intermingled investigations and a fresh eye needed to spot the connections between them, Jack’s wife Esther, bored to distraction by domestic duties, finds herself involved once again…
Together they embark on another investigation into the seedier elements of late Victorian society. The Enrights are hopeful that this time they won’t be put in any personal danger.
But one can never be entirely certain… ..
THE POSING PLAYWRIGHT is the fifth crime thriller in an exciting new historical series, the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense.
ESTHER & JACK ENRIGHT MYSTERY SERIES
BOOK ONE: The Gaslight Stalker
BOOK TWO: The Night Caller
BOOK THREE: The Prodigal Sister
BOOK FOUR: The Slum Reaper
BOOK FIVE: The Posing Playwright
BOOK SIX: The Mercy Killings
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2018
125 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
David Field
59 books91 followersDavid was born in post-war Nottingham, and educated at Nottingham High School. After obtaining a Law degree he became a career-long criminal law practitioner and academic, emigrating in 1989 to Australia, where he still lives.
Combining his two great loves of History and the English language he began writing historical novels as an escape from the realities of life in the criminal law, but did not begin to publish them until close to fulltime retirement, when digital publishing offered a viable alternative to literary agencies, print publishers and rejection slips.
Now blessed with all the time in the world, his former hobby has become a fulltime occupation as he enjoys life in rural New South Wales with his wife, sons and grandchildren to keep him firmly grounded in the reality of the contemporary world.
David Field is published by Sapere Books.
Combining his two great loves of History and the English language he began writing historical novels as an escape from the realities of life in the criminal law, but did not begin to publish them until close to fulltime retirement, when digital publishing offered a viable alternative to literary agencies, print publishers and rejection slips.
Now blessed with all the time in the world, his former hobby has become a fulltime occupation as he enjoys life in rural New South Wales with his wife, sons and grandchildren to keep him firmly grounded in the reality of the contemporary world.
David Field is published by Sapere Books.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 15, 2018
Victorian England’s criminal element comes to life in the writing of David Field. The reader can be assured of another strong Esther and Jack Enright tale, chock full of mystery and intrigue. Having served Scotland Yard for a few years, Jack Enright is transferred into a new position in the Political Division, alongside his uncle, Percy. Together, they are tasked with protecting some of England’s upper crust and helping in similar capacities. It is around this time that playwright Oscar Wilde has brought suit against the Marquess of Queensberry for calling him a sodomite. The Enrights have been tasked with trying to collect additional information to support the claim that Wilde is anything but a friendly artist. An additional case has come to light, one that has Percy scratching his head. A member of the British Government, hailing from Ireland, has gone missing. Known not to support Irish Home Rule, he was last seen in his private rail car travelling on a train. Now, both the car and his lordship have disappeared into thin air, while the Fenian population remains coy about any recent actions. While Jack has been rubbing elbows with the ‘riff-raff’ and finding it harder to stomach the investigation into WIlde’s background, Percy is off learning everything there is about rail lines and how train cars are swapped at various points along the journey. Both are coming up short, though with a little insight from dear Esther Enright, the cases take interesting turns. With all eyes on the Old Bailey and the reputation of Wilde in the balance, there may be more than simply a missing politician gumming up the railway mystery. Another interesting tale with Field at the helm, as he entertains his readers with another quick read. Recommended for those who enjoy this series and the newcomer in need of a wonderfully crafted mystery that can be devoured in short order.
I was introduced to David Field and his work a while ago and feel that these novels have found a decent niche in the genre. I rushed through the first few novels in the series when contacted by the publisher, and knew that I would return as soon as more novels appeared in publication. Field uses Victorian England as his setting, though the focus seems less to be on the eerie aspects and simply on the type of character one might have normally found, tossing out the odd Cockney phrase. The story mixes in a handful of strong characters to propel this story forward, adding entertainment with a great dose of education, particularly as it relates to the way homosexuality was adjudicated at the time. Esther Enright, married and a mother of three (!!), again plays a smaller role, but she is used effectively as a voice of reason. Her banter with both her husband and uncle proves useful to counteract the sporadic and ‘fly off the handle’ mentality of the male Enrights. Jack and Percy are strong protagonists in their own rights. The reader is able to learn a little more about the way in which Victorian England handled sexual freedom, particularly male homosexuality, at the time. One must always remember the setting and time period before judging the characters’ sentiments too harshly. Field effectively reflects the time through Jack’s views and the experiences he has while investigating the case. Percy, on the other hand, becomes educated in the art of railways and all that can be contained within that vast area of knowledge. He is pleasant enough, though gritty when it comes to getting to the bottom of a case. Still, both men remain quite pigheaded, something that has driven them throughout the series and works well for the reader who enjoys a little entertainment. The secondary characters prove entertaining within the pages of this story, using clipped speech and salty sayings to take the reader inside the less refined parts of London while also allowing a sense of being in the middle of the action. The story flows well and can be said to have a unique flavour, while keeping a decent pace. As always, there is a mix of quick and longer chapters that never hamper the narrative from moving forward. Field has little time to develop his plot, but injects a mix of drama and humour at the right moments, with dialogue banter to keep the reader feeling in the middle of the experience. The writing leaves the reader wanting more, surely the sign of a well-developed story. Field has done a masterful job with these novels and I await another book in the near future. I can only hope that Field will continue crafting these addictive stories for fans who find them so enthralling.
Kudos, Mr. Field, for this wonderful novel. I am eager to read more Esther and Jack stories and hope others will follow my lead.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I was introduced to David Field and his work a while ago and feel that these novels have found a decent niche in the genre. I rushed through the first few novels in the series when contacted by the publisher, and knew that I would return as soon as more novels appeared in publication. Field uses Victorian England as his setting, though the focus seems less to be on the eerie aspects and simply on the type of character one might have normally found, tossing out the odd Cockney phrase. The story mixes in a handful of strong characters to propel this story forward, adding entertainment with a great dose of education, particularly as it relates to the way homosexuality was adjudicated at the time. Esther Enright, married and a mother of three (!!), again plays a smaller role, but she is used effectively as a voice of reason. Her banter with both her husband and uncle proves useful to counteract the sporadic and ‘fly off the handle’ mentality of the male Enrights. Jack and Percy are strong protagonists in their own rights. The reader is able to learn a little more about the way in which Victorian England handled sexual freedom, particularly male homosexuality, at the time. One must always remember the setting and time period before judging the characters’ sentiments too harshly. Field effectively reflects the time through Jack’s views and the experiences he has while investigating the case. Percy, on the other hand, becomes educated in the art of railways and all that can be contained within that vast area of knowledge. He is pleasant enough, though gritty when it comes to getting to the bottom of a case. Still, both men remain quite pigheaded, something that has driven them throughout the series and works well for the reader who enjoys a little entertainment. The secondary characters prove entertaining within the pages of this story, using clipped speech and salty sayings to take the reader inside the less refined parts of London while also allowing a sense of being in the middle of the action. The story flows well and can be said to have a unique flavour, while keeping a decent pace. As always, there is a mix of quick and longer chapters that never hamper the narrative from moving forward. Field has little time to develop his plot, but injects a mix of drama and humour at the right moments, with dialogue banter to keep the reader feeling in the middle of the experience. The writing leaves the reader wanting more, surely the sign of a well-developed story. Field has done a masterful job with these novels and I await another book in the near future. I can only hope that Field will continue crafting these addictive stories for fans who find them so enthralling.
Kudos, Mr. Field, for this wonderful novel. I am eager to read more Esther and Jack stories and hope others will follow my lead.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
April 29, 2025
I definitely enjoyed this novel in the Esther and Jack series. I was interested in the Oscarr Wilde trial and how it would be used in the story. I found the mystery was decent and better than some previous books. I enjoy the characters and find myself drawn into reading about their adventures.
September 24, 2018
Whilst I have loved reading the other four books at the beginning of this series, I found this one, a little tedious, I enjoyed the story, but found all the court chapters incredibly laborious to read. The story as a whole was good and the usual inclusion of the family by Inspector and Sergeant Enright, and the way they go about solving their crimes is a good as ever, I just felt that the standard of the story itself was not as good as previous.
While I say all this I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery thriller and they might find the court chapters more interesting than I did.
While I say all this I would still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery thriller and they might find the court chapters more interesting than I did.
March 20, 2019
If the author’s intent was to have his characters take on the prejudices and homophobia of the 19th century then he has succeeded all too well. Even with this in mind it was disturbing to hear such mean and vile things come out of Jack’s mouth. The other reason I did not enjoy this book, while really liking the first in the series, is how boring the trial scenes are. Were they just copied court transcripts? Even Jack says repeatedly how boring they are, so why subject the reader to them as well? The actual mystery seems an afterthought and holds very little interest. Finally, perhaps the series should be renamed as Esther is moved further off stage with every book and the contrivances to include her are increasingly strained.
March 20, 2020
Ugh!
Oscar Wilde? Really? And what does “posing” as a homosexual mean? And OW’s testimony was top ten boring and took up far too much of the book. I don’t blame the author for the boring as part of his research included authentic trial transcripts and I presume he leant heavily on those. He’s not usually a boring writer however this did intrude on my focus on the mystery.
To include the OW business was extremely contrived as was using (and confusing) homosexuality, pederasts, and cross dressers being blackmailed as motive.
Other than the thinly stretched motive the mystery was very good and the writing in that section very good. If you are reading the series don’t skip this one because there are new developments for Jack and Ester.
Oscar Wilde? Really? And what does “posing” as a homosexual mean? And OW’s testimony was top ten boring and took up far too much of the book. I don’t blame the author for the boring as part of his research included authentic trial transcripts and I presume he leant heavily on those. He’s not usually a boring writer however this did intrude on my focus on the mystery.
To include the OW business was extremely contrived as was using (and confusing) homosexuality, pederasts, and cross dressers being blackmailed as motive.
Other than the thinly stretched motive the mystery was very good and the writing in that section very good. If you are reading the series don’t skip this one because there are new developments for Jack and Ester.
September 15, 2019
The year is 1895 and Detective Inspector Percy Enright and his nephew Detective Sergeant Jack Enright find themselves investigating a highly sensitive case. Playwright Oscar Wilde stands accused of homosexuality and with the possibility of high profile names being mentioned in court, the detectives must work to suppress any scandal. Meanwhile, in a second case, which Percy believes is connected, a peer has vanished on a train, and the carriage he was travelling on has also disappeared! With both detectives clearly out of their comfort zones, they hope that, this time, there will be no element of danger for anyone connected to them…
Like the first in this series (The Gaslight Stalker), David Field has used a real historical event as the backdrop for this book, namely the trial of Oscar Wilde. When reading this book, it must be remembered that it is set at a time when homosexuality was illegal and people’s opinions were very much different to today. As a result, some other reviews I have read have commented on the highly inappropriate language used by some of the main characters. While it is correct to find this offensive today, it would have been common usage in the late Victorian era when attitudes, in general, were very different.
Although the title is The Posing Playwright, and the main plot is, indeed, about Wilde, it was sub-plot that interested me the most, and could have been something straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel. Not only has a man disappeared, but, somehow, so has the whole train carriage he was travelling on! I enjoyed Percy’s investigations on the railway as to how this seemingly impossible feat could have occurred and also learned a lot about the Victorian railway system in the process!
While this was not my favourite in the series, it was still an enjoyable read. I just hope that we see more of Esther in the next book as she only played a minor role in this one.
Like the first in this series (The Gaslight Stalker), David Field has used a real historical event as the backdrop for this book, namely the trial of Oscar Wilde. When reading this book, it must be remembered that it is set at a time when homosexuality was illegal and people’s opinions were very much different to today. As a result, some other reviews I have read have commented on the highly inappropriate language used by some of the main characters. While it is correct to find this offensive today, it would have been common usage in the late Victorian era when attitudes, in general, were very different.
Although the title is The Posing Playwright, and the main plot is, indeed, about Wilde, it was sub-plot that interested me the most, and could have been something straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel. Not only has a man disappeared, but, somehow, so has the whole train carriage he was travelling on! I enjoyed Percy’s investigations on the railway as to how this seemingly impossible feat could have occurred and also learned a lot about the Victorian railway system in the process!
While this was not my favourite in the series, it was still an enjoyable read. I just hope that we see more of Esther in the next book as she only played a minor role in this one.
May 31, 2025
As the fifth instalment in the continued adventures of Esther & Jack Enright, I found this one weak and laborious. I still enjoyed the overall story and have always been interested in the trials of Oscar Wilde, but in this case, the court chapters were long and repetitive, and my attention struggled. On a positive note, it is always good whenever the extended Enright family joins forces and gets together, they have become like family members and their constant development is a highlight. I look forward to their next adventure in The Mercy Killings.
April 12, 2020
Very average
April 22, 2020
Strangely interesting book series and I'm hooked. Right onto the next one.
April 29, 2025
Excellent historical novel. Being a retired lawyer, I found the courtroom scenes particularly interesting
July 30, 2025
1895 The trial of Lord Queensbury versus Oscar Wilde involves the Enright detectives in investigating the possible witnesses. To prevent 'important' people being named. They also are involved in locating the missing Lord Stanmillis. Are tha two case connected.
Too much about the trial, but overall an enjoyable mystery.
Too much about the trial, but overall an enjoyable mystery.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews