Changes

From what Maureen Jennings says about the people she shows in this book, there is very little to choose between the social classes in terms of humanity and honesty. In fact, the only people she portrays with real affection are Murdoch himself and Mr and Mrs Kitchen, the couple he lodges with. At times it seems as if the only real warmth the detective has in his life is when he sits with them at night, talking over his cases. And even here there is sorrow: Mr Kitchen, the husband, is dying slowly, coughing blood and frequently racked with fever.

This book can easily be read as a stand-alone, but it is well worth seeking out the first volume in the series, [[Except the Dying: Murdoch Mysteries by Maureen Jennings|Except the Dying]].