"James Langton offers a splendid narration.... He makes the thefts, kidnapping, and murder a delicious puzzle for the struggling young detective and for listeners as well." (AudioFile Magazine)

From the critically acclaimed and USA Today best-selling author Charles Finch comes The Vanishing Man, the second in a prequel trilogy to his Charles Lenox Victorian series, in which the theft of an antique painting sends Detective Lenox on a hunt for a criminal mastermind.

London, 1853: Having earned some renown by solving a case that baffled Scotland Yard, young Charles Lenox is called upon by the duke of Dorset, one of England’s most revered noblemen, for help. A painting of the duke’s great-grandfather has been stolen from his private study. But the duke’s concern is not for his ancestor’s portrait; hiding in plain sight nearby is another painting of infinitely greater value, one that holds the key to one of the country’s most famous and best-kept secrets.

Dorset believes the thieves took the wrong painting and may return when they realize their error - and when his fears result in murder, Lenox must act quickly to unravel the mystery behind both paintings before tragedy can strike again.

As the Dorset family closes ranks to protect its reputation, Lenox uncovers a dark secret that could expose them to unimaginable scandal - and reveals the existence of an artifact, priceless beyond measure, that the family is willing to risk anything to keep hidden.

In this intricately plotted prequel to the Charles Lenox mysteries, the young detective risks both his potential career - and his reputation in high society - as he hunts for a criminal mastermind.