I really enjoyed The Arnifour Affair;
it takes place in Victorian London, with a good amount of time spent in the
famous Whitechapel district. The novel is follows work of a private
detective Mr. Pendragon and his partner Mr. Pruitt as they use methods of
detection to solve crimes. Mr. Pruitt is the narrator of this mystery;
his narration of events adds authenticity to the time period this novel takes
place in. I just adore the language that is used throughout the novel.
The vocabulary Harris uses is indicative for the time and some of the
language is no longer used in modern times. The language helps the reader
become wholly immersed in the world that this mystery is taking place in.
There isn't a moment that Harris deviates from the mood of the time, no
inclines towards modern times. In The Arnifour Affair, Mr.
Pendragon is hired to solve the murder of Mrs. Arnifour's husband and the
attack on her niece who is left in a coma. Mrs. Arnifour wholly believes
that the Yard is botching up the investigation and that they have the wrong
man, so she seeks the help of Mr. Pendragon to find the real criminal. The
Arnifour Affair is filled with lively colorful characters that make
this novel a joy to read. I lost myself in this tale, a tale filled with
opium dens, ruined reputations, clever criminals, and mouthy housekeepers.
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