One of Steven Carroll’s superpowers as a novelist is to look back at history and make very astute observations about how society works. We have seen this skill in his other works, and now with this quiet detective novel, we are transported back to Cambridge, England in 1947 where racism permeates every move made. Assumptions belie behaviour. Tropes are measured. There is a murder to be solved.

Detective Sergeant Stephen Minter, an Austrian-born Jewish Cockney, is investigating the death of Martin Friedrich, a world-famous German philosopher. Friedrich was an arrogant academic, a man whose work led him to examine how we are all interlinked, but whose behaviour was nevertheless deeply problematic. As Minter, a likeable and humble man, investigates the crime, he establishes a network of connections that show how the past can catch the present (oh, the irony!). Alongside the investigations, there are love stories that sweeten the plot.

The story elegantly unfolds, with each musing by Minter offered with kindness and a smart moral code to guide us through the history books and the popular philosophies of the time. Carroll’s ability to ensure we consider the landscape of the times before jumping to conclusions is a testament to his poise as a writer. Step by step, without fanfare, we are given clues and context.

This novel is the first book in a series that will feature Minter. Those that have enjoyed Kerry Greenwood’s works or a good old Agatha Christie will rejoice here. There is talk that Minter may move continents. I mean, many were on the move after the Second World War and surely a Jewish Cockney detective would be welcome in Australia. We will have to wait to find out.