The Darwin Affair by Tim Mason

Detective Chief Inspector Charles Field is proud to be in charge of the mission to safeguard the monarchs, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  When there is an assassination attempt right before his eyes as they travel through the streets of London, he is dismayed and unbelieving.  When a thief is killed a block away and in front of the Inspector, he realizes that this was not a random attempt but a conspiracy and the thief's death was just a distraction to keep him from his mission.

The year is 1860 and unrest is stirring around the world.  Things are heating up both in Europe and in the United States, both of which seem headed towards war.  In London, all the talk is of Charles Darwin and his publication of his master work, The Origin Of Species.  It is an epic work but one that divides the populace.  Some regard his work as groundbreaking while others are determined to dispute his conclusions and do what they can to stop publication.  This group are behind the conspiracy to kill the monarch but their target is Prince Albert rather than Queen Victoria.  Albert is interested in science and excited about the ideas of evolution.  He puts Darwin's name up for the most prestigious award in the country and those opposed will do anything to prevent this and the validation it gives to Darwin's ideas.

The conspiracy reaches into the highest areas of the country and the men who are considered aristocrats.  They hire an assassin who is one of the best surgeons in the country, a former choirboy at the best churches and a psychopath.  He cannot be deterred once he sights in on a victim and now Prince Albert is in his sights.  He furthers his work by kidnapping street children and breaking them until they will do anything he commands.  He has no fear, killing one of Chief Field's men right in front of him and his death toll rises day by day.  Can he be stopped?

This is a debut novel and it has already won critical praise.  It is a Forbes Best Historical Novel and a Barnes and Nobles Discover Pick.  The Victorian Age is one of my favorite eras to read about and the villain in this novel is one readers won't soon forget; his inability to be stopped and his cruelty chilling.  Readers will learn about the Victorian Age, the ideas of evolution and the opposition to them, the London police force at this time and the state of medicine.  This book is recommended to readers of both crime and history.