Maybe I am being generous with my rating, as the detection by Sgt. Cribb didn't impress me, but I thought that the historical fiction aspect was excellent. The setting of the murders was unusual and I learned a new aspect of the late nineteenth century (the professional pedestrian racer whose races last days and who typically go 90-100 miles in a day!). ( )

Lovesey has resurrected a popular sport of the Victorian era and created an entertaining mystery novel. Six day "Go As You Please" contests - or "Wobbles" were instituted by Sir John Astley in 1878 and became very popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The contestants may choose to walk or run with brief rests for six days on a track. Lovesey's race takes place in the vast Agricultural Hall in Islington in 1879 with a first prize of £500, lower amounts for second and third places. With so much money at stake, to say nothing of the bets placed with bookies, there are bound to be shenanigans. In this case one contestant died of a massive dose of strychnine, commonly administered in minute amounts by his trainer as a stimulant. Then the trainer died too. And that wasn’t the only strange method trainers used. Combining the mystery with a sport I've never heard of before was a lot of fun. Dashing around Victorian London in hansom cabs and thick fog was wonderful. ( )

What's a Wobble? Turns out it is a race-walking competition, and was all the rage in Victorian England. It's the first of Peter Lovesey's Sgt. Cribb's detective series. Walkers must walk around a track for six days; the one walking the greatest distance wins! During the course of this race, there are a couple of murders, a cast of characters, and a variety of motives.

Oh, by the way, the winner walks over 500 miles. But I won't tell you who that is. ( )