The September Society

The September Society, by Charles Finch, is a mystery set in Oxford and London, England in the autumn of 1866, during the Victorian era. It is the second novel in a series featuring gentleman and amateur detective Charles Lenox, and the first of two books Finch has written about Oxford, along with The Last Enchantments.

Plot summary
A student at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford goes missing. His mother engages Charles Lenox to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Lenox, himself a graduate of Oxford, revisits his alma mater to piece together the clues in this kidnapping case which, upon the discovery of a body, becomes a murder investigation. Eventually the trail leads Lenox back to London and the headquarters of a mysterious society.

Lenox’s evolving friendship and potential romance with his childhood friend and next-door neighbor Lady Jane is a central subplot. Additionally, the book introduces Lord John Dallington, a young wastrel aristocrat, as Lenox’s apprentice.

Publication history
The September Society', was first published in hardcover by St. Martin’s Minotaur and released on August 5, 2008. The trade paperback was released in 2009. A large print edition was published by Center Point Publishing in February 2010.