In crossing the Atlantic, this book picked up a new title. In England, the title was The Price of Butcher's Meat. Admittedly, a bit unappetizing. Another thing seemingly lost in the crossing is Hill's literary source. He admits that this book is his attempt to finish Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sandition. That's a bit disengenuous, since he merely takes the characters, setting, and plot setup and adds them to his ongoing series characters, but it does allow him to creat a wonderfully entertaining novel that stands on its own, but allows those Austen fanatics to enjoy lots of in-jokes. Hill's D&P books are among my favorites and this one is in the top tier, although it does go on a little too long. And it continues my shifting of allegience from the younger liberal Pascoe, to whom I related in my younger years, to the older non-PC Daziell who now seems a much more rounded character.
