"I have been but little in," said Ninian hastily...

Taking a break from my Central Asia reading, I've been enjoying more of P.F. Chisholm's historical novels about Sir Robert Carey. "A Season of Knives" is actually a mystery, of the traditional "dead body and who killed him" form, but still with Chisholm's competent and engaging style. The characters are well drawn and more than two-dimensional; the dialogue is well written and only very rarely strikes an overly modern note. The story doesn't drag, but it's not overly melodramatic either. I would rate these as solid, enjoyable, if unexceptional historical novels.