Publisher: Putnam Books
Pages: 422
Format: Paperback
ISBN-10: 0399149546
ISBN-13: 9780399149542
Series: The Murder Squad #1
Putnam Books: eBook | Audiobook | Paperback
After the Jack the Ripper murder the London police decided to make a special team to investigate murders. This team is known as the Murder Squad and they are not very popular after failing to capture the Ripper. When one of their own is murdered the newest member of the team, Walter Day, is assigned to solve this crime. The forensic pathologist Bernard Kingsley joins him with his innovative ways of investigating.
I loved this book. It has been on my TBR for ages and finally found time to pick it up and it made me so happy. The Victorian setting jumps from the pages. Dark alleys and the scare for Jack are still everywhere. The book is told from multiple points of view but as there is only a small group of characters making it very manageable. There is a lot of use for nicknames and name jokes making it difficult at first to place everyone but as the story develops they all get a place.
The killer has his own chapters making that you know about him early in the book. Still that was not disturbing as the research the police does to catch him is still interesting enough.
I loved Kingsley and his creative mind. It is fun to realize they just started with fingerprints and other forensic stuff. Also the scepticism others still show towards his ideas, that are widely used by now, are interesting. Walter Day is a bit boring but this makes him more believable.
5 reacties
Write reactiesCiska, I'm pretty sure I have one of this author's books on my bookshelf! It might be the Devil's Workshop. I haven't started it yet, because I don't think it's the first in the series. I really like the sound of this book. Dark alleys in a Victorian setting. I think I need to read some spooky books this winter!
ReplyThe Devil's Workshop is the 4th book (technically the 3rd but there is an 2.5 book) in this series. I could not say if it would work as a stand-alone. The Yard does make for some dark night wind howling around the house reading for sure!
ReplyI'm always impressed when an author can make a book suspenseful and interesting even when you know who the culprit is from the beginning! I love when a book that's been on your TBR for a long time turns out to be really good when you get to it :)
ReplyOh no! I can confirm that it's The Devil's Workshop
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