Genre: Victorian era, Historical Thriller, Mystery,

Pages: 357

Published by Penguin

It’s 1841, and three years after we left them at the close of The Strangler Vine, Blake and Avery are reunited in very different circumstances in London. There has been a series of dreadful murders in the slums of the printing district, which the police mysteriously refuse to investigate, and Blake and Avery must find the culprit before he kills again.

★★★★☆

This novel is set in Victorian london, it revolves around the murder of two printing presses of London and the law enforcement has not become overly involved in the case, as it happens to be taking place in the lowly parts of the city. So, Blake and Avery are called into investigate the matter. With two men dead, and two families mourning the loss of a loved one, many many questions arise. Why hasn’t the law become involved, what is going?

This is the second book in the series and I hadn’t read the first, but I think I might now. I’m beginning to see the appeal to mystery novels – they must be well written but when they are man I enjoy them. This was definitely one of them.

I am put in the mindset of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, the same dry/dark humor is involved in the book but it is well placed so it doesn’t come across as bad taste.

There are some spots where it is difficult to follow the book as it is a little drawn out or overly dry [something I have become used to via Anne Perry and other mystery books.]

I really did enjoy this book and I do suggest it if you 1. Love Sherlock Holmes 2. Enjoy a good mystery