Helpful Score: 1
This is a wonderful book. It takes off from the first page and grips you til the last. Jack the Ripper's recent actions have turned the London populace against the police and Scotland Yard. When one of their own turns up murdered, it's up to newcomer Det. Day to find his killer. The addition of several characters who are real historical figures during the time is great, and I loved the new discoveries in forensics that are just coming to light.
Grecian's gritty and realistic feel for London is amazing. You feel right there with the characters and places and feelings of the time period.
I sincerely hope this is the first in a series, because the characters were terrific, I cared what happened to them, and this author could go far with the story he's created.
Grecian's gritty and realistic feel for London is amazing. You feel right there with the characters and places and feelings of the time period.
I sincerely hope this is the first in a series, because the characters were terrific, I cared what happened to them, and this author could go far with the story he's created.
Helpful Score: 1
Author C. J. Sansom has Matthew Shardlake, a solicitor turned detective set in Tudor England. Shardlake has a trusted assistant and a physician friend who is instrumental in helping him solve murder mysteries.
Author C. S. Harris has Sybastian St. Cyr, a gentlemen with a knack for solving murders set in early 19th century England. St. Cyr has a loyal assistant and works closely with a trusted detective to solve murder mysteries. He has a close friend who is a physician knowledgable in autopsies and forensics of the day and is instrumental in helping to solve the crimes.
In this debut, Alex Grecian has Inspector Day, new to Scotland Yard, who forges a close alliance with a Constable to solve grisly murders in late 19th century Victorian England. He becomes friends with a physician turned medical examiner and coroner who provides needed clues to solve murders.
These series have one more thing in common. They are very good. Grecian has written an exceptional debut period thriller that will leave you eager for his sophomore effort. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Inspector Day.
Author C. S. Harris has Sybastian St. Cyr, a gentlemen with a knack for solving murders set in early 19th century England. St. Cyr has a loyal assistant and works closely with a trusted detective to solve murder mysteries. He has a close friend who is a physician knowledgable in autopsies and forensics of the day and is instrumental in helping to solve the crimes.
In this debut, Alex Grecian has Inspector Day, new to Scotland Yard, who forges a close alliance with a Constable to solve grisly murders in late 19th century Victorian England. He becomes friends with a physician turned medical examiner and coroner who provides needed clues to solve murders.
These series have one more thing in common. They are very good. Grecian has written an exceptional debut period thriller that will leave you eager for his sophomore effort. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Inspector Day.
Melissa P. (mp3359) reviewed The Yard (Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Great historical mystery set in the latter part of the 19th Century. It kept me involved throughout and I'm currently reading the author's second installment in the series, THE BLACK COUNTRY. I recommend to anyone who likes Victoria Thompson or Anne Perry (though few come close to the genius of Anne Perry!).
Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed The Yard (Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, Bk 1) on + 1180 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this fast-paced riveting read about the Scotland Yard Murder Squad taking place a year after London was terrorized by Jack the Ripper. The novel tells several concurrent storylines from the perspective of both the Yard detectives and the murderer(s). First there is inspector Walter Day who is put in charge of solving the brutal murder of a fellow policeman who was found stabbed to death with his eyes and mouth sewn shut in a trunk at Euston Station. Day is put in charge in spite of his relative inexperience by newly appointed police commissioner, Sir Edward Bradford. He is helped by others in the force including Constable Hammersmith and Dr. Kingsley, a coroner at the University Hospital who is looking into new methods of solving crimes including the use of fingerprints. Hammersmith is one of the most interesting characters in the book, a very dedicated policeman who rarely takes time to sleep or bathe and usually can be found in a dirty blood-soaked uniform. He is also working on another case on his own to find the chimney sweep who left a young boy dead stuffed in a chimney. Along with the murdered policeman there is also a series of murders of bearded men who have their beards shaved and then their throats cut. Is this case related to the police killing? Well Day and his crew have their hands full and move at a frenetic pace to solve the crimes and catch the killer before he can kill again.
A very entertaining read and I'll be looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
A very entertaining read and I'll be looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed The Yard (Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, Bk 1) on + 491 more book reviews
This is the first book in the London Murder Squad series.
I love historical fiction, and Victorian-era London is one of my favorite settings for a good murder mystery. For me, nothing is worse than reading a poorly written book set in this time period. Fortunately, Alex Grecian's debut novel was not a disappointment. The plot was interesting, the characters had depth, and the atmosphere of the times was very well described.
With that said, I would still rate this as a slightly above average book. It was very entertaining, but not as engrossing as I would have preferred. The mystery was good but it wasn't as complicated as some of the characters made it out to be, and for me that was distracting. However, I thought that the character development and the growth of those relationships was very well done, and I could easily see these characters continuing to grow in the coming novels.
In all, this was a book worth reading and it is one that I would easily recommend to any fan of historical fiction, especially to people like me who are fascinated by the early days of police forensics in Jack the Ripper London.
I love historical fiction, and Victorian-era London is one of my favorite settings for a good murder mystery. For me, nothing is worse than reading a poorly written book set in this time period. Fortunately, Alex Grecian's debut novel was not a disappointment. The plot was interesting, the characters had depth, and the atmosphere of the times was very well described.
With that said, I would still rate this as a slightly above average book. It was very entertaining, but not as engrossing as I would have preferred. The mystery was good but it wasn't as complicated as some of the characters made it out to be, and for me that was distracting. However, I thought that the character development and the growth of those relationships was very well done, and I could easily see these characters continuing to grow in the coming novels.
In all, this was a book worth reading and it is one that I would easily recommend to any fan of historical fiction, especially to people like me who are fascinated by the early days of police forensics in Jack the Ripper London.
Crystal J. (dorolerium) reviewed The Yard (Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, Bk 1) on + 212 more book reviews
Its difficult for me to imagine a time when police work didnt involve fingerprinting and the forensics we have today, but we all know that time existed. The Yard takes us back to that time, with Jack the Ripper fresh in the memory of the public, and a lot of people calling into question the ability of the police.
This novel opens with the discovery of a body in a trunk at a train station. The body belongs to Inspector Little, and no one knows why he is dead, just that it likely has something to do with his work. Without the use of modern technology, even determining what weapon might have been used to kill someone is difficult, let alone tracing down the person who did the killing...
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
This novel opens with the discovery of a body in a trunk at a train station. The body belongs to Inspector Little, and no one knows why he is dead, just that it likely has something to do with his work. Without the use of modern technology, even determining what weapon might have been used to kill someone is difficult, let alone tracing down the person who did the killing...
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
