When Gods Die

The Prince Regent has been caught in a compromising situation; he is found in his room with a young woman in his arms.  The thing is, she has a knife protruding from her back.  Lord Jarvis asks Sebastian, Viscount Devlin, to investigate.  He shows Devlin the necklace on the woman’s neck.  Devlin recognises it as the necklace that his mother used to wear.

Devlin asks that his surgeon friend, Paul Gibson be brought to examine the body.  Paul suggests that she had been killed elsewhere and then brought to the room where the prince found her.  He also states that she was dead before the knife was thrust into her back.

The husband of the victim had assumed that she was still in London, not in Brighton, where the murder apparently occurred.  She was pregnant and unable to travel down with him.  He also suggests that his nephew, and heir, wasn’t particularly happy when he married the young woman.  Devlin decides to return to London to check on things there.

One thing that he learns is that on the day she died, the victim was not wearing a necklace.  Could the necklace’s connection to the Stuart dynasty have anything to do with her death?

Author C. S. Harris has Devlin and his tiger, Tom experience a number of rollicking adventures and threats to their lives as they work hard to find out who killed the young woman and why.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The House of the Red Slayer

Coroner John Cranston has come to Athelstan’s church to request him to join him at the Tower in London to investigate a murder.  Cranston reveals to Athelstan that the Constable of the Tower has his throat slit during the night.  He had also received a written warning earlier.  There are a number of suspects.

Outside the North Bastion, where the Constable has lodged for his own safety, Athelstan discovers a buckle in the snow.  They now have a solid clue of the assassin. They commence questioning the main guests in the Tower.  The victim’s daughter provides a note, which had been sent to the victim along with a seed cake.  Athelstan knows this is a warning from the famous Assassins beyond the Middle Sea.

Could it be possible that there might be more to die at the hand of the assassin?  The following day one of the friends of the Constable falls from the wall of the tower, and another receives a message similar to the one the Constable had.  Athelstan learns more of the background of the Constable and his friends.  Now he and Cranston have to determine who the killer could be.

Author Paul Doherty has set Athelstan a virtually impossible task, but by using logic, the priest is able to ascertain who the killer is.  Another enjoyable read.

The Alchemist's Daughter

Bianca Goddard is the daughter of an alchemist.  Her mother was very knowledgeable about herbs and cures.  Bianca combines both their knowledge.  Her friend, Jolyn, has come to visit with a complaint about an upset stomach.  Bianca gives her a mint tea, but in a very short time, Jolyn is writhing in discomfort and then is dead.

The coroner and constable will likely want to charge Bianca with the death, since Jolyn was with Bianca at the time of her death.  Bianca is determined to find the true cause of her friend’s death.  An older man by the name of Meddybemps, who sells her salves and balms from his cart is prepared to help her as best he can.

When Bianca is attacked in her own home and left unconscious, she is fortunate that her boyfriend, John showed up soon after, otherwise she could have frozen to death due to an open window and door.  Undeterred, she decides to continue to determine what had caused her friend’s death.

Having determined the cause of her friend’s death, Bianca is sure of who the killer is.  However, when Constable Patch shows up to arrest her, he also informs her that her suspect is dead.  Bianca imprisoned in The Clink.  How will she get out of there and prove her innocence?

Author Mary Lawrence has Bianca escape The Clink in a surprising way.  However, that is not the end of her search for the truth.  Bianca must overcome terror before she is truly free.  Lawrence has written an engaging novel.  An enjoyable read.

What Angels Fear

A young actress has been found brutally murdered in the Lady Chapel of a church.  Alongside the body was found a pistol that is definitely the possession of Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin.  However, Magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy is not convinced that the evidence is sufficient to warrant a charge.  On the other hand, his boss, Lord Jarvis wants the man arrested.

As they are about to leave his house, one of the constables pulls a knife on Sebastian.  Unfortunately, the other constable accidentally stumbles into the knife.  The first accuses Sebastian of the killing.  There is only one thing left for him to do, and that is run.  Lord Jarvis is not impressed.  On the other hand, it could make controlling Sebastian’s father easier in parliament.

Sebastian felt he had three options, surrender and hope the truth would come out, flee abroad or do his own investigation.  An urchin by the name of Tom offers his services to Sebastian at the inn where he spends the night.  With the police in hot pursuit, they become a team outside the law.

Sebastian also checks in with a former lover, Kay Boleyn.  She was a friend of the dead actress.  She offers to help.  He also goes to Paul Gibson, a former army surgeon who now does autopsies.  Gibson offers to do an autopsy, but it will mean involving a grave robber.

As Sebastian and Tom continue their investigation, Sebastian learns that his nephew was constantly pining after the dead actress.  He also learns that she could have been working as a spy for the French.

Where does the truth lie and who is responsible for the killing?  Author C. S. Harris has a difficult task ahead for Sebastian, his new right hand man, Tom and friend Paul Gibson.  They have plenty of suspects, but no proof.  Harris has written a good thriller full of adventure with a surprising conclusion.  A very good read.

At the Dying of the Year

Richard Nottingham has just returned to work as Constable of Leeds after being stabbed in the stomach half a year ago.  It was a close run thing, but he is glad to be back to work despite the discomfort he still feels.  He is shocked when he goes to deliver his morning report to the new mayor, and discovers that this mayor only meets with people by appointment.

That same morning, Deputy Rob Lister was called to one of the bell pits.  Inside he discovered the bodies of half a dozen children.  Nobody had noticed that they were missing because they were vagabonds.  They had been cruelly used, abused and killed.

They aim to get the killer, but what will the populace of Leeds do?  Nottingham decides to approach those who would know the best; the vagabond children of Leeds.  He has one advantage; at one time he was one of them.

In the mind of Nottingham the reward offered by the merchants of the city will be a hindrance because people will offer ideas about the wrong people, which of course he and his men will have to follow up on.  Before the reward is posted, a servant comes in to speak to Nottingham and suggests that his master could be the killer.  They now need to know more about him.

How can they prove anything against the suspect?  He is a well known merchant, and with money on his side, Nottingham is sure that people will step forward to support him.  However, a witness quickly eliminates that suspect.  That night Lister finds the body of the witness in the river.

Now they have a new suspect.  Once again the mayor warns Nottingham off.  Deputy John Sedgwick is able to gather some evidence, but how can they present it?  What if their original suspect is involved with the second?  Proving it in court against two men of wealth and influence would be difficult.

Author Chris Nickson has Nottingham’s team gather evidence, but they know that despite the pressure they are putting on their suspects isn’t enough.  Then the team has a shock!  How will Nottingham overcome it?  This thriller has a fair bit of tension with an unsurprising conclusion.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Big Sky

Jackson Brodie had been walking his ex-girlfriend’s dog on the beach early in the morning when the dog discovered a backpack with a unicorn on it.  What was unusual about that, was that the previous day he and his son had seen a young girl carrying one hop into a car that he was sure didn’t belong to her parents.  He took the backpack to the police.  However, the desk sergeant didn’t seem too interested.

He also has a job; a woman has approached him concerned about being followed.  So, he sets up surveillance on her, and sure enough she is.  Is it another private detective?  He is shocked later when the children of hers were kidnapped right away from her while he was nearby.  They are unable to keep up with the kidnappers!

In the course of his investigation, Brodie runs into a young woman who had saved his life many years before.  She is now a Detective Constable.  DC Reggie Chase will continue to keep secrets with Brodie.

Author Kate Atkinson has spun another tale that seems to start out as nothing, but gathers steam leading to a surprising conclusion.  There are stories within stories in this thriller.  A very interesting read to say the least.

Only the Innocent

DCI Tom Douglas has his first case with the Met; a suspicious death in Knightsbridge.  The dead man is Hugo Fletcher, a well known media personality.  There’s no sign of the cause of death, although he was tied to the bedposts.

Douglas is glad to have Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Sinclair as his boss in this case.  Assisting him is DS Becky Robinson.

The wife of the dead man was on her way home from Italy when the murder occurred.  However, Douglas can’t get over the hatred in her voice when her sister-in-law showed up at her home while they were speaking to her.

The beginning of the investigation is tedious as Douglas and Robinson set out to get to know the victim and his close associates.  Each seems to have a different perspective about the man.  The ex-wife is very upset about the victim’s plans to change his will.  That makes her someone Douglas needs to immediately talk to.  However, he quickly learns that she would be better off if her ex stayed alive.

As the investigation continues, we learn more about the victim.  Author Rachel Abbott’s murder mystery is shocking to the reader as facts are presented.  The conclusion is shocking and the denouement very revealing.  This was a very interesting read and beginning to a series.