I enjoyed the first book in this series more than this one. While lauding the writer’s impeccable research (in some ways, the afterword excited my imagination more than the novel) some portions of the tale grated on me, and the ending dragged. I am fascinated by the setting and era, but won’t continue with the third book. Well done and likely enjoyed by most readers, just not me. ( )

In 1855 the Crimean War is continuing and the British government has collapsed. But the De Quincey's with their police friends - detectives Ryan and Becker - are faced with a killer of the upper levels of society. With each corpse he leaves the name of a person who had previously attempted to assassinate the Queen.
Really enjoyed with very well-written mystery with great characters. ( )

My favorite historical mystery series and it keeps getting better. Seriously, this series demonstrates how a historical mystery should be done. You drop down a rabbit hole and wander around in the damp dangerous world of Victorian England. The amount of research Mr. Morrell must have done is staggering, yet he weaves the historical elements and the lives of real people seamlessly into a breathtaking mystery thriller without sparing one ounce of tension.

Several times along the way I found myself stopping to delve into the historical story lines because Morrell made them so interesting.

Please, someone make this into a movie or, better yet, a series.

5 stars. 6 stars. However many—just read it. ( )

My mother and father need help. My sisters need help. Please help my mother and father and sisters.

These words were spoken by a poor Irish boy running along side Queen Victoria's carriage as she exits Buckingham Palace, but to no avail. All, except the boy, die.

The boy, spurned by Victorian London, is now a man and begins a killing spree seeking to avenge a perceived injustice of the judicial system beginning with a prison administrator, a judge, and each one's respective family. It falls upon the infamous opium addict and Sherlockian Thomas de Quincey, his daughter Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions introduced in the books prequel, Detectives Ryan and Becker, to find the serial killer before others are murdered, including Queen Victoria.

Although I have read other books set in contemporary times by thriller writer David Morrell, this was the first historical mystery that I read by him. He portrayed Victorian London well, especially the disparity between the aristocratic and poorer social classes. I enjoyed the relationship between the historical figure de Quincey, author of Confessions of an English Opium Eater, and his daughter. As a protagonist, de Quincey was an excellent surrogate for Sherlock Holmes, who had his own addiction to cocaine. The novel, overall, was an excellent high-stakes chase through the streets of London for a man who maintained an vengeful heart for decades. Although this is the second in a series, it can be read as a standalone as I did. I now need to read the prequel. ( )

I feel like this book wasn’t quite as good as the first in the series. Maybe that’s because, after reading the first book with minimal expectations, the bar was raised for this one. I think there was probably more of a developed plot in the second book but I had a harder time getting pulled into the story. I’m planning to read the next book in the series but it’s not super high on my to read list. ( )