David Morrell

A literary thriller that pushes the envelope of fear.”
—Associated Press

“Morrell’s masterful blend of fact and fiction reads like a 19^th-century novel, evoking 1854 London with such finesse that you’ll gear the hooves clattering on cobblestones, the racket of dustmen, and the shrill call of vendors.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Highly entertaining . . . inspired. Murder is rarely this much fun.”
—The Washington Post

“An epitome of the intelligent page turner.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred and boxed review)

“An exceptional historical mystery . . . page-flipping action, taut atmosphere, and multifaceted characters.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Morrell writes action scenes like nobody’s business.”
—New York Times Sunday Book Review

 “David Morrell isn’t just one of the best thriller writers out there, he’s one of the finest writers alive today.  A preeminent novelist as well as storyteller who, in Murder as a Fine Art, has crafted a masterpiece.”
—Providence Sunday Journal

“Murder may be a fine art, but this author has also proven that  writing is the finest art of all—and he is the master of it. . . . The scenes literally pull the reader back in time. . . . This is one thriller that is beyond thrilling.”
—Suspense Magazine

One of the ten best summer detective/thrillers of 2013—Publishers Weekly

Although aptly compared to books such as Dan Simmons’ Drood and Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club, the book that came to my mind while enjoying the mayhem within was Erik Larsen’s The Devil in the White City, due to Morrell’s happy ability to marry fact and fiction, convincingly evoking both 19^th century London and the fascinating personage of the ‘Opium-Eater’ himself, Thomas De Quincey.”
—Mystery Scene

“Remarkable. Compelling. Intriguing. The characters persistently confront the disparity between Victorian ideals and the realities of 1854 London. Immensely readable and simultaneously enlightening.”
—Hell Notes

 “A jewel-like, meticulously-crafted historical detective story . . . [Morrell is] at the very forefront of suspense writers . . . [This] has been compared with recent books that are set in the past, like The Dante Club and The Alienist; I would add that it also brings to mind another tour de force about this alien era: John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman.”
—Katherine Neville, New York Times bestselling author of The Eight

“Murder As a Fine Art by David Morrell is a masterpiece—I don’t use that word lightly—a fantastic historical thriller, beautifully written, intricately plotted, and populated with unforgettable characters. It brilliantly recreates the London of gaslit streets, fogs, hansom cabs, and Scotland Yard. If you liked The Alienist, you will absolutely love this book. I was spellbound from the first page to last.”
—Douglas Preston, #1 bestselling author of The Monster of Florence

“London 1854, noxious yellow fogs, reeking slums, intrigues in high places, murders most foul, but instead of Sherlock Holmes solving crimes via the fine art of deduction, we have the historical English Opium-Eater himself, Thomas De Quincey. David Morrell fans — and they are Legion — can look forward to celebrating Murder As a Fine Art as one of their favorite author’s strongest and boldest books in years.”
—Dan Simmons, New York Times bestselling author of Drood and The Terror

“Morrell’s use of De Quincey’s life is amazing. I literally couldn’t put it down: I felt as though I were in Dickens when he described London’s fog and in Wilkie Collins when we entered Emily’s diary. There were beautiful touches all the way through. Murder As a Fine Art is a triumph.”
—Robert Morrison, author of The English Opium-Eater: A Biography of Thomas De Quincey

“I enjoyed Murder As a Fine Art immensely. I admired the way Morrell deftly took so much material from De Quincey’s life and wove it into the plot, and also how well he created a sense of so many dimensions of Victorian London. Quite apart from its being a gripping thriller!”
—Grevel Lindop, author of The Opium-Eater: A Biography of Thomas De Quincey

“A terrific read. As one would expect of Morrell, it is compulsive and thrilling, but its use of de Quincey also allows for discursions that are both funny and touching – de Quincey and his daughter are great additions to the detective stage, and I hope we will have a lot more of them to come.”
—Judith Flanders, author of The Invention Of Murder: How the Victorians Reveled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime