Inspector of the Dead
Title: Inspector of the DeadSeries: Thomas De Quincy Series
Published by: Mulholland Books
Pages: 352
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, Kobo, iBooks
MURDER AS A FINE ART CONTINUES
Synopsis
The year is 1855. The Crimean War rages. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the government. The Empire teeters.
Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Detectives Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself threatened by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.
This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to assassinate Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself. As De Quincey and Emily race to protect the queen, they uncover long-buried secrets and the heartbreaking past of a man whose need for revenge has destroyed his soul.
Based on actual attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria, Inspector of the Dead brilliantly merges historical fact with fiction, bringing a bloody chapter of Victorian England to vivid, pulse-pounding life.
Read the photo essays about the locations in Inspector of the Dead:
The Mansions of Mayfair and Belgravia
The Magnificent Crystal Palace
Praise
Finalist for Best Hardcover of 2015
--International Thriller Writers"One of the ten most arresting crime novels of 2015"
--Kirkus Reviews“Fans of sophisticated historicals will embrace Macavity Award-winner Morrell’s second suspense novel featuring Thomas De Quincey and his grown daughter, Emily. . . . Convincing period detail complements the fascinating story line.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred) (read the full review here)“Ripping good fun at every delicious twist and turn . . . De Quincey makes for an offbeat but entirely credible protagonist in the Sherlock Holmes mold. . . . It’s a potent formula, with genuine thrills and a satisfying mystery leavened with well-observed and meticulously researched details of Victorian life and attitudes.”
—Kirkus Reviews (read the full review here)“Delivers a cast of compellingly crafted characters. De Quincey, in particular, is a brilliant creation, an amateur sleuth, writer, and drug addict who both repels and intrigues us at the same time. Top-notch entertainment.”
—Booklist (read the full review here)“From the shockingly brutal murders at the start to the stunning conclusion, De Qincey and his fellow investigators race against time to discover who is killing prominent Londoners as a prelude to assassinating Queen Victoria. . . . Appeals [to] fans of historical fiction and Victorian-era crime novels as well as readers who enjoy Anne Perry or Robin Paige.”
—Library Journal (read the full review here)“Riveting! I literally thought I was in 1855 London. With this mesmerizing series, David Morrell doesn’t just delve into the world of Victorian England—he delves into the heart of evil, pitting one man’s opium-skewed brilliance against a society where appearances are everything and the most vicious killers lurk closer than anyone thinks.”
—Lisa Gardner, author of Crash & Burn and The Perfect Husband
