Inspector of the Dead (Thomas De Quincey, Bk 2)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Paperback
This is the second book in Morrell's trilogy featuring Thomas De Quincey, who wrote the notorious Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. I read the first book in the trilogy, Murder as a Fine Art, a few months ago and really enjoyed it. This novel was also engrossing and again used a lot of historical background in the tale of a man seeking revenge because his family had been wronged by the police and the judicial system when he was a boy. What happened to his family was very tragic and led the boy to try to get revenge throughout his life even to the extent of assassinating Queen Victoria who he blamed for not helping his family when he needed it the most. The novel takes place during the Crimean War in 1855 which led to the downfall of the English Empire. De Quincey and his daughter, Emily, are still in London after the events of the previous novel and become involved in the plot against the Queen and other high-level members of society. But who is the person seeking revenge? And can he be stopped?
I found this novel to be very compelling reading. The story kept me guessing and I was ultimately surprised to learn the identity of the man who sought out his revenge. Morrell really was able to spin a good yarn against the mostly true historical background of events which took place in the mid-1850s. I was really ignorant on what was behind the Crimean War which was fought between England and Russia with France as an ally to England. Russia was trying to move its empire southward when the Ottoman Empire was collapsing. If they had been successful, they would have been in control of the yet to be built Suez Canal. The novel also told of the hemophilia of Queen Victoria's youngest son, Leopold. I knew that this horrible disease was prevalent among the royal families of Europe because of interbreeding after reading Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie which discussed the malady afflicting the young son of the Russian Emperor who was related to Queen Victoria. I'll be looking forward to reading the final book in Morrell's trilogy, Ruler of the Night.
I found this novel to be very compelling reading. The story kept me guessing and I was ultimately surprised to learn the identity of the man who sought out his revenge. Morrell really was able to spin a good yarn against the mostly true historical background of events which took place in the mid-1850s. I was really ignorant on what was behind the Crimean War which was fought between England and Russia with France as an ally to England. Russia was trying to move its empire southward when the Ottoman Empire was collapsing. If they had been successful, they would have been in control of the yet to be built Suez Canal. The novel also told of the hemophilia of Queen Victoria's youngest son, Leopold. I knew that this horrible disease was prevalent among the royal families of Europe because of interbreeding after reading Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie which discussed the malady afflicting the young son of the Russian Emperor who was related to Queen Victoria. I'll be looking forward to reading the final book in Morrell's trilogy, Ruler of the Night.
