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Who can we turn to, if justice betrays us? 1930. A chilling encounter on London's Necropolis Railway leads to murder. At the Old Bailey, a man accused of a "blazing car" killing escapes the gallows after a surprise witness give sensational evidence. And journalist Jacob Flint finds himself framed for murder. To save himself, Jacob needs to discover what links these strange events to a remote estate on a northern coast, Mortmain Hall. There, an eccentric female criminologist hosts a gathering of people who have narrowly escaped the consequences of miscarriages of justice. But the house party culminates in tragedy when a body is found beneath the crumbling cliffs. Is the death an accident, or the result of an ingenious plot to get away with murder? Rachel Savernake, who's been invited to the party, proposes an intricate-and dangerous-solution to the assembled guests, having done her own sleuthing into the labyrinthine secrets of Mortmain Hall. Will her relentless quest for the truth bring down the British establishment?… (more)
User reviews
In comparison with the first instalment of the series, I thought this was a bit of a mess. There was too much going on, and far too many characters. It had its moments; I enjoyed Jacob's escape from the attic room for example, but
Disappointing in comparison the "Gallows Court", but nicely written with touches of humour.
This is an old-fashioned mystery story told in the Golden Age style. The English setting during the interwar Depression years provides an atmospheric backdrop for a cast of strong characters. It's a busy story with plenty of red herrings. The grand finale at an old country house during a violent storm has the killer revealed in spectacular fashion.
There's a good balance of a clever plot, excellent storytelling, atmospheric settings and characterization. Gay men, of which there is several, are gratuitously portrayed as weak and unprincipled. They are shown as cowards and weaklings. It's a stereotypical presentation, probably representative of the time, but unnecessarily homophobic now. This is a sequel to the debut of Rachel Savernake in "Gallows Court" and can be read as a standalone without difficulty.
I requested and received a complementary advance reading copy of the eBook from Poisoned Pen Books via Netgalley. I appreciate the opportunity to provide an independent review of the book.
A Mrs Dobell, a
Rachel has previously been given four names by Reggie Vickers. Gilbert Payne is dead, but the other three are the guests. Clive Danskin, Henry Rolland,and Sylvia Gorrie.
Journalist Jacob Flint crime reporter for the Clarion and friend of Rachel, becomes interested in previous murder cases.
An interesting and well-written murder mystery with a cast of varied and curious characters.
A NetGalley Book