FICTION

Inspector of the Dead

by David Morrell
Mulholland: Little, Brown. Mar. 2015.352p. ISBN 9780316323932. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780316323963. F
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This sequel to Murder as a Fine Art, set in London in 1855, reunites the team of Thomas De Quincey (Confessions of an Opium Eater), his daughter Emily, and police officers Ryan and Becker. From the shockingly brutal murders at the start to the stunning conclusion, De Quincey and his fellow investigators race against time to discover who is killing prominent Londoners as a prelude to assassinating Queen Victoria. Is the plot a conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy or a more personally motivated attack on society? De Quincey applies psychological theories and techniques to the crimes, reflective of his genius and his decidedly different view of reality.
VERDICT Morrell's skillful use of the literary elements of Victorian sensation novels, especially the third-person omniscient narrator who presents tidbits of 19th-century life, enhance the appeal of this thriller to fans of historical fiction and Victorian-era crime novels as well as readers who enjoy Anne Perry or Robin Paige. De Quincey is the most fascinating character in the novel, provoking interest in his real-life exploits. [See Prepub Alert, 9/22/14.]
Reviewed by Barbara Clark-Greene, Groton P.L., CT , Jan 01, 2015
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