FICTION

Lost and Gone Forever: A Novel of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad

Putnam. May 2016. 384p. ISBN 9780399176104. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780698407268. F
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In this fifth entry in Grecian's historical series (after The Harvest Man), Insp. Walter Day has been Jack the Ripper's prisoner for a year. Nevil Hammersmith is still determined to find Day, but even his optimism is beginning to flag. Plus, his newly minted detective agency isn't bringing in much money. Claire Day, who insists that her husband is alive, faints when she spots him in a crowded department store. Yes, Day has apparently escaped but is suffering from amnesia and has been living on the street. Or, has he actually been doing Jack's bidding all this time, without knowing it? As if one serial killer isn't enough, a husband-and-wife team of assassins appear on the scene to complicate matters for our heroes.
VERDICT Grecian does not waste time moving the action along, although the lengthy epigraphs before each section are distracting. The gritty descriptions of Victorian London are a major highlight of the series, making this a solid choice for fans of the time period. [See Prepub Alert, 11/15/15.]
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