In this spellbinding novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic possession that brings together characters from her Whitechapel Paranormal Society Victorian horror series and award-winning Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series on the fog-shrouded cobblestones of 36 Craven Street.The discovery of bricked up skeletal remains at 36 Craven Street point to … Street point to something more diabolical than an illegal anatomy school. The tool marks on the bones, arcane sigils of great power, indicate more than mere butchery, more than enlightened experimentation. The signs, omens, and portents support the crown’s greatest fears. A great evil is being unleashed upon the gaslit streets of London, a blood-drenched shadow reaching skeletal fingers beyond the slums of Whitechapel.
We must stamp out this demonic plague for the sake of our Queen, our Country, and our immortal souls. – Cora Drummond, Whitechapel Paranormal Society
Collecting human souls is a thankless job, nearly as tedious as acting as solicitor to the fae. But when the demon Forneus enters an opium den searching for men eager to trade their souls for the ill-smelling weed, he stumbles on a plot so devious, so heinous, he’s jealous that he hadn’t thought of it himself.
There’s nothing like a maniacal plot to unleash Hell on earth to break the boredom of immortality. – Forneus, Grand Marquis of Hell
Five seemingly ordinary women with minor psychic gifts and an exceptional ability to solve supernatural crimes, skills honed during their service with the Special Paranormal Research Branch a secret security agency tasked with protecting Queen and country from inhuman forces, must now use their singular expertise to unravel a dreadful string of brutal murders.
Much maligned by their male counterparts within the S.P.R.B., the women of the Whitechapel Paranormal Society are on their own to face a sinister dark mastermind as dismembered bodies are set across London’s East End like figures on a game board.
Can they predict the killer’s next move–a bloody, ritualistic murder that might tip the scales and give demons dominion over all of London–before he strikes again?
Set against the backdrop of pre and post-Ripper Victorian London, Whitechapel Paranormal Society series answers the question of how cases such as the Thames Torso Murders, Craven Street Bones, Tottenham Court Road Mystery, Whitechapel Murders, Goswell Road Mystery, and the Vanishing Girls of West Ham might have been solved if put in the capable hands of a team of female special agents.
The Ivy Granger Psychic Detective series is an award-winning urban fantasy series known for heart-pounding action, quirky characters, and supernatural horrors. The Whitechapel Paranormal Society series is a gaslamp fantasy series set in London’s East End.
more
Enticing introduction to an intriguing new series…
This novella will capture your attention and tease your imagination from the first page to the very last sentence. The main protagonist, Cora Drummond, is a member of the S.P.R.B. (Special Paranormal Research Branch) in the Whitechapel area of Victorian London. She and a few other female members work together using their various psychic gifts to root out evil in the name of queen and country. There are male members of the S.P.R.B. but they do not feature prominently in this story except to show condescending contempt for these women who do not conform to the accepted standards for female comportment of their era. These wonderfully non-conformist ladies will lead the reader on a fast-paced adventure involving murder, mutilation, demonic possession, and sinister world-threatening machinations spawned by unknown forces of evil. No spoilers here – just prepare for a heck of a ride! Of note for those who are faint of heart – there are scenes featuring the discovery of mutilated bodies, but the descriptions are not gory or of nightmare-inducing detail. There is no foul language (unless “bugger” is offensive to you). There is a hint of lesbian potential in a couple of characters but nothing graphic is presented. Overall, this is a riveting first installment of what I hope to be a whole series of adventures with these awesome ladies.
I received a copy of this book from the author and the above is my voluntary and unbiased review.
Craven Street
Whitechapel Paranormal Society, Book 1
By: E.J. Stevens
Narrated by: Melanie A. Mason, Anthony Bowling
This book is based on Victorian times and around a Paranormal Society trying to solve crimes happening involving butcher bodies with carved Mark’s in them. There is fae, demons, and a very evil group of humans. The demon seems more humane than the human! Interesting but I would have liked it a bit longer.
Terrific narration!
This is an enjoyable novella that combines characters from the authors Ivy Granger series and the Whitechapel Paranormal Society series. It is set in Victorian England during the time of Jack the Ripper. Police Sargent, Cora Drummond, is a member of the Special Paranormal Research Branch and together with other female officers, they work together using their various psychic gifts to stop evil and solve crimes. This is an entertaining story that has murder, demons, necromancy, possession and humour in it. I enjoyed seeing Forneus, who also features in the Ivy Granger series, he is funny and very much a demon, but he has a touch of morality too. The dual narrators of the audiobook did a good job of bringing the characters to life and keeping the story moving forward. The characters all had individual personalities and the Ripper themed plot with a paranormal twist kept your attention. I will look forward to listening to another in this series in the future.
Having read, and enjoyed, the entire Ivy Granger series, by E. J. Stevens, I expected to enjoy CRAVEN STREET. I was disappointed by what I perceived as a disjointed narrative that I found hard to follow. It was also a much shorter read than I expected. There are sneak peeks at the next books in the series (EEPER WEEPER and ONE FOR SORROW).
CRAVEN STREET takes place in London, circa Jack the Ripper. Victorian London does offer a great backdrop for any number of possible genre tales. There is also historical accuracy in that Benjamin Franklin did live at 36 Craven Street, starting in 1730, and the building still stands today as a museum. (Yes, I Googled that tidbit.)
CRAVEN STREET is the first book in a series about Cora Drummond, a sergeant in the Special Paranormal Research Branch of the London police, and in service to the Queen. The time, place, and premise all bode well for a successful book and subsequent series. In an effort to bring something new to the typical Victorian tableau, Stevens introduces the modern concept of gender identity with its need to use pronouns that will not offend. That’s where things get dicey. If memory serves, gender issues were not discussed and the idea of gender friendly pronouns would have been laughable.
As I mentioned above, I’ve read the Ivy Granger books and found that the inclusion of Forneus, Grand Marquis of Hell, came as something of a surprise. The chapters written from his point of view flow as I would have expected. He is, after all, immortal, and, apparently, quite set in his demon ways.
I haven’t decided whether or not to re-read CRAVEN STREET now that I know what to expect, and I don’t know whether or not I will read the next book in the series; however, I am always willing to see if a rocky start smooths out.
This is an enjoyable short book involving a group of police women who have special gifts and makes them the ideal group to hunt down criminals from other than human realms. Someone (or something) is slaughtering and dismembering young women in the Whitechapel area of London. Whatever is committing these gruesome murders is also marking their bodies with sigils that indicate that something otherworldly is involved.
If you enjoy urban fantasy, Jack the Ripper type tales, gothic Victorian horror stories, or just a good read, this is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Since it is a short book, there isn’t a lot of character development, but enough to make the reader want to know a lot more about these unique women.
The author is one of my favorites in the urban fantasy genre and she does not disappoint in this new series. Just enough snarky dialogue to keep the book from becoming too dark with the gruesomeness of the subject matter.
The use of both a male and female narrator added a lot to my listening enjoyment. The switch between the two was seamless and both of them did a great job with the various voices used for the different characters. I was given the chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book by the author/narrator/publisher and chose to review it.
Craven Street is Book 1 in the Whitechapel Paranormal Society series by E.J. Stevens. This is a superbly written storyline and an Iva Granger spinoff. It is a new take on the Jack The Ripper Murders theme with a female police sergeant in a male dominated world and has a paranormal twist. Author Stevens’ writing draws you into the story and keeps your reading/listening to the end. Even though this was a short story, I felt it did not suffer. Am looking forward to the next in series to see what Author Stevens has in store for these characters. I actually felt this deserved a 4.5 because of the length. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
Craven Street (Whitechapel Paranormal Society Book 1), my seventh read from author E.J. Stevens and the first in the Whitechapel Paranormal Society series. Well-written with intriguing characters. I received an Audible copy & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. Narrators Melanie A. Mason & Anthony Bowling add to the book’s enjoyment. E.J. Stevens is rapidly becoming a go-to author for me! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
As always, E. J. Stevens brings colorful characters to life in an atmospheric, entertaining Gaslamp Fantasy journey that I’m sure will whet appetites for more to come. I’ve been looking forward to The Whitechapel Paranormal Society for quite some time and I’m excited to see even more of this world and the interesting dynamics within as Stevens expands this aspect of her compelling universe. Fans of her work will recognize the parallels to her popular Ivy Granger series, which I also highly recommend. Craven Street is great for fans of the show Penny Dreadful, Carnival Row and other Historical Paranormal adventures.
The cover has an eerie vibe and I do I love the location, Whitechapel. It made me feel as if Jack The Ripper was looking over my shoulder as I walked the streets…or should I say ran, because there be monsters here.
I also love that the Whitechapel Paranormal Society has an all female unit.
We have plenty of action and sometimes our enemy will be our friend, as the bodies pile up. Gritty, dangerous action in this other worldly battle between good and evil.
Though there is not a cliffhanger, the story is far from over.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Craven Street by E J Stevens.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
To force a demon out of hiding, who has been hunting women,mutilating corpses around the city. British with a psychic,spirit, knocking with a whole misadventure. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily chose to review
Very interesting and dark
This is the first novella in the new “Whitechapel Paranormal Society” fantasy series. It is set in the same world as EJ Stevens’ “Ivy Granger” and “Hunters’ Guild” series, except that it takes place over a century before, in Victorian-era London. The world is similar to the actual Victorian London, except that supernatural activity (i.e., demon possession, ghosts, and necromancy) exist and the government is aware of it. A branch of the police secretly handles supernatural problems because the general population remains blissfully unaware of them. Most of this paranormal police force is male, but a small group of them is female, and they call themselves the Whitechapel Paranormal Society. These women encounter an unprecedentedly large occurrence of demon possession, and it is just the tip of the iceberg.
I like the friendly, supportive relationships among Cora, Flan, and their female psychic co-workers. These nice relationships give the reader a break from the otherwise extremely dark, sometimes gross situations. By the way, Cora and Flan are lesbians and are just starting a very innocent-style relationship (just one kiss in the entire book). The romance part is very PG, but the horrifying investigation portion would be rated R. There is at least one other LGBTQ character, which adds a nice touch of diversity in urban fantasy.
For me, the disgusting parts of the investigation were just a little too gross and dark for me to really enjoy the book. However, the previews at the end for the next two books have me interested enough to read the next one. I also liked seeing Forneus, a somewhat amusing demon character from the Ivy Granger series, in his earlier life.
I received a free advanced reading copy from the author, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Overall rating: 4
Set in the seedy districts such as white chapel, this all female paranormal society take on the worst of the worst, all while still being ridiculed and challenged by their male counterparts. The author sets a reader smack dab down on these putrid, opium laced streets while still maintaining the mindset of the streets during that era. These characters are strong willed and determined as well as dangerous. I found it very easy to get caught up in the mystery and impending danger. For a short read I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this storyline took life. Great read with a Jack the Ripper feel. All my reviews are always voluntarily written,
historical-novel, paranormal, misogony, demons, investigation, necromancy
Excellent, scary, and well worth reading! The publisher’s blurb gives some idea of what to expect, but not how engaging the characters or plot. Just read it already!
I loved the Ivy Granger series so i was curious about this series but it’s sure really different. This book ( and series?) is really more horror than Ivy Granger’s one, it’s really dark both in the events happening but also in the character’s mentality.
The Whitechapel Paranormal Society is a group of women with special abilities who are part of the force but in secret focus on the supernatural elements. They have their male counterpart but those really looks down on them and even try to hinder their work…their misogynist point of view though understandable in a historical period still started to bother me after a time because they get the job done and even with all those men must have seen with paranormal they still can’t respect them? even a minimum? it’s frustrating.
The intrigue is the start of something bigger and the mystery is really well written, really dark too. The different characters are interesting but we focus on Cora and Flan more than on the others so we see little of their powers but it’s tempting so we want to discover more about them and how they choose that job , discovered their abilities etc.
That being said some point bothered me more. First at time , i i had the feeling to have missed something as the situation jump to another without really an explanation or link even if we go back to track just after it’s like something was missing. Then the relationship between Cora and Flan bothered me….somehow i think it would it would have been better if they were just friends or colleagues , the lover part even if not too developed sounded wrong . I don’t know if it’s because we get the feeling it’s part historical and at that time while homosexuality existed it wasn’t done in public or because it give the feeling no male characters could be good enough, open minded to these abilities….it just wasn’t necessary for the story in my opinion.
But if that doesn’t bother you and if you love dark urban fantasy with ghosts and demons this is really a good horror book just probably not for me
The long blurb to this novella describes this book superbly. I loved the snarkiness. I cringed at the gruesomeness. Felt badly that the women trying to solve the crime were subjected to inappropriate treatment by the men in the precinct. And working with a demon to help solve the crime??? This is a very different sort of crime-solving tale that I felt very easy reading. I have never read a book by this author before, but this little taste of her style has me wanting to read more of her books, more specifically, the rest of this series. Very enjoyable and entertaining.
Stevens does a good job presenting the atmosphere of Victorian Whitechapel and the sexism her female protagonists face as they tangle with both their male counterparts and supernatural forces. Like Jonathan Stroud, the author shifts the narrator between the main human character and a demon. The plot moves briskly and the characters are introduced with just enough detail to make me want to read more about the Whitechapel Paranormal Society.