The summer of 1889 was proving to be a strange one for Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner.They had a sexual pervert loose. The man didn’t actually harm women but threatened them at knifepoint, fondling them, and ultimately stealing their stockings.Far more serious were the murders of influential men, which appeared random other than they were all killed by arsenic poison. … arsenic poison. Never had he and his partner had cases with so little workable evidence.
Also, the rivalry between him and his detective nemesis at London’s other police department was intensifying. That nemesis was the boxing champion of their department andlooking to challenge Rudyard, who never trained as a boxer.
Besides Rudyard’s pride being at stake, and the pride of his station, his nemesis also had in his possession a scandalous photograph of the woman Rudyard cares very much for. The new lady in Rudyard’s life had captured his heart and he’d fight the devil himself to save her reputation.
The summer of 1889 was proving to be a strange one for Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner.
They had a sexual pervert loose. The man didn’t actually harm women but threatened them at knife point, fondling them, and ultimately stealing their stockings.
Far more serious were the murders of influential men, which appeared random other than they were all killed by arsenic poison. Never had he and his partner had cases with so little workable evidence.
Also, the rivalry between him and his detective nemesis at London’s other police department was intensifying. That nemesis was the boxing champion of their department and looking to challenge Rudyard, who never trained as a boxer.
Besides Rudyard’s pride being at stake, and the pride of his station, his nemesis also had in his possession a scandalous photograph of the woman Rudyard cares very much for.
The new lady in Rudyard’s life had captured his heart and he’d fight the devil himself to save her reputation.
more
First time in reading this author but do so like a good suspense set in a time when being a good detective was really using all the six senses you might say. They had a different one so much so that they went after men and women but did different things that were unusual. Bloodstone and his partner had themselves a puzzler that is for sure. The competition in this also is different with it being another police department which still probably happens. You do have romance in this one so much so that Bloodstone will protect his no matter what it would seem even if it involves feeding another ego. The layers in this is such you get to see them peeled back one by one with us taking notes along the way. Very good one to get caught up in.
It is the summer of 1889 and Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are facing several unusual crimes. First of all, there is a sexual pervert loose, terrorizing the women of the city. Then, there are several seemingly random murders of influential men. Someone seems to be enacting a vendetta against these men by poisoning them with arsenic.
Add to this the budding romance between Ruddy and the actress Honeysuckle Flowers and a boxing challenge from his nemesis, Napier, a detective from another London PD, and you have plenty of action in this book.
The characters are well-developed and the author does a great job with creating the sights, sounds, and smells of Victorian London. There is enough humor and romance to keep the book from being just another detective tale. The dialogue is witty and engaging.
This book was a fast paced and enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more books by this author. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery. I was given the chance to read this book by Candid Book Reviews and chose to review it.
This was the second in the series, and I really enjoyed it. Learning more about Bloodstone and his family, his friendship and partnership with Archie, the “undercover sting” in this story (funny), and more made this a good story. I love the historical aspect of the world, and I will be keeping up with this series. I recommend the book and the series.
I received a copy of this story through CBR Services, and this is my unsolicited review.
BOOK REVIEW: Snifter of Death by Chris Karlsen.
When I started this book I was not sure that I was going to like it as it was not a genre that I read or enjoy. I do enjoy reading historical fiction but not crime. I can say first off this book really got to me and I found as I read I really got into it.
It is set in London 1889 Metropolitan Police Holborn Station with detective Rudyard Bloodstone and Archie Holbrooks and Graciela as the victim come murder. The story starts with the two detectives working towards solving the mystery of the stocking thief of young women. While at the same time Graciela is planning her first murder.
As you go along with these three you quickly delve into the mind of them and how each methodically plan and work through the crimes. Graciela working out how to plan her first of her murders and why she is doing this. The research she does to preform her murders you quickly feel very strongly for Graciela and understand why she is doing this and how she gets away with it until her third intended victim.
It is an unlikely person that gives Bloodstone the answer he needs to help him solve the murders and why after spending all his time following up each dead end lead they quickly find Graciela and teach her tragic story as to why she went after these men.
The lack of support she would have got if she had reported their crime when it happened she knew no one would believe a poor village girl had been brutally rapes by four upper class standing men and that there would be no justice for her, so she took her own justice.
This was an amazingly well written story and kept you wanting to know more, would she get away with her crimes or would Bloodstone and his partner stop her before she completed her tasks.
If you can handle the mention of rape without details and are looking for a historical crime story then I strongly suggest this book. Both Archie and Bloodstone work well together and there is plenty of heart to this story.