David Field (10)

I really enjoyed The Gaslight Stalker which was a fictional take on Jack the Ripper and the introduction of our intrepid sleuths Esther Jacobs & Jack Enright.

The Night Caller is another well written mystery set in 1890’s London. This one isn’t as gory as The Gaslight Stalker with the main focus on an underwear thief mystery.

Esther has befriended Helen Trenchard. Helen is a staunch advocate for women’s equality in the workforce and has founded a union for working women. When working show more women have their homes invaded, their knickers stolen, and are left threatening notes not to join the union, the local police do not seem to take the case seriously causing Percy Enright to take the investigation into his own hands.

The story is centred round the opening of a women’s union and the brazen attempts to stop women from joining the new workers union. It highlights the working conditions for women, the class system and the poverty of the lower class. Real events are mentioned throughout to place it firmly in its time period.

Esther is determined, self reliant and outspoken. She once again uses her great investigative and analytical skills to help solve the case.

Jack is taken under the wing of his experienced Uncle and learns a thing or two about investigative policing. Sergeant Percy Enright brings humour to the story with some rather funny and politically incorrect sayings.

I am really enjoying this series. They are quick, light reads. The first was a bit gory as it centred on Jack the Ripper however this book was more mystery with plenty of humour and character development. Uncle Percy Enright has a major role and the burgeoning love story between Jack and Esther is continued as they plan their wedding day.

Field has done an excellent job with the essence of time by including real events, appropriate vocabulary and current mindset. I was as much enthralled by the characters in this book as I was by the plot. show less

1895 A bomb explosion in the Tower Barracks results in mayhem, with many dead and injured. The injured are housed in the London Hospital and looked after by Florence Nightingale's nurses. Then one of them is murdered. Dr. Carlyle, Matthew West and his wife Adelaide all become involved, while D.I. John Jennings investigates.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and well-drawn characters. Another good addition to the series which can be read as a show more standalone story. show less

The first in the Carlyle and West Victorian mysteries. In 1665 a mass grave was dug to accommodate hundreds of Black Death victims. Over two hundred years later Aldergate Underground is being extended, bones are discovered, strange things start happening and people are dying. Have the dead risen from their burial place to frighten the living as an act of revenge?

This is a fun, entertaining and easy read. Carlyle and West are like chalk and cheese, one a man of science and the other a show more preacher, but they complement each other splendidly. The plot itself is intriguing and I wanted to read on to find out what was behind the weird and bizarre phenomenon which had been occurring. I liked that it combined historical fact with fiction, it was an added bonus! All in all an enjoyable mystery with a likeable amateur detective duo. It kept me turning the pages and I look forward to the next book in the series. show less

The second in the Carlyle & West Victorian mysteries. This one begins with the suspicious death of a man who, according to the records, had supposedly been hanged a year previously. How could this be? As the bodies mount up it’s up to Dr Carlyle and local clergyman, Matthew West, to get to the bottom of the matter.

Having read the first book in the series, Interviewing the Dead, I was looking forward to reading the second one. I can confirm it’s another fun, entertaining and easy read show more combining fact with fiction. It touches on women’s roles in politics and the science of fingerprinting. Carlyle and West make a great intrepid detective duo and it has a good plot line which kept me turning the pages. I like that there is a human interest story running alongside the mystery, too - it makes the story feel a little more real. I would have no hesitation in recommending this series to historical fiction/thriller fans. show less