The House on Vesper Sands

Victorian England has some inherent creepiness with Jack the Ripper on the loose, a popular interest in the occult, and all that fog....I was reminded of the terrifying tale presented in the novel The Quick - vampires hidden among average folk. This book lends itself in this direction, but has a distinct vein of humor too in the relationship between Inspector Hewitt and his erstwhile Sergeant Gideon Bliss. There is plenty of horror too, but it doesn't feel too overwhelming despite some gruesome deaths. Three separate entities are investigating a vague threat in London called The Spiriters - and they come together on disparate paths. Gideon is summoned to the city from Cambridge by his uncle and guardian. "Nelly" as he is nicknamed is a show more pastor with a ministry to help wayward girls. These are the very targets of the spiriters, because they are rather dispensable in the urban setting. Octavia is newspaper reporter with gumption, rebelling against writing about 'women's topics' like fashion and recipes and gossip, and Inspector Hewitt of Scotland Yard, a specialist in 'strange cases' has his own theories and history on this topic. The three connect over their investigation of Angela Taturn, one of the disappeared, and it takes them into all levels of London society, as well as to the country home of Lord Strythe, which is the book's title. The mystery and how it is revealed reels out carefully with each person's individual knowledge being needed to crack the final case. Great suspense and clever twists and a authentic setting made for a thoroughly entertaining book. I felt the set-up for a sequel coming at the end too.... show less

Not one thing not to love about O'Donnell's mystery novel. Everything, characters, story, the language, setting is done superbly, lovingly, meticulously well! It's, um, Bliss! (a pun you'll get when you read it!). You might have to be a fan of 19th century lit so you can marvel over the dialogue and descriptions, so so evocative of the times, but without the prolixity (ahem, except for one character) so characteristic of the time. But it is the 1890's and times are a'changin', so some people are moving on, moving faster. The plot, well, it's just a little bit spooky, and that is well done too, you can take it as a suggestion or even a metaphor, or you can take it literally--but whichever way, as the story-driver the choice is utterly show more appropriate for that time. I'm not giving anything away. Enjoy! And I'm off to the library where I've reserved Book 2! ***** show less

A riveting page turner, The House On Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell is a Victorian Gothic suspense thriller reminiscent of the writings of Wilkie Collins. I found the story very evocative of the times; rich in period detail and dipped in an eerie atmosphere of a slightly paranormal entity mixed with a diabolical plot. At the heart of much derring-do to be unraveled is an unusual investigative duo consisting of one well seasoned yet hilariously sarcastic Scotland Yard Inspector and a long winded young pup of a Sergeant who is masquerading as a policeman and hiding his true identity and intent.

I loved this new novel and am praying it will be the start of a new series with more stories on the horizon. Not only did the author's style show more remind me of Wilkie Collins, but the characters also reminded me of Will Thomas' Barker and Llewellyn series that are among my favorites!

For fans of Victorian mysteries this is one to not miss! show less

Disclosure: Thank you W. W. Norton & Company for sending me a free eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's February 1893, dark and freezing cold. Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard and Cambridge divinity student Gideon Bliss are investigating a strange suicide in London. A seamstress named Esther Tull has jumped to her death from an upper floor of Lord Strythe's house with words stitched into her skin.

Bliss is preoccupied with another mystery: the evening he arrived in London, he discovered a girl he fell in love with years ago, Angela Tatton, lying semi-conscious in a church. Someone knocked Bliss out too, and now Angela Tatton has gone missing. Bliss's uncle, the Rev. Dr. Neuilly, who summoned him to London, is also show more missing. Lord Strythe is likewise nowhere to be found–he vanished the same night that Esther Tull committed suicide.

Murders follow the suicide and disappearances, and the crazily incompatible team of Cutter and Bliss are soon tearing around London, hardly knowing what to investigate next. Cutter's interrogations and Bliss's notes must be read to be believed. They are just hilarious.

The odd disappearance of Lord Strythe captures the attention of activist reporter Octavia Hillingdon, and she begins her own investigation. Octavia is also looking into the disappearances of young working girls, including Angela Tatton. All mysteries converge and all is revealed in a shocking conclusion at the house of Lord Strythe's sister Ada, on Vesper Sands.

Besides being hilarious, especially with Bliss as his doe-eyed straight man, Inspector Cutter has strange special gifts that come to bear in solving all of the riddles and explaining all of the macabre occurrences. Rumors abound in London of "Spiriters" who steal away young women. Are they real, or are they ghosts? Hillingdon herself is having strange visions of helpless young women dressed in white, preyed upon by two men in dark suits.

This is a brilliant novel, written with dazzling finesse, plot spinning merrily like a top. Author Paraic O'Donnell hearkens back to the very first detective novels and steeps his book in jocular rationality, ghostly women in white, and Dickensian murk. Inspector Cutter resembles Sergeant Cuff ("The Moonstone") and Inspector Bucket ("Bleak House"), only with more of a temper than either, and the sense of the macabre that permeates "The House on Vesper Sands" is also old-school. However, we have a young socialite feminist cutting a wide swath through the action on her bicycle. Cutter has a soft side under his gruff exterior. As for Bliss, after studying divinity at Cambridge he just can't seem to stop talking, which gets under the Inspector's skin to no end.

I was riveted and enchanted. Cutter and Bliss are the most delightful detective duo to come along in years, and with Hillingdon also doing investigative journalism, all that is left to wish for is a series of novels starring all three. show less

Very well written, but the mixture of reality and the fantastic didn't come off entirely successfully and I found it difficult to identify with any of the characters (perhaps because there were two separate trains of story which didn't come together until nearly the end).

The House on Vesper Sands -O’Donnell
4 stars

The story begins as a poor seamstress prepares to commit suicide. Her plans are meticulous, mysterious, and gruesome. It’s 1893 in London. The cast of characters are obvious stereotypes, but likeable. There’s the morose, impatient police inspector, Inspector Cutter, and the bumbling university student/police sergeant, Gideon Bliss. Octavia Hillingdon, feminist and aspiring reporter, inserts herself into the investigation as she strives to make her way in a man’s world. The crimes are shocking, but there's an element of spoof threaded through convoluted plot.

The case is concerned with missing young women. The atmosphere is gothic and there’s clearly a supernatural element to the show more crimes. I did think the book was a bit too long. It wandered into a mishmash of genres; fantasy and horror, Victorian melodrama and police procedural. There’s some drawing room comedy and plenty of room for a sequel. I’d be interested enough to read the next one. show less

I loved this book. It is exactly the kind of book (or one of the kinds, anyway) that I like to read.

The characters made it, especially Inspector Cutter's brilliant insults, and Lady Ada, whose attitude I am going to try to adopt immediately. The Victorian setting felt exactly right, the otherworldly elements were just enough, and though close inspection might uncover a few questionable plot aspects - I enjoyed this too much to be picky.

Fun to read and I wish one could purchase [b:The Maker of Swans|23525644|The Maker of Swans|Paraic O'Donnell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441801846l/23525644._SY75_.jpg|43128551] in America for a normal amount of money.