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A year after serial killer John Whittaker's reign of terror was brought to a swift and righteous conclusion, London finds her streets darkened with the blood of innocents once again. Disfigured bodies with vile, ritualistic markings are turning up at an alarming rate, and the police are at a loss to apprehend the killer, who always seems to be one step ahead of them. nbsp; Detective Inspector Phillip Devlin of Scotland Yard is having problems of his own. Having fallen for his younger show more constable, Freddie Collins, Devlin finds that leading his double life is often more complicated than he'd originally thought. But for now he must set aside his worries, as he is called on once more to catch a killer and expose the perpetrator of this latest threat to his beloved city. He must use every resource at his disposal, both inside the law and out, to halt a string of murders the likes of which London hasn't seen since the days of Saucy Jack. But what Inspector Devlin will soon learn is that murder is not necessarily the greatest of sins . . . and some truths are better left undiscovered. nbsp; The Paragon of Animals pulsates with the sights and sounds of late-1800s London, England. Macabre yet humorous, with a familiar cast of caustic yet lovable characters, this latest in the series of Inspector Devlin's adventures takes the reader on another unforgettable journey to the dark places where men fear to tread. show lessTags
Member Reviews
Inspector Devlin and his constable slash lover Freddie Collins are back in this second Victorian London mystery. This time bodies are surfacing with strange marks on them as if they have been bitten, leading Devlin into a dark, atmospheric world of cults, vampires, rentboys who can quote Shakespeare, and grotesque photographs.
I liked this better than its prequel, A Cold-Blooded Scoundrel. The mystery in this one had a touch of the macabre which kept it interesting even when the sequence of clues failed to draw steam. I find myself genuinely chilled at certain parts with the photographs and with Devlin’s memory of his childhood minder Cathy, who always smelled of blood. Even more so, I enjoyed the characters in this second outing. show more I’ve said that this series’ strength is its characters, and they come into their own in The Paragon of Animals. I like that J.S Cook doesn’t let Devlin or Freddie rest on their laurels. They continue to be affected by real problems and issues.
With that said, the story can be abrupt, and people appearing and disappearing at dramatic moments can get silly. The grand climax at the end with Freddie was emotionally jerking, yes, but I’m not sure it fit in with the rest of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Similarly, other parts of the book seemed a bit random. The bits with Harker’s love troubles, for example. They were nice, but one scene goes into Harker’s head, and then we never travel then again. It’s uneven stuff like that which leaves me wondering exactly what Cook intended.
The Paragon of Animals was good but with some edits, it could be really good. show less
I liked this better than its prequel, A Cold-Blooded Scoundrel. The mystery in this one had a touch of the macabre which kept it interesting even when the sequence of clues failed to draw steam. I find myself genuinely chilled at certain parts with the photographs and with Devlin’s memory of his childhood minder Cathy, who always smelled of blood. Even more so, I enjoyed the characters in this second outing. show more I’ve said that this series’ strength is its characters, and they come into their own in The Paragon of Animals. I like that J.S Cook doesn’t let Devlin or Freddie rest on their laurels. They continue to be affected by real problems and issues.
With that said, the story can be abrupt, and people appearing and disappearing at dramatic moments can get silly. The grand climax at the end with Freddie was emotionally jerking, yes, but I’m not sure it fit in with the rest of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Similarly, other parts of the book seemed a bit random. The bits with Harker’s love troubles, for example. They were nice, but one scene goes into Harker’s head, and then we never travel then again. It’s uneven stuff like that which leaves me wondering exactly what Cook intended.
The Paragon of Animals was good but with some edits, it could be really good. show less
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- Philip Devlin
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- London, England, UK
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