The Frightened Man

The Frightened Man by Kenneth Cameron is an excellent Victorian thriller with a Jack-the-Ripper style plot. Cameron's debut in this new series of Denton Mysteries was extremely well written, had endearing lovable characters who are very cheeky, and talent to weave a darn good yarn!

Our new perceptive detective Denton is an American transport living in London at the turn of the century. Escaping the States from a heroic deed while acting as a U.S. Marshall in the wild west and an incident involving his wife, he begins a new life as a popular author of fictional books and sets himself up in a grand London house complete with one hilarious valet named Sergeant. Everyone is going to fall in love with this smart-mouthed house servant who has show more charm, wit and one heck of an attitude! In the midst of a writer's block slump, hard up to pay the bills, one evening Denton and Sergeant are visited at their home by a raving mad man seeking Denton's help for protection against a murderer. It appears he has witnessed a brutal slaying of a young woman and fears he was seen. Near hysteria the man begs Denton's help in finding the killer before he too becomes the next Victim at the hand of what the man feels could be Jack-the-Ripper returned.

With the help of the local police, a band of woman in the literary circle to help him to do research, and a suffragette style brassy bold woman to be reckoned with, Denton takes up the chase to find the slasher in hopes of seeking justice and at the same time find a story for his next book.

I found the novel very evocative of the times. The author really allows the reader to feel they are being transported to London in 1900, complete with the gaslit, fog shrouded nights as horses and carriages rumble along cobblestone streets to the high society of the ton down to the seedy wharf-side pubs crawling with whores, pickpockets and knife wielding vagrants. I very much liked Cameron's ability to blend characters so sarcastic you can't help but laugh, while at the same time making you cringe at the graphic and grotesque murders most macabre. Can't wait for book two, the Bohemian Girl. Excellent Victorian who-dun-it, just loved it! show less

Many a mystery author has turned their hand to solving the Jack the Ripper crimes of 1888, and many suspects and scenarios have tried the wits of many sleuths. In the end, however, almost inevitably the Whitechapel monster is caught in short order and Victorian London resumes its life.

But what if the Ripper hadn’t been caught in the 1880’s, and after years lying low, resumed his frenzied crimes? It’s a realistic enough scenario with serial killers, and it forms the basis of Kenneth Cameron’s “The Frightened Man”. Amidst the splendor and squalor of 1900, the Ripper still lurks at the back of the mind of Englishmen and women. And then a familiar criminal signature begins to show up as a mutilated prostitute is discovered, and show more once again London will be gripped in terror…if the news gets out. The police are quite happy to dismiss one dead prostitute, however, rather than risk widespread panic.

Matching wits with the killer is Denton, American, ex-Western lawman, Civil War veteran, and a noted author. No gunslinging cowboy, however, Denton is a peculiarly engaging mix of natural American egalitarianism and adopted British reserve, the toll from the war and from his badge-toting days heavy on his mind.

Along the way of his investigation Denton makes the acquaintance of Janet Striker, feminist and provider of a home for unwed mothers, a woman who carries numerous scars of her own. Acerbic manservant Atkins also throws in some real gems of wit, and his banter with Denton is a treat.

The mystery is entwined with a well-balanced sense of period atmosphere and detail; along the way to catching the Ripper and deviating from the usual laundry list of suspects, a great deal of the British Empire on the cusp of the twentieth century comes to light. Attitudes towards women, the iron-cast class hierarchy with the desperate grinding poverty a stone’s throw from the sumptuous mansions, bureaucracy, corruption, and social morality are all addressed, neatly a part of the plot so that the information provides context and yet doesn’t come across as cloying or clumsy.

The outrage about the crimes of murder and of society is muted but genuine, the characters no shining beacons of reform and law. There are no shining heroes in “The Frightened Man”, no plucky do-gooders. Denton and Striker make for a formidable, street-smart team who believably can survive the moody, fog-riddled night streets of London to find the truth and bring justice, and in the end, the tale is a satisfying one. show less

This historical mystery set in 1900's London features General Denton, a Civil War veteran and former U.S. sheriff turned novelist, who has become obsessed by the murder of Stella Minter. Is Jack the Ripper back in business eviscerating prostitutes as R. Mulcahy, the frightened late night visitor to Denton, implies?

Denton, disappointed by the police's lack of action, and maybe to avoid some of his own work and demons, pursues the murderer through the chaotic streets of London and the darker side of human nature, at great risk to himself and everyone around him.

Not for the faint of heart this book is a violent, fast paced suspense, which drags the reader through the topics of voyeurism, and mutilation and comments on the treatment of show more women at turn of the century. An intelligent and well-written page-turner from Kenneth Cameron. show less

Set in 1900 London, this mystery centers around the horrible murder of a young prostitute and the American author, now living in London, who searches for the man responsible. Jack the Ripper hasn't been heard from for at least 15 years by the time this murder occurs, but the savagery of the crime brings the Ripper to mind. Denton, an American marshall turned author, receives an unexpected visit by a very frightened man on the eve of the murder. The man describes the murder to Denton and swears he knows who it is, but disappears before Denton can fully digest what he has been told. What follows is the story of Denton's pursuit of justice for the young woman- brutally murdered but generally disregarded by the police due to her show more disreputable occupation. A fast paced story with likeable characters. show less

Long and drawn out, so much so I had to skip 50-75 pages.....

I didn't like the characters they were hard and elicited no empathy.... Had I read this first I'd not have read the 2nd in the series (as it was I read that one first).

A man comes to Denton insisting that Jack-the-Ripper is after him and is in need of protection. As it turns out the man was a voyeur and had witnessed the horrific murder of a young prostitute.....

The police, of course, don't care and pin the murder on an African Sailor, just to be done with it... Until Denton is attacked twice in his home by a mad-man with a knife, the same type used on the dead girl.

Denton searches for the frightened man & finds him dead, 4 floors below the window of his photography show more studio.....

And so the book goes on & on & on with everyone fighting their personal demons & the police, until Denton unwittingly comes across the murderer. show less

Ex-Pinkerton takes on a case in London.