David Morrell’s MURDER AS A FINE ART was a publishing event. Acclaimed by critics, it made readers feel that they were actually on the fogbound streets of Victorian London. Now the harrowing journey continues in INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD.
Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his Confessions of an Opium-Eater, confronts London’s harrowing streets to thwart the assassination of Queen Victoria. The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters.
Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.
This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself. As De Quincey and Emily race to protect the queen, they uncover long-buried secrets and the heartbreaking past of a man whose lust for revenge has destroyed his soul.
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First off, Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell is pure genius. He is the master of building tension in all the right places. His characters are one of a kind. His plot leaves your heart racing long after putting the book down. Murder. Madness. Dark intrigue. Pure evil. You will not escape it.
After I read this book I could not pick up another book for days! For me that is just unheard of. I had no idea how I was going to write my review for this book. I felt my assessment of the story would pale in comparison and it still does. I really truly don’t know where to begin. I want to take you back to Murder As A Fine Art. That is where all this brilliance begins…but that would take too long and there is so much depth to both stories.
Morrell’s characters are truly extraordinary. Thomas De Quincey and his daughter, Emily are unforgettable! I was completely mesmerized by them. Not only that, you will be drawn deep into Victorian London and its lowest and highest of society. One of the many things I found fascinating about this story was how Morrell weaves in events based on actual assassination attempts people made on Queen Victoria life.
Everything about this story impressed me to no end.
I’m rating this book five stars.
Stephanie M. Hopkins
What the Victorian Experts Say:
“Even better than Murder as a Fine Art. A truly atmospheric and dynamic thriller. I was fascinated by how Morrell seamlessly blended elements from Thomas De Quincey’s life and work. The solution is a complete surprise.” —Grevel Lindop, The Opium-Eater: A Life of Thomas De Quincey
“The scope is remarkable. Florence Nightingale, the Crimean War, regicide, the railways, opium, the violence and despair of the London rookeries, medical and scientific innovations, arsenic in the food and clothing—all this makes the Victorian world vivid. The way Morrell depicts Thomas De Quincey places him in front of us, living and breathing. But his daughter Emily is in many ways the real star of the book.” —Robert Morrison, The English Opium-Eater: A Biography of Thomas De Quincey
“I absolutely raced through it and couldn’t bear to put it down. I particularly liked how the very horrible crimes are contrasted with the developing, fascinating relationship between Thomas De Quincey and his daughter, Emily, who come across as extremely real. It was altogether a pleasure.” —Judith Flanders, The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Reveled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime
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About the Author
David Morrell is an Edgar, Nero, Anthony, and Macavity nominee as well as a recipient of the prestigious career-achievement Thriller Master away from the International Thriller Writers. His numerous New York Times bestsellers include the classic espionage novel. The Brotherhood of the Rose, the basis for the only television mini-series to be broadcast after a Super Bowl. A former literature professor at the University of Iowa, Morrell has a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. His latest novel is INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD, a sequel to his highly acclaimed Victorian mystery/thriller, Murder as a Fine Art, which Publishers Weekly called ”one of the top ten mystery/thrillers of 2013.”
For more information visit David Morrell’s website. You can also connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
Inspector of the Dead Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, March 24 Review at Unabridged Chick Excerpt at Boom Baby Reviews
Wednesday, March 25 Review at Back Porchervations Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Thursday, March 26 Review at JulzReads
Friday, March 27 Review & Excerpt at Jorie Loves a Story Interview at JulzReads
Monday, March 30 Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book Spotlight at Tales of a Book Addict
Tuesday, March 31 Interview & Excerpt at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, April 1 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book Guest Post at Mina’s Bookshelf
Thursday, April 2 Review at Build a Bookshelf Review & Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf
Friday, April 3 Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.
Monday, April 6 Review & Giveaway at To Read, or Not to Read Excerpt & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Tuesday, April 7 Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Wednesday, April 8 Interview at Back Porchervations Spotlight & Giveaway at Words and Peace
Thursday, April 9 Review & Giveaway at 100 Pages a Day – Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Friday, April 10 Review at Layered Pages Review, Excerpt & Giveaway at Drey’s Library
Monday, April 13 Review at Flashlight Commentary
Tuesday, April 14 Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, April 15 Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Thursday, April 16 Review at Editing Pen Review at Luxury Reading Review at The Maiden’s Court
Friday, April 17 Guest Post & Giveaway at Editing Pen
Monday, April 20 Review & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation
Tuesday, April 21 Review at A Book Geek Review at Books and Benches
Wednesday, April 22 Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection
Thursday, April 23 Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Friday, April 24 Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict
Layered Pages 