Synopsis
London swelters in June 1858, and trouble is brewing. Scotland Yard calls on forensic scientist Adolphus Hatton and his trusty assistant, Albert Roumande to help stop a series of violent murders of seemingly unconnected people, linked by the same macabre calling card. The investigators, who have a morgue full of cholera victims - all Irish, the poorest of the poor - must also unravel a bombing campaign led by agitator and priest Father O'Brian and his gang of would-be terrorists. Meanwhile Hatton finds himself falling under the spell of a beautiful woman. As the kaleidoscope of outlandish characters, dockside strikes, bomb blasts, and violent retribution reaches a crescendo, Hatton's skills are tested to the limit, taking readers from the wildflower meadows of Kent to an island with a shipwreck and a secret on a nail-biting race against time.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
Praise for D. E. Meredith and Devoured:
“Devoured steeps us in the danger of Victorian London and the discovery of modern forensics, combining classic storytelling with a finely-executed historical moment. Meredith packs her debut with charm and wit enough to carry us into any adventures to come with these sparkling characters.” -- Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Dickens
"Devoured is an absorbing mystery, with an atmosphere that captures wonderfully the contrasts of science and superstition, of domesticity and imperial exoticism, that made the Victorian era so richly interesting. Hopefully a sequel is already on the way!" -- Charles Finch, author of The Fleet Street Murders
“Lovers of Victorian mystery will delight in Denise Meredith's terrific debut, where murder, the science of specimen collecting, and early forensic medicine combine into a riveting adventure.” -- Stefanie Pintoff, Edgar Award-winning author of In the Shadow of Gotham
"Meredith’s debut novel delves into the ugly secrets of that straight-laced time and believably renders life among the different social strata.... Think Michael Cox (The Meaning of Night) meets Jonathan Barnes (The Somnambulist). Strongly recommended for fans of historicals. -- Library Journal, starred review
"Meredith’s research is superb. The smallest details show the interior life of the characters and the conditions they lived in. This is a dark story, but fascinating and brilliantly executed." -- RT BookReviews, 4 and a half stars
"Something special. And then some.... Meredith, an Englishwoman with a degree from Cambridge University, has a fertile mind, from which springs a shocking conclusion that, in retrospect, is perfectly apparent. She fills this story of unbridled evil and immense sorrow with memorable characters and graceful prose, and her portrait of a world at an intellectual crossroads is powerful and evocative." -- Richmond Times Dispatch
“Cleverly plotted... charming and convincing—very well done, and this likable and brainy team of detectives probably has a future.” -- Sullivan County Democrat
“If this debut is any indication, we are in for a long run of entertaining and thoughtful books.... Dark, creepy and fascinating Devoured is a book that lingers long after the reading is done.” -- Crime Spree magazine
"This debut novel by Denise Meredith is an entertaining read. It reminded me of Masterpiece Mystery... The author does a good job of bringing the wintry streets of Victorian London and the steamy jungles of Borneo to life as she tells her story." -- Historical Novel Society
"Fans of historical mysteries, especially those set in Victorian Europe, will definitely want to read D.E. Meredith's Devoured. A high body count, creative death scenes, cruel villains, beloved heroes, intriguing plots and subplots, and an exotic setting make this novel an enjoyable read." -- GumshoeReview
“Devoured is a fascinating and sinister mystery set in Victorian London—in a time when a person could be killed for believing in something other than what was accepted.” -- Nightandweekends
“A complex amalgam of mystery and bloody terror, Devoured ties new and sacrilegious theories of evolution to the mysteries of nineteenth-century forensic techniques.... From the series of gruesome murders to the exotic delights of Broderig’s letters to Hatton’s burgeoning science, Meredith’s tale is filled with dissenters and religious bigots, devious villains and buried animosities. The ultimate truths of men is lit by a microscope and a lamp, and it appears that all is ripe for Hatton and Adams to return in another outing, their vibrant partnership already taken to the brink as they walk the streets of a violent London, determined to protect the innocent against the deadliest schemes of men.” -- Curledup
Review
'You'll devour this brilliant, classy Victorian crime novel in hours. It will stay with you a lot longer, though, thanks to the extraordinary atmosphere and detail, as the first days of forensics are brought to life. 5 stars!' DAILY MIRROR 'The detailed description of their primitive mortuary and newly invented methods of dissection and analysis make a fascinating contrast with the numerous contemporary novels by and about forensic pathologists...It is full of interesting ideas, neat phrases and vivid images - an enjoyable read.' --Literary Review
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
