Advanced Reading copy recieved as part of the Penguin Proof Reading group. Lovely Hardback copy.

There is the odd typographical error (mainly around pages 365/366) but as this is an ARC, then it's a small and almost expected event.

Right, onto the book

Set in Victorian London still recovering from Jack the Ripper, where children are still being sent up chimneys by the chimneysweeps, the Metropolitan police are trying to get public confidence, and someone is killing Policemen.

The book deals with a police service starting out in a world that doesnt trust them, there is no concept of profiling or Serial Killers. CSI this isnt. Fingerprints are only just being "discovered". There is no DNA, blood analysis, mobile phones and no cars in the car pool.

There was some wording (e.g. "gaining closure" over a death) which I'm not entirely sure was in use in late 19th Century London.

Once I settled down to read, it was paced well. Couple of threads that were started but which didnt tie up (e.g Day's wife looks like she's going to get involved more, but that peters out......do have to admit this book only goes over three days so if it had gone longer there might have worked out different).

On the whole easy and enjoyable book and this was an excellent debut novel ( )

There are three intersecting threads here, and it's too much. Likewise there is too much revealed on each thread, leaving me nothing to puzzle out but how the author will choose to tie them up, if he does; which makes me impatient. Positives: although the intersections are a bit ridiculous, there are some nice pay-offs. He doesn't romanticize the era which so, so many books do. And there are some nice subtle social beats. ( )

Liked the police characters but it was too creepy for me.

Very enjoyable. I particularly like Grecian's deft hand with comings and goings -- the rate at which people almost put the pieces together is almost a Shakespearian comedy of manners. That and I like characters I can get behind -- compassionate, driven and thoughtful, he's assembled a great crew. ( )

Filled with wild coincidences, but the characters are likeable enough to keep you reading ( )