The Yard by Alex Grecian really shows you how book characters evolve. People pick up the courage to talk. New police officers who made tactical mistakes in the beginning get their act together and with team work finally solve the crime.
A child perseveres despite torturous treatment and miraculously never loses trust in the general goodness of man. A cop’s heart breaks when he cannot pursue an investigation of his choice. He disobeys his superior’s orders. He is not reckless but the case gives him flashbacks to his own youth.
London in 1889 is a volatile place to be. Jack the Ripper’s crime spree is not forgotten and the public is not just disappointed that police did not catch him. They loath them for their failure. Their trust in Scotland Yard is below zero and the officers feel their scorn every day.
When one of their own is discovered in a trunk at Euston Square Station, police face battle on all fronts. The public’s scorn, the pressure from officials to keep London safe, and the agonizing little voice inside each cop’s head that “the next trunk … that could be me.” And more do end up dead.
This historical novel is rich in detail and not just about life in London, 1889. It describes the early days of forensics. We read about bare handed autopsies with little hygiene but with great humanity, and medical practice in general.
I look forward to reading more books by Alex Grecian. He has a Twitter account so make sure to follow him there for the latest on his work. Highly recommended reading!
[…] Grecian’s series about Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad counts five books published between 2012 – 2016. The very first one, The Yard, is reviewed here. […]