Thief
takers and identical twins, Peter and Paul Skillen, are back
with a second case, this time trying to find out who killed
newspaper editor Leonidas Paige. Due to the scurrilous nature
of the paper, a lot of prominent people were baying for his
blood, so there is a wide range of suspects. But who drew
the caricatures, going under the name of Virgo, and are they
at risk of murder as well? The Skillens must discover whodunit
before their arch rivals, the Bow Street Runners.
This is the second in Mr Marston’s new Regency set series
(Shadow of the Hangman is also up on our site). Set in 1816,
it gives a lively depiction of London’s low life in
nice contrast to the ton, who are usually the protagonists
of books set at this time. Indeed, apart from the odd famous
name, this book could have been set anytime from the mid 18th
century to the mid 19th. The brothers get to visit a debtor’s
prison, delve into the world of print selling and journalism,
as well as having to always stay a step ahead of the opposition.
There is plenty of detection as they chase around investigating
the various suspects, and although it is not too hard to guess
whodunit, reading about it is a lot of fun. Adding to the
general sense of fun are the Runners, a trio of comic bunglers
who get everything wrong. They are corrupt and untrained,
a far cry from the way they are usually depicted, but then
they are not the heroes in this series. This broad comedy
fits well with the Hogarthian world they inhabit, and like
all of this author’s work, this novel is an entertaining
page turner, albeit one that could stand some careful editing.
To date I would not say that this is one of Mr Marston’s
finest series, but perhaps that is his fault for setting the
bar for this type of novel rather high. A jolly, escapist
read.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Shadow
of the Hangman #1
Steps
To The Gallows #2
Date
With The Executioner #3
Fugitive
From The Grave #4 |