Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
London circa 1860. An attempt on Queen Victoria's life. A plot against evolutionist Charles Darwin. A madman on the loose. And a police detective made famous by Charles Dickens.
When Inspector Charles Field is tasked with finding who was behind an attempt on Queen Victoria's life, his investigation leads him to believe that the plot may have originated with some ranking members of the Church of England, enraged because the Queen has chosen to offer a knighthood to Charles Darwin, author of the newly published--and very controversial--On the Origin of Species, viewed by many as antichurch and an act of heresy. That Darwin was indeed on a list of men to be knighted by Queen Victoria is a recorded fact. History also shows that it was an honor he was never to receive.
In this fast-paced Victorian thriller, debut novelist Tim Mason unfurls a gripping, richly atmospheric tale. Beginning with a murder of a street urchin in London--followed by the kidnapping of a butcher's boy, the death of a divinity student from Oxford, the discovery of a ring of body snatchers, and a royal visit to Bavaria that turns deadly--and ending with a spectacular London fire, Inspector Field (based on a real London police inspector who was also immortalized by Dickens as Inspector Bucket in Bleak House) suffers wounds to his body and blows to his ego as he chases after a madman known as The Chorister. The Chorister, for very personal reasons, is intent on not just killing Darwin but also making sure his theories of evolution die with him. Rich in period color and detail, and with many twists and turns to its plot, The Darwin Affair combines historical fact with vividly realized fiction to create an immersive reading experience that will captivate fans of such writers as Matthew Pearl and Alan Furst.
Synopsis
Get ready for one of the most inventive and entertaining novels of 2019--an edge-of-your-seat Victorian-era thriller, where the controversial publication of On the Origin of Species sets off a string of unspeakable crimes.
"Keep clear of his blade " he cried. "Once cut, always kept "
LONDON, JUNE 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later--and only a block away--Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin's target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is this shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes? Soon, Field's investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a diabolical madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows as the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden.
With ingenuity, intelligence, and wit, debut novelist Tim Mason has created a powerfully entertaining thriller. For fans of Caleb Carr and Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, The Darwin Affair is a rousing page-turner that both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would relish and envy.
Synopsis
Within three weeks of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, despite the immediate outrage it created among scholars and England's powerful clergy, Darwin's name was added to the list of men who would be knighted by Queen Victoria. History shows that this was an honor he was never to receive.Tim Mason's debut novel, The Darwin Affair, takes the reader back to that time, and, through a London police inspector named Charles Field---a real-life policemen whom Charles Dickens immortalized as the inspiration for Inspector Bucket in his novel Bleak House--tells us the story of how forces conspired to keep Darwin and the Queen apart.Cleverly combining historical figures with an original cast of fictional ne'er-do-wells, Mason weaves a richly atmospheric detective story that features the Chorister, one of the most diabolical and eccentric literary villains ever created.Fast-paced and filled with twists and turns, The Darwin Affair is a treat for all mystery and thriller fans, and marks the arrival of a distinctively inventive writer. Get ready for an exhilarating experience as the story gallops, steams, and roars from London to Germany and back, taking readers on an exciting ride into a dark but momentous era, accompanied by some of the most fascinating characters fiction--and real life--has ever produced.
Synopsis
"Intellectually stimulating and viscerally exciting, The Darwin Affair is breathtaking from start to stop." --The Wall Street Journal
Get ready for one of the most inventive and entertaining novels of 2019--an edge-of-your-seat Victorian-era thriller, where the controversial publication On the Origin of Species sets off a string of unspeakable crimes.London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later--and only a block away--Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin's target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is the shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes?Soon, Field's investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin's controversial On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden. Tim Mason has created a rousing page-turner that both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would relish and envy.