Synopses & Reviews
Scotland Yards Murder Squadand Jack the Ripperreturn, in the extraordinary new historical thriller from the author of the acclaimed national bestseller The Yard.
In The Devils Workshop, London discovered that Jack the Ripper was back, sending the cityand Scotland Yards Murder Squadinto chaos. But now it is even worse. Not only is the Ripper still at large, but so is another killer just as bad.
For Inspector Walter Day, it has been a difficult time. His wife has given birth to twins, his hostile in-laws have come to stay, and a leg injury has kept him at his desk. But when the Harvest Man begins killing, carving peoples faces off their skulls, the Yard knows they need Day in the field.
Not so Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith. Rash actions have cost him his job, but that doesnt stop his obsessive hunt for the Ripper. When the mutilated bodies of prostitutes start turning up again, Hammersmith enlists the help of a criminal network to stop Saucy Jack, his methods carrying him further and further from the ideals of the Yard, so far in fact that he may never be able to find his way back.
Of course, the Rippers been playing a game with himwith Walter Day, as well. He is pushing both of them to their limits, and what happens when they get there . . . no one can say.
Review
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as fast paced as a locomotive,
The Yard will keep you riveted from page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."
—Jeffery Deaver, author of Carte Blanche and The Bone Collector
Review
"Alex Grecian’s
The Yard is a brilliantly crafted debut novel with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper. And I mean that in the best possible way."
—Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files
Review
“Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn’t somewhere clapping his hands for this, Wilkie Collins surely is.” – Marilyn Stasio,
The New York Times Book ReviewReview
“Grecian’s debut is the promising start of a new series and should be one of the most acclaimed and popular mysteries of the year. Caleb Carr’s
The Alienist> is the obvious comparison, thanks to
The Yard’s attention to detail and mix of historical facts and vivid fictional creations.” –
Huffington PostReview
“A winner, filled with Victorian arcane and eccentric characters and more humor than one expects from such a work.” –
The Rap SheetReview
“Grecian powerfully evokes both the physical, smog-ridden atmosphere of London in 1889 and its emotional analogs of anxiety and depression. His infusion of actual history adds to this thriller’s credibility and punch. A deeply satisfying reconstruction of post-Ripper London.” –
BooklistReview
“This excellent murder mystery debut introduces a fascinating cast of characters. Grecian displays a flair for language as well as creating vivid (and occasionally gruesome) depictions of places and events.” –
Library JournalReview
“Grecian has a talent for capturing gory details…extremely vivid (and strangely moving)…Bounding from the workhouse to the lunatic asylum to the stinking streets, [Grecian] does outstanding descriptive work on the mad and the maimed, the diseased and the demented. If Charles Dickens isn’t somewhere clapping his hands for this one, Wilkie Collins surely is.”—
The New York Times Book Review “Jack The Ripper has disappeared into the mist of Victorian London. But Scotland Yard—shamed and embarrassed over its failure to catch the taunting madman—must carry on…an absorbing launch pad for a new series built around the detectives who are finding their way in the new business of criminology. Fingerprinting, saving evidence, comparing notes from different crimes to see if there's a pattern, even something as simple as working in pairs are all novel, untested ideas tried out for the first time…[a] mix of historical facts and vivid fictional creations. It's great fun…Grecian's debut is the promising start of a new series and should be one of the most acclaimed and popular mysteries of the year.”—Huffington Post
“Alex Grecian's exuberantly grisly serial killer tale set in 1889 London picks up where the Ripper left off.”—The Guardian (UK)
“One can almost taste the grit of the city, smell the soot of the chimneys, and hear the clopping of horses’ hooves as the hansoms rumble down cobbled streets. Alex Grecian builds his readers a world in Victorian London and populates it with good guys you’ll want to root for and bad guys you’ll want stopped at any cost. The Yard spans about three days, just the amount of time you’ll need to race through this intriguing debut novel.”—BookReporter.com
“Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as fast paced as a locomotive, The Yard will keep you riveted from page one. It’s truly a one—or two—sitting read.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of Carte Blanche and The Bone Collector
“A brilliantly crafted debut novel with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper.”—Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files
“Grecian successfully re-creates the dark atmosphere of late Victorian London.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A winner, filled with Victorian arcane and eccentric characters and more humor than one expects from such a work.” —The Rap Sheet
“Grecian powerfully evokes both the physical, smog-ridden atmosphere of London in 1889 and its emotional analogs of anxiety and depression. His infusion of actual history adds to this thriller’s credibility and punch. A deeply satisfying reconstruction of post-Ripper London.” —Booklist
“This excellent murder mystery debut introduces a fascinating cast of characters. Grecian displays a flair for language as well as creating vivid (and occasionally gruesome) depictions of places and events.”—Library Journal
“All the gruesome sights, sounds, and smells of a depraved Victorian London are vividly depicted…not for the squeamish. The characterization is particularly adept, and there’s even the occasional thought-provoking comment on industrialization and metropolitan Victorian society…Add to it all a few genuinely funny moments courtesy of absurdity and human nature, and you have The Yard: a gripping police procedural mystery and cracking good read. Recommended.”—HistoricalNovelSociety.org
“I enjoyed every minute of The Yard. If you like gritty crime stories with a psychological thriller edge then you’re in for a treat.”—Popcorn Reads
Review
Praise for THE YARD “Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn’t somewhere clapping his hands for this, Wilkie Collins surely is.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
Review
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
“Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with historical elements.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty atmosphere of late-Victorian England.”—Kirkus
Praise for THE YARD
“Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isnt somewhere clapping his hands for this, Wilkie Collins surely is.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as fast paced as a locomotive, The Yard will keep you riveted from page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."—Jeffery Deaver, author of Carte Blanche and The Bone Collector
"Alex Grecians The Yard is a brilliantly crafted debut novel with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper. And I mean that in the best possible way."—Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files
Review
Praise for The Devil's Workshop
“Grecian has a remarkable way of pulling the reader in and down, into the swirling dark. . . We do not merely read Grecian's books; we participate in them. In the end, we emerge from this tale dazed and awed, as though we, too, have been toiling in the black womb of London's underground. We have glimpsed as through a mirror darkly the bloom of evil, the birth of destruction. We have met the Devil.”—Huffington Post
“Anyone searching for a novel chocked full of blood-letting and guilty pleasures should look no further . . . This is a skillfully constructed, very satisfying trek into a shadowy netherworld, where light is as sparsely parceled out aboveground as it is below.”—Stratton Magazine
“Delivers a hard-hitting historical thriller bursting with deft characterizations and the authors knowledge of Victoriana.” —Booklist
“A historical thriller that moves quickly and surely, bringing Jack the Ripper back from the realm of nightmare to the streets of London . . . The novel propels readers through a nonstop chase for the escaped murderers by the police of Scotland Yard, who have no idea that Jack the Ripper, their most famous adversary, is also on the loose. Jack is the real show here, written with chilling insight by Grecian . . . Justice and punishment are the deeper themes, and the characterization is superb. Saucy Jack may be one of the most disturbing characters ever written on the page.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Grecian has penned the Murder Squads best outing yet! Devotees are sure to be delighted, but Grecians latest would also make a satisfying introduction to the series. Recommended for historical thriller enthusiasts, crime buffs, Ripperologists, and Anglophiles.”—Library Journal
Praise for The Black Country
“A startling and spooky sequel [with a] bold melding of horror with historical elements. The nascent bond between Walter Day and Sgt. Nevil Hammersmith is especially appealing, hinting at many rich developments to come.” -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A first-rate thriller. Whether you read the tale in the dark night of winter or the haze of a summer sun, be prepared for the chill. The days are dark in Black Country.” -The Huffington Post
Review
Praise for The Devils Workshop
“Superb. Saucy Jack may be one of the most disturbing characters ever written on the page—again.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Grecian has a remarkable way of pulling the reader in and down, into the swirling dark. We do not merely read Grecians books; we participate in them. We have met the Devil . . . and he isnt done with us yet.”—The Huffington Post
Review
“A thrilling hunt…gripping and gruesome.”—James Becker, bestselling author of
The Lost Testament
Synopsis
Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives—known as “The Murder Squad”—to investigate countless murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own . . . one of the twelve . . .
When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad . . . but why?Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of The Sherlockian and The Alienist.
Synopsis
1889, LONDON.
JACK THE RIPPER’S REIGN OF TERROR IN FINALLY OVER, BUT A NEW ONE IS JUST BEGINNING.
Victorian London—a violent cesspool of squalid depravity. Only twelve detectives—The Murder Squad—are expected to solve the thousands of crimes committed here each month. Formed after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure in capturing Jack the Ripper, the Murder Squad suffers the brunt of public contempt. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own…
A Scotland Yard Inspector has been found stuffed in a black steamer trunk at Euston Square Station, his eyes and mouth sewn shut. When Walter Day, the squad’s new hire, is assigned to the case, he finds a strange ally in Dr. Bernard Kingsley, the Yard’s first forensic pathologist. Their grim conclusion: this was not just a random, bizarre murder but in all probability, the first of twelve. Because the squad itself it being targeted and the devious killer shows no signs of stopping before completing his grim duty. But Inspector Day has one more surprise, something even more shocking than the crimes: the killer’s motive.
Synopsis
Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad returns, in the stunning new historical thriller from the author of the acclaimed national bestseller The Yard. The British Midlands. It’s called the “Black Country” for a reason. Bad things happen there.
When members of a prominent family disappear from a coal-mining village—and a human eyeball is discovered in a bird’s nest—the local constable sends for help from Scotland Yard’s new Murder Squad. Fresh off the grisly 1889 murders of The Yard, Inspector Walter Day and Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith respond, but they have no idea what they’re about to get into. The villagers have intense, intertwined histories. Everybody bears a secret. Superstitions abound. And the village itself is slowly sinking into the mines beneath it.
Not even the arrival of forensics pioneer Dr. Bernard Kingsley seems to help. In fact, the more the three of them investigate, the more they realize they may never be allowed to leave. . . .
Synopsis
Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad returns, in the stunning new historical thriller from the author of the acclaimed national bestseller The Yard. The British Midlands. It’s called the “Black Country” for a reason. Bad things happen there.
When members of a prominent family disappear from a coal-mining village—and a human eyeball is discovered in a bird’s nest—the local constable sends for help from Scotland Yard’s new Murder Squad. Fresh off the grisly 1889 murders of The Yard, Inspector Walter Day and Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith respond, but they have no idea what they’re about to get into. The villagers have intense, intertwined histories. Everybody bears a secret. Superstitions abound. And the village itself is slowly sinking into the mines beneath it.
Not even the arrival of forensics pioneer Dr. Bernard Kingsley seems to help. In fact, the more the three of them investigate, the more they realize they may never be allowed to leave. . . .
Synopsis
They thought he was gone, but they were wrong. Jack the Ripper is loose in London once more.
Scotland Yards Murder Squad faces the most shocking case of its existence, in the extraordinary new historical thriller from the author of the acclaimed national bestsellers The Yard and The Black Country.
London, 1890. A small group of the citys elite, fed up with the murder rate, have made it their business to capture violent criminals and mete out their own terrible brand of retribution. Now they are taking it a step further: They have arranged for four murderers to escape from prison, and into the groups hands.
But the plan goes wrong. The killers elude them, and now it is up to Walter Day, Nevil Hammersmith, and the rest of Scotland Yards Murder Squad to hunt the convicts down before they can resume their bloody spree. But the Murder Squad may already be too late. The killers have retribution in mind, and one of them is heading straight toward a member of the Murder Squad, and his family.
And that isnt even the worst of it. During the escape, one of the killers has stumbled upon the location of another notorious murderer, one thought gone for good, but who is now prepared to join forces with them.
And Saucy Jack has learned some new tricks while hes been away.
Synopsis
A chilling novel of murder and madness in post-World War II Germany
Winter 1945. Seven months after the Nazi defeat, Munich is in ruins. Mason Collinsa former Chicago homicide detective, U.S. soldier, and prisoner of waris now a U.S. Army criminal investigator in the American Zone of Occupation. Its his job to enforce the law in a place where order has been obliterated. And his job just became much more dangerous.
A killer is stalking the devastated cityone who has knowledge of human anatomy, enacts mysterious rituals with his prey, and seems to pick victims at random. Relying on his wits and instincts, Mason must venture places where his own life is put at risk: from interrogation rooms with unrepentant Nazi war criminals to penetrating the U.S. Armys own black market.
What Mason doesnt know is that the killer hes chasing is stalking him, too
About the Author
John A. Connell has worked as a cameraman on films such as Jurassic Park and Thelma and Louise and on TV shows including The Practice and NYPD Blue. He now lives with his wife in Paris, France, where he is at work on his second Mason Collins novel.