PositiveBooklistIn this disquieting read, Brazier makes great use of setting, an isolated off-season campsite with plenty of room to bury a body or two. The first-person perspective, brimming with self-loathing and paranoia, only ups the sense of anxiety—although having the narration directed toward an unnamed \'you\' is a sometimes annoying device. In addition, promising threads concerning societal pressures and our need for human connection are abandoned in favor of plot twists and a shock ending that doesn’t shock. Still, this is a good choice for true-crime fans and will also appeal to those who favor mysteries with a dark tone.
Susan Cox
MixedBooklistA solid enough read, although some of the supporting characters are a bit stereotypically quirky, and the transition to spy thriller halfway through doesn’t always work. Another flaw is the fact that, in this second series outing, the premise of living under false pretenses is already wearing rather thin. Still, Theo is an engaging main character, and readers may wish to stick with her a little longer.
Charles Finch
PositiveBooklist... this tightly plotted mystery, winding through the back alleys of Whitechapel to the halls of Parliament itself, is rich in historical detail and quite enjoyable on its own merits but will be of particular interest to fans of the series, as it provides useful backstory to favorite characters. Lenox, quick-witted, fair-minded but still fallible, is an extremely likable protagonist who is drawn to his somewhat unusual profession out of a genuine wish to help others—even against the whispers of society and at some personal cost. His coming into his own as a detective is a delight.
