3☆

Довольно скучный детектив, дослушала только из-за хорошего диктора. Все-таки книги, где фокус установлен на полицейского, который расследует дело, — не для меня. Но главный герой приятный, без лишней маскулинности и внимания на сексуализации женщин (вот вы думаете, зачем я это написала? А потому что в куче других похожих книг мужчины-следователи страдают от недостатка внимания к себе от женщин и всячески концентрируются на их разных частях тела).

Another engrossing historical mystery from Karen Odden. Her books seem extremely well researched; no detail ever jumps out at me as not fitting the setting.

Odden’s main character Inspector Michael Corrovan is an interesting character with a colorful past. A number of appealing side characters who can be fleshed out in later books in the series are sprinkled throughout the narrative. Odden likes to scatter poetry and literary references through her books, which I like.

I didn’t feel Corrovan’s relationship to his lover Belinda – really, given the times and their supposed love for each other, they would choose to maintain separate households rather than marry? Maybe so, or maybe she’ll grow on me in future books.

The mystery was appropriately mysterious, although

Spoiler

I am so tired of historical fiction that relies on rich men’s deviant sexual preferences as plot points. I feel like that is a storyline I’ve read over and over. There must have been some other crime going on in England in the 1800s!

I realize it’s hard to find original plot lines. At least Corrovan isn’t assisted by a bevy of wise street urchins. I also kept wondering if I’d missed something, as there are a lot of references to Corrovan’s previous work that muddled my attempts to follow the plot in Down a Dark River. (Was it from the previous books that don’t focus on Corrovan? It’s been too long since I read them to remember any of the characters from previous books, if they appeared.)

If you are a fan of Anne Perry’s Victorian mysteries, you might enjoy Karen Odden’s books. I will read book 2 - soon, while this one is fresh in my mind.

Great read & great detective in Corravan -- he has a gruff, stubborn exterior but also many little moments of thoughtfulness or showing kindness to those who might most need it. He also retains the reader's interest in his ability to change & grow.

The mystery is intricate & there are lots of players, but it stays taut, intriguing & page-turning throughout. Also really loved the secondary characters, there's a lot of depth & personality woven into them as well - It was so nice to see James, the doctor, and Tom Flynn the newspaperman re-appear from other books -- and hope we see more of Belinda and Stiles in future, too. Even those who appear for brief moments -- like Nate in Whitechapel and Ma Doyle's nephew -- really grab the reader, make you feel empathy & hope they do alright (again, hoping for more appearances as the series continues!)

The resolution is satisfying but also creates some interesting gray areas in thinking about what revenge is worth and what justice means.

Looking forward to reading on in this series & diving back into Corravan's world to see what he does next!

This novel made me digress onto reproductive rights…keep reading to see how exactly.

Excellent period details and history—I wonder that it didn’t take 10 yrs to write this book! Even though it’s set in the Victorian era, I don’t think modern sensibilities will be offended. But it also doesn’t white wash the past. Odden includes an important plot point about how a woman was essentially the “property” of her husband or father (even after marriage, if her husband wasn’t available), which came as such a shock to me. In the book, the detective can speak to a female victim because her father won’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow it! Like she was 10 years old again, not a a grown woman with a family and home of her own. It seems only men and widows had agency in Victorian England. This reminded me of the whole surrogate-personhood debate, not to mention reproductive rights. I don’t think people realize that when we limit or restrict birth control and medical procedures, we are treating women like children, like they can’t make decisions about their own body. Five Supreme Court judges with the best education available and resources at their disposal made this decision! Like their personal opinions and religious feelings have bearing on another person’s free will. It’s positively SICK. And how very very Victorian. In fact, recent changes in American laws have made it so we value the opinions of men (and heartless women who should know better, imo) in political office (totally removed from the situation) more than a woman and her doctor. Needless to say, that scene reminded me of this, so I found the book extremely relevant to modern times. Are things that different from 1880? Really? Really? You think so?

Anyhow, I’m not much of a serial killer novel reader, but I still found this accessible with beautiful prose. Odden is a writer who cares deeply for her fans and her craft.

Not my typical genre, so far all I know this is your average whodunnit. But, I thought the plot unfolded nicely and the relationships between the main characters were well-formed and interesting. And it was well written. I read this for a reading challenge, but I will likely keep reading the books in this series.

4.25/5⭐️

I wanted to read this initial series starter because I had read a stand-alone by this author previously and really enjoyed it.

Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan, an Irish no-nonsense former bare-knuckles boxer and dockworker, is investigating a series of strange murders centering around the Thames River. There are lots of suspects/motives as he weaves his way toward the killer.

My only issues were with the story’s length (a bit too drawn out I felt), frustration at times with Corravan’s moodiness and keeping up with an abundance of miscellaneous characters’ names. And just to mention, there are some dark deeds here including rape (not too graphic).

Corravan’s world is populated with some interesting folks including his young colleague Stiles, his director Vincent, his medical friend James, his lover Belinda and a newly-acquired teenaged boarder Harry…a well-drawn ensemble. I’m intrigued to hear the backstories of these, and I look forward to more well-researched and well-written adventures. I enjoyed this one!

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Michael Corravan has a history. But now he is an inspector in 1878 London working on an unusual case, a case of serial killing. His plate is already chock full but this case requires his particular skill set. The first of the women to be found is the daughter of a judge of the upper class which is puzzling. Along with his colleague Mr. Stiles, Corravan searches hither and yon for answers as they question and inveigle. The story contains oodles of deceit, bends and turns and romance along with mystery.

Author Belinda Gale is Corrovan's paramour. Her wit and cleverness add a certain je ne sais quoi both to her books and real life. The two are very different from each other but complementary.

My favourite aspects of the book are the atmosphere, historical figures introduced by the author and especially the insanity thread. I really like how the past is worked in...beautifully done and gorgeously written. Plus there are unexpected bits throughout. Do read the author's notes at the back as well. If you are seeking a fun Historical Fiction book, do add this one to your list. I look forward to discovering the next ideas the author has up her sleeve!

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book.

It's 1878 London. A series of young women are missing, then found murdered, and later revealed to be daughters of influential men. Also, the wife of another rich man is reported missing, and Inspector Corravan locates her, but finds her in a terrible state. He takes her to a hospital where a friend works so she can be cared for properly, and kept safe until she can explain why she had run away from home.

Both cases keep Corravan busy, while he also has personal concerns splitting his focus:
-Harry, a teen living temporarily with Corravan's adopted family the Doyles, needs a new place to live (he doesn't fit into Whitechapel) and an intellectual challenge
-his long time romantic partner Belinda is frustrated that Corravan uses anger as his go-to in most situations.

Corravan is dogged at chasing down clues and at finding his suspects, but he is not great at communicating with his superior and takes an intelligent and helpful younger colleague, Stiles, for granted. Corravan is also prone to anger and using his fists, methods that served him well for years as first an orphan and thief, then a dockworker, then a boxer in the pay of a local criminal. It takes a lot for him to realize how this is harming him in his personal and professional relationships.

This was a great start to a series. The historical details create great atmosphere, and the trio of characters of Corravan, Stiles, and Belinda give the story an interesting feel. Corravan's background encompasses both the rougher streets of Whitechapel and the complexity of a growing, changing London. And though he butts heads with his gentry superiors, there's something compelling about him. Compelling enough that he has a long term relationship with his love Belinda, who's a writer, unmarried, forthright, compassionate and perceptive. She also gives him some analysis of his actions and his case, when needed.

Karen Odden's first book in the Inspector Corravan series is good, and I look forward to reading the next.