DDo you love thrillers? Do you love Victorian London? Are you strangely drawn to Ripper-esque novels? Then we have fabulous news for you, because today sees the release of Richard Ayre’s latest novel, Shadow of the Knife.
“Ripper Street meets Sherlock Holmes in this gripping new thriller from Richard Ayre, author of A Life Eternal.”
A dark, gritty and gripping historical mystery, Shadow of the Knife will keep you hooked until the very end.
Set in 1890, two years after London was rocked by the murders of at least five women in the city’s impoverished Whitechapel district, Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Jonas Handy is called to investigate the discovery of a murdered woman, found near the same site and on the anniversary of the first “canonical” Jack the Ripper victim, Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols. Having had tangential involvement with the 1888 crimes, Handy is immediately on alert that the unknown killer may have returned.
Handy makes the acquaintance of surgeon Doctor Carter Jarman, a Holmes-like character who combines practical knowledge with an intuitive understanding of human psychology. Together, and with the assistance of Handy’s sergeant, Frank Callow, and Jackson’s valet-coachdriver-factotum, the gloriously named Curmudgeon, they set about investigating the crime, with a view to identifying the miscreant and preventing further death and terror in the East End.
As you’d expect from a Burning Chair title, this is a first rate thriller full of twists, actions and unforgettable characters. You can get pick up a copy of Shadow of the Knife at all leading book shops and sites.
Darren Brow says:
Brilliantly well written book. Putting a very different spin on one of british histories unanswered questions? While not a Jack the Ripper book. This boom gave a great flavour of the time. Well done.
Simon Finnie says:
Thanks Darren – glad you enjoyed it!
If you haven’t already, can you review on Amazon also?
Thank you!