When Muriel Carew attends a lavish society party, the last person she expects to bump into is her ex-fiancée Henry Jekyll, a man she’s not seen for many years. When Jekyll turns out to be investigating a series of missing persons in London, Muriel is intrigued. But Jekyll is not working alone, and if Muriel wants to aid in the investigation, she must work with both Henry and his partner, the monstrous and uncouth Mr Hyde.
As their search takes a dark turn and a missing persons case becomes a murder investigation, Muriel finds herself deep in a mystery involving a nefarious group exploring their own hidden alter-egos within the beating heart of London’s high society. To solve the case and bring those responsible to justice, Muriel must find a way to place her trust in Mr Hyde, which might mean uncovering secrets about her own life she never dreamed of discovering.
Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives by Tim Major will be published September 3, 2024. Titan Books provided an early galley for review.
The concept, the setting and the cover of this novel really caught my attention. It sounded like it would a fun read.
Major has dabbled with mysteries featuring other literary figures before (he has a trio of Sherlock Holmes novels to date). So, this one seems to fall right into his lane. As it turns out, all of the main lead characters here come from past Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde stories with Muriel coming from the 1931 film adaptation (which the author fully acknowledges in his end-notes). Major's writing style and tone fits well with the Victorian era setting, coming across as elevated and proper. It reads in a very classic way.
At the heart of it all is the interplay and relationship between Henry/Edward and Muriel. There is a tension as well as a contrast in methods that provides a conflict to go along with the ongoing mystery itself. The differences in personalities provide the real uniqueness and intrigue of the story.
I appreciate the ending with its potential for a sequel. There is definitely more that Major can mine from the trio.
No comments:
Post a Comment