The Book Report #64

Episode #63

The Yard By Alex Grecian

The Book

My copy is a paperback, the eighteenth printing, originally published by Penguin Books in 2013. It has 584 pages and no extras. The story was first released in 2012.

What Did I Think

This is a crime drama. I was expecting a type of whodunit, but no such luck. But I am not disappointed.

This is set in 1889. Jack the Ripper has vanished, and his killings have stopped. The public has lost faith in the police, believing they are unable to perform their duties because they failed to capture him. But others have started murdering, and instead of prostitutes, police officers.

Inspector Day is a newbie to Scotland Yard, moving from Devon. His first case is to solve the murder of Inspector Little, who has been dumped in a chest at the train station.

We are introduced to Dr. Kingsley, one of the first forensic scientists. He has a large amount of knowledge, which helps with his investigation. He is a this books version of Sherlock Holmes.

There are many other characters like Constable Pringle and Inspector Blackley. But I believe the character Mr Grecian enjoyed writing about the most was Constable Hammersmith. I felt he was the main protagonist of the story. The development of his character overrode the main plot of the story, which is to find the killer of Inspector Little.

The Main Character

Hammeresmith seemed to care more and is more engaging, whereas Inspector Day, the author, didn’t care for him as much, and he fell behind. Hammersmith had his investigation to solve and went beyond to find the answers he needed, even with the impending danger to himself.

Every character has problems they have to learn to fix and resolve, which is probably why I enjoyed the story more. Every character has a backstory to a degree. You get to know everyone involved. There are even flashbacks to fill in bits of that that could be holes in the story. Mr Grecian loves his character building.

But Hammersmith is in no doubt his baby.

The whole story is set over three days and is written in a way that feels like a TV show. The closest I could link it to is a series called Ripper Street.

The villains of this story are well written as well. I did like how the main villain was given their own chapters and written in Italic, so everything written was a thought from the individual’s mind. There is more than one villain in this book. Which helps with the development of this universe. I think just sticking to one villain may have killed the story or made it a tad tedious.

We even have a Victorian version of a Karen. Poor Mrs Day.

Would I Recommend

Yes, wholeheartedly, I enjoyed this book for the many twists and turns you would get from running through the streets of London. Also, you know the characters at the end of the story. Which I think is a rarity in books. Usually, you know the main character and some of the secondary characters, but here, the smallest character has a story to tell.

So please, if you get the chance, give this book a go. I will be looking out for more in the series.

Would you like to purchase your very own copy?

You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/ USA, Barnes and Noble and eBay UK/ USA.

Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.