I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: The Strings of MurderAuthor: Oscar de Muriel
Published: 2015
Language: English
Pages: 407
Rating: 4/5
This is the first book in the Frey & McGrey series.
Summary:
Set in Edinburgh in 1888, Scotland Yard dispatches an inspector to investigate the mysterious murder of a violinist and finds himself partnered up with a superstitious and odd Scot.
Review:
I can't believe I've left this book sitting unread on my shelves for so long because this was so much fun!
I absolutely adore the time period and the setting of this; it's set at the height of the Jack the Ripper panic and historical Edinburgh is portrayed with great atmosphere. Our main characters are pretty interesting; we've got an insufferable uppity Englishman who loves working as an investigator because he feels it gives him purpose, despite what his family thinks of it, and we've got a slightly violent and chaotic Scot with a tragic backstory who isn't beyond truly believing in ghosts. They make quite an interesting and extremely entertaining pair.
The book is a bit over the top and on the verge of being ridiculous at times but it felt self aware enough to lean into it for just the perfect amount. Our main characters go about roaring and swearing at each other for the whole duration and even though it's a bit much, it just kind of works anyway.
The mystery in here was also incredibly intriguing and I was glued to the page. It's the perfect mix of so many things; murders in locked rooms, a cursed violin with possible ties to the devil and bodysnatching from graveyards, all mixed together with a dose of the occult.
The writing may not be perfect and it's not a very literary novel (I don't think everything needs to be), but this still made for a very exciting and entertaining story. It was just really fun to read and I will definitely be getting a copy of the next book in this series.
You can read more about it on Goodreads
